Trail issues spark citizen concerns at council meeting

Director+of+Planning%2C+Pete+Dickinson+explains+a+city+code+to+the+city+council+on+Tuesday%2C+Feb.+28.

Director of Planning, Pete Dickinson explains a city code to the city council on Tuesday, Feb. 28.

Citizens voiced their concerns for the development of two trails in the Whispering Hills subdivision at the City Council meeting on Thursday.

A walkway on Whispering Hills, which was proposed when the subdivision was built around 2010, has not yet been completed. A new trail was also proposed along the southern part of Whispering Hills.

“The issue of the trails is actually much older, and I’ve been working on it for 12 years,” Steve White, the owner of Copper Basin Construction, said at the meeting.

The original phases did not call for the paths and were not suited for them either, White said.

“We are not anti-trails,” he said. “It’s not that we don’t want to build trails, it’s that it’s in the wrong spot.”

Citizens were in favor of the walkway through the subdivision, but shared their concerns regarding the trail along the southern edge, as they believe it could be dangerous to the community.

Some citizens believe the newly proposed trail along the southern border of Whispering Hills is too steep and they have concerns about their children getting hurt. Some believe the trail could cause runoff, which they said could also be dangerous.

“It’s not the place where I would allow my kids to play,” said Amy Rosio, a homeowner in the neighborhood.

Amy and Don, her husband, originally bought the house along where the first trail was supposed to go.

“We paid a premium price to get the lot because we thought there would be a trail going in,” Don Rosio said.

Other citizens also called for the developers to fulfill their obligation of putting in this trail.

The trails in this town bring the community together, Lisa Carloye, a Pullman resident, said at the meeting.

The city code on this subject is being reviewed and the discussion will continue during the public hearing of the City Council meeting on March 28.