KITCHENER — Kitchener councillors voted Monday to build a community trail within 10 metres of residential homes, despite residents coming up with another plan that would cost less money.

The city has a $1-million restoration plan for Balzer Creek, which flows through a residential area in the Country Hills section of Kitchener. Poor storm water management has caused the creek to shift its bed over the years so that it now flows directly over an underground storm water pipe. In other spots, erosion has exposed storm water pipes.

Residents along Brisbane Drive and Brisbane Court say they support 95 per cent of the plan, but object to a proposal to link two sections of community trail by building a trail directly behind their homes.

Homeowners whose homes back onto the creek paid an $18,000 premium when they bought their homes, on the understanding that nothing would ever get built on the land, which is regulated by the Grand River Conservation Authority, said Karl Wolf, who spoke on behalf of several residents along Brisbane.

“There was never any mention of a public trail,” he said Monday at a meeting of the city’s community services meeting. Residents began hearing from the city about the plans to rehabilitate the creek in the fall of 2014, but only learned of the trail plans in September 2015, he said. That prompted 18 letters of protest to the city, he said.

City staff acknowledge the trail is close to the backyards on Brisbane, but said the city will plant shrubs and trees to shield homes from the trail. The paved trail is needed because it doubles as an access road for crews to maintain the sewer pipes and manholes. The trail also provides a “critical” east-west trail link between the Country Hills area and the Fairway Park retail area as part of the city’s trails master plan, they added.

“We reject the idea of a trail going right by our backyards,” Wolf said. Instead, residents offered several solutions: the trail could be moved to the south side of the creek; the paved storm sewer access could go ahead, but dead-end without creating a trail behind the homes. Instead, pedestrians and cyclists would be directed onto Brisbane; residents there said they had no objection to either a cycling lane or a parking ban on one side of the street, if that was needed.

Unlike the community trail, the residents’ proposal “would be a four-season solution, since we are obligated to shovel our sidewalks,” and cyclists would be on a quiet street that is cleared in winter, Wolf said. It would also be cheaper than the city’s trail, since it eliminates the costliest portion of the proposed trail, a boardwalk over a sensitive wetland.

Moving the trail further south isn’t feasible, since that land is privately owned and is mostly wetland, staff said.

Coun. John Gazzola, who represents the area on council, moved an amendment to eliminate the boardwalk and divert the trail onto Brisbane. “By giving up their street (to a bike route) it does accomplish everything we want to accomplish,” Gazzola argued, noting it would provide the east-west trail link and be free of snow, at a lower cost to the city.

But building a dead-end service road could attract bush parties or other unwanted activity, and trail users might just create their own pathway to link to the trail, damaging the environmentally sensitive area, noted Coun. Kelly Galloway-Sealock.

“I can’t support a trail to nowhere,” added Coun. Bil Ioannidis.

Residents in other parts of the city, such as near Knox Court and Pine Valley Drive, have objected to trails near their homes, but found their concerns weren’t borne out once the trail went in, said Coun. Yvonne Fernandes. Residents can be invaluable in clarifying for staff where plant buffers are most needed, she added.

Councillors defeated Gazzola’s proposal 8-2, then voted 9-1 to build the trail connection as staff proposed. They directed staff to provide more information on possible fencing when the issue comes to council for ratification on March 20.