Do Paseo Bridges Matter?

By Venturan — John B.

Image not recoveredPaseoonnewhallranchroad.jpg

While we’re on the subject of petty Valencia-isms, there was some news shared with West Creek/West Hills homeowners at a recent HOA meeting: the signature Valencia paseo bridge will be installed over Copper Hill Drive, connecting West Hills with West Creek in July – just in time for the opening of West Creek Elementary Academy this Fall.

I heard the same news repeated from some excited neighbors over the past week.

As a safety measure and as a distinctive architectural feature, I appreciate the bridges that adorn much of Valencia. Especially given that a West Creek park and West Creek Elementary sit on opposite sides of the freeway known as Copper Hill. And the snob in me felt excitement over the mere possibility of reaching the pinnacle of Awesomeness, finally resolving any feelings of inferiority over not having a paseo in Valencia. Is there a lower rung on the V-Town neighborhood caste system than not having a paseo bridge?

‘sfar as I can tell, these are the must-haves for any Valencia stucco-box village, some functional – others aesthetic, in no particular order:

A park (preferably with an play area for the tots)
Elementary school
Pool and clubhouse
Paseo that runs through the village and connects to the main community trails
Manicured and distinctive common areas
Retail within walking distance
A signature paseo bridge over a major thoroughfare, representing rainbows, unicorns, world peace and pedestrian primacy

When we moved in over a year ago, the park was not open. The elementary school was in question. The clubhouse and pool had just opened. The common areas were half finished. Now with the bridge just weeks away and the school cemented with a progressive, music-based cirriculum, the West Creek/West Hills village might get some respect.

Or is it all just window dressing?

I mean, a bridge? Really? Isn’t a community about the people in it, rather than the trappings on it? Or does one attract the other, for better and for worse?

Comments (7)

JeffMay 25, 2010 at 3:21 pm

Nope. Newhall Land deserves credit for building paseo networks way before “walkability” and ped-friendliness were in vogue. Just look how popular and crowded they are to this day and you’ll realize quickly what a good (and probably relatively cheap) investment they were. These aren’t just trappings, they are connections for people to interact and socialize with one another. I’d actually pay more in terms of money (or get a smaller house) if it was near a paseo. And for communities like Stevenson Ranch; well they have nothing to offer that competes. The only thing I ding NLF for is not connecting all the paseos together somehow. OO’s paseos are divorced from the rest of Valencia.

Fred ButlerMay 25, 2010 at 3:56 pm

The residence of Awesome town have to hang their over sized banners somewhere.

lvogelMay 25, 2010 at 4:14 pm

We tried for years to get a bridge built between Village Homes North and Meadows Park, on McBean Pkwy. Unfortunately our kids must cross McBean in order to get to Meadows Elementary School. After investigating the matter, it was found that they couldn’t do it due to space. We got a stop light put in about 10 years ago and got a crossing guard. It’s not as safe as a bridge, and we often hear the sound of breaks squealing down the hill of those cars stopping for their red, but it’s better then the alternative…driving them everyday!

ReaderMamaMay 25, 2010 at 4:35 pm

I think the best thing about the bridges is that they keep kids on their way to school and/or park out of traffic — at least the ones that walk to school. Most of the little darlings seem to be transported in ginormous SUV’s these days.

Jim FarleyMay 25, 2010 at 5:09 pm

My wife and me walk regularly on the paseos of Northbridge (now we sometimes ride our bikes on the trails as well). There is a great paseo from Fairview, past Charles Helmers school, and ending near the convergence of Hillsborough and Grandview. It crosses three bridges along the way. The problem is that it ingloriously ends at a cul-de-sac right after a neat re-veg zone. The paseos stopped when NorthPark was built. What a shame.

