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SIERRA VISTA — The city’s Garden Canyon Linear Park planning process continues this week with two more public sessions.
It will be a chance for area residents to draw out how they envision the park, and the last two opportunities for comments to be made before three proposals are formulated.
A private contractor, McGann and Associates, hired by the city is facilitating the planning process and will make design suggestions with the public input in mind.
The public input portion of the planning process began in January, and included two hikes in the area where the park would be, and two input sessions. Several hundred people gave input at those meetings, Sierra Vista spokeswoman Marie Hansen said.
  
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Since those sessions, McGann and Associates staff members have sorted out all suggestions from January, and last Monday the city sent more than 300 hard copy newsletters and 500 e-mails were sent so they could be summarized.
At this week’s meetings, which will be on Wednesday and Saturday, all of the suggestions will be able to be seen, Hansen said.
After this part of the process, McGann and Associates will study the input and, by the end of March, develop three possible design concepts most consistent with the input, vision and geography of Garden Canyon Wash, Hansen said.
Garden Canyon is a major historic stormwater runoff path for the Huachuca Mountains, and cuts through Sierra Vista after it comes east out of Fort Huachuca property.
The proposed park would be 1.5 miles long and stretch from the east border of Fort Huachuca to Highway 92. It is bordered by subdivisions.
There are some “givens” the city has for the project, including that every effort be made to preserve natural resources while minimizing long-term operation costs, including some areas accessible to disabled residents and including access points to all areas of the park.
Parking space also is planned for Roadrunner Park, which will be adjacent to the Garden Canyon Linear Park, and at a commercial site at the corner of Buffalo Soldier Trail and Highway 92.
The city heard many comments, and at the top of the consultant’s list is to keep the area natural. Other suggestions include parking at either end of the park, as well as benches and signs along the trail.
One of the most vocal group of residents on the issue is the Friends of the Garden Canyon Wash, which is a group of several people living in the area. Since last year, they have been vocal about the city moving toward establishing a paved parking access near the corner of Kachina Road and Calle Encina, on Sierra Vista’s far south side for the proposed linear park.
The linear park has been on the long-term development document of the city for decades, but some residents who live near the proposed access would rather not have such park access near their home, citing environmental and wildlife reasons.
“One of the major interests of the Friends of the Garden Canyon Wash is to keep it as natural as you can,” said group spokeswoman, Theresa Mueller, who lives near the corner of Calle Encina and Kachina Road.
Unlike previous public input meetings on this issue, only input will be taken by those people actually present at this week’s meetings. The city isn’t accepting any more input online, though the input previously received online is still available for discussion and consideration, Hansen said.
During the upcoming meetings, area residents will be asked to draw on maps of the park to indicate what they want and don’t want at the proposed natural park.
After the city’s consultant returns with its three design proposals, they will be made available at various city facilities and a final planning meeting on April 19. At that time, the public will have a final opportunity to present comments and preferences about the three designs.
The sum of the input and final plan proposal will be presented to the City Council at a work session in May.
REPORTER Gentry Braswell can be reached at 515-4680 or by e-mail at gentry.braswell@svherald.com.
WHEN AND WHERE
This week’s meetings on the Garden Canyon Linear Park will be at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday and at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Both meetings are held at the Sierra Vista United Methodist Church, 3225 St. Andrews Drive. For more on the Garden Canyon Linear Park project, go online to www.ci.sierra-vista.az.us/.
FEEDBACK ON THE PLAN
After the first round of public input meetings for planning the proposed Garden Canyon Linear Wash, which were facilitated by the city’s consultant, McGann and Associates, in January, the following answers to the question “What would you like to see in the design of Garden Canyon Linear Park?” were received. They are in order of frequency, with the most frequency higher in the list.
1. Keep it natural (minimal or no paving, preservation of native plants, minimal disturbance to wildlife)
2. Parking and/or access at the west end (Kachina Trail and Calle Encina)
3. Benches
4. Signage (interpretive, trail markers, park rules and trail etiquette)
5. Equestrian use and access
6. Restrooms (in parking areas)
7. Trash receptacles (bear-proof, in parking areas)
8. A wider, multiple use path
9. No parking at west end (Kachina Trail and Calle Encina)
10. Dog waste removal bag dispensers and enforcement
11. Picnic areas/tables
12. Loop trail
Answers to the question “What are your concerns?” They are in order of frequency of response.
1. Disruption and denigration of natural state of wash (over-mowing native grasses, allowing invasive plants to take over, not providing safe connections for wildlife).
2. Construction of a parking lot at Kachina and Calle Encina resulting in drainage issues, increased crime and the possible violation of subdivision conditions, covenants and restrictions constituent to neighboring homeowners.
3. Omission of parking and access at the west end; cutting off access “for many by few.”
4. Increase in illegal activities, homeless use and use by motorized vehicles (insufficient law enforcement protection).
5. Overuse of trail, increased litter and noise.
6. Exclusion of equestrian users.
7. Lack of erosion control and possibility of flooding and drainage problems.
8. Safety at street crossings, traffic control.
9. Ability to regain access to state lands and National Forest trails.
10. Insufficient signage leading to trails and explaining park rules.
11. Lack of enforcement of dog litter removal and leash laws.
12. Insufficient parking and overuse of on-street parking.
Source: City of Sierra Vista
WHAT ONE GROUP HAS TO SAY
The Friends of the Garden Canyon Wash, a group of neighbors living near the proposed site of the Garden Canyon Linear Park, issued this statement on Friday about the process. The group’s Web site is www.gardencanyonwash.com.
Our design preference for the Garden Canyon Wash Linear Park is a park with areas west of St. Andrews remaining in their current natural state. Exceptions include widening some dirt trails, re-vegetating excess paths, and joining others to create a loop. We do not oppose a discussion for a non-motorized vehicle access point at Kachina Trail and Calle Encina. However, the city must first negotiate directly with affected neighbors and commit to an agreeable resolution to issues of homeowners conditions, covenants and restrictions.
All non-natural amenities such as parking lots, toilets, and picnic tables should be restricted to already graded areas above the flood plain. The pre-planned Road Runner Park area east of St. Andrews is ideal. However, the development near St. Andrews should include substantial water-wise vegetative screening to preserve the natural feel for nearby residences. If additional parking areas remain necessary, the city should look to its inventory of already graded areas above the flood plain west of St. Andrews. Lastly, we feel the existing water retention basin at St. Andrews is sufficient. No additional retention basins should be constructed.
We believe that our ecology-centric design provides the best overall solution for all of Sierra Vista and would provide outstanding recreational opportunities, today and tomorrow, for walkers, runners, mountain bikers and equestrians throughout Cochise County.
Senior walker wrote on Mar 16, 2008 2:42 PM: