Parks commissioners plan field survey to narrow Milton Creek Reserve boundary

Parks commissioners agreed Wednesday to a field survey to mark a recommended boundary for the Milton Creek Reserve after a joint meeting with the planning commission and city council raised questions about a buildable parcel within the proposed reserve. The commission said it will use topographic maps presented at the joint session to identify the specific areas that are most important to preserve and to propose a clear line the commission can present to council. Commissioners emphasized that most of the proposed reserve lies in the floodplain and is not readily developable, but a higher, buildable parcel containing camas fields prompted requests for more precise mapping and tribal consultation before any development decisions proceed. Commission members discussed conceding the single higher parcel now to allow the overall project to move forward while retaining the right to expand the preserved area later. Commissioners also requested an assurance that, if the city proceeds with development in any of the disputed areas, the parks commission would receive advance notice so volunteers and staff could salvage plants and other ecological resources first. To carry the work forward, the commission scheduled a site visit and mapping session for Wednesday the 6th at 4 p.m., meeting at the city building across from McCormick Park. Commissioners said they will bring Jacob's topography maps to the field visit and follow up with a delineated boundary to present to the council. The site visit was framed as an information-gathering exploratory trip rather than a regulatory hearing. Commissioners said the goal is a practical, contour-based boundary the group can endorse and ask council to adopt as phase 1 of the reserve plan. The commission noted the need for tribal consultation and for a topography-based plan in order to avoid delays if artifacts or cultural resources are found during future development.