Canal walker wants to have his say

An article in The Bee by reporter George Hostetter (Oct. 4) covered an updating of the city parks and trails plan.

One trail, the Bankside Trail, utilizes the banks of the Herndon Canal. This canal is on land operated the Fresno Irrigation District, a tax-supported district, not city property. Lately, city crews are noted clearing overhanging private vegetation on the fencing marking the property boundary on the south canal side on the initial section between Fresno and First streets. This is somewhat in advance of the project-approval process involving public input.

This initial section presents a poor environment with one side running along a very busy street with no screening or protection from vehicle traffic. Heavier daily walker and bike traffic is noted on the dual-side vegetated segment between First Street and Millbrook Avenue. Service by the city graffiti team and police already is used there, and auto traffic is nowhere near. District crews have been providing vegetative clearing.

As a canal walker, trash cleaner and adjacent landowner, I wonder what “design” and “construction” entails. Is there to be any public input; how and when?

This story was originally published October 10, 2015 at 6:10 AM with the headline "Canal walker wants to have his say."