The Key Property Owners are Willing to Consider Parts of the Trail on Their Properties.

The following have expressed their support for Jefferson County to include in its 2016-2021 Transportation Improvement Plan a planning/feasibility study for a multipurpose recreational trail that will safely link the Larry Scott Memorial Trail to the Olympic Discovery Trail.  (The entities marked with an asterisk (*) are property owners over whose land the trail could pass.)  

 

·      Pope Resources/Olympic Property Group *

·      Washington State Department of Transportation*

·      Jefferson County Public Utility District #1*

·      Washington State Parks Department* (oral support; waiting for letter)

·      City of Port Townsend*

·      Peninsula Trails Coalition

·      Backcountry Horsemen of Washington, Peninsula Chapter

·      Pacific Northwest Trails Association

·      Port Townsend Bicycle Association

·      Port Townsend Paper Company

·      Washington Bikes

·      Washington State Patrol, Port Angeles Detachment

In the past it could have been perceived that complex property ownerships in the area might prevent development of a bypass trail.  That is no longer a problem – if it ever was.

Here is a map showing property owners in the area between Four Corners Road and Highway 101 where a bypass trail might run:

  

An updated electronic copy of this map can be viewed at http://arcg.is/1JsPGUe .  

Most of the identified routes would pass over parts of properties owned by Pope Resources, Jefferson County PUD#1, the City of Port Townsend, Washington State Department of Transportation, and the Washington State Parks Department.  All of these owners have indicated that they are willing to consider parts of the bypass trail being on their property.  (An employee of the State Parks Department has orally indicated a letter to that effect to the County is forthcoming.)  For example, here is a copy of the letter from Pope Resources – the largest property owner in the affected area:

Many others join the property owners in support for including this project on the TIP.  For example, Sergeant John Ryan of the Washington State Patrol wrote the following to the County Engineer:

Dear Mr. Reinders:

I understand that Jefferson County Public Works is considering including in its draft 2016-2021 Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) a feasibility study for a recreational trail link between the Larry Scott Memorial Trail, near Four Corners Road, and the new Discovery Bay South Trail near Highway 101 at the head of Discovery Bay.  This trail link would allow hikers, bicyclists and equestrians to bypass the dangerous section of State Route 20 over Eaglemount. 

As a Washington State Patrol sergeant that supervises troopers in Jefferson County, I wholeheartedly support the study and development of such a recreational trail.  My troopers regularly patrol SR 20 often observing cars, logging trucks, loaded chip trucks, motorhomes, trucks with trailers, etc, trying to navigate SR20 over Eaglemount while dealing with bicyclers and hikers and oncoming traffic. I myself was assigned to Jefferson County from 1999 to 2003 and patrolled SR 20 often so I know firsthand how dangerous it is. For the safety of everyone—both motorists and non-motorists—we encourage inclusion of a feasibility study of a recreational trail alternative in the County’s TIP.

Thank you for considering my input on this.   

Warm regards,

Sergeant John Ryan

Washington State Patrol

Port Angeles Detachment

(360) 417-1738

Barb Chamberlain, the Executive Director of Washington Bikes, wrote:

Equestrians likewise support the request to include a planning study on the County's 2016 TIP:

Considering the broad support for the DBET project, including support from key property owners in the area, the County should include the project on its 2016-2021 Transportation Improvement Plan.

Five years, 328 days to go ....