At a previous meeting, city council members passed a resolution requesting that the county's parks and recreation department purchase two adjacent parcels of land abutting Highway 9 for inclusion in the Sanborn Park Trails Master Plan. If the request is granted, these two pieces of land—one 28.4 acres and the other 37.5 acres—would provide a link to two existing trails that lead to the Pacific Ocean.

The result, called the Saratoga to the Sea Trail, would start at Hakone Gardens, continue through the two parcels in question, connect to Sanborn Park and reach Castle Rock Park.

According to Aaron Starr, assistant to Kniss, the two parcels, currently owned by the Santa Clara County Roads Department, were closed approximately 10 years ago after being used as a quarry for road materials. What remains on the lands is vegetation.

"If a trail were developed on these pieces of land, a number of safety issues would need to be addressed," Starr said.

The benefits of having the trail are plenty, according to Mayor Ann Waltonsmith.

"From a city standpoint, the city could serve as a trailhead, thereby attracting more people to the Village and possibly encourage more retail establishments," Waltonsmith said.

Local trail enthusiasts said they would be thrilled to have such an amenity in the city.

Sarah Parker, a frequent user of the Wildcat Creek Trail, said the city needs more places where people can hike. She said that the thought of coming upon a large body of water after a workout would be like a "sweet victory."

However, it may be years before anything is even processed or considered.

"Currently, there is no transfer in the works between the parks department and the roads department for these pieces of property, nor does it look like there will be in the near future," Starr said.

This is in part due to budget constraints. According to Starr, the parks department, which has its own budget, must purchase the properties for an estimated $10 to $20 million. In addition, the issue is not considered a priority for the parks department since it is not on the trails master plan for the county.

Although chances of the parks department purchasing the property may be slim, the city could do its part in expediting the process by dealing directly with the roads department and possibly forming negotiations for the pieces of land.

Starr said that the county would assist the city in developing the trail once it acquires all of the necessary lands.