From: Mary Gourley
To: Mary Gourley
Cc: Oriana Hart; Erik Billing; Torran Korman
Subject: FW: Apple Blossom Trail through BHO neighborhood - A Cinderella story? Date: Thursday, May 28, 2026 8:08:46 PM
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Mary Gourley
City Manager
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From: Angela Ford < >
Sent: Thursday, May 28, 2026 7:43 PM
To: Mary Gourley <[email protected]>
Subject: Apple Blossom Trail through BHO neighborhood - A Cinderella story? Dear Sebastopol Mayor Zollman, Vice Mayor Maurer and Councilmembers Carter, Hinton and McLewis,
I applaud the vision of creating a growing network of bike pathways throughout our region. I believe it is an important way to grow a livable future for future generations.
That said, I am strongly opposed to Apple Blossom Trail going through the BHO property area - in any fashion. The key obstruction to any Apple Blossom Trail proposal in this particular neighborhood is - and always will be - the 1 block stretch of high-activity road between the BHO Orchards property (R&S buildings on the north side) and BHO Heights (A-P buildings on the south side).This one block is the most hazardous portion of road on the entire BHO property:
It is two-way, steep-sloped, with limited sight at one end and blind curve at the other. There is a bus stop and pedestrian crossing mid-way and two parking lots on the west side of Buildings R and S. It is not uncommon for bus and/or fire or EMT vehicles to be parked blocking the north (right side) lane of traffic.
Add to this mix the pedestrian activity of
elders, some with walkers, motorized scooters - some health challenged, with e.g., diminished response-times, sight and/or hearing.
These conditions make it unacceptable for any bicycle path - "shared" or "official" - to go through the immediate neighborhood of Burbank Heights & Orchards.
Burbank Heights & Orchards traffic and people move like a beautiful, delicatelybalanced mobile these days. Very few accidents occur, despite its many moving parts - among them:
200+ older healthy and/or health challenged residents.
Visiting family and friends plus Burbank Experimental Farm Park visitors and volunteers all day.
Emergency Medical and Fire vehicles arriving at all times of day & night - and often parked in one of the 2 lanes.
Local Buses arriving hourly every day 8am -7pm (except Sundays) - stopping on lthis road to pick up residents at the Orchards (R&S buildings) bus stop and other stops around the property.
Many trucks, including garbage trucks, PG&E, USPS mail, Fedex and other delivery vans, health care & service vehicles throughout the day.
The BHO neighborhood is one of the options being considered. It would bring innumerable bicycle/scooter/skate-boarding individuals of all ages, skill levels, experience and maturity to the BHO neighborhood, along with 'off-path'' adventurers. The enormity of this addition of traffic would introduce and dramatically increase elements of unpredictability and uncertainty in an already hazardous section of road day and night. Many unexpected and unforeseen accidents would become commonplace. As would litigious actions.And our sweetly balanced BHO mobile will have been thrown into total disarray.
So, in the end, it seems that the City Council is trying to make a scenic bike path through the BHO neighborhood work. And from what I see - it's become rather like Cinderalla's stepsister trying to fit her over-sized foot into Cincerella's glass slipper.
It simply won't fit!
I urge you to explore the alternatives which already exist. Or even surprise us all with a totally unexpected new one!
Thank you for you kind attention.
Sincerely,
Angela Ford