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HomeMy Public PortalAbout20090519 - Agenda Packet - Board of Directors (BOD) - 09-16 Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Meeting 09-16 SPECIAL MEETING: FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ON THE LA HONDA CREEK OPEN SPACE PRESERVE DRAFT MASTER PLAN BOARD OF DIRECTORS MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT 6:30 p.m. Tuesday,May 19,2009 Alvin S. Hatch Elementary School Multipurpose Room 490 Miramontes Ave Half Moon Bay,CA 94019 AGENDA The Special Meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. SPECIAL MEETING (),:30* ^ SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE MIDPENINSILA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA ' 6:35* BOARD BUSINESS I Welcoming Remarks—N. Hanko 2 La Honda Master Plan Ad Hoc Committee Remarks 3 Purpose of the Public Hearing—S. Abhors 4 Meeting Procedures—A. Jatczak 5 Presentation of the Draft Master Plan—A. Ruiz and K. Lenington 6 Additional Remarks of the General Manager—S. Abbors 7 Public Comment 8 Board Discussion 9 Motion to Close the Public Hearing ADJOURNMENT Times are estimated and items may appear earlier or later than listed.Agenda is subject to change of order. TO ADDRESS THE BOARD: The Chair will invite public comment on agenda items at the time each item is considered by the Board of Directors. Each speaker will ordinarily be limited to three minutes. Alternately,you may comment to the Board by a written communication,which the Board appreciates. Notice: The Board of Directors will receive public comment at the May 19 Public Hearing on the Coast side and will take no action. A second public hearing for the Board of Directors to receive additional public comment and consider whether to tentatively approve the Draft Master Plan will be scheduled in June in the vicinity of the District's Administrative Office(date,time,and location to be determined). A separate notice of the second hearing will be mailed at a later date. Meeting 09-16 Page 2 In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act,if you need assistance to participate in this meeting,please contact the District Clerk at(650) 691-1200. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the District to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. Written materials relating to an item on this Agenda that are considered to be a public record and are distributed to Board members less than 72 hours prior to the meeting,will be available for public inspection at the District's Administrative Office located at 330 Distel Circle,Los Altos,California 94022, CERTIFICATION OF POSTING OF AGENDA 1,Anna Jatczak,Interim District Clerk for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District(MROSD),declare that the foregoing agenda for the May 19, 2009 Special Meeting of the MROSD Board of Directors was posted and available for review on May 14,2009 at the Administrative Offices of MROSI), 330 Distel Circle,Los Altos,California,94022. The agenda is also available on the District's web site at h1!tp-//Www!oPe1hPacC QarLL Signed this 14th day of May 2009,at Los Altos,California. Interim District Clerk Date- 05/14/09 r a Midpeninsula Regional ' Open Space District R-09-71 Meeting 09-16 May 19, 2009 AGENDA ITEM I AGENDA ITEM Public Hearing on the La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve Draft Master Plan AD HOC COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION 1. Receive comment on the La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve Draft Master Plan (Draft Master Plan). 2. Schedule a second public hearing in the vicinity of the District's Administrative Office (located in Los Altos, CA) to receive additional public comment, consider Public Access Option 1 and Option 2 and whether to tentatively approve the Draft Master Plan. