Trail Development Policy (Approved June 25, 2018): See
https://www.whitehorse.ca/home/showpublisheddocument/10076/636657131456170000.
March 31, 2018 update - DRAFT Trail Development Policy:
The City finally provided the public with a two week window to comment on a DRAFT Trail Development Policy. The City’s survey deadline was March 30, 2018.
City’s webpage on the DRAFT Trail Development Policy: http://whitehorse.ca/departments/parks-and-community-development/trails/planning-and-consultation/draft-trail-development-policy
To view DRAFT Trail Development Policy: http://whitehorse.ca/home/showdocument?id=9706
To view ATWA’s submission on the DRAFT Trail Development Policy, click on the icon below.
https://www.whitehorse.ca/home/showpublisheddocument/10076/636657131456170000.
March 31, 2018 update - DRAFT Trail Development Policy:
The City finally provided the public with a two week window to comment on a DRAFT Trail Development Policy. The City’s survey deadline was March 30, 2018.
City’s webpage on the DRAFT Trail Development Policy: http://whitehorse.ca/departments/parks-and-community-development/trails/planning-and-consultation/draft-trail-development-policy
To view DRAFT Trail Development Policy: http://whitehorse.ca/home/showdocument?id=9706
To view ATWA’s submission on the DRAFT Trail Development Policy, click on the icon below.
| 180329_final_atwa_submission_on_draft_trail_development_policy.pdf |
______________________________________________________________________
Letter to Mayor & Council from Active Trails Whitehorse Association
Re: Trail Development Policy and Trail Application Process
Dated: Nov 29, 2017
This letter will be read before Mayor & Council at the Dec. 04, 2017 Council meeting by an ATWA Delegate.
There are two issues mentioned in the Council Questions & Answers of September 11 2017, which we will address. (See above document at this link: http://www.whitehorse.ca/Home/ShowDocument?id=9100)
Trail Development Policy:
The first issue deals with Council’s direction to administration to produce a Trail Development Policy, which was to have been completed by the spring of 2017, but will not now be presented to a Council and Senior Management meeting until March of 2018.
Although administration says in the Council Questions & Answers to which we have referred, that it “continues to work with stakeholders, trail stewards, and land owners to develop” this policy, there was no indication as to how the public is to be involved.
As you are all aware the 2007 Trail Plan’s Guiding Principle of Inclusiveness “recognizes the importance of the trail system to residents and visitors alike, and is committed to including the public in determining guidelines for trail system development, use, preservation and maintenance.” We believe that the time for administration to solicit public input would be prior to the policy being presented before CASM.
If the public is to be involved, then it needs to know what issues/topics are to be addressed by the policy. We understand that one topic that is to be considered concerns how the City is to deal with unauthorized trails. Another that has been mentioned is the necessity for an open and transparent trail development application process.
However, there are a number of other subjects that may be appropriate to include: impact of trail construction on Environmentally Sensitive Areas; decommissioning of trails; impact of trail construction on plant, animal, and bird life; impact of trail construction on other trails in the area, and on the users of those trails; impact of trail building on local communities; philosophy behind trail development within the City of Whitehorse; the reasons why and for whom are we building new trails; and how to determine whether or not a proposed new trail is appropriate for construction.
In the interests of public awareness and transparency on the important topic of trail development and management, we urge the City to inform the public as to what specific issues are to be addressed in the policy, how the public can be involved in its development, and the current state of consultation efforts with stakeholders, trail stewards, and land owners.
Trail Development Applications:
The second issue is the lack of current information surrounding trail development applications, and the apparent failure of administration to recognize the importance and necessity of public involvement concerning such applications.
According to administration “trail stewards and land owners” [will be consulted] “prior to the approval of any individual trail applications.” (See Council Questions & Answers of 09/11/17 http://www.whitehorse.ca/Home/ShowDocument?id=9100)
However, in its response administration fails to give any assurance that the public will have an opportunity to both review and comment on new trail development applications.
This despite the fact that the 2007 Trail Plan calls for public involvement in “trail system development.”
As the trail stewards with whom administration consults, are often the same bodies which either make development applications, or support other applicant’s proposals, it is essential that the public is also consulted. Otherwise the whole process will lack meaningful oversight, input, and transparency.
Administration suggests, “Most of the proposed trails anticipated for 2018 will be included in the neighbourhood trail task force reports.” See Council Questions & Answers of 09/11/17 http://www.whitehorse.ca/Home/ShowDocument?id=9100)
However, this implies that there will be other trail development proposals that will be considered outside of those reports.
We ask the following:
That the public be informed about, and be given opportunities for input on any trail development application received by administration since the demise of the Whitehorse Trail & Greenways Committee this past September, and all future applications submitted.
That City Council makes clear to the public how a trail application is made given the current situation, i.e. the absence of a trail development policy and the dissolution of the WTGC, what body must approve or deny the application, and the process involved in seeking approval.
Thank you for your attention to these matters.
Active Trails Whitehorse Association
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Letter to Mayor & Council from Active Trails Whitehorse Association
Re: Trail Development Policy and Trail Application Process
Dated: Nov 29, 2017
This letter will be read before Mayor & Council at the Dec. 04, 2017 Council meeting by an ATWA Delegate.
There are two issues mentioned in the Council Questions & Answers of September 11 2017, which we will address. (See above document at this link: http://www.whitehorse.ca/Home/ShowDocument?id=9100)
Trail Development Policy:
The first issue deals with Council’s direction to administration to produce a Trail Development Policy, which was to have been completed by the spring of 2017, but will not now be presented to a Council and Senior Management meeting until March of 2018.
Although administration says in the Council Questions & Answers to which we have referred, that it “continues to work with stakeholders, trail stewards, and land owners to develop” this policy, there was no indication as to how the public is to be involved.
As you are all aware the 2007 Trail Plan’s Guiding Principle of Inclusiveness “recognizes the importance of the trail system to residents and visitors alike, and is committed to including the public in determining guidelines for trail system development, use, preservation and maintenance.” We believe that the time for administration to solicit public input would be prior to the policy being presented before CASM.
If the public is to be involved, then it needs to know what issues/topics are to be addressed by the policy. We understand that one topic that is to be considered concerns how the City is to deal with unauthorized trails. Another that has been mentioned is the necessity for an open and transparent trail development application process.
However, there are a number of other subjects that may be appropriate to include: impact of trail construction on Environmentally Sensitive Areas; decommissioning of trails; impact of trail construction on plant, animal, and bird life; impact of trail construction on other trails in the area, and on the users of those trails; impact of trail building on local communities; philosophy behind trail development within the City of Whitehorse; the reasons why and for whom are we building new trails; and how to determine whether or not a proposed new trail is appropriate for construction.
In the interests of public awareness and transparency on the important topic of trail development and management, we urge the City to inform the public as to what specific issues are to be addressed in the policy, how the public can be involved in its development, and the current state of consultation efforts with stakeholders, trail stewards, and land owners.
Trail Development Applications:
The second issue is the lack of current information surrounding trail development applications, and the apparent failure of administration to recognize the importance and necessity of public involvement concerning such applications.
According to administration “trail stewards and land owners” [will be consulted] “prior to the approval of any individual trail applications.” (See Council Questions & Answers of 09/11/17 http://www.whitehorse.ca/Home/ShowDocument?id=9100)
However, in its response administration fails to give any assurance that the public will have an opportunity to both review and comment on new trail development applications.
This despite the fact that the 2007 Trail Plan calls for public involvement in “trail system development.”
As the trail stewards with whom administration consults, are often the same bodies which either make development applications, or support other applicant’s proposals, it is essential that the public is also consulted. Otherwise the whole process will lack meaningful oversight, input, and transparency.
Administration suggests, “Most of the proposed trails anticipated for 2018 will be included in the neighbourhood trail task force reports.” See Council Questions & Answers of 09/11/17 http://www.whitehorse.ca/Home/ShowDocument?id=9100)
However, this implies that there will be other trail development proposals that will be considered outside of those reports.
We ask the following:
That the public be informed about, and be given opportunities for input on any trail development application received by administration since the demise of the Whitehorse Trail & Greenways Committee this past September, and all future applications submitted.
That City Council makes clear to the public how a trail application is made given the current situation, i.e. the absence of a trail development policy and the dissolution of the WTGC, what body must approve or deny the application, and the process involved in seeking approval.
Thank you for your attention to these matters.
Active Trails Whitehorse Association
_________________________________________________________________________________________
March 10, 2017:
The following is an ATWA letter published in both the Whitehorse Star and Yukon News.
Note: The Whitehorse Trail & Greenways Committee (WTGC) was disbanded in September of 2017.
How well are Whitehorse residents included in trail building decisions?
Inclusiveness is one of the four guiding principles of the 2007 Trail Plan. This principle commits the City “to including the public in determining guidelines for trail system development, use, preservation and maintenance.”
Active Trails Whitehorse Association (ATWA) believes that the current trail development application procedure fails to ensure public involvement. Here is why.
The current procedure requires any individual or organization wishing to construct a trail within the City of Whitehorse, to submit a Trail Development Application form to the chairperson of the Whitehorse Trail and Greenways Committee (WTGC), three weeks prior to its regularly scheduled meeting. The completed form is distributed to members of the WTGC for their review, and the proposal will usually be discussed at its next meeting.
The committee could recommend that City administration approve or deny the application, or approve the application with conditions. Any denied application could be revisited in the future.
In August of 2016, in an ATWA meeting with Parks and Community Development representatives, the latter “agreed that it was a good recommendation to attach trail applications to WTGC meeting agendas for public viewing in the future.”
This would have at least given the public an opportunity to view the application, although it would have provided little time for citizens to provide comments, as agendas are released only a few days before committee meetings. However, this recommendation was not adopted when the next trail development application was placed on a subsequent WTGC agenda.
At present, neither the public nor the majority of the members of associations represented on the WTGC, are given the opportunity to review and/or comment on these applications prior to them coming before the WTGC.
ATWA suggests that when a trail development application is received by the chairperson, that it be immediately put on the City’s website under an appropriate title (Trail Development Applications), so that the public and members of the associations represented on the WTGC, are able to review the proposal and submit comments to the chairperson within the three week period prior to the application’s presentation before the WTGC.
Committee members could make more knowledgeable decisions with regard to trail development applications, if they had additional input from both the public and the members of committee representative’s respective associations.
Trail building decisions should not be made in a rush. In other words, it may be appropriate to delay a decision until the next WTGC meeting, in order to allow representatives to better digest the input they have received, and perhaps obtain additional information with respect to some of the collected comments.
Citizens should be given a meaningful opportunity to participate in the trail application process. Yes, this will require more time and effort on the part of City staff and the WTGC, but public participation is what the 2007 Trail Plan calls for, and for good reason: all citizens and the trail network they love will benefit from an open, inclusive process.
Keith Lay, President
ATWA
www.activetwa.org
Active Trails Whitehorse Association
Preliminary suggestions: Steps to Trail Development Approval:
December 6, 2016
Note: The Whitehorse Trail & Greenways Committee (WTGC) was disbanded in September of 2017.
Note: Some consideration should be given to hearing these applications at a special meeting of the WTGC, as it would seem that much time is now spent on dealing with said applications at the expense of other important work of the Committee.
In addition, ATWA is not sure that a three-week review process provides the public with adequate time to consider and weigh in on each application. ATWA prefers the approach of establishing set deadlines for each season (2), with full information on a public website concerning each Trail Development Application plus announcements in local newspapers. Trails are not urgent matters; trail development applications can wait in order to ensure that each one is subject to a thorough review, and ample time is given to allow for public input.
Note: At present there does not appear to be an “appropriate form” to deal with those who would like to address the Committee on issues other than the construction of a trail. An appropriate process to follow for such situations, and one that is known to the public should be developed.
Trail Development Application Form: Possible additions/changes to the current application form
What is the location of the trail? A general location should be given along with A GPS start point and a GPS finish point.
How long is the trail to be?
Is the trail to be single-track or double track?
Is the trail intended to be motorized or non-motorized, or built to accommodate both?
Is the trail intended to be a single use trail? (In other words, will only one type of use be permitted in winter, in summer, or over the entire year?)
If applicable, what other type of recreationalist will be able to use the trail?
Is the trail intended to accommodate technical structures?
If the trail is located within a City of Whitehorse regional park, how does the trail fit with the goals and Mission Statement of the park’s Management Plan?
Applicants should be required to consult with more than just the association that may represent his/her user group.
If there is to be a cost to the City of this trail development, then an estimate of that cost should be given.
How does this trail compliment the trail system in the immediate area?
Are there any environmentally sensitive areas through which this trail is to cross?
Are there any non-designated trails in the immediate area that would be replaced by the trail you wish to construct?
Does this trail fall within the maximum trail density threshold of the area? (Applicable only if the City has determined trail density thresholds for the area in question.)
Who is/are the owner(s) of the land through which the trail will be built? Have these owners been consulted? (This may be something that City administration might have to do rather than the trail development applicant.)
Active Trails Whitehorse Association
The following is an ATWA letter published in both the Whitehorse Star and Yukon News.
Note: The Whitehorse Trail & Greenways Committee (WTGC) was disbanded in September of 2017.
How well are Whitehorse residents included in trail building decisions?
Inclusiveness is one of the four guiding principles of the 2007 Trail Plan. This principle commits the City “to including the public in determining guidelines for trail system development, use, preservation and maintenance.”
Active Trails Whitehorse Association (ATWA) believes that the current trail development application procedure fails to ensure public involvement. Here is why.
The current procedure requires any individual or organization wishing to construct a trail within the City of Whitehorse, to submit a Trail Development Application form to the chairperson of the Whitehorse Trail and Greenways Committee (WTGC), three weeks prior to its regularly scheduled meeting. The completed form is distributed to members of the WTGC for their review, and the proposal will usually be discussed at its next meeting.
The committee could recommend that City administration approve or deny the application, or approve the application with conditions. Any denied application could be revisited in the future.
In August of 2016, in an ATWA meeting with Parks and Community Development representatives, the latter “agreed that it was a good recommendation to attach trail applications to WTGC meeting agendas for public viewing in the future.”
This would have at least given the public an opportunity to view the application, although it would have provided little time for citizens to provide comments, as agendas are released only a few days before committee meetings. However, this recommendation was not adopted when the next trail development application was placed on a subsequent WTGC agenda.
At present, neither the public nor the majority of the members of associations represented on the WTGC, are given the opportunity to review and/or comment on these applications prior to them coming before the WTGC.
ATWA suggests that when a trail development application is received by the chairperson, that it be immediately put on the City’s website under an appropriate title (Trail Development Applications), so that the public and members of the associations represented on the WTGC, are able to review the proposal and submit comments to the chairperson within the three week period prior to the application’s presentation before the WTGC.
Committee members could make more knowledgeable decisions with regard to trail development applications, if they had additional input from both the public and the members of committee representative’s respective associations.
Trail building decisions should not be made in a rush. In other words, it may be appropriate to delay a decision until the next WTGC meeting, in order to allow representatives to better digest the input they have received, and perhaps obtain additional information with respect to some of the collected comments.
Citizens should be given a meaningful opportunity to participate in the trail application process. Yes, this will require more time and effort on the part of City staff and the WTGC, but public participation is what the 2007 Trail Plan calls for, and for good reason: all citizens and the trail network they love will benefit from an open, inclusive process.
