David Fansler, owner of the Yosemite Ranch restaurant in the Via Montaña shopping center at Champlain Drive and Shepherd Avenue, wants to build a walled patio that would take up half of the trail's 60-foot right-of-way.
... The manner in which the project quietly has been pushed through City Hall is alarming. And if the patio is approved, what's to stop other businesses from jutting into the trail, too? The Fresno segment could be spoiled over the decades -- one piecemeal decision at a time.
I know, as a runner, that section trail is definitely in my rotation of routes, especially when I'm going longer distances. The trails connect many of our parks, and provide access to fountains and restrooms. It allows people to get out and get some exercise off of sidewalks and roads, which is vital in our community that lacks for sufficient park and green spaces.
Fresno City Manager Mark Scott says the project was seen as a way to enhance the trail, much as Clovis had done, and to reduce costs by making the restaurant responsible for maintaining a portion of the trail. The goal, Scott says, is to "provide pockets along the way," where people can have coffee and a meal and children can play.
That may be, and some may consider what Fansler is planning a welcome addition to the site.
But like Bill, I think we should have a policy in place before approving any changes that would alter what is essentially a public space.
As Bill said, thousands of Clovis and Fresno residents helped make the trail what it is, coming together to plant thousands of trees along the 13-mile stretch in a single day in 2000. I remember that -- I was one of them.
The community -- far beyond the residents within 500 feet of the restaurant, who received notification of the issue -- has a big stake in the trail system that has been created. The planning commission will hear this issue at its meeting Wednesday evening. But before they decide what to do in this instance, commissioners should look at developing a long-term plan for dealing with proposed changes to the regional amenity.
And those of us who use the trails should let our city leaders know how important this issue is to us.
I think it stinks...all it says is if you have enough money you can destroy something that is there for everyone....we don't all eat at their restaurant...did once and they treated us like poor trash, even tho' I spent two hundred dollars for four of us....I use that trail and think it should stay available to everyone, not just paying customers of this establishment!
They had a similar problem like this in Mission Beach where property owners over the decades claimed part of the boardwalk...when the city of SD came along later to reclaim it ...it caused quite a stink...the owner of Yosemite Ranch knew the deal when he opened and now the city is changing the path with no regards to the users and a pie in the sky assumption of the future...I can not imagine this was a part of the original plan and what happens if this place or the others that are granted permission goes belly up...I'm on Bill and Lisa Maria's side on this.
This restaurant is in a shopping center. Where's the trail?
Johnnyb, the restaurant is right on the corner of that shopping center, and the trail runs right alongside the south edge of the restaurant.
I'm rethinking this after contemplating the reduced cost to the govt. by having the restaurant take care of the maintenance of the trail...NOT!...tell me please what kind of savings are we going to realize...really!...thinking it through is almost an insult to ones intelligence and the statement by the city manager is more like an all too familiar govt. reflex to blowback rather than rational thought...and if the establishment doesn't maintain it...then what...fines,repo the area,barricades,police dogs...an "Occupy" effort by the patrons and employees?