KINGSTON — Residents on Lindvog and Parcell Road feel a trail needs to be established to provide safer access to the neighborhoods between the two streets — and they are making great strides in doing so.

About 50 Kingston residents learned more about establishing a non-motorized trail in the area north of State Route 104 during the Kingston Parks, Trails and Open Space Committee meeting Nov. 24.

The effort to establish a new trail started earlier this year when adjacent property owner Alan Mundell petitioned the county to vacate a public right-of-way off Lindvog Road. In addition to the 654-foot right-of-way, Mundell is also interested in buying a nearby tax title strip. If both are vacated, Mundell would then own the properties. He previously expressed interest in closing the land to the public.

The county land dead ends into the private property of the Kingston Farm neighborhood and does not connect to any public roads. The right-of-way has never formally been established as a public trail.

However, for more than 30 years, residents have been walking man made trails through the private and public properties.

Staff members of the Kitsap County parks and planning departments met with residents to discuss the petitioned property and other trail options in the neighborhood.

Jim Barnard of the Department of Community Development said some residents wanted to keep things the way they are while others were concerned about liabilities with easements on private properties if an official trail was established.

“The thing of it is, we have a due process,” Barnard said. “We have to go through a due process which was the petition for a vacation.”

County parks planner Joseph Coppo said the right-of-way doesn’t meet the county’s needs for a trail at this time and could be vacated.

Members of the Kingston Farm Homeowners Association and a local 4-H club respectively expressed their concerns about the future of the proposed vacation and support of other trail possibilities. Lindvog resident and 4-H club leader Kathy Watson said her horse riding group travels back and forth between the Kingston Farm neighborhood and Lindvog Road, often using the public easement as well as private property.

“(Residents) have been kind enough to give certain people permission to cross their property,” Watson said, noting that she wants to keep it simple, primarily for her horse riders.

“Certainly, our preferred option would be to quietly slip through as we do now,” Watson said. “Everyone behaves themselves.”

Robert James, president of the Kingston Farm Homeowners Association, said he was concerned that if the right-of-way is not vacated, the county could establish a trail — something that would bring more walking traffic into the neighborhood. As president of the group, James said he felt the vacation should go forward.

“There is nowhere for that so-called trail to go,” he said.

While James said he enjoys the fact that the local youth are participating in healthy activities such as dirt biking and riding horses, he also voiced his concerns about liabilities.

“If (the right-of-way) were to be become a public trail and use our road as part of (the) trail, that’s a different story,” he said.

Several options for other trails to connect Lindvog and Parcell were presented by Barnard, who also researched and walked the various possibilities.

One option is to clear an existing public easement off Shorty Campbell Road and connect to Lindvog via installation of a 20-foot bridge over a ravine. Other options include clearing other public easements within the vicinity of Berry Road.

Even so, Watson said she believes any connection between Lindvog and Parcell is better than nothing.

“We’d be delighted to have any way through but the less traveling kids have to do on Parcell, the better,” she said.By TIFFANY ROYAL

Staff Writer

KINGSTON — Residents on Lindvog and Parcell Road feel a trail needs to be established to provide safer access to the neighborhoods between the two streets — and they are making great strides in doing so.

About 50 Kingston residents learned more about establishing a non-motorized trail in the area north of State Route 104 during the Kingston Parks, Trails and Open Space Committee meeting Nov. 24.

The effort to establish a new trail started earlier this year when adjacent property owner Alan Mundell petitioned the county to vacate a public right-of-way off Lindvog Road. In addition to the 654-foot right-of-way, Mundell is also interested in buying a nearby tax title strip. If both are vacated, Mundell would then own the properties. He previously expressed interest in closing the land to the public.

The county land dead ends into the private property of the Kingston Farm neighborhood and does not connect to any public roads. The right-of-way has never formally been established as a public trail.

However, for more than 30 years, residents have been walking man made trails through the private and public properties.

Staff members of the Kitsap County parks and planning departments met with residents to discuss the petitioned property and other trail options in the neighborhood.

Jim Barnard of the Department of Community Development said some residents wanted to keep things the way they are while others were concerned about liabilities with easements on private properties if an official trail was established.

“The thing of it is, we have a due process,” Barnard said. “We have to go through a due process which was the petition for a vacation.”

County parks planner Joseph Coppo said the right-of-way doesn’t meet the county’s needs for a trail at this time and could be vacated.

