Remember last May, when the City Council passed the $39.2 Million dollar McEuen Park Plan in front of hundreds of citizens who were holding signs asking for a Public Advisory Vote before approval of the plan?

The public’s request for a vote was officially rejected two separate times that evening. But Councilman Mike Kennedy threw some crumbs to the common folk when he motioned that Tubbs Hill should be removed from the McEuen plan. It was. And all the Tubb’s Hill people let out a big sigh of relief. Maybe they thought McEuen was in jeopardy but at least Tubbs was safe.

Well no, it’s not. Tubbs Hill is back in the mix of city projects.

This morning’s Press reveals that a north side trail on Tubbs is in the City’s new draft of their Natural Open Space Plan. One of the things the Press did not reveal is that the north side trail language was “slipped into” the city’s plan after the Tubbs Hill Foundation had given the plan their tentative approval, according to Foundation President Jennifer Johnson’s open letter to the public, which was online last week. You can read her letter here: http://www.cdapress.com/news/local_news/article_012121da-a07c-11e1-b1b4-0019bb2963f4.html

Let me just repeat again: The City quietly “slipped in” the language for a north side trail, without the knowledge of the Tubbs Hill Foundation!

The Tubbs Foundation is very upset. They have now passed a resolution which says, “THF opposes any language in the Tubbs Hill Management Plan that refers to the north side of Tubbs Hill. This includes, but is not limited to, any proposed construction of a new trail, realigning of any existing trails, construction of a new trailhead at the City parking lot or any trail encroachments across the north face of Tubbs Hill.”

Here’s the concern: The north side of the hill is very steep. To cut a decent trail will mean gouging deeply into the hillside, creating big retaining walls and removing a great number of trees.

The City’s plan also includes a trailhead at the new McEuen parking lot south of city hall. And the City plans to have a number of ADA parking spaces right near that trail head. What does that indicate to you? A wheelchair accessible trail on the north side will require even greater destruction of the hill, which is something the Tubb’s Hill Foundation adamantly opposes.

But the City is playing games. They’re saying it’s not the same north side trail as in the McEuen proposal. They’re calling it the “City Hall Trail”. Jennifer Johnson told me it’s exactly the same place as the previously proposed north side trail and will pose a grave threat to the hillside.

So, who are you going to believe? The Tubbs Hill Foundation, whose web site says: “Our goal is to serve as a champion for Tubbs Hill as a natural area, so that it stands as a beacon, both now and into the future, for everyone who wishes to enjoy the presence of the same natural forest experience in an urban setting that has been here for generations past. We speak on behalf of the Hill to preserve for future generations this visual jewel of a forest sanctuary set in the heart of downtown Coeur d’Alene.”

Or will you believe the City, that promised last May to remove any changes to Tubbs Hill from further consideration on the McEuen Plan, but then quietly slipped the changes into the Natural Open Space Plan?

And please don’t forget the City’s already working on a new, flatter, wider wheelchair accessible trail on the East side of Tubbs, which will go 1,400 ft to a nice viewpoint. The Tubbs Foundation originally approved it, but now the City is calling the section a “Pilot Project”. That language scares me. It predicts more of the same and, in fact, today’s Press says “A pilot project means if it's deemed successful... then the city could look at doing the same to other trails.”

This is all in line with what I’ve been told is the Mayor’s “vision” for Tubbs. She hasn’t said it publicly, to my knowledge, so it’s still a rumor of sorts, but I’m told she wants a level, smooth pathway with railings all the way around the hill. I’d guess that safety lights, benches and restrooms on the hill won’t be far behind.

Has the City asked YOU about your vision for Tubbs?

The ONLY way to protect Tubbs Hill and McEuen is to change the people in the seats on City Council. This business of making promises and then playing word games is ridiculous. It breaks trust and is disrespectful to everyone.

We can’t bide our time to vote these people out in 2013. By then, Tubbs Hill could be radically changed, the boat launch, ball fields and parking irreversibly altered. And huge amounts of taxpayer money gone. All without your vote.

Mary Souza is a Coeur d'Alene resident.