The City of Walnut Creek continues exploratory work on a new flow trail project at Lime Ridge. They are seeking comments, feedback, or concerns from residents and open space users specific to potential environmental issues in the designated area around the draft trail design in southern Lime Ridge.
In 2019, the Walnut Creek Open Space Trail Committee (Trail Committee) was formed with representatives of the equestrians, hikers, bikers, conservationists, Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Commissioners and staff with goals to evaluate the current conditions in the Open Space, seek a balance between Preservation and Recreation and to develop a list of priorities and recommendations. The Committee recognizes the challenges of finding balance between recreation and preservation, as well as the need to align with goals set forth in existing documents pertaining to the City of Walnut Creek Open Space, most notably Chapter 3: Natural Environment and Public Spaces of the Walnut Creek General Plan 2025.
The Trail Committee created a report on Managing Trail for Safe, Sustainable, and Environmentally Friendly Use (PDF). The Trail Committee report included seventeen (17) different recommendations. Among these was a recommendation to “Explore the possibility of a new multi-use flow trail in Lime Ridge”.
In December of 2020, the PROS Commission accepted the Trail Committee’s report. Following the December 2020 meeting, staff began to work towards implementing these recommendations. As part of the efforts to implement the recommendation to “Explore the possibility of a new multi-use flow trail in Lime Ridge”, the City has explored potential designs for a trail and has conducted a biological resources assessment (PDF) in order to identify areas that merit additional study.
The City of Walnut Creek is in the exploratory phase II of assessing the feasibility of constructing a flow trail in southern Lime Ridge. As part of the exploration phase, an environmental consultant has been hired to complete the initial study and CEQA process at the proposed location.
The City is seeking comments, feedback, or concerns from residents and open space users specific to potential environmental issues in the designated area around the draft trail design in southern Lime Ridge. See map above with the potential trail alignment identified in red.
Please provide your feedback before January 5, 2023 by visiting the online survey.