| Santa Rosa Valley
was an almost exclusively agricultural area unitl the
second half of the twentieth century. Then the County of
Ventura
approved the development of "Rural" lots but without a specific plan
for the development of the area. However in 1982 the county adopted an Equestrian Trails Policy, which provided for trails in all subdivisons and that those trails would link to other subdivisions. This policy has been regarded an unenforceable by the county planning staff because the county did not also create a Trail Plan for Santa Rosa Valley. Although the county could strongly encourage equestrian or multi-use trails, they could not make them a condition of development. Many of the earlier subdivisions did include dedicated trails easements that have created the current trail system in the Santa Rosa Valley. But in later years some developers have chosen not to include trails with the result that the trail system ihas become disconnected or even disappeared in some areas. Additionally the County has generally been unable to accept or maintan trails in areas that are not covered by a homeowner's associaton. Santa Rosa Valley Trails Inc. was incorporated in 2004 to plan, create, acquire and maintain multi-use non-motorized trails for public use in the Santa Rosa Valley and surrounding areas and to provide connections to other trails or recreational facilities. In November of 2006, Santa Rosa Valley Trails Inc. was determined by the IRS to be a 501(c) (3) charitable organization. SRV Trails provides a way for property owners to donate easements that will be maintained and insured by the charity in perpetuity. These trails can be used on foot, by bicyclists or on horseback. 2007 SRV Trails Inc. received donations of easements from four property owners who own land on the Rosita Trail between Blanchard Road and Upper Barbara Drive. This important connection had been closed for about three years. These easements to SRVTI will keep this connection open. These are the first easements given to the charity. SRV Trails met with officials from the Ventura County Planning Department and then started working with Rincon Consultants to create the Trail Plan for Santa Rosa Valley. 2008 TRAIL PLAN The completed draft Trail Plan was made public and distributed. In February, the Santa Rosa Valley Municipal Advisory Council approved the draft plan and sent it forward to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors with a recommendation that it be adopted as the County's official Trail Plan for Santa Rosa Valley. The Board of Supervisors voted to authorize Planning to review the Trail Plan and analyze the scope of work necessary for adoption of the plan by Ventura County. NEW TRAIL PROPOSAL SRVTI made a proposal to the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency COSCA to add a new trail that would connect Santa Rosa Valley to Wildwood Park. This trail would run from the Santa Rosa Trail on the top of the Mountclef Ridge down to the Lower Santa Rosa ( Baseline) Trail. The proposed name is the Santa Rosa Connector Trail Read the Santa Rosa Connector Trail proposal here (Adobe Reader) This trail is now being considered as part of the Canyons Management Plan for Wildwood Park and Hill Canyon. It is expected that the management plan will be completed in 2009 2009 Our latest trail is the Donnelly Trail, which connects the Lower Santa Rosa Trail (Baseline Trail) with Santa Rosa Road and lies about 100 yards west of the signalized equestrian crossing at East Las Posas Road. The easement was generoulsly donated by Michael and Lori Donnelly, who own the property where the trail is located. Our other new 2009 easement is the Thelma Connector Trail. This historical trail runs across private property and could have been closed by a future property owner. It connects Thelma Lane with the Saddlebrook Estates trails. Our thanks to the current owners who agreed to grant an easement to SRVTI. We have re-graded the trail and realigned it so that users will not have to go on the owners driveway. This year, we adopted the Lower Santa Rosa Trail in Wildwod Park under the COSCA Adopt-a-trail program This trail, known locallly as Baseline Trail, runs along the south side of the valley between Talal Court and Hidden Meadows Estates. SRVTI will maintain the trail and has made safety improvements. In March, we had the Grand Opening of Phase One of Santa Rosa Parrk, a trailhead for Hill Canyon. SRVTI was one of the sponsors of a free barbeque for all attending. Photos of the Grand Opening can be seen here Phase Two will include equestrian facilities. One of the issues holding back the completion of Phase Two is traill access across farmland owned by the City of Thousand Oaks.. SRVTI hopes to be able to help in this area. |