[Talk-us] Fort Ord Cleanup Area - California

[stevea]

Rafael:  Thank you for your efforts here.  I have mapped in the area, it is somewhat local to me and there are indeed some dangerous areas with unexploded ordnance.  On occasion, military fire crew-initiated "prescribed burns" happen here to knock down vegetation, helping to make ordnance easier to discover.

It is NOT a safe place for human recreation, although as you have noted, the southern approximately 1 km of Impossible Canyon Road (ICR), just on the edge of the military boundary, IS "open to the public" as part of Laguna Seca Recreational Area (includes a popular auto raceway, two small lakes, one with an island, campsites and other recreational amenities).

Changing the southern 1 km of ICR to access=no, while I understand it is well-intentioned on your part, isn't strictly correct.  It doesn't exactly frustrate access to the (sometimes overflow) Wolf Hill Parking Area, but it could frustrate "extra" (or emergency) exit access for autos parked there who CAN legally use the western access to/from this parking, and then by turning left, along the most southerly part of ICR to South Boundary Road.  What would be truly correct (for OSM) is to remove this tag on that southern 1 km, but assure it exists "north of the military boundary" where that occurs (just south of the creek confluence displayed in OSM).

I haven't actually been there to see whether this is the case or not, but imo, even better than "more correct" OSM access tags would be a "hard boundary" (fence, gate, especially signs) where the military boundary is ("Fort Ord National Monument") north of the 1 km (or so) line on ICR.  If you are indeed in touch with the GIS manager at Fort Ord, such a suggestion (if not already extant and sufficient) might allow both real-world access where it is legal (though along an edge of a military area), but makes it clear both in the real world (via signs or other blocks to public access) AND in OSM that a 1 km section of ICR actually IS open to the public — just barely, but it is.  And if there were a fence along the western boundary of ICR, even better.

Perhaps the military will "properly" (or "better") add fencing, signs and other preventions to public access in this area, maybe not, but our excellent map and the attention we pay here could pay dividends:  better access and security, AND a 100% accurate map.