By Linda Taaffe

Los Altos resident Scott Neely walks on a paved pathway adjacent to his neighborhood that the city hopes to expand to El Camino Real.

A group of Los Altos residents is asking the city to risk losing nearly a half million dollar grant from the county rather than potentially opening a floodgate of crime into their neighborhood with a one-third mile stretch of pathway that would connect to what they consider to be the city’s worst hot spot for illegal activity.

The controversial project would connect an existing Palo Alto bike trail to a paved, Class I bike path along an undeveloped portion of the San Francisco Water Department’s Hetch Hetchy easement that runs from Los Altos Avenue through Via Del Poso and Mercedes Court to El Camino Real near the former El Torito building - something that neighbors said will increase traffic and crime while decreasing privacy and property values, according to a petition with 57 signatures. A $434,000 grant from the Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority would fund the improvements.

Los Altos resident Scott Neely called the proposed pathway “another, more secure escape route for criminals.”

Unlike other area pathways, the extension would open up a residential area to a commercial center where police have responded to about 435 calls over the past three years, including reports of drugs, assaults, burglaries and sexual offenses, according to police records.

Resident Greg George said there’s already a paved route from the Palo Alto border to Los Altos Avenue, which has two bike lanes and paved sidewalks that continue onto El Camino near an intersection.

“Things would be horribly different with the path. It would take away our sense of privacy and security and lower our property values,” said neighbor Carol Scheetz.

Local realtors said property values along the pathway could drop 10 percent.

City officials said the project is part of the city’s General Plan to promote a pathway system within the city and to encourage a regional pathway system.

“There are few existing bike paths in Los Altos, and opportunities for new paths … are … extremely limited due to the built-out nature of the town … the recommended new bike paths in this plan are essentially short paths that close gaps in the roadway network,” according to a city report.

Surveys included in a trail studies report by consultant Glenn Lyles concluded that litter and unleashed pets were the biggest concerns associated with trails.

In the report, Los Altos police concluded that there was no reported pattern of crime along the Hetch Hetchy corridor and El Camino crimes typically target businesses and involve the use of vehicles.

“I think the communiy will benefit from this pathway. I believe a lot of young children and mom’s pushing strollers will use it,” said Public Works Director Jim Porter.

Neighbors said the report is flawed. None of the surveys were conducted on the paved portion of the Hetch Hetchy pathway that exists on the northern side of Los Altos Avenue, and the study includes only Class I crimes - such as rape, assault and burglary - and discounts other crimes such as vagrancy, drugs and vandalism.

Resident Todd Gamelin said neither the grant application nor the study included neighborhood feedback.

The only opportunity neighbors have had to express their opinions was during a Parks, Art and Recreation Commission meeting earlier this month, during which 25 out of 28 speakers spoke in opposition of the project.

Porter said the project is in the beginning phases. The neighbors’ comments will be incorporated into a staff report presented to the council Jan. 13.

If the city significantly changes the project scope, it could risk losing the funding, Porter said.