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Board hears public concern on easement encroachments as Westlake Avenue chosen as street-ends pilot
Summary
The Park Board reviewed a council-endorsed pilot to open Westlake Avenue as the first street-ends site, heard a resident'raised public comment about easement encroachments, and debated trade'offs between opening sites and the maintenance burden they would create.
The Park Board on Monday reviewed a council'backed pilot to open one street'end site — Westlake Avenue — and heard a public comment urging the city to address longstanding encroachments on public easements.
Resident Mary Bacon pressed the board for clarity on the city's plan, saying: "What is the city's plan to address these identified encroachment issues on our easements?" She added concern that "folks getting public property just by way of sitting on top of it for 7 to 10 years" seemed unfair.
Staff responded that council had selected a pilot project at its meeting the prior evening and that the city does not currently have a formal encroachment policy. A staff member said the council suggested creating such a policy and that the matter would likely become part of the board's work program in early 2025 to determine options and outcomes.
Board members and the council liaison emphasized caution about opening multiple sites at once. A board member noted the matrix used to rank candidate sites was designed to be fair and said tweaking the matrix after the fact would undercut the process. Council member Pearson, the board's liaison, said she supported doing "one site well" and voiced concern about creating ongoing maintenance liabilities that would frustrate residents.
Members highlighted practical maintenance hurdles: many sites have heavy blackberry growth that can take years of active work to eradicate, and shoreline sensitivity at some locations would require mitigation and design work before any development. Staff stressed that shoreline master plan changes must be considered and that the city would evaluate access, safety and risk management before proceeding.
The board did not take a formal vote on policy at the meeting; the discussion centered on implementing the council'endorsed pilot responsibly, balancing community access against long'term maintenance needs. Staff said the encroachment question will be folded into future work program planning, with policy work expected in early 2025.
