Point Reyes Light - October 30, 2003
Trails to be completed in French Ranch
By Ivan Gale
After years of delay, county officials this week said two public trails on the French Ranch subdivision will be completed by next summer.
The trails are part of the developer Bruce Burman’s controversial plans to build 33 homes on the 532-acre French Ranch property. The subdivision was approved by supervisors in 1997.
One path called the "student trail" runs along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and allows Lagunitas School students traveling from Forest Knolls to walk to class. The other path dubbed the "top flight trail," runs from Roy’s Redwoods Open Space Preserve to the student trail.
Additional work
Valley community members and the Open Space District are currently debating whether additional work should be done to protect wetland areas around the school trail.
"We have designed a pretty big project that [if approved] we’ll have to get outside money for," Hansen said, adding that the costs would total $15,000.
Work on the top flight trail is expected to be completed early next year, but concerns for winter rains, nesting spotted owls, and coho salmon have hampered building.
In addition to agreeing to build the trails, developer Burman will give the county the final 17 acres of the 385-acre French Ranch Open Space Preserve, Hansen reported.
Source of controversy
The trails have been a source of controversy for decades. In 1989, then-property-owners Bill Weeks and Elizabeth Stone fenced the land off angering many Valley residents.
The property was later purchased by the Japanese company, Honjo USA. The trails were unusable until the county and teh San Geronimo Valley Planning Group both threatened legal action. In 1991, Honjo USA signed an agreement which allowed the public to use the trails.