New trailheads add extra measure of safety for Serrano residents

Published Saturday, November 20, 2004

As seen in The Sacramento Bee

When Johanne Christmas wants to get some outdoor aerobic exercise in a pleasant setting, she heads for the 13 miles of trails outside her door at the master-planned community of Serrano in El Dorado Hills.

"Jogging or running on trails provides many benefits to your mind, body and spirit, and you don't have to worry about traffic," said the 64-year-old marathon runner.

But while the Parker Development Co. community has just about everything a resident could want - that's why Christmas and her husband pulled up stakes in Santa Cruz and headed to the foothills more than three years ago - the former obstetrics-gynecological and emergency room nurse found one small detail lacking: there were no trailheads on the paths to locate people in the event of an emergency.

"When people are out running, walking, or biking they don't tend to think much about their safety," Christmas said. "Emergency services are able to respond more efficiently when callers are able to state where either they or the problem is located."

While the community of Serrano with its green areas, parks and championship golf course can hardly be called "wilderness," the trails do meander through approximately 1,000 acres of open space and restored wetlands that seem a world away from roadways and conventional street signs.

Christmas and a few of her neighbors, including Carl Bialorucki, retired El Dorado County Deputy Sheriff, and Lucy Battaglia, dubbed themselves Friends of the Serrano Trails and appealed to Parker Development for help in getting markers in place.

The project became a three-pronged effort with Serrano residents and Parker Development naming the trails and placing the markers, and the El Dorado Hills Fire Department approving the names.

"We took the request very seriously," said Andrea Brown, an assistant planner at Parker Development Co. "There were several factors to consider. We wanted the trails to be easily read, remembered, and pronounced by young children. We also needed to ensure that the trail names did not duplicate names used elsewhere in El Dorado County. So the input of the El Dorado Hills Fire Department, which ultimately approved all of the trailhead names, was really critical. Today, the fire department has a map of the trail locations and stands ready to locate and help trail users if ever necessary."

Brown said the trail-naming project started in a fashion similar to the way Serrano names its streets, developing a theme for the basis of each name.

"Initially, our theme was one of historical significance, drawing from the names of dairy farmers, ranchers and miners who had settled in the area in the 1800s," Brown said. " They (Christmas and Battaglia) took an active role in developing names relating to flora and fauna. So the names you see today - from Walker Ridge Trail, named for a rancher, to Poppy Trail and Turtle Cove - are a combination of those themes."

There are 17 markers in place at the entrance and exit of each Serrano trail; seven more are anticipated as Parker Development completes the trail system, which partially follows existing sewer maintenance and fire roads.

"This multifunctional purpose minimizes the impact on our natural areas," Brown said.

The dual use of the land in no way distracts from its appeal, though.

"I like to look at the wildflowers, plants and trees as I walk the trails," said Battaglia, who lives in Serrano with her husband and young children. "The Serrano trails take you through some beautiful areas and are a pleasant distraction from everyday cares."

Prospective home buyers should bring their walking shoes when they visit Serrano. The Serrano Trail, which parallels Serrano Parkway, starts out behind the Serrano Visitors Center and goes by picnic tables, a playground and a creek. Or visitors might want to pick up the trails off of El Dorado Hills Boulevard via the Bull Frog Gully trail, dotted with the heritage oaks that are a hallmark of the Serrano community.

For more information, call 888-458-9718 or go online at www.serranoeldorado.com.