Proposed Hike and Bike Trail through Sugarwood, Oyster Point and Englewood Place

The Parks and Recreation department of the city of Sugar Land, Texas in cooperation with the Citizens Advisory Group are proposing an extension of the Lost Creek Park trail to run along or next to the levee that runs along Oyster Creek.

This proposed trail would pass behind homes in Oyster Point, Sugarwood, and Englewood Place, all of which are established neighborhoods. There are numerous concerns that would potentially be present if this trail was built. They are as follows:

1. Safety- an extension of a popular trail would encourage an unlimited number of individuals, including potentially those with bad intentions, to be walking within very short distances of established homes. This proposed trail would run behind homes, not visible from public streets or law enforcement. The city cannot prove or disprove that crime would increase, based on other trails that have been built next to established neighborhoods in other parts of the country. Due to the fact that one could deduce that there would be more potential for crime with more more people in this area, the safety of our family and our homes would potentially be jeopardized.

Also, due to the fact that there will be no parking made available for walkers, as there is at Lost Creek Park and Oyster Creek Park, city streets in these neighborhoods will be used as access points across private property to access the trails. Parking lots, such as at the community centers for Oyster Point and Sugarwood would be used as parking for those wanting to use the trail. Because the nature of the green space and the proximity to water, the trail would encourage usage in this space as if this were city owned park property. This in turn will encourage loitering on property that is not maintained or owned by the city, rather the LID, which has no ability to enforce usage of the land.

2. Maintenance- the city proposes to build the trail and leave the maintenance to LID # 2. Currently, LID#2 mows this area only 14 times per year, with no trash pick up. With an unlimited number of walkers/riders passing through this area if this trail is builit, there is no consideration of the cleaning up of trash or pet excrement and it will be left to the homeowners living on the trail to deal with the problem.

3. Privacy- the homes along this proposed trail were built along the water to take advantage of the view of Oyster Creek. Many of the homes were built with a predominance of glass and wrought iron fences because of that fact. Oyster Point deed restrictions also require that wrought iron fences are the only acceptable fence type for those that live along the creek.All homes along this path would lose all privacy, due to the proximity of the proposed path to the property lines.
4. Precedence- homes along the levee in these potentially affected neighborhoods have been established, in some cases, more than 25 years ago. Those who either built or bought property along the creek were given assurances by the developers of the neighborhoods, that nothing would ever be built along the levee.

5. Financial- there are numerous homes along the proposed trail route that have no fence. Due to potential liability, a proposed trail would force these individuals to purchase costly fences. Also due to liability reasons, Oyster Point and Sugarwood residents would be forced to purchase fences along their common areas. Furthermore, those who bought along the water paid a premium for their homes due to the fact they were on the water and not on a trail system. There is definite potential that the proposed trail would reduce the value of homes along the creek, ultimately lowering the value of homes in all of the neighborhoods affected.