Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Education Hill hiker asks for a Nike - Hartman Parks trail connector

Hiking from the South, on the left is the National Guard  (Nike facility), an easement, Lookout Ridge, & Perrigo Heights cul de sac. The Hartman Park Trails are further to the north.  Nike Park is south (below) the photo 
I love walking and running on the Education Hill trails, and one of my favorites is to connect Nike Park (via the trail that skirts the old missile station or whatever it is) to the Jonathan Hartman Park trails...but now there's a big new house right where the trail exits the "Nike Park Woods".

I can't remember the name of the street, but I've attached a photo (you can see the Nike facility in the lower left corner) of my gps tracks - as you can see, they're going straight through that property, and I'm assuming the new owners won't appreciate smelly runners sneaking across their lawn (there's actually a fence there now).

Do you know if "they're" going to make an alternate trail to connect the two parks, or was it never an official trail to begin with? Is there already and alternate trail that I don't know about?

By Ingunn
Education Hill
9/2

The Trail was discovered  --  Read the story:  "Have you hiked Redmond's "Mystery Trail"?" 

8 comments:

  1. Kirkland has a pretty good system that connects otherwise unconnected streets and cul-de-sacs with trail connections. You can see them on google's biking map:
    http://bit.ly/9Cgalv

    I thought they had quite a few more, but I am fairly sure the program was a deliberate way to provide better pedestrian access while still preventing auto pass-through traffic.

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  2. The preliminary plat for Perrigo Heights shows a 20' wide proposed hiking trail easement connecting the wooded area on the southeast (from Nike Park through the Ashford Park Open Space) down to the bottom of the waterline trail. Camwest and the City have not put this easement and trail in yet, but they need to before final plat approval. There never was an easement where the house and fence were recently built - people just walked there and made their own trail.

    Interesting note: there is a view easement from the corner of NE 97th Way & 175th Court NE in Lookout Ridge with a floor of 422.41 ft out towards Cougar Mountain where the other Nike Missile Site was located. It cuts through Perrigo Heights lots 12, 13 and 14 and has not been vacated.

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  3. Dear AnonyTwo- It's my understanding the Final Plat for Perrigo Heights is approved and recorded. I've heard the Parks Commission, Planner Carolyn Hope, and a few of the Development planners have inspected the planned route without much success. Even Councilmember Hank Margeson walked the site. I've heard the city is hoping to find an alternative route in time for the Redmond Centenial celebration; Lookout Ridge landowners may have to be asked to okay a route near their homes. I hope they are open to it. Carolyn Hope via celarson@redmond.gov is a good contact for feedback to the city.

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  4. I looked it up - you are right. The final plat for Perrigo Heights was approved by the city council on Nov. 20, 2007. Shortly before that, on July 17, the city council approved Ordinance 2354 that vacated easement #4171313. That easement allowed the public to walk from 174th Court in Lookout Ridge down to the waterline trail and Hartman Park. At the time, it was understood that new trails and pedestrian easements would be dedicated throughout the Perrigo Heights property.
    The City should have required that the easements and trails be in place before final plat approval (or at least agreed upon in writing.) The City missed its chance and we lost our access. Too bad.

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  5. There now is a connector between Nike and Hartmen. it looks quite new, is a little rough but it is well laid out. Look to the right of the Camwest "overlook" (aka the construction access up the steep hillside)for the entrance. It then winds through the forest and connects to an existing trail behind the military reserve property. Good Luck !

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  6. Yes, I found the trail yesterday and walked on it again today. It's a great addition... I asked Ingunn if should could geo-tag it with a red line. She was pretty excited about it. I'm guessing we have the Parks Dept. to thank for this trail link and/or Camwest the developer.

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  7. AnonyTwo writes "The city council approved ordinance 2354 that vacated easement #4171313. That easement allowed the public to walk from 174th Court in Lookout Ridge down to the waterline trail and Harman Park. At that time it was understood that new trails and pedestrian easements would be dedicated throughout the Perrigo Heights property."

    Unfortunately, new trails and pedestrian easements are not found. Instead, the property owner located adjacent to easement #417131, has constructed a "chicken wire" fence and posted signs. The property developed planted shrubs near the easement that completely block access from 174th Court in Lookout Ridge.

    We now have a "trail to nowhere." That is, if you approached the vacated easement from the waterline trail (walking up towards Perrigo Heigthts) you would be confronted by a home owner's sign, and a little trip-wire.

    For those who are unfamiliar with this "trail to nowhere" it is the path covering the water lines feeding the Perrigo Heights project. The supply lines are buried underground and are the responsibility of the city water department. That is, if these water lines broke (you know from freezing or an earthquake) then the city water department would come out and make repairs. The home owners of Perrigo Heights are not responsible (as individual home owners) for the cost of repairs.

    Thus, it is hard to understand why Ordinance 2353 vacated easement #4171313.

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  8. I found this link on redmond.gov. According to this, a soft-surface trail is planned. http://www.ci.redmond.wa.us/common/pages/UserFile.aspx?fileId=11943

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