Commission presses applicant on trail widths and regional connectivity

Chair opened the trail-width discussion by noting city trail/pathway standards and asking whether the proposed trails were wide enough to serve pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians.

"I just wondered about the width of the trails because... All the trails in this are narrower than the ones that are listed," the chair said, referencing the city's 10-foot, 8-foot and 6-foot standards. Staff analyst Andrew Glasswell told the commission the code is “more specific to the pathway standards” and that trail standards are less prescriptive; he said the applicant had updated the pathway plan so trails now terminate at sidewalks and that trail termination/connection points were corrected in the revised map.

Applicant Dave Jorgensen said the design intentionally matches surrounding Sage Hill trail widths so connections line up and acknowledged that some routes are limited by steep topography. He reminded commissioners that several shown trails are conceptual and “may shift 5 feet, 10 feet, not 1000 feet,” and that the platting process requires a legal description and easement dedication to the city before recording the plat.

Commissioners agreed to retain trail alignment and easement conditions in their recommendation to Planning & Zoning and City Council.