(article by Patti Jazanoski in The Comic News, April 2000) BROADWAY-BROMMER BIKE PATH THREATENS ARANA GULCH By Patti Jazanoski (reprinted from the Santa Cruz Comic News Green Press April 2000) The Broadway-Brommer bikepath is a wolf-in-sheep's-clothing, promising to save the environment, yet delivering just the opposite. With the narrow goal of connecting Broadway and Brommer, this transit corridor threatens to cut a swath across the Greenbelt, removing trees, grading land, and destroying sensitive habitat. In its wake it would leave cement, asphalt and 2 huge bridges. The A1 Alignment features a 740-foot long bridge: more than 1/10 of a mile! The bikepath would: * Clear-cut 2 separate 800 square-foot Coast Live Oak forests, removing trees, bushes, and under-story, and destroying habitat for hawks, blue herons, foxes and red-legged frogs. * Remove 20-21 trees. 6-7 are Heritage Trees - with diameters of 14 inches or more. Most are nearly as large: 20, 25, even 30 feet tall. * Further endanger the Santa Cruz Tarplant, which is on the Federal Threatened Species list. Over 80% of residents oppose this project, and want Arana Gulch to remain a Greenbelt. The Sierra Club, California Native Plant Society, The Friends of Arana Gulch, and Heritage Rose Society also oppose the bikepath. The Draft EIR was published last November. Public Works expected 100 comments, and was overwhelmed by 630. There were so many opposing comments, that Public Works does not have funding to respond. The message was unambiguous: "Alternative 3: No Action". Disregarding this public response, the City Transportation Commission and Public Works have asked the City Council to authorize an additional $40,000 to complete the EIR and continue the bikepath project. This money is beyond the amount previously allocated for this phase, and beyond the $360,000+ already spent on the project. On April 3, the City Parks and Recreation Commission voted unanimously against the additional $40,000. The California Coastal Commission has jurisdiction over this land, and has stated repeatedly that it opposes the bikepath. Arana Gulch does not have a Master Plan; they want one produced before pursuing projects that would develop the land. They are concerned about the significant environmental impact, and the omission of any alternative route that avoids Arana Gulch. Alternatives for an east-west cycling route are plentiful. One exciting option is the Railroad Right-of-Way along Murray Street. Not only would this route have far less environmental impact, it would be part of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Trail. The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission recently marked the purchase of this land as one of its top priorities. Deborah Eddy, board member of the Open Space Alliance and a 'Friend of Arana Gulch' said, "It's not the idea of the bicycle path that we oppose. It's where they want to put it. Arana Gulch is a particularly important piece of land to Santa Cruz because it has so many different environmental communities: riparian woodlands, wetlands, and the rare coastal terrace prairie. It's a microcosm of many of the environmental aspects of Santa Cruz." This is a critical time for Arana Gulch. If the City Council votes against the $40,000, it would stop the bikepath. How can you help? * Call the City Council at 420-5017. Ask them to Vote No on the $40,000 and preserve the Greenbelt. * Attend the City Council meeting on 5/9 and speak against the path. This is critical!!! * Talk to your friends, family, roommates, neighbors and coworkers. Ask them to attend the meeting and speak out to save Arana Gulch. This is the only Greenbelt on the East Side of Santa Cruz. Keep Arana Gulch a Greenbelt.