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PrintIn your article on the new bike trail in Vanderveen, Ms. Basi did not come to my house, nor did the Greenspace Protection Coalition give the entire Vanderveen community a chance to weigh in on the matter, 32 signatures hardly reflects the views of the entire subdivision. You wrote in your article: “Basi said the 32 signatures reflect the view of the whole neighborhood.” This is not the case. I am excited about the possibility of having the bike trail, and I feel it will be an asset to Vanderveen. I understand the coalition’s position on this issue, but it only reflects the views of a small number of households who don’t want to lose the private park behind their homes. Really the bike trail would be no different than living on a golf course, but if you bought a property with a private backyard, and then a golf course came in, yes, there would be an issue. I understand this is city land meant to be enjoyed by all, not just a few.
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I’d like to clarify a few things for Mr. Glenn. In a short article, it’s difficult to include all information for complete clarity.
1--Our coalition does not claim to speak for the entire Vanderveen neighborhood; rather, we speak for the landowners directly affected by the city’s project-—those adjacent to the proposed trail.
2--Some of the land is city owned, but not all. The trail route cuts through people’s back yards--on private property--for the upper third of the proposed trail. When we bought our property, it was because of the privacy—-a privacy that we were all promised was not going to be disturbed by development. We were not told of a trail easement. Had we been told when we were buying, this issue would not have come up at all; we could have made our buying decisions accordingly.
All you have to do is attend Vanderveen Homeowner's Association meetings to know that what you were "told" by others upon your purchasing your property means nothing. As long time residents of Vanderveen, we've reviewed plat maps, followed city council and zoning meetings and have long been aware that this was coming. When the city proposes a park in a neighborhood and speaks of "connectivity", it means something. This would be a benefit to the entire Vanderveen subdivision and I hope they include the rest of us in this decision.