Pathways

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="3" width=205 BGCOLOR="#66CCFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 24 WIDTH="22"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="24" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="22" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="22"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="24" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="22" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="24" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="14"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="24" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="14" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="28"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="24" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="28" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Issues Challenges"><U><B>LAH ISSUES & CHALLENGES</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Open Space in LAH"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Open Space</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="New Town Hall"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">New Town Hall</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Citizen Disenfranchisement"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Disenfranchised in Los Altos Hills</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id7.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Underground Utilities"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Underground Utilities</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id8.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Winbigler House"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Winbigler house</B></U></A></div> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b70118cc990000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Pathways</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id10.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Special Interest Actions"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Special Interest Council Actions</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Los Altos Hills, California"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b70118ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Return to Home Page</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#66CCFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> Pathways in Los Altos Hills</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=420 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="262" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 378 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="045fa4c0.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="332" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Los Altos Hills Pathway</B></div> <div> <B>(Los Altos Town Crier photo)</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <B>Since its founding in 1956, Los Altos Hills has worked to create a unique recreational pathways system. These pathways are intended to provide  our citizens with a way to enjoy nature without leaving town. Hiking, horseback riding and bicycle riding can all be enjoyed in a rural environment.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The pathway system was also designed to provide neighbors a friendly environment in which to meet and walk and talk together. High volume traffic from outsiders was never planned and, indeed, has never been experienced.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Our roadway system was intentionally designed with many cul-de-sacs and with very few through streets to discourage heavy through traffic. The pathways, which connect neighborhoods to each other and to open space also provide community connectivity and emergency egress in the event of a serious fire of the type encountered on Liddicoat Circle in 1985.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>In recent years, the off-road pathway system has come under attack from some citizens who claim that the pathways involve a crime safety risk and an invasion of their privacy. These claims, if true, would constitute serious concerns. The LAH Civic Association has led the chorus of people complaining about pathways through their back yards.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Clearly, much of the complaining has been done by a relatively small group of people who don't want a pathway near their property, even though the pathway easement (or actual pathway!) was in place when they purchased their lot. This is much like the people who buy a house near the airport and then complain about the air traffic and noise! They knew that it was there when they moved in.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The political hype has made it difficult to understand the real pathways situation. Let's take a look at it:</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>First of all, nearly everyone agrees that the pathway system deserves a careful review to validate or abandon pathways that have not been completed as of this date. However, the criticisms raised against the pathways system have been dishonest to the extreme. The real situations are as follows:</B></div> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f00000ff00.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">No pathway goes </B><B><U>through</U></B><B> </B><B>anyone's yard. </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Arial" ><B>All pathways follow the perimeter of the properties.</B></FONT></div> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f00000ff00.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The safety issue is completely bogus.</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Arial" ><B> There has never been a crime committed in Los Altos Hills that has been attributed to pathway usage.</B></FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f00000ff00.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Privacy issues are easily fixed. </B></FONT><B>P</B><B>rivacy concerns can easily be addressed by fences and shrubbery (</B><B>provided by the town) </B><B>that would shield the concerned homeowner from the pathway users.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The Casey/Fenwick Council's answer to the complainers has been to "fix" the problem by </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B>destroying much of the off-road pathway system</B></FONT><B> that the town has worked so hard to create, and that so many citizens so thoroughly enjoy. The Casey/Fenwick supporters claim that they are not abandoning any existing pathways. </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B>This is patently untrue! </B></FONT><B>Les Earnest, a longtime Pathways Committee member and chair, has identified six existing pathway segments totaling about a mile in length that will be abandoned. Moreover, the additional pathways that the Casey/Fenwick team so proudly proclaim are nothing more than designating paved streets as pathways! </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B>This represents a prime example of the worst government that can possibly be imagined!</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Good government</B><B> would work to find an accommodation</B><B> that both sides of the issue can accept. Only incompetent and special interest government would destroy a town recreational facility treasured by many for the benefit of a few. The Casey/Fenwick government is doing exactly that!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Council candidates </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Breene Kerr </B></FONT><B>and </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Dean Warshawsky</B></FONT><B> have pledged to do a careful and systematic review of the pathway system, to address all reasonable pathway complaints, and to produce a consensus that retains our </B><B>wonderful </B><B>pathway system. The Casey hand-picked candidates (Vitu & Kerns) can be expected to continue Casey's destructive approach.</B></div> </td> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=10 BGCOLOR="#66CCFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=10 BGCOLOR="#66CCFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>