Forest Heights council discusses pedestrian easement, residents raise parking concerns

Forest Heights — Council members and developers on Oct. 6 discussed an easement and trail-maintenance agreement tied to the proposed National View mixed-use development, focusing on pedestrian access, parking impacts and who will pay for upkeep.

Mayor Lilly opened discussion of Ordinance 05-25, which would authorize a public-use and trail maintenance easement to create a paved pedestrian connection between Bald Eagle Drive and Seneca Drive. Andrew Klayman, representing the development team, said the developer will cover construction and ongoing maintenance and that the connection is intended for bicycles and pedestrians only.

"No vehicular traffic of any kind associated with the project," Klayman said, describing the path as a multimodal connector and noting the bulk of construction would come from the southern end of the site rather than through existing neighborhood streets.

Council members voiced concerns about spillover parking and pedestrian traffic on Seneca Drive. "That's going to create a lot of traffic for Seneca Drive," Council member Brownson said, asking whether visitors would park on Seneca and walk into the development. Council president Noble said an annual $1,000 easement fee "is just unreasonable" given likely enforcement needs and possible negative impacts for nearby residents.

Mayor Lilly said the developer has proposed to fund construction and maintenance and that the town would receive $1,000 a year as a nonexclusive-use fee, but she signaled that the council could seek stronger protections and higher compensation. "Any dollar amount that's attached could be larger," she said, adding that the council takes resident impact seriously.

Klayman said the development will include structured and public parking near the southern portion of the site and that the project's traffic studies did not predict a sizable increase in traffic on Seneca Drive. He also said certain utility connections (water and sewer) may be possible depending on county authority requirements.

The mayor said no vote would be taken at the Oct. 6 meeting; the ordinance was opened for discussion to gather council and resident feedback. Klayman and the mayor said final site plans and renderings will be returned to the council after required county approvals, with a likely timeline toward the end of the year for entitlement stages and presentation of detailed plans.

Next steps: Council members asked staff and the newly appointed town attorney to review the easement exhibits and propose changes to address parking management, code enforcement responsibilities and a fee structure before the council considers final approval.