Orange County NC Website
The convenience of a public trail only yards from one's home has to be weighed <br /> against greater community concerns related to security, loss of privacy, increased traffic on <br /> private rural roads, the concern with fire and the breach of water quality in the reservoir. <br /> Delaying the identification of an alternate trial route that will replace the proposed CC <br /> segment will simply prolong this matter, wasting more taxpayer money and county government <br /> resources. <br /> CC residents have been told several times by Rich Shaw of OCLM that he was <br /> pursuing the "path of least resistance" in establishing the MST. To many CC residents this <br /> statement now lacks credibility given that CC residents have opposed the CC segment for well <br /> over a year. <br /> We respectfully ask that the OC BOCC request that Rich Shaw and OCLM to use <br /> the fall season to explore viable alternatives for a recreational trail that does not pass <br /> through the OWASA/Cane Creek communities as presently proposed in the MST plan. <br /> We are united in our resolve to remove the proposed MST trail from the Cane Creek <br /> community and have the resources and community support to pursue other actions if <br /> necessary. <br /> Thank you. John M. Silva jmscros67(c�qmail.com <br /> Chris Weaver read a prepared statement: <br /> "I have no issue with trails especially when they already exist. But these additional trails <br /> force many questions that need to definitively answered rather than be allowed to proceed <br /> by the "appearance" of cohesion by a portion of the community. <br /> The Open House Information format for the MTST was not a proper Hearing which the <br /> county deserves. <br /> The Questions that were written down and submitted by the public were lost and I have <br /> not heard if they were recovered, and I have not heard any follow up on the proposed <br /> "survey" from Mr. Shaw in my email correspondence with him. <br /> We have two possibilities on the MTS Trail. It is either a benign Public Access idea that <br /> the Non Jurisdictional, Non-Profit, Promotional MTS group wishes to expand into <br /> people's back yards with the blessing of the State and our local planners. Or it is a <br /> mechanism to aid the County to achieve benchmarks and goals to control property and <br /> water set forth in 2000 Final Shaping Orange Plan and the precursor 1999 Measuring <br /> Sustainability Index. <br /> Either way the trail presents some clear problems. <br /> 1. The use is unregulated as far as operating times. <br /> 2. The liability issues are huge and as yet there is no offer for indemnity to the <br /> landowners by the State or MTST <br /> 3. Emergency services have great concerns about limited access to narrow trails for <br /> rescue and fire response. <br /> 4. Citizens along the route are concerned with their privacy and property <br /> 5. What will happen to hikes during hunting season? <br /> 6. At what point will Eminent Domain be considered? <br /> I would much rather see the energy and effort being applied to this new future alternate <br /> routes but put into the existing trail as it stands now and I would support a motion to <br /> eliminate the entire southern proposed route along the Cane Creek water shed." <br />