Board approves easement to ensure public access to Serrano K1/K2 trail after questions about ownership

The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors voted to accept an easement over the Serrano "K1/K2" trail, making the path explicitly available for public use.

Adam Bain of the county Department of Transportation told the board the easement "is an easement to make the property public for open for public access." He said the action was intended to "close the loop" in the development-specific plan and satisfy a Community Facilities District (CFD) requirement that public amenities be publicly accessible.

Members of the public and several supervisors pressed staff on whether the trail would be reachable in practice or only on paper. Linda Campbell and Dean Getz cited prior documents indicating offers of dedication had been rejected and asked how the public would actually access the trail through Serrano's gates. In response, DOT staff said the trails are part of an interconnected network and are legally accessible at gate points, though some access routes pass through internal roads; the "fee owner" or homeowners association will be responsible for maintenance until any fee transfer occurs.

Auditor and County staff also warned of possible CFD compliance and bond implications if public funds had been used on amenities that were not public. Gary Kinghorn said bondholders could question tax-exempt status if CFD-funded assets were not in public ownership.

After discussion the board voted 4-0 to approve the easement and authorize the chair to sign the acceptance and recordation documents. The motion passed with Supervisor Ferrero absent.

What happens next: County staff will record the easement language and the county will monitor the maintenance and access arrangements while the HOA or fee owner assumes maintenance responsibilities.