Jim FarleyMay 25, 2010 at 8:45 pm

I’m talking from the perspective of Northbridge going North. Northbridge has a pretty good paseo system but it ends when you get to the NorthPark development, specifically at the cul-de-sac at the South end of Cold Springs Pl. It seems Valencia Corp (or was Lennar already doing the NorthPark development?) forgot that the paseos were the most successful part of the Valencia concept. It would have been nice for the paseos to continue North to Copper Hill, then maybe connect to future trails up San Francisquito canyon. So I am only talking about the area North of Decoro and bounded by Mcbean on the West, Seco on the East and Copper Hill on the North. It’s good Lennar has continued the paseo/trail concept in the areas you mention. It is too late but maybe a master plan for interconnected paseos and bike trails for the entire valley would have been a good thing to do from the beginning.

Jim FarleyMay 26, 2010 at 5:27 am

Indeed the San Frnanisquito River trail is a good one. It’s been part of my Saturday 6 mile walk routine for a couple of years. I introduced my wife to it on pedal last Saturday. We’re finally getting some time to ride.

JeffMay 25, 2010 at 3:21 pm
Nope. Newhall Land deserves credit for building paseo networks way before “walkability” and ped-friendliness were in vogue. Just look how popular and crowded they are to this day and you’ll realize quickly what a good (and probably relatively cheap) investment they were. These aren’t just trappings, they are connections for people to interact and socialize with one another. I’d actually pay more in terms of money (or get a smaller house) if it was near a paseo. And for communities like Stevenson Ranch; well they have nothing to offer that competes. The only thing I ding NLF for is not connecting all the paseos together somehow. OO’s paseos are divorced from the rest of Valencia.
Fred ButlerMay 25, 2010 at 3:56 pm
The residence of Awesome town have to hang their over sized banners somewhere.
lvogelMay 25, 2010 at 4:14 pm
We tried for years to get a bridge built between Village Homes North and Meadows Park, on McBean Pkwy. Unfortunately our kids must cross McBean in order to get to Meadows Elementary School. After investigating the matter, it was found that they couldn’t do it due to space. We got a stop light put in about 10 years ago and got a crossing guard. It’s not as safe as a bridge, and we often hear the sound of breaks squealing down the hill of those cars stopping for their red, but it’s better then the alternative…driving them everyday!
ReaderMamaMay 25, 2010 at 4:35 pm
I think the best thing about the bridges is that they keep kids on their way to school and/or park out of traffic — at least the ones that walk to school. Most of the little darlings seem to be transported in ginormous SUV’s these days.
Jim FarleyMay 25, 2010 at 5:09 pm
My wife and me walk regularly on the paseos of Northbridge (now we sometimes ride our bikes on the trails as well). There is a great paseo from Fairview, past Charles Helmers school, and ending near the convergence of Hillsborough and Grandview. It crosses three bridges along the way. The problem is that it ingloriously ends at a cul-de-sac right after a neat re-veg zone. The paseos stopped when NorthPark was built. What a shame.
Jim FarleyMay 25, 2010 at 8:45 pm
I’m talking from the perspective of Northbridge going North. Northbridge has a pretty good paseo system but it ends when you get to the NorthPark development, specifically at the cul-de-sac at the South end of Cold Springs Pl. It seems Valencia Corp (or was Lennar already doing the NorthPark development?) forgot that the paseos were the most successful part of the Valencia concept. It would have been nice for the paseos to continue North to Copper Hill, then maybe connect to future trails up San Francisquito canyon. So I am only talking about the area North of Decoro and bounded by Mcbean on the West, Seco on the East and Copper Hill on the North. It’s good Lennar has continued the paseo/trail concept in the areas you mention. It is too late but maybe a master plan for interconnected paseos and bike trails for the entire valley would have been a good thing to do from the beginning.
Jim FarleyMay 26, 2010 at 5:27 am
Indeed the San Frnanisquito River trail is a good one. It’s been part of my Saturday 6 mile walk routine for a couple of years. I introduced my wife to it on pedal last Saturday. We’re finally getting some time to ride.