Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Local Environment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge Dunsmuir to restore long-running downtown creek; council to add item for study
Summary
Scores of residents told the council they want the small downtown creek (referred to as Hedge Creek / local drainage) restored — citing wildlife, tourism, erosion near homes and unclear state direction. Council agreed to place the issue on a future agenda for more research and documentation.
Multiple residents told the council they were alarmed when the small downtown creek/drainage that passes through tourist areas and private properties was shut off or rerouted. Cammy Davis, a property owner on Castle Avenue, described recent erosion and root exposure next to her home and said she had received state compliance letters; she asked the council to "put the creek back to its normal flow until these questions are addressed."
Longtime property owners and business-area residents emphasized the creek'9s role in downtown character and tourism. Helen Cartwright, who said her family has owned creekfront property for decades, said prior engineering documents (PACE Engineering, 2016) included a provision to accommodate property owners and that the city has decision-making authority over the flow. Several speakers noted the creek has supported fish, birds and tourist attention around businesses such as the Wheelhouse and Cafe Maddalena.
City staff and council members told residents the drainage project previously completed a CEQA process and was reviewed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Water Resources; staff noted a compliance order number (2016062018) and said those documents are available on public record and Sequinet. City Manager Reese and council members committed to returning the creek item as an informational agenda item with state reports, biological review documents and possible options for rerouting or accommodation.
