Benjamin Property Interim Plan
On September 11, 2007 the Board of County
Commissioners adopted an Interim Management Plan for the Benjamin
property. Parks and Open Space will immediately begin to develop the
revised Betasso Preserve Management Plan, which will now include the
Benjamin property. POS has the goal of completing the revised management
plan in 2008
Interim Management Direction for the Benjamin Property, adopted by
BOCC on September 11, 2007
Allowed Uses
- The Benjamin property will be closed to all
public use until the revised Betasso Preserve Management Plan is
adopted. The Benjamin property will be included as a part of Betasso
Preserve Open Space.
Future Management Planning
- POS will elevate the priority of the Betasso
Preserve Management Plan update, which will begin in 2008 instead of
2011. The Benjamin property will be managed as a part of Betasso
Preserve Open Space.
- POS will use the management recommendations in the Resource
Assessment (regarding habitat protection, future public use and
trails, forest health, weed management, mine safety and
encroachment) as a starting point of discussion for the long-term
management of the Benjamin property.
Access and Parking
- Alaska Road will not be a designated public
access point to the Benjamin property, which is closed to public
use.
- POS will evaluate and potentially pursue acquisition of
surrounding lands to provide better future recreational access and
to enhance the natural values of this property.
Signage and Enforcement
- POS will post signs delineating private property
boundaries, POS property boundaries and the allowed uses within the
Benjamin property. Signs will include information about the Betasso
Preserve Management Planning process and will provide a contact
number to POS.
- The Benjamin property will be added to the POS staff patrol
route. POS will enforce the rules and regulations when at the
property.
Project Background
The Benjamin property is located west of Betasso Preserve
Open Space and south of Four Mile Canyon Drive. The 391-acre Benjamin
property is adjacent to the northwest portion of Betasso Preserve. The
northeast portion of the property includes approximately 0.5-mile of
Fourmile Creek. The southwest portion of the Benjamin property includes the
top of Arkansas Mountain and Arkansas Ridge, which are significant parts of
the mountain vista from the eastern portion of Boulder County. The views
both to the property from Fourmile Canyon Drive and from the property are
spectacular.
Prior to the Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee (POSAC) meeting in
March 2007, POS staff became aware that multiple social trails exist on the
Benjamin property and are used by the mountain biking community, local
horseback riders and local hikers. Because of this unique situation, POS
staff offered to explore designating a trail in the Benjamin property as a
part of an interim plan, provided the staff had an opportunity to look at
all the social trails and determine if a sustainable and safe route exists.
The trail route would also need to be accessible from a public right-of-way.
Both POSAC and the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) agreed that an
interim plan was a good course of action for this property, given the unique
circumstances.
Boulder County Parks and Open Space purchased the Benjamin property on May
30, 2007.
Resource Assessment
Staff contracted with ERO to research the natural
resources on this property. This Resource Assessment report addresses
sensitive areas and resources on the property, which were considered for
the interim use plan. The final
Resource
Assessment Report is available for download.
Public Involvement
A neighborhood meeting was held on June 14, 2007, to
solicit concerns and ideas of those that live in the area about interim
use of this property. A notification was sent in June to neighbors with
in 1,500 feet of the Benjamin property and other interested and affected
parties. Staff also met with trail interest groups to discuss their
ideas and concerns about interim trail use on the property.
POS staff presented an interim management plan for the Benjamin property
to the Parks and Open Space Advisory Council on August 23, 2007. Minutes
from this meeting will be available on the
POSAC web page after the September
28 POSAC meeting.
POS staff presented Interim Management Plan options to the BOCC on
September 11, 2007 (link to staff memo). The Commissioners adopted an
Interim Management Plan for Benjamin with a 2-1 vote (link to Mgt Plan).
To view the BOCC public hearing for this project please go to:
www.co.boulder.co.us/stream/index.htm.
For more information, contact:
Ernst Strenge, Project Manager
Natural Resource Planner
EStrenge@co.boulder.co.us
303-678-6269
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