Why Capitola council ‘got it right’ on rail trail

The Capitola City Council got it right on the rail trail. The idea of a rail trail is to be off the streets and away from cars. Rail trails also follow rail track grading, which is gentle inclines, easy for walking and bicycling. Routing the trail down through the village and then up along Park Avenue defeats the purpose of rail trails. Walking or riding over Soquel Creek and then through the eucalyptus tree tunnel along Park Avenue could easily be the most beautiful part of the whole trail.

Let’s hope the Capitola city manager, city attorney, Public Works director, and City Council work with the RTC and get on the same page and build an epic rail trail in the railroad corridor.

Despite the naysayers Capitola is an inclusive city and welcomes all. Let us all unite, stop the fight and build it right.

— Mark Ban, Capitola

Capitola: ‘Bunch of baloney’ by train supporter

Jim Weller, in his recent letter, stated the Capitola City Council’s vote to uphold city ordinance 8.72 means that people “may not detour off the rail corridor trail onto Capitola city streets and sidewalks” along with a bunch of hyperbole about “No Trespassing - Keep Out - Stay On The Rail Corridor!” signs being posted.

This is just a made up bunch of baloney and sour grapes from a disgruntled train supporter. The ordinance prohibited the RTC from moving the bike trail out of the rail corridor onto city streets. There is nothing in the ordinance that prohibits anyone from leaving a rail corridor trail and venturing onto Capitola streets.

— Mick Routh, Capitola

Railbanking will solve continuous trail issues

Some in our community want to accuse Capitola city leaders of willfully blocking rail trail construction through the village and causing a seemingly inexcusable break in the long-desired continuous Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail.

In fact, the ballyhooed Segment 5 (“the North Coast rail trail”) is not connected either: it runs from its junction near Cotoni Coast Dairies above Davenport to Wilder Ranch and stops. From there a single-lane path follows Highway 1, detours onto Shaffer Road and Mission Extension, then jogs to Natural Bridges.

Did the RTC planners forget about this invisible part of Segments 6 and 7 with the decrepit bridge over Moore Creek (whose planks are so broken my dog won’t walk across!)? And what about the blank space between Rio Del Mar and Watsonville?

Railbanking the corridor a few years ago would have allowed these rail trail connections to be constructed simply and inexpensively, while still guaranteeing the promise of passenger rail someday.

It’s not too late to make a more intelligent choice for the county’s transportation future.

— Bill Cook, Santa Cruz

SC set to ‘ruin quality of life’ for residents

Many neighborhood residents in our city don’t appreciate losing their light, sun, use of solar panels and privacy because taller buildings are being approved that will loom over their homes. The city planning staff’s falsely empathetic response has been, “We don’t have a choice because of the state mandates, our hands are tied.”

That is a lie, and they are hiding behind the state mandate when they repeat that lie to residents who are facing the loss of any peace and quiet, as well as light and sun. If the city truly cared about neighbor’s losses, why would they consider upzoning 29 acres so that the large buildings could become two to three times as high.?

They are not being forced by the state to do this upzoning that will make 20-25 floors a reality. And because of the mayor’s property tax increase initiative, we will be the ones paying for the buildings that will ruin the quality of life for any residents who live within three feet of these buildings.

— Shelley Hatch, Santa Cruz

Alarm about how Trump is flooding the zone

No matter your political affiliation; everyone should be alarmed when the president of the U.S. defies the ruling of a Supreme Court justice, interferes in AP media coverage of the White House, and threatens to fire the independent Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell.

Democracy and the Constitution are being whittled away. Bannon’s business model is in full swing: Flood the zone. “This is not about persuasion: This is about disorientation.” Everyone should be very concerned.

— Nancy Ficarrotta, Soquel