Cotati council backs natural-surface repair for Laguna De Santa Rosa pathway

Cotati City Council members directed staff to proceed with design and bidding to replace a deteriorated asphalt section of the Laguna De Santa Rosa class 1 multiuse pathway with a compacted natural aggregate surface.

City engineering technician Henry Bavitz told the council the project zone is about 2,200 feet long and 8 to 10 feet wide, and noted the asphalt portion north of East Cotati Avenue is "in poor condition due to soil expansion and contraction, tree roots" and that repairs generally require specialty contractors. Bavitz said staff considered three options: repair the asphalt, replace it with a compacted natural aggregate, or build a wider, longitudinally split path; staff recommended the natural surface as the best long-term maintenance solution.

"The staff recommendation for this project is to replace the asphalt with natural material," Bavitz said. He listed advantages including lower long-term maintenance because city crews could perform upkeep without hiring specialized asphalt contractors, cooler surface temperatures than asphalt, and the potential to better fit the creekside environment.

Council members raised safety, accessibility and maintenance questions during discussion. Council member Harvey asked how tree roots would be handled; Bavitz said the design could include root barriers at specific locations and that "when asphalt gets buckled, it’s a bigger repair than just regrading the aggregate material." Harvey noted public-works crews could perform routine regrading with city equipment.

Councilwoman Schwartz asked staff to describe the recommended aggregate surface. Bavitz replied it would be "closer to a more of a gravel aggregate pathway than the dirt"—a compacted, graded mix designed not to migrate into fines or sink under wheels if installed and compacted correctly. He said the project would need careful specification and quality control at installation to avoid the larger stones rising to the surface.

Public commenters, including long-time Laguna volunteers and frequent trail users, favored the natural surface for safety and trail character. Jenny Blaker, a volunteer organizer, said the natural material would slow cyclists and better accommodate the mix of users on the narrow trail. "There's cyclists and walkers and kids and skateboards and all sorts of people going at different speeds. So I think it's good if they have to slow down," Blaker said. Paul Burke, a resident who cleans trash from the Laguna, described ongoing volunteer maintenance and urged city support for regular trash service along the trail.

A Zoom commenter, Laurie Alderman, asked council to consider people with disabilities in design, saying, "You're forgetting people with disabilities. There's other people than bicyclists and walkers. We with disabilities love asphalt. Rocks and uneven surfaces cause falls." Bavitz and council members discussed ADA guidance for natural surfaces and said the design would need to meet accessibility standards; Bavitz said ADA guidance specifies natural-path surfaces must not deform or leave grooves under wheels.

Council members discussed timing and procurement. Bavitz and staff said the work is a dry-weather project: staff expect to complete design through winter, advertise bids in early spring and could begin construction in April or May, with construction lasting a matter of weeks to months depending on scope. The design will include installing trash receptacles at Gravenstein Way and Wilfred Circle as part of the project.

In discussion, council members emphasized contract qualifications and installation experience for bidders. Council member Sparks requested that bid requirements require demonstrable experience with natural-path materials; Bavitz said the city’s usual bid requirements would be adjusted to request equivalent project references and that staff would check prior installations.

Staff said next steps are to complete design, prepare bid documents and return to council for award of the construction contract. No formal roll-call vote was recorded on the design direction; staff reported council gave direction to proceed with the natural-surface recommendation.

The project is part of ongoing Laguna stewardship activities in Cotati, which the council and volunteers have highlighted in other agenda items and public comment.