Paving The Way For Criminals? Planned Road Has Folsom Neighborhood Worried

FOLSOM (CBS13) – What was once a hidden gem nestled within a quiet Folsom neighborhood may now become a hotspot for criminals, according to people living there.

Evan and Tracy Paine live on a steep hill. They have beautiful views of oak trees known as the Hinkle Creek Nature Area.

It's also where the city plans to build a road to maintain sewer lines.

"It's an open door," Evan said.

It'll be about a mile long – and a few feet away from the Paine's back gate.

"We're going to have a swath cut through here," Evan said.

The city has already marked the area with the goal being to gain access to manholes.

The Kindels – who live just next door – demand more information from the city.

"They need to tell us why," Sharon Kindel said.

So far, they've gotten their hands on maps of the road and have gone door to door to get neighbors involved.

"This is gonna allow burglars and robbers to come right up in our backyard," Fred Kindel said.

According to Marcus Yasutake, the City of Folsom's director of environmental resources, the impacts of the project are simple.

"We've been going through private property gates and now we have a Capitol improvement project to address those concerns," Yasutake said.

But it may soon be a bigger concern for those trying to keep their neighborhood a safe haven for kids.

Construction of the road is set to begin this summer. There is a community meeting planned this week at the Rotary Clubhouse.

The city says police officers will also be around to answer questions.