Zipadeedodah! Zipline course coming to San Bernardino Mountains

An appeal to try and thwart a 50-acre zipline course south of Big Bear City was rejected by the Board of Supervisors today, paving the way for a new recreational facility in the San Bernardino Mountains.

Nine residents living in the area of Onyx Summit, located off Highway 38 about halfway between Angelus Oaks and Big Bear City, appealed the July 2 decision by the Planning Commission to approve a conditional use permit for Action Zipline Tours. Residents argued that such a facility, where recreators hang from pulleys suspended on a steel cable and whiz down the mountain, would be too noisy and destroy the quiet ambiance they have enjoyed for many years.

"I like these kinds of projects, but I don't know if it's appropriate in a community like this," resident Dottie Saville told the Board of Supervisors.

Dan Soterin also addressed the board, saying he owns land in the area didn't want it to be near an amusement park" should he decide to build a cabin.

"I think it's a good idea. It's a good idea for another area," he said.

Supporters of the project, which include the Big Bear Lake Chamber of Commerce, believe the course would boost the local economy, create jobs and provide a year-round recreational facility in the mountains not dependent on snow such as the Snow Valley, Bear Mountain and Snow Summit ski resorts.

Plans call for construction of 14 landing and launching pads, 2,650 linear feet of cable line and a hiking trail on about 50 acres of land on Hillcrest Road, about 10 miles south of Big Bear City.

Groups of 14 would be transported in vans from an office in Big Bear Lake to Laurel Pines Camp, north of Highway 38. From there, they would board a safari jeep to the launch site, where customers would begin their descent down the mountain on the ziplines.

Supervisor Neil Derry, whose district includes the San Bernardino Mountains, said he visited the site on Saturday, and believes the visual impacts and noise will not be a serious issue for residents.

He made a motion to deny the appeal and uphold the Planning Commission's previous decision, which was supported by all his colleagues on the board, making the vote unanimous.

joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com