Peter wrote:
>There's some money that the District would like to see returned to them in
>return for the recurring utility and liability insurance costs of these
>pads. This will be hammered out between the District and the
>concessionaire in the current contract renewal process. The pad use fee
>should be fairly small in amount, payable to the concessionaire.
But.... the pads were built by the park, they own them. I really don't
care what they do with them since they are too small for my telescope, but
why would they look at doing an improvement to the park then possibly
charging for their use? The pads are going to generate more park
visits. To me, it is like cutting a new trail, and then charging a fee to
walk on it. It is park property.
>As far as FP's more restrictive access nature as opposed to Coe is
>concerned, the District has always thought that the Fremont Peak State Park
>closure times are beneficial to the Park's safety....
I don't understand that.
The ranger's residence at Coe is right off one of the main trails leading
away from the day use parking lot. It is very easy to see from the parking
lot. The park headquarters is also right there, at the parking lot.
The ranger's residence is behind a locked gate at Coe, but it is very easy
to circumvent on foot, as is the current situation for the ranger at the
Peak. However, the headquarters building at Coe is subject to any type of
mischief one might imagine, but it does not seem to have been a problem
sufficient to "close" the park at night.
How does Fremont Peak differ from Coe in terms of safety issues? Both
parks are near cities, and are approximately the same distance and driving
time form those cities. What is it about the Peak that makes the CDPR
concerned about safety, while another park with comparable access seems to
get along fine being open to the public at all hours?
I do like CL Price's welcoming attitude. But I will reiterate my question
about Fremont Peak... how many rangers has that park had in the past five
years? Policies are at this time subject to the discretion of the residing
ranger.
Mark