In June of 1998, the City of Sunnyvale received a petition signed by neighborhood residents requesting that the City investigate the possibility of permanently closing the pedestrian walkway adjacent to 1069 and 1071 Cassia Way, leading to Reed Avenue. A permanent pedestrian walkway was dedicated as a condition of the 1970 subdivision that created the Cassia Way neighborhood.

Neighborhood residents have expressed concerns that the Cassia Way pedestrian walkway is being used as an entry and escape route for criminal activities in the neighborhood, thereby creating an unsafe and bothersome condition for residents living near the pedestrian walkway.

The residents’ concerns are stemming from a perception of a high level of crime in this neighborhood of single family homes due to the presence of the pedestrian walkway. Noise, litter, and additional pedestrian traffic by non-residents accessing the neighborhood add to the residents concerns. The Department of Public Safety has been informed of the situation.

Residents have asked the City to look into the possibility of closing the walkway connecting Cassia Way to Reed Avenue. In response to this request, Traffic Engineering mailed a survey to residents and/or property owners living in the area bounded by Cassia Way, Starbush Drive, Gardenia Way, Silk Oak Way, Silver Pine Court and parts of Clematis Drive. Attachment B is an aerial photograph, which shows the neighborhood that was surveyed by Traffic Engineering.

Response to the survey was very good with approximately 88% of those surveyed responding, with 22% of the responding neighborhood expressing a desire to leave the pedestrian walkway open for public usage, and 77% of the responding neighborhood preferring to see the pedestrian walkway closed. The remaining 1% of the responding neighborhood were undecided and did not express a preference.

Staff has also looked into the history of calls to the Department of Public Safety regarding criminal activity. From 1996 to the present, there have been two calls from the residents in the vicinity of the pedestrian walkway concerning criminal activities that may be linked to the walkway, one of which was a transient that dumped stolen laundry on the walkway. This represents an insignificant level of crime victimization. Department of Public Safety staff surveyed the walkway and found it to be clean and free of any signs of loitering.

Observations of the walkway along with comments from residents and users show that the walkway is currently used as a major access point for pedestrians and bicyclists travelling to and from the neighborhood. Staff feels that closing the walkway would remove an important access route used by the public, and cause a significant inconvenience to young and elderly pedestrians as well as bicyclists. City policy supports providing and maintaining pedestrian accessways to encourage walking and bicycling. Staff recommends that the walkway remain open.

The Bicycle Advisory Committee reviewed the draft Report to Council at its August 19, 1999 meeting. The Bicycle Advisory Committee supports the staff recommendation. The Committee further commented on notification of residents and users, and benefits, alternatives, and improvements to the path.

If it were decided to implement the closure of the Cassia Way pedestrian walkway, a formal abandonment process would be required. Formal noticing, an abandonment hearing, and recordation of abandonment would need to take place. Other direct fiscal impacts of the project would be the cost of installing a chain link fence at the walkway entrances. This is estimated to be approximately $300.00. This estimate does not account for any work needed to maintain or clean the closed pedestrian walkway by City crews.

Posting of the City Council agenda. Copies of this report are also available in the public library, the City Clerk’s Office and on the City’s Internet homepage. This issue has been brought before the Bicycle Advisory Committee for their review and comments. A letter has been mailed to all the residents and/or property owners located in the area bounded by Cassia Way, Starbush Drive, Gardenia Way, Silk Oak Way, Silver Pine Court and parts of Clematis Drive, informing them of how to obtain a copy of this report. Notices also were posted at the pathway in advance of the City Council meeting advising path users of this issue and the Council meeting, as well as how to obtain a copy of this report.

Staff recommends Alternative #2.

In June of 1998, the City of Sunnyvale received a petition signed by neighborhood residents requesting that the City investigate the possibility of permanently closing the pedestrian walkway adjacent to 1069 and 1071 Cassia Way, leading to Reed Avenue.

Currently, the City of Sunnyvale maintains and operates the pedestrian walkway that connects Cassia Way to Reed Avenue. A permanent walkway was created as a condition of the subdivision of land that created the Cassia Way housing tract. Residents as well as visitors use this 100-foot long walkway to and from Reed Avenue. Some residents have expressed concerns that the Cassia Way pedestrian walkway is being used as an entry and escape route for criminal activities in the neighborhood, thereby creating a security hazard for residents living near the pedestrian walkway.

The residents’ concerns are stemming from a perception of a high level of crime in this neighborhood of single family homes due to the presence of the pedestrian walkway. Noise, litter, and additional pedestrian traffic by non-residents accessing the neighborhood add to the residents concerns. The Department of Public Safety has been informed of the situation and has evaluated case statistics. The Department believes the current level of enforcement and monitoring of walkway usage is appropriate.

Land Use and Transportation Element C3.5.4 – Maximize the provision of bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

Land Use and Transportation Element N 1.3.3 – Design streets, pedestrian paths, and bicycle paths to link neighborhoods with services.

Land Use and Transportation Element N1.13.5 – Provide pedestrian and bicycling opportunities to neighborhood commercial services.

Land Use and Transportation Element C 3.5.7 – Ensure safe and efficient pedestrian and bicycle connections to transit stops.

In response to the petition, Staff informed and surveyed the neighborhood through an informational mailing. The area surveyed by Staff consisted of all residents and/or property owners bounded by Cassia Way, Starbush Drive, Gardenia Way, Silk Oak Way, Silver Pine Court and parts of Clematis Drive.

