TOURISM AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT P.O. BOX 48, MAMMOTH LAKES, CA (760) ext.1259, fax (760)

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1 TOURISM AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT P.O. BOX 48, MAMMOTH LAKES, CA (760) ext.1259, fax (760) DATE: AUGUST 7, 2008 TO: TOWN COUNCIL, TOWN COMMISSIONERS, TOWN STAFF, PLANNING PARTNERS AND INTERESTED PARTIES OF THE TRAIL SYSTEM MASTER PLAN DRAFT, 2008 FROM: DANNA STROUD, TOURISM AND RECREATION DIRECTOR RE: COMMENTS ON TRAIL SYSTEM MASTER PLAN DRAFT, 2008 Thank you for your interest in the Trail System Master Plan Draft A tremendous amount of work on behalf of the planning partners and consultants has gone into delivering this draft for your consideration and we re delighted to be able to begin this public process. The Town of Mammoth Lakes adopted a Trail System Plan in May of That Plan established the foundation for hard surface trail development (Main Path paved paths) within the Urban Growth Boundary for the past 17 years. As with any plan, there comes a time for assessing, reviewing and updating. In the fall of 2006 a local non-profit organization, Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access (MLTPA) focused attention on the need to re-evaluate and to engage the community in a Concept and Master Planning (CAMP) effort to address the need for a comprehensive trails and public access plan. The 2007 General Plan established a Parks, Open Space and Recreation Goal (P.3.) that would Create a Master Plan for an integrated trail system that will maintain and enhance convenient public access to public lands from town. A second Parks, Open Space and Recreation Goal (P.5.) stated the need to Link parks and open space with a well-designed year-round network of public corridors and trails within and surrounding Mammoth Lakes. In June of 2007 the Town Council allocated funding, in partnership with Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and MLTPA, for consultant services to aid in the preparation of a comprehensive trails planning effort. By October 2007 the scope of work was defined, the consultant qualifications evaluated and the contracts were executed to begin the planning process. A robust and aggressive public outreach effort, lead by MLTPA and conducted over a six-month period helped the consultant team develop the content of the plan. The Mammoth Lakes Trail System Master Plan Draft (2008) is now ready for review and comment. The document you are receiving contains two distinct planning efforts. The first one focuses on the trail system plan within the Town s Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) and is a very mature and well-developed draft. It contains thorough analysis and evaluation of existing conditions, public input/surveys, gap analysis and potential recommendations for future implementation. Several maps are included within this portion of the draft that visually illustrates the recommendations made in the document. There is also a separate chapter within this document that provides signage and wayfinding concepts that can be used for implementation. Stroud Page 1 8/6/2008

2 The second planning effort is found within Appendix A and is referred to as the Soft-Surface Trails Concept. The intent of this secondary effort was to help define the interface potential between the UGB and the public lands outside the boundary. The report found in the appendix is very young in its development. The potential concepts identified have not been publicly vetted and should be viewed as catalysts for beginning the necessary in-depth analysis and discussions needed to address the issues identified in this section. None of the recommendations found within Appendix A should be considered ready for implementation. Your comments and input on the work product is a very important part of this planning effort. Please take the time to review the draft and provide your comments using the form included with the draft. MLTPA has developed a very comprehensive public outreach effort for the review of the draft. The following schedule represents the opportunities for participation in public meetings. You may also provide your comments without attending any public meetings by visiting Comments from all parties are due no later than Sept. 2, Distribution of Mammoth Lakes Trail System Master Plan - Draft for comments: 1. Present at TOML staff DRC meeting, refer to website for 8/5/08 (9:00 am) and inform Planning Partners of pending availability. Hard copies to Planning Partners and select Town staff by Friday 8/8/08 (see #9 below). a. Michael Schlafmann, USFS b. Jonathan Cook-Fisher, USFS c. John Wentworth, MLTPA d. Rebecca Paranick, MMSA 2. Announce to the Town 8/6/08 meeting (6:00 pm) the intent to distribute the document starting Friday August 8, Present & Provide T&R Commission with hard copies (7+3 staff), Agenda 8/7/08 (4:00 pm) meeting: a. Bill Sauser, Chair. b. Tony Colasardo, Vice Chair. c. Dieter Fiebiger d. Ruth Harrell e. Jefferson Lanz f. Shields Richardson g. Teri Stehlik h. Danna Stroud, Dir. i. Steve Speidel, Principal Planner j. Barbara Richter, Clerk 4. Provide Town Council with hard copies (5+3 staff). Pick up at Town Office, Friday 8/8/08. a. Wendy Sugimura, Mayor b. Neil McCarroll, Mayor pro-tem c. Jo Bacon, Councilmember Stroud Page 2 8/6/2008