Members of the Kingston Farm Homeowners Association and a local 4-H club respectively expressed their concerns about the future of the proposed vacation and support of other trail possibilities. Lindvog resident and 4-H club leader Kathy Watson said her horse riding group travels back and forth between the Kingston Farm neighborhood and Lindvog Road, often using the public easement as well as private property.

“(Residents) have been kind enough to give certain people permission to cross their property,” Watson said, noting that she wants to keep it simple, primarily for her horse riders.

“Certainly, our preferred option would be to quietly slip through as we do now,” Watson said. “Everyone behaves themselves.”

Robert James, president of the Kingston Farm Homeowners Association, said he was concerned that if the right-of-way is not vacated, the county could establish a trail — something that would bring more walking traffic into the neighborhood. As president of the group, James said he felt the vacation should go forward.

“There is nowhere for that so-called trail to go,” he said.

While James said he enjoys the fact that the local youth are participating in healthy activities such as dirt biking and riding horses, he also voiced his concerns about liabilities.

“If (the right-of-way) were to be become a public trail and use our road as part of (the) trail, that’s a different story,” he said.

Several options for other trails to connect Lindvog and Parcell were presented by Barnard, who also researched and walked the various possibilities.

One option is to clear an existing public easement off Shorty Campbell Road and connect to Lindvog via installation of a 20-foot bridge over a ravine. Other options include clearing other public easements within the vicinity of Berry Road.

Even so, Watson said she believes any connection between Lindvog and Parcell is better than nothing.

“We’d be delighted to have any way through but the less traveling kids have to do on Parcell, the better,” she said.By TIFFANY ROYAL

Staff Writer

KINGSTON — Residents on Lindvog and Parcell Road feel a trail needs to be established to provide safer access to the neighborhoods between the two streets — and they are making great strides in doing so.

About 50 Kingston residents learned more about establishing a non-motorized trail in the area north of State Route 104 during the Kingston Parks, Trails and Open Space Committee meeting Nov. 24.

The effort to establish a new trail started earlier this year when adjacent property owner Alan Mundell petitioned the county to vacate a public right-of-way off Lindvog Road. In addition to the 654-foot right-of-way, Mundell is also interested in buying a nearby tax title strip. If both are vacated, Mundell would then own the properties. He previously expressed interest in closing the land to the public.

The county land dead ends into the private property of the Kingston Farm neighborhood and does not connect to any public roads. The right-of-way has never formally been established as a public trail.

However, for more than 30 years, residents have been walking man made trails through the private and public properties.

Staff members of the Kitsap County parks and planning departments met with residents to discuss the petitioned property and other trail options in the neighborhood.

Jim Barnard of the Department of Community Development said some residents wanted to keep things the way they are while others were concerned about liabilities with easements on private properties if an official trail was established.

“The thing of it is, we have a due process,” Barnard said. “We have to go through a due process which was the petition for a vacation.”

County parks planner Joseph Coppo said the right-of-way doesn’t meet the county’s needs for a trail at this time and could be vacated.

Members of the Kingston Farm Homeowners Association and a local 4-H club respectively expressed their concerns about the future of the proposed vacation and support of other trail possibilities. Lindvog resident and 4-H club leader Kathy Watson said her horse riding group travels back and forth between the Kingston Farm neighborhood and Lindvog Road, often using the public easement as well as private property.

“(Residents) have been kind enough to give certain people permission to cross their property,” Watson said, noting that she wants to keep it simple, primarily for her horse riders.

“Certainly, our preferred option would be to quietly slip through as we do now,” Watson said. “Everyone behaves themselves.”

Robert James, president of the Kingston Farm Homeowners Association, said he was concerned that if the right-of-way is not vacated, the county could establish a trail — something that would bring more walking traffic into the neighborhood. As president of the group, James said he felt the vacation should go forward.

“There is nowhere for that so-called trail to go,” he said.

While James said he enjoys the fact that the local youth are participating in healthy activities such as dirt biking and riding horses, he also voiced his concerns about liabilities.

“If (the right-of-way) were to be become a public trail and use our road as part of (the) trail, that’s a different story,” he said.

Several options for other trails to connect Lindvog and Parcell were presented by Barnard, who also researched and walked the various possibilities.

One option is to clear an existing public easement off Shorty Campbell Road and connect to Lindvog via installation of a 20-foot bridge over a ravine. Other options include clearing other public easements within the vicinity of Berry Road.

Even so, Watson said she believes any connection between Lindvog and Parcell is better than nothing.

“We’d be delighted to have any way through but the less traveling kids have to do on Parcell, the better,” she said.