Sacramento residents challenge city over river trail project

Sacramento’s plan to extend the Sacramento River Parkway with a new four-mile trail segment from Garcia Bend Park to Zacharias Park has encountered legal challenges from residents who claim the city relied on outdated environmental reports. The city council approved the project in October, aiming to pave a dirt section of the trail through the Pocket and Greenhaven neighborhoods. However, neighbors have filed a lawsuit, accusing the city of using an outdated 1997 Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to push the project forward.Mark Portuondo, a Pocket resident whose property backs up to the levee slated for paving, has been vocal about the project and is among those who filed the lawsuit. “We’re asking for the city to conduct a new E.I.R. for the project ,” Portuondo said. “Because it’s based on older projects.”Portuondo expressed concerns about the impact of increased foot traffic on privacy and even expressed them during the Oct. 14 city council meeting, where the project was approved.”There are issues for folks that live alongside the trail in terms of privacy or security, that will impact us greatly,” he said. “And that I think that the current plan that the city just voted on last in October doesn’t kind of address those concerns.”He also noted that many homeowners, including himself, own property on the other side of the levee, raising concerns about potential trespassing. “If it does go through and there is a significant number of people that are going back there, then that’s going to result in people also walking down onto the private property from the public trail,” said Portuondo.The lawsuit demands a new supplemental EIR to address these concerns. Meanwhile, the city has released a 10-page draft safety plan outlining a framework for improving safety along the trail. KCRA asked about the lawsuit, but a city spokesperson declined to comment on pending litigation.The project will require the city to purchase easements for the trail, providing compensation to some property owners along the river to acquire the necessary land for completion.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

Sacramento’s plan to extend the Sacramento River Parkway with a new four-mile trail segment from Garcia Bend Park to Zacharias Park has encountered legal challenges from residents who claim the city relied on outdated environmental reports.

The city council approved the project in October, aiming to pave a dirt section of the trail through the Pocket and Greenhaven neighborhoods.

However, neighbors have filed a lawsuit, accusing the city of using an outdated 1997 Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to push the project forward.

Mark Portuondo, a Pocket resident whose property backs up to the levee slated for paving, has been vocal about the project and is among those who filed the lawsuit.

“We’re asking for the city to conduct a new E.I.R. for the project [the Sacramento River Parkway],” Portuondo said. “Because it’s based on older projects.”

Portuondo expressed concerns about the impact of increased foot traffic on privacy and even expressed them during the Oct. 14 city council meeting, where the project was approved.

“There are issues for folks that live alongside the trail in terms of privacy or security, that will impact us greatly,” he said. “And that I think that the current plan that the city just voted on last in October doesn’t kind of address those concerns.”

He also noted that many homeowners, including himself, own property on the other side of the levee, raising concerns about potential trespassing.

“If it does go through and there is a significant number of people that are going back there, then that’s going to result in people also walking down onto the private property from the public trail,” said Portuondo.

The lawsuit demands a new supplemental EIR to address these concerns.

Meanwhile, the city has released a 10-page draft safety plan outlining a framework for improving safety along the trail.

KCRA asked about the lawsuit, but a city spokesperson declined to comment on pending litigation.

The project will require the city to purchase easements for the trail, providing compensation to some property owners along the river to acquire the necessary land for completion.

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel