Thursday, Jun. 21, 2007
Atascadero trail project hits a legal roadblock
The path along Highway 41 remains unfinished while a conservation group and Caltrans negotiate a disabled-access requirement
Comments (0) | 
E-Mail
Print
tool name
closeA local conservation group has hit a potentially costly roadblock in its plans to complete a network of walking trails along one of Atascadero’s busiest thoroughfares.
Caltrans officials say they cannot grant a permit that would allow the Upper Salinas-Las Tablas Resource Conservation District to finish a trail along Highway 41 between Portola and San Gabriel roads until the local agency brings the pathways into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
But the conservation district’s top administrator says the extensive work required by Caltrans is too expensive for the small agency to bear. The group is awaiting approval for what it says is a more cost-effective alternative.
Without the permit, the conservation district will also be unable to fill five gaps in the 1.5-mile trail, which curves around toward a picnic area along Atascadero Creek near San Gabriel Road.
“They basically held the trail hostage,” said D.J. Funk, the conservation group’s executive director.
Atascadero officials and local environmental groups have long touted the trails as a site for outdoor activity that would promote awareness of the region’s natural surroundings.
The local and state agencies butted heads earlier this year after Caltrans officials found that the conservation district is responsible for updating crosswalks to meet modern standards, such as curb cuts for wheelchair access and better drainage.
Caltrans is involved because the conservation district’s route crosses Highway 41 at Portola Road and meanders onto state-owned property.
In a May 18 letter to Atascadero Mayor George Luna, Caltrans District Director Richard Krumholz said his agency’s requirements are designed to create a consistent appearance for the highway.
As the lead agency constructing the trails, the local conservation district is responsible for those improvements, Krumholz wrote.
Funk estimated it would cost the district between $50,000 and $100,000 to upgrade the crosswalk and drainage system to meet the state requirements.
The district has proposed an alternative that would cost about $10,000, substituting asphalt curbs in place of Caltrans’ more elaborate plans.
Funk said that plan meets federal disabled-access requirements. The disagreement, Funk said, has already caused the district to miss a deadline in its Resources Agency Grant, which funded construction of the trails.
The agency must now wait for a reappropriation measure scheduled to come before state legislators next month.
Caltrans spokesman Jim Shivers said his agency has yet to decide on the district’s alternative. Caltrans supports the trail, he added, but the plans must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
What you should know about comments on SanLuisObispo.com
SanLuisObispo.com is happy to provide a forum for reader interaction, discussion, feedback and reaction to our stories. However, we reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments or ban users who can't play nice. See our full terms of service here.
Here are some rules of the road:
- Keep your comments civil. Don't insult one another or the subjects of our articles. If you think a comment violates our guidelines click the "report abuse" button. Responding to the comment will only encourage bad behavior.
- Don't use profanities, vulgarities or hate speech. This is a general interest news site. Sometimes, there are children present. Don't say anything in a way you wouldn't want your own child to hear.
- Do not attack other users; focus your comments on issues, not individuals.
- Stay on topic. Only post comments relevant to the article at hand. If you want to discuss an issue with a specific user, click on his profile name and leave him a public message.
- Do not copy and paste outside material into the comment box.
- Don't repeat the same comment over and over. We heard you the first time.
- Do not use the commenting system for advertising. That's spam and it isn't allowed.
- Don't use all capital letters. That's akin to yelling and not appreciated by the audience.
You should also know that The Tribune does not screen comments before they are posted. You are more likely to see inappropriate comments before our staff does, so we ask that you click the "report abuse" button to submit those comments for moderator review. You also may notify us via email at webmaster@sanluisobispo.com. Note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us the profile name of the user who made the comment. Remember, comment moderation is subjective. You may find some material objectionable that we won't and vice versa.
If you submit a comment, the username of your account will appear along with it. Users cannot remove their own comments once they have submitted them, but you may ask our staff to retract one of your comments by sending an email to webmaster@sanluisobispo.com. Again, make sure you note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us your profile name.
About comments
Reader comments on SanLuisObispo.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Tribune. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.