Last Tuesday, I went for a walk with the Santa Rosa Southeast Greenway Campaign. The Greenway is a 2-mile strip of land from Hwy 12 and Hoen to Spring Lake Regional Park. Originally, it was to be an extension of Hwy 12 across Spring Lake and through Annadel State Park.
SE Santa Rosa Greenway Tour
Needless to say, that didn’t go over well. Political battles ensued. While California was buying Annadel property for a park, its other half was pursuing plans for the Highway 12 extension from Santa Rosa to the Sonoma Valley. By 1981, the highway extention ceased. But the land has been stuck in limbo ever since.
Southeast Greenway grasses
The Greenway Campaign started in 2008 to gain support for better use of the land. There’s a plan for hiking and biking trails, community gardens, playgrounds and restoring the creeks and the greenway for human and wildlife use.
Sierra Park Creek off Mayette
Now, it’s a matter of money. How much does the state want for it? And who’s got that money?
Greenway path near Franquette
Because this is CalTrans property, we couldn’t actually walk on the land, but next to it. Sometimes we zigzagged and only looked over a fence.
Greenway Walnuts near Friedman Center
Please visit the website of Santa Rosa Southeast Greenway Campaign to find out more or lend them a hand. You’ll find links to other Greenway endeavors around the world.
See you on this trail?
Words and pictures by Lynn Millar
Greenway Open or Closed?
Ah, Lynn…our little 8 member NABV volunteer group of litter-pickers were just speaking about this walk 30 minutes ago as we finished clearing litter from the Hoen Ave/Farmers Lane & beyond areas of our lovely neighborhood. And this area will someday be the entry to the Southeast Greenway, we are SURE of it..!! Stephen Fuller-Rowell (who led that walk) and Judy & Terry McNeil who were on it were there this hot morning.
I liked the serendipitous connection between your post & us; thought you’d like to know.
thanks again for your always enjoyable/informative posts..((: )
Thank You! I applaud your efforts to help take care of our environment.
Hi Lynn
It was great to have you join our walk. And thanks for the nice write-up.
BTW: The creek shown in your picture ‘off Mayette’ is actually ‘Sierra Park Creek’. This creek used to be called ‘Arroyo Sierra’.
Hope we’ll all be able to walk along the actual Southeast Greenway sometime soon … instead of just next to it.
Stephen
Thanks Stephen.
Guess my notes were wrong – I’ll correct the creek name now. – Lynn
Wow! I drive by there all the time and didn’t know there was a hiking trail. Thanks for the tip!
This one is very short. It’s more what may happen. Still cool to peek in and imagine.