Council presses staff on safety and design for San Antonio Creek trail in Montclair

During consent‑calendar discussion on the San Antonio Creek multi‑use greenway (item C4), council members pressed staff for specifics about how the city will ensure safety along trail segments that pass through channels and neighborhoods.

Council members asked whether the city could "guarantee" safety and how gates and closures would be managed. A staff representative said the design includes more lighting, cameras, gating at channel entrances, and that many segments will be closed at night. "Cameras will be monitoring the trails... The trails will be shut in the evening and night hours so that there isn't loitering overnight along the trail," a city staff member said. Public‑works staff emphasized fencing and gates on channel entrances and compared management to other city sites that are locked at night.

Council members said that even fenced parks are sometimes accessed after hours and expressed concern the trail could be underused or attract undesirable activity in open sections; staff acknowledged open segments will remain where fencing isn’t feasible and said patrols and resident use are elements of the safety approach. City Manager Ed Star said securing the majority of the trail at night is part of the plan and that the design consultant will include safety measures as part of the contract if approved.

No formal decision was made to change the project scope at the meeting; council discussed whether to pull the item for further study and asked staff to ensure safety measures and operational plans (hours, gating, cameras and patrol protocols) are part of the design contract.