CUPERTINO — A fenced-off maintenance road between Regnart Creek and the backyards of about 75 homes has been the battleground of two-year tussle between city officials who plan to turn it into a public bicycle/walking trail and neighbors concerned about privacy and safety.
But now the finish line for the Regnart Creek Trail is within the city’s sight — all that’s left is an agreement with residents about fencing, which is no slam dunk, and the City Council’s approval of the design. The city hopes to complete the design phase in October and start construction next spring.
“We’ve accepted that the trail is going in,” said resident Sue Ranney, one of the project’s opponents. “But we would like some sort of consideration for our privacy.”
The city expects to spend $2.65 million to convert the 0.8-of-a-mile road from East Estates Drive to Pacifica Drive, which is owned by the Santa Clara Valley Water District, to a public pathway that will enhance “bicycle and pedestrian access to community destinations” such as the Cupertino Library, Eaton Elementary School and Cupertino High School.
According to the city, the Regnart Creek project is part of a network of bicycle street lanes and off-street trails that eventually will be connected, stretching east to west across Cupertino.
The city met this month with residents on both sides of the creek to determine whether they want wood or cement fencing to separate their property from the trail. It has offered to foot the bill for wood fencing and has told the residents that if they prefer a cement fence they should expect to split the cost and pay up to $170 per linear foot.
Ranney said she and her neighbors have been told they have until today to decide.
“They want you to commit before they get the quote,” she said.
Seema Lindskog, who lives near the proposed trail though not right next to it, is among some 2,500 residents who signed a petition in favor of the project.
“It’s been a two-year process,” she said. “When we started out supporting the trail, I didn’t realize that we would still be talking about it two years later and it would be such a contentious issue. I know that the city has done way more outreach than they normally do on other projects with the residents.”
The city has set aside $750,000 to pay for fencing to mitigate the project’s impact on creek neighbors.
Fencing aside, Ranney called the trail non-essential and questioned whether it will be safe for young bicyclists.
“We are concerned kids will come flying off of the trail into the street,” Ranney wrote in an email. “The city does not see this as an issue as they are setting up safe crossings, but kids will see it as a continuous crossing.”
In a phone interview with this news organization, Ranney added that some residents are concerned the trail could become a magnet for homeless encampments and potential fires. Many of the homes that border the proposed trail are on La Mar Drive.
“It could all be nothing or it could be something,” Ranney said. “I don’t know if you’ve been on La Mar Drive. It’s a wonderful street. People walk down it, ride down it all the time, and they’re going to spend all of this money to put this trail in.”
The city views it as money well spent. The completed trail will be considered a linear park, it says, and therefore will have defined hours of use and be monitored by the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. The city also says it will consider closing the gates to the trail during non-use hours if there are safety issues.
“We want to encourage residents to use alternative transportation methods by developing safe routes that give residents other options to get around Cupertino without a car,” Mayor Steven Scharf said in an email. “Regnart Creek Trail is a key bicycle and pedestrian link for the City. It will be used not only as a route to the library, but also for students to get to and from two schools.
“Valley Water also encourages the development of trails along its waterways for both transportation and recreation,” he added. “Stevens Creek Trail, San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail, and Los Gatos Creek Trail are prime examples of popular waterway trails. Regnart Creek Trail is part of Cupertino’s effort to develop more trails that will help create a better Cupertino for all.
In late May, the Cupertino City Council approved a study concluding that the project wouldn’t significantly affect the environment and authorized an agreement that gives the city the right to use Valley Water District property for a public-use trail. The city is also paying for construction of a bridge that will connect the trail to Wilson Park.
