PORT ANGELES — Clallam County commissioners have unanimously approved the closure to unauthorized vehicles of a loop off Camp Hayden Road.
The action Tuesday was taken to put an end to reported illegal dumping and timber theft.
Camp Hayden Park Road, a short loop road off Camp Hayden Road south of the Salt Creek Recreation Area, is not a main road and has become “a dump,” according to county officials.
The loop will remain open for bicyclists, pedestrians and equestrians, and provides paved access for wheelchairs or mobility scooters, Tyler said.
The county-owned road near the recreation area is surrounded by park property and once provided access to military installations that are long gone, according to County Engineer Ross Tyler.
Three months ago, two gates were installed, one at each end of the road, and locked in the open position, he said.
Tyler said one of the gates was salvaged from the Elwha River dam removal project, and crews completed the work as other projects allowed.
The gates will remain open until Jan. 21 to give the county time to post a formal 48-hour notice of the road closure.
After that, they will be closed and locked.
There are parking areas for several cars at each gate.
Tyler said there are no plans to rip up pavement or otherwise eliminate the existing road, and the road will continue to be maintained.
In addition to keys kept by the county Public Works Department, a key will be given to the Salt Creek Recreation Area manager to gain access for maintenance and other needs, Tyler said.
He said the area’s annual cost of cleanup is difficult to estimate.
It has been maintained by the Clallam County jail’s chain gang, for which the department pays a flat fee to clean all areas of the county.
Tyler also has told commissioners that people have been seen coming out from the area with firewood.
The amount and value of timber taken from the area was not known, he said Tuesday.
Tyler said the cost of restoring the recycled gate, purchase of the new gate and the work competed to install the gates has not been calculated.
Commissioners said in July that they supported the staff recommendation to close the road to vehicles.
Objects to process
West End resident Ed Bowen spoke during the public comment section and objected to the process that led to the closure.
He said there was inadequate public process in the closure of the road and that a two-year review of Clallam County park meeting records showed no discussions regarding the road being a problem.
The closure should have been a part of the county’s six-year road projects list, which has extensive public discussion and notification, Bowen said.
Commissioners said there have been at least two published commission discussions about the road, beginning in October, and because no permanent changes are being made, the closure doesn’t require the same level of scrutiny that is required of actually removing or abandoning a road.
Requests for access
The commissioners also asked the engineer to create an established process for people to apply for access, beginning with a request to the nearby Salt Creek Park manager.
They expect most requests will come from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife or other agencies needing access to the creek along the road but said it shouldn’t be limited to only governmental departments.
“Anyone can apply for access,” Commissioner Jim McEntire said.
Commissioner Mike Chapman said he has not heard from anyone since the gates have been installed, adding that the first indication of impending changes — such as the installation of gates — usually brings out any community concern about a project.
Tyler said the only phone calls he has received have been from area residents and park users asking why the gates hadn’t been closed yet.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
