River trail plan toasted By JEFF NAGEL FARMERS have blocked a city plan to develop a river- front trail along the Skeena south of Graham Ave. Fifteen Graham Ave. property owners signed a petition opposing the idea and sent it to the province’s Agricultural Land Commis- sion, The commission effective- ly gave them a veto, telling the city last week it will only approve the idea if every one of those opposed changes their minds and gives consent in writing. That’s unlikely as farmers ata Jan. 12 public hearing opposed the idea, saying people who now use that area litter and disturb farm animals. City planer David Trawin says he will recom- mend city council withdraw the riverfront trail from a package of planned amend- ments to the city’s Official Community Plan. ‘So my recommendation to council will be that we abandon any trail along the river through the ALR (Ag- ricultural Land Reserve),’’ said Trawin. “Tm somewhat sappointed,”’ he added. “But they did what they’re mandated to do — take the farmers’ concerns first and foremost,’’ said Trawin of the land commis- sion. By turning down the trail the farmers are also turning down potential city help to stabilize the river bank. | The trail was only going to get built if the city some day is able to afford a major project to rip-rap the shoreline there. Many properties in the area are losing land to the river every year. “The city won't be un- dertaking any rip-rapping measures for protection of their properties and they'll dis- “have to deal With their own * erosion control’? Trawin said. ‘When they do that River access still an option NOW THAT a plan to build a trail along the Skeena is being shelved, city planner David Trawin doesn’t rule out the possibility of the city maintaining an access route to the river. Under the Land Title Act public access to a river is supposed to be provided every 200 metres where possible. Only the land above the high water mark is private property, meaning that hikers could walk the shoreline much of the time. ‘*A lot of times of the year the water is a lot lower than the high water mark and a person could walk down there anyway without being on private —property,”’ Trawin said. He said the city has a 33- foot wide easement for a storm drainage ditch that runs from the foot of Eby St near Kiti K’Shian Elementary School all the way to the river, “The city takes the posi- tion we have a drainage course there and a right of way there which isn’t being used for ALR purposes,’’ he said. “We're under the impres- sion that if people wanted to use those accesses we could not stop them.’? While the riverfront trail would have been a valuable addition to he city’s planned trail network, Trawin says other trails, such as the upper Howe Creek area, would be higher on his priority list for ac- quisition. Gel a good lhing going. -Yourse it, Sharing a Healthier Fulure't \) P they'll have to make sure it’s not to the detriment of neighbouring _properties,’” he added. He explained that if one section of river front is pro- tected, but neighbouring stretches aren’t, the result is usually back eddies on ci- ther side that eat away at the neighbouring properties. That’s why a concerted program of rip-rapping is preferred toa piecemeal ap- proach. The rest of Trawin’s pack- age of changes to protect environmentally sensitive areas and designate walking trails and bike paths will go ahead unchanged. He said the plan, minus the riverfront trail, will be sent back to the Agricultural Land Commission for final approval. Then it will come back to city council for final read- ings and adoption, likely in April He’s not yet sure whether a public hearing continua- tion will go ahead Feb, 23 as scheduled or whether the delays in waiting for the commission’s approval will force a new public hearing on the plan, NEWS THAT city plan to develop a riverfront trail along the Skeena is being abandoned has proved disappointing to Lor Merrill of the Terrace Greenbelt Association. 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