The neighborhood surveys were mailed out to 147 residents and property owners. Response to the mailing was very good with 129 residents and/or property owners returning the survey, approximately 88% of the neighborhood responding.

Of the 129 responses received, 28 residents and/or property owners stated that they would like to see the Cassia Way pedestrian walkway remain open for public use, and 100 residents and/or property owners stated that they would like to see the Cassia Way pedestrian walkway permanently closed. The remaining 1 response was undecided.

Attachment C summarizes any additional comments that residents and/or property owners wished to express to the City regarding the possible closure of the Cassia Way pedestrian walkway.

Also, as part of Staff’s investigation, Public Safety’s Records Division was contacted and a list of all calls to the Department of Public Safety from the Cassia Way neighborhood was obtained for the past 5 years. Upon review of Public Safety’s call history, from 1994 to 1996, there have been 11 calls from 5 residences that are related to criminal activity possibly due to the walkway. After 1996, there have been 2 similar reports of criminal activity from the residents living in the vicinity of the pedestrian walkway. The Department does not believe that this is a significant level of crime victimization, and does not concur that there is a strong link between neighborhood crime and the presence of the walkway.

Observations of the walkway along with comments from the neighborhood south of the walkway show that the walkway is currently used as a major access point for pedestrians and bicyclists travelling to and from the neighborhood. Staff feels that closing the walkway would remove an important access route used by the public, and cause a significant inconvenience to young and elderly pedestrians as well as bicyclists. Several City Land Use and Transportation policies support the creation and maintenance of pedestrian facilities in order to encourage walking and bicycling.

If it were decided to close the pedestrian walkway, the City’s only option would be to seal off the walkway from further usage by the installation of a chain link fence at both entrances. This is the only reasonable option available for implementation due to the presence of a sanitary sewer and other public utilities located underneath the walkway. The sanitary sewer connects the neighborhood with the main sewer network. Also, at the midpoint of the walkway, there is a sewer manhole, requiring City crews periodic access in order to perform routine maintenance. As a result, the walkway cannot be demolished and the land relinquished back to the adjacent property owners.

The Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) reviewed the draft Report to Council at its August 19, 1999 meeting. The BAC supports the staff recommendation.

The Bicycle Advisory Committee notes that the survey did not include residents of the neighborhood to the north of the pathway, north of Reed Avenue, and did not include children. Committee members had observed and interviewed some users of the path and found that the path is used by school children and residents of the neighborhood north of Reed Avenue to access Ponderosa School and Park. The Committee believes that the survey is invalid unless residents north of Reed Avenue and children are also surveyed. The Committee also notes that users of the path were not surveyed.

Committee members stated that the walkway provides a direct and safe route to and from Ponderosa School. The path also functions as part of a bicycle route through the neighborhood. The BAC believes that if the path were closed, the alternative route through the neighborhood (Reed Avenue to Sequoia Avenue) is longer, less direct and requires bicycle and pedestrian travel on much busier streets. The Committee notes that the alternative would require bicyclists and pedestrians to cross Iris Avenue at an uncontrolled intersection. The current route using the pathway allows bicyclists and pedestrians traveling to Ponderosa School and park to cross Reed at the signalized Reed/Evelyn traffic signal, and to cross Iris at the four-way stop-controlled intersection of Iris/Henderson.

The BAC further noted that the path provides direct access for residents of the Ponderosa neighborhood with access to a transit stop at Reed Avenue and Evelyn. This is consistent with City policy.

The BAC expressed a belief that improvement of the path, e.g. lighting, tree trimming and garbage cans, might allay neighbor’s concerns.

In response to a BAC request, staff posted notices at the pathway in advance of the City Council meeting advising path users of this issue and the Council meeting, as well as how to obtain a copy of this report.

If it were decided to implement the closure of the Cassia Way pedestrian walkway, a formal abandonment process would be required. Formal noticing, an abandonment hearing, and recordation of abandonment would need to take place. Other direct fiscal impacts of the project would be the cost of installing a chain link fence at the walkway entrances. This is estimated to be approximately $300.00. This estimate does not account for any work needed to maintain or clean the closed pedestrian walkway by City crews.

Posting of the City Council agenda. Copies of this report are also available in the public library, the City Clerk’s Office and on the City’s Internet homepage. This issue has been brought before the Bicycle Advisory Committee for their review and comments. A letter has been mailed to all the residents and/or property owners located in the area bounded by Cassia Way, Starbush Drive, Gardenia Way, Silk Oak Way, Silver Pine Court and parts of Clematis Drive who received a survey, informing them of how to obtain a copy of this report. Notices also were posted at the pathway in advance of the City Council meeting advising path users of this issue and the Council meeting, as well as how to obtain a copy of this report.

Staff recommends Alternative #2.

Prepared by:

Dennis K. Ng
Traffic Engineer

Reviewed by:

Ray C. Williamson
City Traffic Engineer

Reviewed by:

Marvin A. Rose
Director of Public Works

Reviewed by:

Irwin I. Bakin
Director of Public Safety

Approved by:

Robert S. LaSala
City Manager

Appendix:

Attachment A: Walkway Aerial Map
Attachment B: Neighborhood Aerial Photo
Attachment C: Survey Report