CCMIN071701 - Laserfiche WebLink

Betsy Finney, 3247 Cheryl Circle, representing four houses on Cheryl Circle, said that they are against this project. It is not about property vaiues; it is about safety. She felt it was a dumb project and is not well routed. Children will be below street level with no access to them. There are a number of registered sex offenders adjacent to this area. There is no weed abatement and the weeds are four feet high. Kids are being put in place~ where they cannot be seen and/or they can get into trouble. There is no money available for fencing, for safety, for maintenance, for lighting, or for security. In the fall, when students stay after school for projects or sports, they will be coming home in the dark. They are being dumped into a business parking lot at a time when people are coming to work, looking for parking spaces. There is no crossing guard, other than the traffic light at that intersection. The kids are currently playing 'paint ball' and applying graffiti in the area. Who is watching out for this property? John Lorio, 11761 Bloomington Way, Dublin, cycles on the trails in Dublin and would like to continue through Pleasanton. In a broader picture, this trail system goes through the Valley and a chain is only as strong as its weakest links. If Pleasanton does not have the link, it cannot be connected to the Livermore trail system. All of these areas are needed. He feels Pleasanton is the weakest part of the link. He would hope that Pleasanton would join Dublin, Danville, San Ramon, Walnut Creek, and Livermore in joining together as a community in putting the trail system together. Mary Flood Smith, 3271 Cheryl Circle, said when she purchased her home they were told the area behind their home was off limits for perpetuity. They would never, and nobody would ever, have access to the area. She was concerned about access of people to that area and she inquired at City Hall about it, just to make sure that the realtor was telling the truth. For ten years they have lived there, twice she ventured over the fence, once to look for her cat. Someone showed up in a truck telling her to get out, as it was an environmentally fragile area. Another time she went to Zone 7 building asking if she could replace trees that were removed when their pool was placed in the backyard. The man rudely responded by asking why there were not replaced when the pool was built. They did not own the home at that time, so they could not replace the trees. Even if this is seen as public property, it is the impression of the homeowners who have lived there for years that it was not public property. They were not allowed to be back there, so why would joggers and others be allowed to be there. Now she understands that this will be also be open to horses. She does not like the undertone she feels at the City Council meeting against the residents of Parkside. They are good people and they want safety for children. She is not against this project, but ideally, it should be on the north side. People tend to ignore the signs that are now posted and she feels they will continue to do so. She feels that the residents have been misaligned. She told of an experience she had while she was in her backyard gardening and her dog barked at a person going by on the trail. Her experience made her question the wonderful people that will be using the path. She also has concerns about litter, cigarette butts, and people on the trail at night. She has called the police department a number of times because of teenage kids using that area. She is asking Councilmembers to please consider the residents who bought the homes and have the neighborly spirit because they accommodate the Sports Park. Their backyard was not public property and they want their privacy. Pleas~ton City Council 15 07/17/01 Minutes