Council hears Coastal Commission approach to phased reopening of Axel Lindgren Memorial Trail

City staff and Coastal Commission staff briefed the council on Jan. 13 about the status of the appealed Coastal Development Permit for the Axel Lindgren Memorial Trail and next steps for a phased reopening.

Trevor (city staff) described a two‑phase approach the working group is discussing: phase 1 would reopen the upper roughly one‑third of the trail to a vista point using relatively simple stabilization measures, and phase 2 would reroute the bottom portion along a western alignment that requires slope stabilization and more design work. Trevor told the council the city and Coastal Commission staff are exploring permitting both phases in a single process to provide a clear timeline and responsibilities for design and construction.

Melissa Kramer, Coastal Commission staff, said the commission currently holds jurisdiction because an appeal raised a substantial issue; she said commission staff are facilitating government‑to‑government consultations and need supplemental materials from the city (a written phased narrative and more detail on the proposed realignment) before scheduling a hearing. Kramer said it is the commission’s preference to permit both near‑term and intermediate phases with conditions to protect cultural and natural resources.

Councilors debated whether the trail could be reopened immediately 'as is' and whether that would create public‑safety or liability exposure. Councilor Bryce urged reopening and removal of the closure fencing; staff and the city engineer cautioned that the city has not completed a formal safety assessment and noted the ancestral society and the Trinidad Rancheria oppose reopening the existing alignment.

Council asked staff to continue government‑to‑government consultation with the Rancheria, produce the additional technical documentation requested by Coastal Commission staff and return with a council agenda item to revisit the council’s prior allocation of $10,000 to support design/consultant work on reopening. No final decision was made at the Jan. 13 meeting.

The council directed staff to agendize a follow‑up discussion in late winter to consider whether to reallocate the $10,000 or proceed with the phased approach and to provide clearer cost and timeline information for the phases.

The council and staff emphasized that the Coastal Commission’s goal is to reopen the trail in a way that minimizes erosion and protects cultural resources while restoring public access where feasible.