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HomeMy Public PortalAbout20100317 - Minutes - Board of Directors (BOD) Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Meeting 10-09 SPECIAL MEETING BOARD OF DIRECTORS MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT MEETING LOCATION: COASTSIDE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT TRAINING Room 1191 MAIN STREET,HALF MOON BAY,CA MARCH 17,2010 MINUTES SPECIAL MEETING I. ROLL CALL President Mary Davey called the Special Meeting to order at 6:30 p.m., and asked for the Roll Call. Members Present: Pete Siemens, Mary Davey, Cecily Harris, Jed Cyr, Nonette Hanko, Larry Hassett and Curt Riffle Members Absent: None Staff Present: S. Schectman, M. Williams, B. Malone, D. Sanguinetti, A. Ruiz, T. Walz, E. Cuzick, S. Sommer, J. Chung, B. Hsieh, C. Koopmann, and K. Lenington 11. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS—There were none. 111. ADOPTION OF AGENDA Motion: Director Cyr moved approval of the Agenda. Director Siemens seconded the motion. The motion passed 7 to 0. IV. ADOPTION OF CONSENT CALENDAR Motion: Director Cyr moved approval of the Consent Calendar to approve the Revised Claims 10-06 Report. Director Hassett seconded the motion. The motion passed 7 to 0. V. BOARD BUSINESS Meeting 10-09 Page 2 A. Agenda Item 4—Approve the Purchase of the POST(Lobitos Ridge) Property Located in Unincorporated San Mateo County(340-Acre Portion of San Mateo County Assessor's Parcel Number 066-230-030) as an Addition to Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve; Adopt the Preliminary Use and Management Plan; and Approve a Categorical Exemption in Accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act—(Report R-10-32) M. Williams and S. Sommer presented the staff report. M. Williams reviewed an outline of the staff presentation and included information about the District's 2004 annexation of the San Mateo County coastal area and the Coastside Protection Area benefits. S. Sommer gave a PowerPoint slide presentation and reviewed the purpose of the purchase. It is the third of four properties in the"Purisima to the Sea"project. She described the property and showed maps and slides of the topography of the property. She said the Lobitos Creek has a healthy environment and that there is a rich resource of wildlife. S. Sommer reviewed the grazing use on the property and said there were approximately 125 acres of grassland used for grazing. She said that staff will work on combining the grazing leases into one lease as the same grazing tenant has a lease for the adjacent property. S. Sommer said that approximately 7 acres were used for actively farming row crops and that the purchase of this property would be the first actively farmed agricultural area under the District's ownership. She reviewed the long-term agricultural strategy. S. Sommer said a Rangeland Plan was being drafted and would be brought before the full Board in the Fall of 2010. M. Williams reviewed the Terms and Conditions of the purchase. He said that POST will continue restoring and repairing the structures on the property. POST will be reimbursed up to $600,000, an amount held in escrow. The actual funds spent by POST will be reimbursed up to the $600,000 amount, but if the cost of repairs exceeds the$600,000 amount,then any costs over$600,000 will not be reimbursed. He showed photographs of the work being done. M. Williams said that the farm has been a working farm for 130-140 years and that there are a lot of deferred maintenance needs. E. Cuzick is overseeing the repairs. Director Riffle referred to the San Mateo County Resources Advisory Board and asked how they may impact the District's maintenance and responsibility for the historical structures on the property. M. Williams replied that the Advisory Board assists in resolving issues, for instance, staff is seeking guidance from the Advisory Board on maintenance options for the water system. Director Riffle asked if there were any restrictions by having the house as part of the historic registry. S. Sommers said that it actually relieves the District from complying Meeting 10-09 Page 3 with the 2008 Building Code, so they can use the Historic Building Code, which will result in lower costs. Director Riffle asked for clarification of the$600,000 held in escrow, which M. Williams explained to his satisfaction. Director Riffle asked about the condition of the grazing land. C. Koopmann said the property is in good shape and that the primary concern is water for the cattle. Director Riffle asked if all three properties would have grazing. C. Koopmann said that there are two different grazing tenants, so there would be separate agreements, but that all three properties would have grazing. Director Hanko remarked on the Bethe Family article in the Half Moon Bay Review. She asked if, in the future,the property buildings might be open for the public to see and to find out the history of the building(s). M. Williams said that both the agricultural fields and the structure will provide interpretative opportunities. Director Hassett complimented staff on an excellent presentation. He asked if the property fell under Caltrans jurisdiction where the waterfall is. M. Williams said there is a waterfall on Purisima Creek, but on Lobitos Creek there was no waterfall. However, there are two obstructions in manmade culverts. He said that, in high water years, the steelhead trout are able to get over the obstructions and swim to their spawning areas. Director Hassett asked that staff work with other agencies to restore the fisheries. Director Siemens expressed concern about the potential water shortage for grazing on the property and asked if they could put a well on the property. M. Williams reviewed how the grazing tenant uses rotational grazing and said that the tenant and staff were looking at ways to improve the stock ponds. He said it was difficult digging a well on the property, especially due to the potential for oil in the ground. They could install water troughs and improve the lines. He said that S. Sommer will come back to the Board with details about upgrading the water system for the property at a future Board meeting. Director Harris said she was excited about the project. She asked for clarification about POST's ability to recognize donors by naming features on the property. M. Williams explained that they could name a ridge and that there was no provision for installing a bench. Public Comment Peter Kelly, 1590 Purisima Creek Road, said he was representing the Purisima Canyon Neighbor Association. He said he was satisfied with preserving this property. He said the Association would like to see a fire tank or water reservoir installed, adding that there is a tank at Bluebrush and it is a good area for a reservoir. He said the Association was very concerned about the potential for fire in the area and being able to have access to a ready water supply was very important. Mr. Kelly said that there is still a parking issue at the preserve,but Meeting 10-09 Page 4 said he did receive a memorandum from A. Ruiz and understands that the District is working on solving the parking problem. Motion: Director Hanko moved approval to determine that the recommended actions are categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act(CEQA) as set out in the report; to adopt Resolution No. 10-10 authorizing the purchase of the Peninsula Open Space Trust Lobitos Ridge Property and approving the related Assignments of Leases of the property; to adopt the Preliminary Use and Management Plan contained in the report; to designate the property as an addition to Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve; and to withhold dedication of the property as public open space at this time. Director Riffle seconded the motion. The motion passed with a vote of 7 to 0. VI. ADJOURNMENT President Davey adjourned the Special Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District at 7:30 p.m. Lisa Zadek, Recording Secretary it