Trinidad council approves $10,000 for Axel Lindgren Memorial Trail design, tied to CDP settlement

Trinidad — The City Council voted Nov. 12 to authorize $10,000 for preliminary engineering work on the Axel Lindgren Memorial Trail (ALMT), conditioned on resolution of the Coastal Development Permit (CDP) appeal. The funding will be moved from the city’s trail‑maintenance line to an engineering services account to pay for GPS mapping and conceptual drawings.

City Manager Gabe summarized the recommendation as a housekeeping budget amendment to “shift $10,000 in public works fund … to engineering expense code 71210 to cover the city's contribution to the actual Lincoln Memorial Trail Way lineup project.” He told the council the city’s trail maintenance account holds $10,000 and that stakeholders — including the California Coastal Commission, the Coastal Conservancy and representatives of the Yurok Tribe — are meeting to coordinate next steps.

Why it matters: Council members said the design work would produce drawings required for grant applications and for the Coastal Conservancy to consider project funding. Opponents said the Tri Ancestral Society (TAS), which appealed the original permit, has not been sufficiently consulted and warned that city money could be perceived as rushing the process.

During debate Councilmember Bryce and others urged caution: Bryce said the Coastal Commission “found that the appeal raised a substantial issue,” while other councilmembers suggested a smaller city contribution or cost‑sharing. After public comment from residents and planning commissioners, Mayor Kelly called for a motion. The council approved the $10,000 allocation on the condition that the CDP appeal issues be resolved; the motion passed by majority voice vote (three in favor, two opposed).

What the money pays for: Staff said the consultant would collect GPS coordinates, map a proposed alternate route and produce cross sections and conceptual drawings that the working group can use for permit discussions and grant applications. Staff warned that spending the line item would exhaust the city’s materials budget for the fiscal year but would not affect wages for public‑works staff.

Next steps: Staff will coordinate the technical work with the Coastal Commission‑led working group and report back to the council as the design and funding discussions progress. The council’s action documents the city’s conditional commitment to the ALMT design stage.