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The La Honda Creek Master Plan Ad Hoc Committee (Committee) recommends that at tonight's meeting the Board receive initial public oral comment regarding the La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve Draft Master Plan. The Committee also recommends that a second public comment hearing be scheduled in mid-June in the vicinity of the District's Administrative Office to receive additional comments, and for the Board of Directors to consider Public Access Option 1 and Option 2 and whether to tentatively approve the Draft Master Plan. DISCUSSION Since June 2004, with assistance from the consulting firm Design, Community and Environment (DC&E) and guidance from the La Honda Creek Master Plan Ad Hoc Committee, staff has been preparing a Draft Master Plan for La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve (Preserve). During this comprehensive planning process, the majority of the Preserve has remained closed to public access. The Master Plan will ensure responsible stewardship of the Preserve by describing actions the District will take to protect natural and cultural resources, expand conservation grazing, and provide public environmental education and ecologically-sensitive recreation. R-09-71 Page 2 , The first phase of the project focused on data collection and review, with subsequent phases utilizing that data to identify, analyze and solidify recommendations for resource management, conservation grazing and public access. The following table lists the major project milestones and the final tasks that remain: Master Plan Milestones Workshop#1 - Existing Conditions November 3, 2004 Public land tour of upper La Honda Creek November 20, 2004 Initial stakeholder phone interviews November—December 2004 Workshop #2 - Issues and Opportunities December 6, 2004 Driscoll Ranch purchase October 2005 —December 2006 Public land tours of Driscoll Ranch October 13 and 14, 2006 Additional stakeholder phone interviews November 2006 Workshop #3 - Driscoll Ranch Addition November 16, 2006 Stakeholder focus group meetings November 2006—February 2007 Preliminary Draft Plan recommendations March—December 2007 Existing Conditions Report revision July— September 2007 Open House December 4, 2007 Draft Plan document preparation January—October 2008 Final Draft Plan completed December 2008 —March 2009 Draft Plan released for Board and Public Review April 13, 2009 —► I" Public Hearing: Receive Initial Public Comment May 19, 2009 2nd Public Hearing: Tentative Adoption June 2009 Mitigated Negative Declaration (CEQA doc) circulated July—August 2009 3rd Public Hearing: Master Plan Final Adoption August 2009 The District has encouraged active public participation throughout the planning process, soliciting input from agencies, environmental organizations, local neighbors, and potential trail users at workshops, through phone interviews and in focus group meetings. The majority of comments have centered on public access and trail use, particularly bicycle and dog access. These comments were discussed at length by the Ad Hoc Committee, who called for a second review of the preliminary trail use recommendations for the Preserve to determine whether additional trail use options could be considered that would not impact natural resources or conflict with existing and future grazing operations. In response to comments from the public and suggestions from the Ad Hoc Committee, staff prepared a second set of alternative recommendations with additional bicycle and dog access opportunities in the Draft Master Plan for consideration by the full Board of Directors. However, the introduction of bicycle use or dog use as described in either alternative will require formal approval from the resource agencies due to potential impacts to the San Francisco garter snake (SFGS), which is a fully protected species that may be present at the Preserve. To date, SFGS has not been observed either during fieldwork or as part of wildlife surveys, however, suitable habitat and the preferred prey (California red-legged frog) do exist in the Preserve. Additionally, in 1987, one SFGS was recorded less than a mile away from the Preserve boundary. R-09-71 Page 3 Since releasing the Draft Master Plan for Board and public review, a number of comments have been received. A summary of the questions raised by the public and responses prepared by staff will be provided at the May 19 public hearing. At this same hearing, staff will provide a brief presentation on the Draft Master Plan and focus on key topics, including public access. FISCAL IMPACT Consideration of public comment on the La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve Draft Master Plan will not result in any direct or immediate fiscal impacts. Implementation of a Board- approved Master Plan will require District resources and funding. Estimated implementation costs for each Master Plan action and long-term operational costs are included in the Draft Master Plan that is currently under Board and public