The Cupertino Courier

News

City OKs park and trail construction start for '07

By HUGH BIGGAR

Residents spoke for more than hour at a June 20 Cupertino City Council meeting about a park and trail along Stevens Creek Corridor. While most of the speakers expressed concern about the environmental impact of the trail, the council eventually decided the environmental effects would be minimal.

Armed with 40 pages of city documents about possible environmental damage, the council certified the environmental impact study. The study, reviewed by state regulatory agencies, outlines ways to mitigate environmental effects in the park and trail, which create a 60-acre linear park from Blackberry Farm to McClellan Ranch.

According to the report, "the proposed project would not result in significant impacts to the environment."

Many residents felt otherwise, though, particularly regarding a riparian meadow along Stevens Creek and an orchard at Stocklmeir Ranch.

According to the plans, 95 orange trees, or about half the orchard--Cupertino's last--would be removed. The multi-use bicycle and pedestrian trail would bisect the remaining orchards, and Stevens Creek would be realigned to allow for bank restoration. The report also described the property as a hobby orchard since it was planted 20 years ago and as an orchard with no official historic value.

Even so, Donna Austin echoed the concerns of others when she said,"[Louis Stocklmeir] wanted to be remembered for his orchards more than anything else, and this is the last orchard we have. ... It's an experience every Cupertino resident should have."

Resident Deborah Jamison also said she had concerns about the loss of the riparian meadow and part of a nearby community garden.

"The purpose of a nature preserve is to not take out more nature," she said.

In making its decision, the council weighed such concerns as well as the material prepared by city staff and an independent consulting firm.

The documentation, for instance, stated, "the benefits of the overall restoration program on native habitat within Stevens Creek Corridor far outweighs the small loss of the habitat in the area adjacent to existing community garden beds."

Ultimately, the council agreed with such conclusions and certified the negative environmental declaration study.