VILLA PARK

After more than two years of discussions, the city agreed last week to pay $1,000 to buy 400 feet of private property from three Crestview Circle homeowners whose sloping backyards abut Cannon Street. The city plans on using the property for a recreational trail. A fourth homeowner settled with the city earlier for a lesser amount.

According to Crestview Circle resident Nancy Fago, the holdup in negotiations wasn’t about money, but rather the assurance from the city that the trail--part of the countywide system of trails--wouldn’t compromise property values or safety. “I think they realized we had some genuine concerns,” Fago said. “We just wanted peace of mind that our slopes would be secure and that we don’t have to worry about slippage” after the city cuts into the property.

The agreement calls for the city to fund the maintenance of the trail and to build a retaining wall with additional security fencing on top of it to meet homeowners’ concerns. Construction of the trail will coincide with the widening of Cannon Street, which begins this month. City Manager Fred W. Maley said both projects should be completed by mid-October.