Trails and bikeways group sets goals for 2000, beyond
By Nathan R. Huff
Los Gatos' trails and bikeways committee is putting the finishing touches on its list of goals for 2000 and beyond.
Short-term goals include persuading the town to hire a grant writer, completing a town bike facilities and trails map, and opening the Summerhill trail to the old Heintz family cottage. Completing the DeAnza trail, creating a full trail around Vasona Lake and implementing portions of the transportation element of the town's new General Plan are among the committee's long-term goals.
Each year the committee, which works closely with the parks commission and the department of parks and public works, comes come up with a number of specific and general goals that it hopes to accomplish with town council support. According to trails and bikeways committee chairwoman Joan Tabb, the wide variety of goals and priorities is a reflection of the committee itself.
"We have such a diverse group of people on the committee," Tabb said, referring to a committee roster that includes cyclists, hikers and equestrians.
The committee unanimously agreed on the need for the town to hire a grant writer. Grant writers submit applications for funding to various local, state and national organizations and governmental offices. The Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department has a staff grant writer, who recently succeeded in getting the department grants to pay for a new school resource officer and new motorcycle officer.
"There's a lot of money out there," Tabb said, adding that a grant writer could work for numerous departments. "The police department has a grant writer and it has benefited their department 100 percent. It's a win-win situation for the town if they're willing to make the commitment."
Among the other committee goals for the immediate future is the completion of the five-year-old master plan, setting standards for trails and mapping out trails, and recreational and commuter bikeways. The committee hopes to have a digital map of the town's trails accessible from the town government's website.
"A lot of the tourist attraction [to Los Gatos] is all the bike trails here and their historical nature," Tabb said.
Among the specific trails slated for completion within the next year is the Summerhill Homes trail that runs along the old road that serviced a summer cottage once owned by the Heintz family. Tabb said the trail, that they hope to mark with information on native plant and animal life, will probably open next spring.
The committee is also continuing its work with various West Valley cities and public agencies to complete the DeAnza trail. Once finished, the potential commuter trail would run from Los Gatos through a small section of San Jose, into Campbell, then Cupertino and end in Saratoga. While county and city governments are enthusiastic about the idea, Tabb said Pacific Railroad, which tracks the trail would parallel, is less excited about the plan that would increase pedestrian and bicycle traffic alongside the tracks. The trail is about 10 years off, according to Tabb.
In about half that time, the town--in conjunction with the parks commission, Santa Clara County and the Santa Clara Valley Water District--hopes to complete a trail around Vasona Lake. The trail now circles approximately three-quarters of the lake. If the project is able to proceed, a bridge would be built, extending the trail up to and across the water district's dam. The committee has already done some research on the initial costs of the project, as well as some funding options. The county is looking at preliminary plans and will return with its report to the committee on Oct. 12. Tabb said the committee is trying to complete as much research as possible before presenting the idea to the town council.
The trails and bikeways committee meets the second Thursday of each month, at 6 p.m., in the town's parks and public works building at 41 Miles Ave.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