3 d. John Eastman, Councilmember e. Skip Harvey, Councilmember f. Rob Clark, Manager g. Karen Johnston, Assistant Town Manager h. Anita Hatter, Clerk 5. Present & Provide Planning Commission with hard copies (5+2 staff), Agenda 8/13/08 (9:00am) meeting: a. Elizabeth Tenney, Chair b. Rhonda Duggan, Vice Chair c. Roy Saari a. Tony Barrett b. Jay Deinken c. Mark Wardlaw, Director d. Karen Ridley, Clerk 6. Provide Public Arts Commission with hard copies (5), Public Comment 8/14/08 (2:00 pm) meeting. Focus on Signage and Wayfinding. a. Paul Jurewitz, Chair b. Noelle Deinken, Vice Chair c. Michael Bornfeld d. Warren Harrell e. Kendra Knight 7. Present & Provide Mobility Commission with hard copies (7+3 staff), Agenda 8/19/08 (4:00 pm) meeting. a. Sandra Hogan, Chair b. Steve Black c. Bill Cockroft d. Pam Hennarty e. Marshall Minobe f. Terry Smutney g. Eric Wasserman h. Ray Jarvis, Director i. Peter Bernasconi j. Karen Ridley, Clerk 8. Receive comments from the Planning Commission at the 8/27/08 meeting (9:00 am). Agenda Item. 9. Provide hard copies (4) and/or link to websites via attachment to for TOML staff upon approval by T&R Commission, 8/8/08. a. Danna Stroud, Director T&R Dept. b. Mark Wardlaw, Director CDD c. Rob Clark, Town Manager d. Karen Johnston, Assistant Town Manager Stroud Page 3 8/6/2008

4 e. Ray Jarvis, Public Works Director f. Peter Bernasconi, Sr. Assoc. Civil Engineer g. John Milne, Assistant Engineer (copy) h. Brad Koehn, Finance Director (copy) i. Dennis Rottner, Parks Manager (copy) j. Steve Speidel, Principal Planner (copy) 10. Provide CD copies (11) to Agencies/Non-profit, upon approval by T&R Commission, 8/8/08: a. Deanna Campbell, Cerro Cosa College b. Catherine Hiatt, Mono County Office of Education c. Greg Newbry, c/o Mammoth Unified School District d. Frank Romero, Superintended, MUSD e. Kelly Garcia, Mono County Parks & Recreation f. Gary Sisson, Mammoth Community Water District g. Karilyn Myers, Mammoth Hospital h. Mammoth Nordic i. Jim Smith, High Sierra Striders j. Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra k. Larry Nickerson, ORMAT l. Terry Erwin, CALTRANS (hard copy) m. Gale Rosander, CALTRANS n. Running USA 11. Provide link to website via to organizations with an interest: (MLTPA, TOML, & Visit Mammoth) a. Mono County Child Care Council (MCCCC) Youth Development Committee, Linda Williams b. AYSO, c. Eastern Sierra Nordic Ski Association d. Mammoth Lakes Swim Team e. Mammoth Middle School XC Ski Team f. Mammoth Ski & Snowboard Education Foundation g. Mammoth Youth Football League h. Mono County Little League i. Eastern Sierra Cycling Foundation j. Mammoth Trails k. (others as provided by T&R Department & MLTPA) 12. Provide notice that copies are available for download from web-site and viewing at the Town office, T&R office, & Library (3 copies): a. Mammoth Times b. The Sheet c. KSRW/Sierra Wave d. Channel e. Ed Krulikowski f. Leroy Chavez Stroud Page 4 8/6/2008

5 g. Tony Erwin h. Rob Nott i. Dennis Wiley j. Ted Carlton k. Jim Stone l. Robbie Presson m. Chris Edwards n. James Gray o. Eric Olson p. Bryce Wheeler q. Eastside Velo r. All names on public meeting sign up sheets from CAMP: Winter & Summer. 13. Public Meetings/Workshops/Open House (come & go) to announce completion of draft and start of comment period. a. Tues. 8/12/08 from 11:00 to 1:00 pm kick-off picnic lunch by Ski Museum. b. Tues. 8/19/08 starting at 6:00 to 8:00 pm T&R conf. room. c. Thurs. 8/28/08 starting at 6:00 to 8:00 pm T&R conf. room. 14. Recap of comments received from Commissions, TOML staff, Agencies, & Public along with 9/4/08 (4:00 pm) meeting of the T&R Commission after comment period closed 9/2/08. Thank you for your interest and participation in the development of the Town of Mammoth Lakes Trail System Master Draft We look forward to your comments! # # # Stroud Page 5 8/6/2008