KINGSTON — Several Indianola residents attended Monday night’s Kingston Citizens Advisory Council’s parks and open space subcommittee meeting to learn about the latest plans in the White Horse trail development — and they weren’t pleased with what they heard.

Many were disappointed and frustrated by the designs, especially after years of providing input to Kitsap County planners and White Horse developer Bob Screen.

“The buffer has changed,” said property owner Jim Halstead, speaking about the vegetative buffer between White Horse and other properties. “What happened? Why is the trail inside the buffer? The last time we walked the trail, it was outside, the way it’s supposed to be.”

Kitsap County Department of Community Development planner Dennis Oost fielded questions, but he didn’t have an immediate answer for Halstead, other than that, the physical trail appears outside the buffer.

Other residents questioned why the trail was drawn inside the buffer on the plans. They were also concerned about the wording that went along with where the trail will actually be built.

“Another ambiguity reads that the trail alignment may be adjusted for trees and maximum visual buffer,” said Indianola resident Jay Zischke. “This sounds like Bob (Screen) can just build the trail wherever he wants, without regard to what the county says. It sounds like the decision, as this reads, is made by the folks building the trail. If the county doesn’t show up, the builders can put the trail anywhere they want.”

Other concerns raised focused on parking and that after numerous requests to walk the trail with a county planner, members from the subcommittee still have not been able to survey the intended path.

“It’s been three years and three months, and we have asked every month since then to see the plans and walk the trail,” said subcommittee member Walt Elliot. “After all that time spent waiting, and now we haven’t been given a chance to give our input. It’s like we’ve been waiting and waiting for the bus, and once it finally comes, it hardly slows down to let passengers on. We’ve missed the bus.”

“I would suggest that you submit your comments to the county, myself or (DCD assistant director of permitting) Jeff Rowe-Hornbaker,” Oost said. “That’s the best way to voice your opinions and give input.”

This answer, however, seemed only to aggravate members of the subcommittee and residents. They had been sending in comments since they first pushed for the project, and still feel their concerns are not being heard, said subcommittee chairwoman Bobbie Moore. Now, with the trail plan approved by the county, the group feels it is too late to help create the trail it was hoping for.

“You’re just blowing smoke,” Halstead said. “This plan is totally contrary to what we discussed while we were walking the trail. It might have been different if the community had been involved, but it hasn’t been at all. I just can’t believe it.”