Urgent Support for Stevens Creek

Message forwarded from Director of Friends of Stevens Creek

Dear Sunnyvale Trail Supporters -

Your support is urgently needed to get Sunnyvale's existing policy banning Stevens Creek Trail revised.

Item #2 of Tuesday January 27's City Council meeting is on the city's Policy Supporting Connections to Regional Bicycle Facilities. See http://sunnyvale.ca.gov/City+Council/Council+Meetings/2009/2009January/A... for more information. It appears as an item to study the existing policy. Our fear is that if the policy is merely referred for study, it will continue indefinitely. We strongly feel it is time to eliminate the anti-trail policy and officially recognize Sunnyvale's key role in making Stevens Creek Trail a successful regional urban multi-use trail.

In 1994 the City of Sunnyvale essentially banned building any part of Stevens Creek Trail within city limits (Policy 2.2.C.5). This was precipitated by a study that looked at putting a multi-use trail along the entire 3-mile stretch of the creek that forms Sunnyvale's western border with parts of Mountain View and Los Altos. Mountain View then continued to build the trail south on its own property from Shoreline Park to El Camino Real. They are now securing funding for a bridge to bring the trail over Highway 85 near Dale/Heatherstone, close to the Sunnyvale City limits.

Los Altos convened a task force and held public hearings to consider their section of Stevens Creek Trail, extending it from Mountain View to Cupertino. Their preferred route requires a short 1/8 mile section on the Sunnyvale side of the creek. To date the City of Sunnyvale has been unwilling to even consider this alternative because of the 1994 policy.

I urge all of you to voice your support for removing policy 2.2.C.5. Attend the City Council meeting if you can on Tuesday, January 27 at 7:00PM in Council Chambers at 456 Olive Avenue. The item is fairly soon on the agenda after the consent calendar. If you cannot attend in person, please email the council at council@ci.sunnyvale.ca.us. Council members need to hear from their constituents that the residents of Sunnyvale support Stevens Creek Trail and want their city to join with the other creek-side cities to determine the best route and make it a reality. This is a critical time for the trail and your voice could make a difference.

Thank you for your support.

Aaron Grossman, Executive Director
Friends of Stevens Creek Trail
22221 McClellan Road
Cupertino, CA 95014