Conservation advocates urge commission to keep Boy Scouts parcel in its natural state

During public comment on April 1, conservation advocates urged Hamilton County commissioners to keep a Boy Scouts parcel contiguous to Enterprise South Nature Park in its natural state and to avoid lifting protections that would permit industrial or nonrecreational access.

Adrien Turner of Save Enterprise South Nature Park told the commission the parcel is landlocked between protected parkland and railroad tracks and that any road access for development would require removing permanent protections. "Given that the parcel is landlocked by protected parkland... what is to become of this extra parcel that the county and the city are planning on purchasing?" Turner asked, noting the regional planning commission had recommended the land be conserved.

Turner referenced a map in the meeting packet prepared by Terracon Consulting Services showing the surveyed protected parkland and said the Boy Scouts parcel sits directly contiguous to that surveyed area. She also said the purchase process began when a prior land-swap/industrialization proposal was still under consideration and asked the commission to consider keeping the parcel protected rather than converting it for other uses.

Commissioners did not take a vote on the matter during the recessed meeting; staff noted the parcel appears on the agenda packet for a future agenda session, and Turner urged the county and city to pursue conservation and public access consistent with prior public support.

The comment is now on the record and commissioners and staff said the item would receive further attention during the regular agenda session and subsequent committee reviews.