I enjoyed your "Hot August Days" article (Aug. 5), but I must correct some of the assertions by Rhonda Scherber regarding the Stevens Creek Trail.
Contrary to Ms. Scherber's statement, continuation of the trail beyond Yuba Drive, (near the Woolworth Garden Center) has not been approved by the Mountain View City Council, primarily because further segments of the trail will intrude directly into residential neighborhoods and have been opposed by a majority of nearby residents.
The open space in question was closed to public use by the city council in the early 1980s because of continuing incidents of burglary, assault and fire that plagued the area.
The cities of Los Altos, Sunnyvale and Cupertino have all made commitments to their residents that the trail will not disrupt residential neighborhoods in those cities. As a result, the creek-side trail will terminate in Mountain View and continue on city streets in Los Altos, Sunnyvale and Cupertino until it reaches Blackberry Farm Park, where it will appropriately rejoin the creek corridor.
On July 26, 1994, after extensive public input, the Los Altos City Council voted to approve the Parks and Recreation Commission recommendation that, "due to a potential negative impact on creek-side neighbors and on the integrity of the creek habitat, no trail alignment shall occur in the Stevens Creek Corridor adjacent to or on private property."
The residents of the area most impacted by the proposed extension of the trail ask only to receive the same consideration from their city government that the citizens of Los Altos, Sunnyvale and Cupertino received from theirs.
Lilija Tushinski
Secretary
North Waverly Park-
Stevens Creek Neighborhood Association