PORT TOWNSEND — Jefferson County commissioners on Monday allowed county Road Department officials to exceed a $15,000 limit above just compensation to negotiate acquisition of railroad right of way for a future Larry Scott Memorial Trail segment south to Four Corners Road.
The future trail link acquires a 3.5-acre parcel that would link the trail from Discovery Bay Golf Club south to Milo Curry Road.
It will bring the Scott Trail section of Olympic Discovery Trail to 8.5 miles south of the Port Townsend waterfront trailhead at the Port of Port Townsend Boat Haven.
Based on an appraiser’s review, just compensation for the property would be $206,500, according to a county public works document.
The project is authorized in the county’s 2009 roads budget and includes Federal Highway Administration Enhancement grant funds.
Buying in bulk
“We will be buying the bulk of the railroad grade through the area,” said county Engineer Monte Reinders, who was joined by Will Butterfield, the project’s right-of-way acquisitions representative.
Reinders said a former railroad shack that was added onto over the years would be acquired with the purchase of the land.
The acquisition was met with support from the county commissioners, who voted 3-0 to waive the settlement limit.
“This is the kind of project that’s going to bring in folks that want to use the trail and stay here,” said county Commissioner John Austin, D-Port Ludlow. “It’s another economic driver.”
The latest acquisition would stretch the trail from near the north end of Discovery Bay Golf Club at South Discovery Road near Douglas Way and south to near Milo Curry and Four Corners roads, where a parking lot would be built at the terminus.
Larry Scott Trail is part of the Olympic Discovery Trail system, which will ultimately connect Port Townsend to LaPush, about 130 miles.
Jefferson County’s section would stretch 26 miles from Port Townsend’s waterfront to the Jefferson-Clallam county line.
Volunteers with the Jefferson Trails Coalition have cleared a half-mile section between Cape George road and South Discovery Road at the golf course, winding through a network of private roads.
The narrow trail will be widened to a 10-foot hard-surfaced multi-use trail for hikers, bikers and equestrians.
About 6 miles has been developed to date.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
