However, the approval of the 7.7-mile trail on Sept. 23 is only the first step in what will be a complex and arduous process.

"The approval didn't surprise me," said Anne Ng, a resident who spoke during the meeting in support of the project. "I know the council is strongly supportive of a walkable community."

Study Area A is one of four study areas that runs through Rancho San Antonio County Park to Stevens Creek Boulevard. It includes approximately 130 acres of soon-to-be county park land that is the home of historical sites such as the De Anza lookout knoll and the Hammond-Snyder house.

According to Jana Sokale, the project's environmental planner, Study Area A will include 1¹/2 miles of multiuse trail, 1²/3 miles of unpaved trail for equestrians and hikers and three-quarters of a mile of bike lanes.

"The multiuse section has two parallel lanes - one paved and the other has natural surface," Sokale explained. "So the natural-surface section is really 3.15 miles because the 1²/3 section is an extension of the natural surface lane in the multiuse section."

This section will allow Ng to conveniently travel through Rancho San Antonio Park from Stevens Creek Boulevard on her bike, she said.

"A bicycle is my primary mode of transportation," she added. "I would like to see a multiuse trail that will be open to cyclists."

Many residents, as well as the councilmembers, supported Ng's suggestion.

"We should use our land to the best of our ability," Councilwoman Sandra James said. "A multiuse trail will allow us to accommodate as many kinds of recreational activities as possible."

While Study Area A will move forward, the future of the other three sections remains in question. Study Area B goes through Stevens Creek County Park to Linda Vista Park. The challenges of this area include land ownership, the rugged and eroding terrain between the two parks, the presence of sensitive animal habitats and parking.

Study Areas C and D, or the Stevens Creek Corridor Master Plan, starts at Linda Vista Park and goes through McClellan Ranch and Blackberry Farm and onto Stevens Creek Boulevard. This section brings forth other challenges, such as the "free use versus entry fee problem" at Blackberry Farm. While the trail is a public property that is free for all to use, Blackberry Farm, where the a portion of the trail runs through, is not free.

Concerned with this situation, the council asked staff to continue working on possible solutions.

"We should look at alternative revenue-generation schemes and find a way to still make money but in a different way," Mayor Richard Lowenthal said.

"Blackberry Farm is closed half of the year," James added. "Is this use appropriate? We should look into ways to utilize the park the best we can."

Other issues in these three areas include privacy, security and trail type. According to Sokale, while many people want a paved multiuse trail, some people prefer a soft-surface trail in the nature preserve areas such as McClellan Ranch.

Surprised by the lack of dissention at the meeting, Ng said, "I think many people's concerns have been addressed, or they know that they will be addressed as we move forward. I think the worst part is over."