Keith Lay, President
ATWA
www.activetwa.org
Active Trails Whitehorse Association
Preliminary suggestions: Steps to Trail Development Approval:
December 6, 2016
Note: The Whitehorse Trail & Greenways Committee (WTGC) was disbanded in September of 2017.
- Trail Development Applications should be sent to the Chair at least three weeks in advance of a WTGC regular meeting. (This according to the Terms of Reference of the WTGC.)
- Upon receipt the TDA form is checked by the Chair to ensure it has been filled out properly.
- If filled out properly the application is sent to each member of the WTGC for review and is also posted on the City’s website under WTGC, with instructions as to how members of the public can make comments with regard to the application. (Perhaps a separate heading on the site could be created, such as one with the title Trail Development Applications.)
- Immediately upon receipt each member of the Committee will ensure a copy of the application is sent to all members of his/her respective associations. Members will be asked to review the document and if they have any questions, concerns, or additional information re: the application, they are to send them directly to the Chair with a copy to the association’s representative on the WTGC.
- The application is reviewed at the next appropriate meeting of the WTGC (as long as everyone has at least three weeks to review the application.) Input from the general public, committee members, and members of the associations represented on the committee will be considered.
- The applicant is required to attend the WTGC meeting at which the Trail Development Application will be considered.
- The application will be recommended for approval, denied, or denied until the applicant has satisfied the committee that certain conditions have been or will be met. (If the latter, the application would then be re-considered at a later date.)
- Members of the public and members of associations represented on the WTGC, should be informed that they are welcome to attend as observers when the Trail Development Application is heard before the Committee.
- Members of the public should be informed that if they disagree with the decision of the Committee to approve or deny an application, then an appeal could be made directly to City Council.
Note: Some consideration should be given to hearing these applications at a special meeting of the WTGC, as it would seem that much time is now spent on dealing with said applications at the expense of other important work of the Committee.
In addition, ATWA is not sure that a three-week review process provides the public with adequate time to consider and weigh in on each application. ATWA prefers the approach of establishing set deadlines for each season (2), with full information on a public website concerning each Trail Development Application plus announcements in local newspapers. Trails are not urgent matters; trail development applications can wait in order to ensure that each one is subject to a thorough review, and ample time is given to allow for public input.
Note: At present there does not appear to be an “appropriate form” to deal with those who would like to address the Committee on issues other than the construction of a trail. An appropriate process to follow for such situations, and one that is known to the public should be developed.
Trail Development Application Form: Possible additions/changes to the current application form
- If the applicant is not a particular association, but rather an individual, that individual should be required to list all trail user groups of which he/she is a member.
- Number 4 in the Application should now be rewritten as the applicant may be asking to develop a new trail, an existing trail, an unauthorized trail, or a combination of any of the aforementioned.
- The applicant should be asked to give some of the following information: (If applicable.)
What is the location of the trail? A general location should be given along with A GPS start point and a GPS finish point.
How long is the trail to be?
Is the trail to be single-track or double track?
Is the trail intended to be motorized or non-motorized, or built to accommodate both?
Is the trail intended to be a single use trail? (In other words, will only one type of use be permitted in winter, in summer, or over the entire year?)
If applicable, what other type of recreationalist will be able to use the trail?
Is the trail intended to accommodate technical structures?
If the trail is located within a City of Whitehorse regional park, how does the trail fit with the goals and Mission Statement of the park’s Management Plan?
Applicants should be required to consult with more than just the association that may represent his/her user group.
If there is to be a cost to the City of this trail development, then an estimate of that cost should be given.
How does this trail compliment the trail system in the immediate area?
Are there any environmentally sensitive areas through which this trail is to cross?
Are there any non-designated trails in the immediate area that would be replaced by the trail you wish to construct?
Does this trail fall within the maximum trail density threshold of the area? (Applicable only if the City has determined trail density thresholds for the area in question.)
Who is/are the owner(s) of the land through which the trail will be built? Have these owners been consulted? (This may be something that City administration might have to do rather than the trail development applicant.)
Active Trails Whitehorse Association