REPORT TO PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Support the Preferred Alignment of the Stevens Creek Trail as Recommended by the Joint Cities Working Team
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
The Joint Cities Coordinated Stevens Creek Trail Feasibility Study (Feasibility Study) is a study initiated by the cities of Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Cupertino, Los Altos, and the Santa Clara Valley Water District in an effort to identify feasible alignments to close the gap of the Stevens Creek Trail between Mountain View and Cupertino. The draft study was released March 2015, and after several months of public input, the Joint Cities Working Team (JCWT) has made their recommendations to each of the city councils on the preferred alignment and other policies that support this collaborative effort. The team is now asking the city councils to support their recommendations.
Staff recommends supporting the JCWT's recommendations with a phased approach; seeking grant funding as appropriate to carry out the recommendations; and adopting the following policies as identified in the JCWT recommendation summary:
a. All trail projects should try to improve habitat values in and around Stevens Creek.
b. Existing public lands near Stevens Creek should be maintained as public land to preserve habitat and future trail opportunities.
c. Continue collaboration with regional partners for extension of the Stevens Creek Trail.
BACKGROUND
The Stevens Creek Trail is a partially completed bicycle and pedestrian route along the Stevens Creek corridor. The trail corridor concept was originally proposed by County of Santa Clara trail planners in 1961 to create an interconnected system of trails that would connect parks along Stevens Creek. Today the trail stretches from San Francisco Bay in Mountain View to Dale Avenue/Heatherstone Way. Another segment of the trail has been completed in Cupertino south of Stevens Creek Boulevard through Blackberry Farm Park and McClellan Ranch Preser...
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