How local citizens in Our Shoreline’s Future Vision Group performed is an equally important story compared to the report it submitted last week. I’m writing this story as a member of the group co-chaired by Eliot Scull, retired physician and environmentalist, and Mike Scott, orchardist and co-owner of Martin Scott Winery.

As the report states, “We met weekly since January 2011 to study the issues surrounding the Apple Capital Loop Trail until we reached what co-chair Mike Scott called the ‘nub of it.’”

Most of us were surprised by the complexity of conflicting interests and responsibilities of agencies and stakeholders. Our members reflected the conflicting interests of environmentalism, development, business, recreation and community planning. Yet the enthusiasm for the Apple Capital Loop Trail unified us around the vision. As Eliot Scull said, “The group became fond of each other.”

               We learned about problems with the Trail’s legal status because of surveys, ownership rights, lot lines and permitted uses dating back to original deeds and acquisition agreements.  The WS-DOT owns the eastside shoreline land as a transportation corridor based on separate leases to the City and County that expire in 2018. Dan Beardslee of Erlandsen & Associates said, “I am still worried that the local elected officials are not nearly as concerned as they should be about this issue.”

             Scott said, “Clarification of the durability and tenure [of the trail] going forward has become the key issue. Once we have local control forever, I think uses of property adjacent to the then-defined trail will become easier to deal with.”

             Eliminating the uncertainty trail users, agencies and adjacent landowners have about future vistas on the trail was a key goal of our vision. The different agencies and interests we met with encouraged our involvement, but we soon realized they had parochial views without grasping the total vision of the trail. Diane McKenzie, librarian and group scribe said, “As I came to admire each person’s incredible knowledge, integrity and passion for the trail, I began to see how other visions than mine were workable and, indeed, possibly better.”

              As the committee moved toward a vision, we foresaw significant legal challenges that could entangle progress for years. To minimize those conflicts we envisioned an expanded transportation corridor on the east side of the existing corridor on the 50-foot right-of-way. Any land not required for the corridor would be mandated for surplus to provide revenue for WS-DOT.

We consolidated overlapping interests onto a new map as we created our vision. We were all surprised by our conclusion there are only 25 to 40 acres of developable land to the east of the transportation corridor. Beardslee emailed, “To have all the stakeholders tell us what their own peculiar interests are and then overlay that on the highway right of way and find out there was really little in the way of property to develop was quite a revelation.“

                 Hank Lewis, a developer with Cascade Property Ventures, LLC, believes WS-DOT will seek to maximize income by surplusing more than we’ve identified, including some parcels west of the trail. He said, “There’ll be some negotiation about the amount of developable land in the future.”

                  The committee realized our vision would require ongoing citizen commitments to foster collaboration and cooperation. Karen Wade, Owner of Fielding Hills Winery said,   “We must be proactive citizens and not sit by and wait for our government to take care of us. The government agencies we interacted with all mean well.  However it is difficult for our government to be proactive.  Our citizen’s group was a realistic and well oiled machine that I believe complimented our government very nicely.”

                   That feeling led the group to recommend a private foundation to focus citizen involvement and raise money. Members of the group are planning on forming that foundation beginning in the fall.

                  The group also recommended a Trail District to focus agency responsibilities and enable taxing authority to raise operating funds. To ensure coordination and cooperation between the two, we recommended a memorandum of understanding.

                 Jim Huffman, a member of the Douglas County Port Authority, “I think my appreciation of our trail has changed perhaps even more than visions I have had.  Removing the indecisions creates tremendous opportunity.  This is our shot at creating a future for the valley that is better than the one that would occur if we did nothing.”

                  Emilie Fogle, a commissioner on the Eastmont Metropolitan Parks District, is committed long term even though our work is officially completed. “I can't say my vision has changed. I was enlightened and that is always a good thing. I wanted it all but understood that was not an option.  I will go to meetings and am working on communication to the East Wenatchee City Council. The threat as I see it, is inertia and a narrow vision by our governmental officials.”

                 These members ended up with enthusiastic understanding from working together to blend complex interests into a unified vision. They see the need for continued citizen involvement and local cooperation.  Their commitment and attitude is another community treasure that should improve the community treasure we already share in the Trail.