CCMIN041602 - Laserfiche WebLink

there, ghe noted this has been going on for ten years and some of the people in the Parkside area have not landscaped their property. Debbie Smith, 7800 Flagstone Drive, indicated she uses the trails frequently. She supported the staff recommendations for opening trails, and the priority list, including equestrians on multi-use trails. She supported the south side trail because bridges are not required and because the road undercrossings currently exist, so trail uses don't have to cross at street level. That is an important safety consideration. If the City decided it was appropriate to work with the Parkside residents on mitigations, it is reasonable. Ted Lamson, 2172 Camino Brazos, said he lives along the Arroyo Del Valle and said his access to the trail was taken away. He believed the Trails Master Plan had the potential to be an elegant marriage of diverse interests dealing with safety and utility represented by Zone 7 and its desire to manage water resources. If the area is solely owned by Zone 7 it will look okay but will be utilitarian because its sole desire is to manage water resources. The property could be used by the public and could have beautification that would increase the property value of the City in general. He showed slides of the trail along Arroyo Del Valle, which he felt was a model. Those who should have access would be Zone 7 for construction and maintenance, the public at intersections, public thoroughfares and other logical places. He also thought private access was an important part of this. Pleasanton is based on community participation and private access to these areas is the way to mitigate vandalism and misuse of the area. Just as one would care for the front yard, so would one care for the back yard. That is how Arroyo Del Valle has always been managed and it has worked very well. This area is a very nice walkway and water management area. There is public access at intersections and at the gates there are pamphlets on environmental protection issues. He said 33 of the 55 homes along that area maintain private access. A lot of them have done much to beautify the area at their own cost. In 1971 there was an agreement with Zone 7 that grandfathered in any property owner along Arroyo Del Valle who wanted to maintain access to the area. Should the property change hands, the new owner would lose access to the trail. That is what happened to him and he no longer has access to the trail. He wanted to make certain this situation is avoided in the future. He continued with his Powerpoint presentation of slides of the area. He requested Council to rectify archaic policies, especially as it relates to him, and to establish a fair policy for all people along the trail area concerning provide public access and private access. Wanda Moore, 41357 Roberts Avenue, Fremont, referred to the Alameda Creek Trail, which she uses frequently. This trail is used for many things, such as walking, biking, horse riding, etc. and it is patrolled and has trash cans and restrooms along the way. The trail is ten miles from Niles Canyon to the Bay with backyards close to it. People have done their own fencing in various styles. She has never seen vandalism even though the trail is used by many. She liked Pleasanton's trails plan. Lorraine Kainuma, 2637 Derby Drive, San Ramon, said she has used trails throughout Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. She encouraged Council to adopt the recommendations of the Parks and Recreation Commission and open new trails as quickly as possible and support Pleasanton's role in developing the regional trails network, which could be one of the premier networks and would enhance the quality of life in the area. She agreed that some reasonable Pleasanton City Council 21 04/16/02 Minutes