A proposed trail that passes within footsteps of some homeowners’
patios but provides a connection in an area where pedestrian amenities
are lacking was approved by Aspen City Council at a work session
Tuesday.
What’s being called phase one of the East of Aspen Trail will follow
the route of the Salvation Ditch and connect the Snyder Park Trail to
further trail connections off of Highway 82. The city is projecting a
cost of $90,000 for the connection.
The trail is opposed by homeowners in the Woerndle subdivision whose properties are adjacent to the trail.
“There will be literally no sense of privacy for these homeowners,”
said Jody Edwards, an attorney representing the homeowners association.
The 2- to 4-foot-wide unpaved trail would essentially run through the
backyards of some homeowners.
The proposed trail runs along a trail easement granted to the city as a condition of the subdivision’s approval in 1974.
Council members said it is unfortunate that some homeowners will be
negatively impacted by the trail, but the public benefits of the trail
connection were compelling enough to take advantage of the 34-year-old
easement. Only Mayor Mick Ireland cast a dissenting opinion.
Homeowners in the Woerndle subdivision have been fighting the
trail since it was raised to a high priority by the city’s Open Space
and Trails Board in 2004. They proposed an alternative alignment that
would run closer to the highway that the homeowners association would
pay to construct with an estimated cost of $42,000.
That option was passed over in part because the city eventually wants
to build a sidewalk along that portion of the highway. With no sidewalk
currently in the area, many are concerned about safety. Although he
supported the trail, Councilman Dwayne Romero said the trail as a
priority “pales in comparison” to improving public safety along the
highway.
The trail was blasted by the homeowners who said it does not address
the area’s safety concerns. The fact that it runs alongside the
Salvation Ditch, a trench that carries about 35 cubic feet per second
of water, was also identified as a safety risk.
City trails coordinator Austin Weiss said he agrees that a sidewalk
should be built along the highway, but that had little to do with the
proposed trail. City open space officials see a difference between the
“sidewalk experience” and the “trail experience,” and open space
advocates must promote the trails experience, Weiss said.
The city’s parks department estimates about 25 to 30 people per day use
the Snyder Trail during the busiest times. The East of Aspen Trail
would not be plowed in the winter, but like the Snyder Trail, users
would be free to pack the snow down.
curtis@aspendailynews.com