review. The District will be required to seek additional funding sources to implement the majority of the Master Plan projects. PUBLIC NOTICE Public notice was provided as required by the Brown Act. Interested parties and adjacent neighbors who are on the La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve Master Plan mailing list were also notified of this item. CEQA COMPLIANCE This public hearing to receive public comment will not result in Board action and does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Future action taken by the Board to adopt the Master Plan will be subject to CEQA review at that time. NEXT STEPS If the Board accepts the Committee's recommendations, the Board will consider tentative adoption of the Draft Master Plan, including the preferred public access option, at a second public hearing tentatively scheduled in June 2009. The actual date,time and location will be determined at a later date. Following tentative adoption, staff would complete the environmental review document, which would then be released for Board and public review. Following this review period, a final public hearing would occur for the Board to consider adoption of the Master Plan and certification of the environmental review document. Prepared by: Ana Ruiz, AICP, Interim Planning Manager and Project Manager Contact person: Larry Hassett, Chair, La Honda Master Plan Ad Hoc Committee Draft Master Plan Recommendations Include: Cultural Resources Public Access & Education 11 Corte de M idera creek • Conducting cultural • Expanding the trail system from resource inventories 3.7 miles to approximately - • Evaluating the Red Barn for 30 miles of trail nomination on historic registers • Opening select trails to bicycles ` and dogs on leash (requires • Preparing a site plan for the Red Barn area resource agency approval) _ • • Evaluating the historical • Constructing three new significance and structural parking areas integrity of the White Barn • Creating regional trail connections, Reside and Redwood Cabin including a new segment of the k '" e Trail Area Ridge • • Developing maintenance plans Bay - �� • r� � for historic structures • Providing public education through interpretive signage, ,-- � • Conducting archeological ,s,• s surveys docent-led tours, field trips - and community events Aw Natural Resources Maintenance & Operations ' P • Managing unique and • Improving high priority roads ~ sensitive habitats and trails to address drainage R.,,..„ a • Protecting listed wildlife species and erosion concerns a _ and rare plants including the • Developing and implementing California red-legged frog, steel- a road maintenance and head salmon,Western pond turtle, restoration plan - King's Mountain manzanita and . Constructing new fuel breaks Western leatherwood and reducing fuel loads for u • Developing and implementing fire safety ,. a pond management plan ■ Improving emergency , • Managing forests for a healthy vehicle access environment and fire safety Developing a wildfire • `° • Expanding livestock grazing to response plan "` support native grassland La Honda creek Resourc�ewManagement Projects iYPh • rtnF^�'+l.w.(ni 'w n+uNM..e ,JVJ,rt.rvi Yw,t�atro� Removingdisposing and p osin g Open Spate Preserve ��+ • Identifying and protecting of remnant debris wildlife corridors 1nO� .nd• Caw"v a.u.J.w S ® i�.4.t FMawl W.t C.nmat.w 4.n+M .uw.. vJ wMaM The following two public access options will be considered by the District's Board of Directors at the May 19 public hearing. Driscoll 11-1 1,m.""V K""d Driscoll Ranch Main Access Road Easy Access Loop Trail 0-9 Env Access Loop Trail Vista Point Loop Trail 28 —AL., Vista Point Loop Trail Trail Connenion to Red Barn Area 0 1 j Trail Connection In Red Barn Area 0.3 Trail Connection to Driscoll Ran(h I Trail Connection In Driscoll Ranch 1.5 C-11 L,Honda Creek Loop Trail 48 L.Honda CwA Loop Trail 44 Red—xl Cabin Loop Trail 2.1 2.1 loop Trail 2.4 RM,,,.,d Cabin Loop Trail Interim Loop Trail 2.4 Red BarnRd Barn loop Trail 2.0 V9 Ir Uiop Trail 2 0 —N!l = F,,IW,Ranch L—p Trail 1.9 Folget Ran,h Lvp Trail 3.9 7 HarTingt(m CrPA Trail 1 6 Harring1cm Creek Trail 1.6 Seam Ranch Lx)p Trail 19 NO Sex,Ranch loop Trail 1.9 Trail to R"',Peak 01 PUSIK Trail U,Rjv',Peak 0.1 NO FLOW Accm C3 or [BID, 0 NO F"UC *% access .4 % % t! > % _-44- La Honda Creek Public Access (Option 1) La Honda Creek Public Access (Option 2) Open Space Preserve F-1.1— R..d, Open Space Preserve Read'