Residents disagree on Anthem trailhead plan

By Becky Bosshart, Jeremy Twitchell

Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008 | 12:01 a.m.

Anthem East Trailhead improvements won't be completed until next spring, but some Shadow Canyon Village residents said the area is already suffering from recreation congestion and are signing a petition to try to halt it.

But some residents support the trailhead and told City Council members at a recent meeting.

Resident Forrest Fetherolf, who is leading the petition drive, said as many as 30 cars can be parked on Shadow Canyon Drive on the weekends from hikers and bikers entering the trail, which runs about a quarter-mile to Bureau of Land Management land with access to Black Mountain. He fears the improvements will attract even more hikers, causing more disruptions in the quiet senior-citizen community.

The trailhead isn't clearly marked on the Henderson Trail Map, but a hiker forum on the Web site Trails.com notes the trailhead parking off Shadow Canyon Drive.

"I'm concerned about the safety and security with the disruption of a highly advertised park and trail in a senior-citizen community," Fetherolf said.

About 550 Shadow Canyon Village residents have signed his petition, he said.

"We can't do an effective neighborhood watch because we have so many outsiders coming in," resident Karen Wright said.

The group will collect signatures into 2009 and then submit the petition to the Henderson City Council.

In the meantime, some of the residents appeared before the council Dec. 16 to express their opinions on the trailhead, which will have six parking spaces on two-third of an acre. No additional parking spaces are planned, a city official said.

The opinions were varied.

Fetherolf told the council that the Shadow Canyon neighborhood was originally to be a golf course, and surrounding uses should have been updated as the plan changed to replace the golf course with homes.

Mike Dixon and Bob Frank, both members of the Sun City Anthem Board of Directors, also spoke to the council, though they said they were not representing the board and expressed opposing views.

Frank said information about the trailhead had not been adequately presented to the community and said the project should be suspended and studied further.

"I don't know of anybody who, in their heart of hearts, objects to the trails or what's going on here," he said. "I think the issue is that there have been some misunderstandings."

Dixon, who was president of the board of directors when it granted the easement to the city, said he did so because the city satisfactorily responded to the concerns residents raised at the time.

"From what I can see, the city has addressed the concerns that were raised when this was originally brought to us," he said.

One resident who is an avid hiker said he was looking forward to the trailhead and was upset at the arguments others were using to oppose it.

"I take offense that they are insinuating that people hiking are going to be breaking into their homes," resident Mike Carey said. He said having hikers on the trail would actually discourage break-ins. "Had hikers been on the trail at the time, that burglary wouldn't have happened."

The $925,000 contract awarded to American Asphalt and Grading Co. includes the construction of a 12-by-12-foot shelter, information sign, three benches and a trash can. Workers will also extend and improve the existing paved trail about six miles to Anthem Hills Park, a 55-acre park and trail on Reunion Drive.

These improvements have been planned for more than two years, so it was not sprung on residents, said Mary Ellen Donner, Henderson parks and recreation director.

"We're trying to promote people to park at Anthem Hills Park, where there are park amenities, including rest rooms and water fountains," Donner said.

The city has met with residents and has changed plans based on their concerns, Donner said. The department will consider installing no parking signs on Shadow Canyon Drive and no trespassing signs near homes close to the trail because of resident complaints, she said.

Henderson Police Department spokesman Keith Paul said crime has not increased in the area because of the trail. He said there has been one burglary reported in the last year.

"But if a resident sees something that doesn't look right, call," Paul said.

Donner recommends that residents concerned about safety join the Trail Watch program. The group walks trails and reports safety issues to parks and recreation crews.

Councilman Andy Hafen, whose ward includes Sun City Anthem, said he understood residents' concerns, but the project was too far along to be abandoned.

"I don't think that moving the trailhead right now makes a lot of sense," he said. "We've designed it, we've funded it and we've got the notice to proceed."