real estate - Idyllwild Town Crier

Idyllwild Town Crier, June 29, 2006 - Page 25
Locals ask supervisors to protect meadow
By J.P. Crumrine
Assistant Editor
Several Idyllwild residents
trekked to Riverside to share
their thoughts about the use
of Idyllwild County Park’s
meadow for the nascent
Renaissance Faire with the
County Board of Supervisors.
On Tuesday, June 20, Susan
Nash, Diane Olsen and Trish
Tuley all spoke to the board.
They were accompanied by
other residents, including
Chuck Stroud, a director of
the Idyllwild Environmental
Conservancy (IEC).
While all of them believe
that holding the faire on
this site would damage the
meadow, Nash also argued
that the Regional Parks and
Open Space District, which
manages the park, should
prepare an environmental
study before approving this
use.
Before the board and in
a letter submitted to it, she
stated that this decision was
subject to the California
Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA). Either an environmental
study should be
prepared or a statement
that no impacts will occur
should be published. Thus
far, neither document has
been prepared, Nash said,
to her dismay.
“We are simply insistent
that the board and
Parks Commission follow
the requirements of CEQA,”
Stroud confirmed. “There is
no litigation. It’s not about
litigation at this point.”
As of June 26, none of
the participants had received
any response or comment
from the board or the parks
agency, according to Olsen.
“I don’t think the County
Park is an appropriate area
for the faire,” Tuley said.
“Too many people say it
could be a biological disaster.
I went to the board
to request they move the
venue to Hurkey Creek or
Buckhorn Camp.”
Since the Idyllwild assemblage
was speaking during
the public comment period
and neither the faire nor the
use of the park were on the
supervisors’ posted agenda,
they could take no action.
“[The board] seemed to
listen attentively, but they
didn’t respond to me,” Tuley
added with disappointment.
Nash stressed she wants a
public hearing on the issue
and the contract between the
parks’ agency and the faire
sponsors to appear before
the Board of Supervisors.
“I’m hoping [the board]
will get back to us,” she said.
“If not, my intention is to
go back next Tuesday [June
27].” On Monday, Nash hesitated
about returning to
confront the board without
new information.
Jeff Smith, another IEC
director, intends to attend
the supervisors’ July 11 meeting.
He said he would discuss
the application of the
uniform fire code and the
public resource code to the
park and redress the CEQA
questions.
Nash underplayed her
contribution to the Idyllwild
presentation during the comment
period. Olsen brought
a dozen letters from community
residents supporting
her view as director of the
Friends of the San Jacinto
Mountain County Parks.
Although each person
stood and offered their observations
to the board,
Supervisor John Tavaglione
started to question Olsen
about who could use the
park and the group’s po-
sition on the general use
criteria.
“Sue Nash was wonderful.
She came to my rescue,” Olsen
exclaimed. “She objected
to his questions.”
Nash returned to the
microphone and prevented
Olsen from engaging with
the board. She explained
that those questions and
dialogue should be part of
a scheduled public hearing
on the matter.
Nevertheless, Olsen was
distressed with the board’s
reaction to the Idyllwild
contingent.
“They definitely were
not very friendly and were
singularly ignorant of the
meadow,” she concluded.
But Bob Buster, board
chairman, recognized the
issue — how to provide public
use of the park without
damaging its resources and
values.
“They want us to look at
the issue and whether the
intensity of use was in the
public good,” he said.
As of Thursday, Paul
Frandsen, park district general
manager, said he had
received no direction or request
from the board for further
information. “It hasn’t
changed anything,” Frandsen
opined.
If Idyllwild Production
Company can meet the Park
District’s criteria, Frandsen
will issue the use permit.
Stroud depicted the issue
similarly to Buster. The opposition
is not toward the
Renaissance Faire, rather the
concern is over the lack of a
specific policy that controls
the scope of events using
this resource.
“It’s about balance,” he
stated. “How do we afford
access in a reasonable way
that protects these assets
which are the attraction”
J.P. Crumrine can be
reached at jp@towncrier.
com.
Second ISP Games, Saturday July 8
The second Idyllwild Skate Park (ISP) Games will begin
at noon, Saturday July 8 at the skate park at Idyllwild Pines
Camp, 26375 Highway 243.
The ISP games, sponsored by Colin Smith, the Sheriff’s
Activity League, Town Hall, the Idyllwild Community
Recreation Council and Off the Wall Skateboarding, will
feature competitions for skateboarding, roller blading and
other activities for all ages and skill levels, along with a
barbecue, raffle and the unveiling of the official skate park
sign by Riverside County 3rd District Supervisor Jeff Stone.
The event is free and trophies will be awarded in all events.
Parents must sign a waiver for participants under age 17 if
not already on file.
For more information, call Colin Smith at 659-5932.
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To all customers of the Pine Cove Water District located in the
Dutch Flat area. For the next two weeks the District will be drilling
4 new wells in your area. Two wells are off of Ponderosa Drive
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Thanking you in advance for your patience and continued cooperation.