METALLICA Frontman Working With Marin County's Parks And Open Space District
November 8, 2009, 14 years ago
Mark Prado from Marinij.com is reporting:
Marin heavy metal star James Hetfield is working with the county's Parks and Open Space District on a new trail that would skirt a monolithic fence the METALLICA frontman erected on his property last summer to keep people from hiking and riding across it.
The provisionally named 680 Trail - for the elevation of the 2.9-mile path - would serve as a bypass to the Luiz Ranch Fire Trail, which crosses Hetfield's property. Two alignments are being considered; one would enlist Hetfield to provide access across part of his land.
The new trail will cost the county about $200,000 to build and county officials hope to get volunteers to help with work on the path. The county wants to obtain needed environmental reviews and permits by May, then start construction by next summer and officially open it in spring 2011.
"The goal is that we have an agreement by all parties by the end of the year," said Supervisor Steve Kinsey, who has been working on the project. "We are talking to (Hetfield) about how much, if any, land that might be needed. He is open to it."Scott Hochstrasser, Hetfield's land use consultant, said the rocker wants to help.
"He is truly interested in being part of the solution, not the problem," Hochstrasser said. "He is a community-oriented kind of guy."Hochstrasser cited Metallica's recent benefit on behalf of the Marin rock 'n' roll museum project, which raised $200,000. Also, in 2002 Hetfield gave development rights to the county for 438.5 acres of his Lucas Valley land, where zoning was allowed for up to 44 single-family homes.
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