Klamath County has again postponed the Planning Commission hearing on the TM Comprehensive Plan Amendment.  It will NOT be on the agenda July 28th.  Klamath Planning writes :

This will not be on July agenda, nor will it likely be in August.

Stay Tuned,  I'm trying to find out when it will be on the Planning Commission Agenda.

If you have not written a letter in support of Train Mountain, you can email one to Planning Director Les Wilson lwilson@...    A draft letter is at http://www.jcblack.com/SupportLetters.pdf
 
Here is the issue.  To lay track Klamath County has to declare your land a "Private Park".  Previous Conditional Use Permits have declared that 85% of Train Mountain's acreage is a private park.  In 2005 the Klamath County regulations were amended so that in the Forestry Zone no private parks can be established within 3 miles of an urban growth boundary.  Train Mountain is within a mile of the Chiloquin urban growth boundary.  The intent of the change was to limit campgrounds near towns. There is a Comprehensive Plan Amendment process to get an exception to the 3 mile rule.  Our Comprehensive Plan Amendment asks for an exception to the 3 mile rule for the remaining 15% of Train Mountain's acreage and for selected Forestry zoned properties that adjoin Train Mountain... Brooks, Shepherd, FTM, and a few others that track will be needed on.  We are asking for an "irrevocably committed exception" arguing that the Train Mountain project has been permitted and planned for since the 1980's....  that the land is irrevocably committed to the private train park use.... the impacts are already there...  and that the exception to the 3 mile rule should be granted.  Some of the argument is that the economic, social, and recreational benefits to the county outweigh Goal 4 which speaks to preserving forestry land.

Thank you for supporting Train Mountain and Friends of Train Mountain.

John