Thank you County Council for listening to the public and for your unanimous decision today to remove Zylstra Trail from consideration in the current Six-Year Transporation Improvement Plan (TIP) on San Juan Valley Road. Your unwillingness to exercise eminent domain and your willingness to explore other options, like entry to Zylstra Preserve from the South along Bailer Hills Road via Douglas are much appreciated. Drawing and listening to testimony, I would like to reiterate the need for separate bike trails for safety. Based on the sketch submitted, one could narrow the R.O.W. from 60’ to 44’ if 3’ bike paths were placed atop the ha-ha, and culverts could provide drainage as under driveways. The disadvantage is no physical barrier to errant vehicles and reduce aquifer recharge from road and bike path runoff. The advantage is the ability to save landscape features and farmland.

Gay Wilmerding

San Juan Island