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Home My Public Portal About20120208 - Agenda Packet - Board of Directors (BOD) - 12-06 '77 Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Meeting 12-06 REGULAR MEETING BOARD OF DIRECTORS MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT Administrative Office 330 Distel Circle Los Altos,California 94022 Wednesday, February 8, 2012 REGULAR MEETING OF THE MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT BEGINS AT 7:00 P.m.* AGENDA REGULAR MEETING 7:00 REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT— PUBLIC SESSION ROLL CALL ORAL COMMUNICATIONS—PUBLIC ADOPTION OF AGENDA 7:05 CONSENT CALENDAR 1. Approve Minutes of the Regular and Special Board Meeting —January 11,2012 2. Approve Revised Claims Report 3. Approve Written Communications—E. Pearson and S. Rice 4. Cancellation of the February 22,2012 Regular Board Meeting and Calling of a Special Board Meeting on February 29,2012—S.Abbors 7:30 BOARD BUSINESS 5. Approval of the Proposed Purchase of the Peninsula Open Space Trust(Madonna Creek Ranch)Property located south of State Highway 92 approximately a half mile east of the City of Half Moon Baresin unincorporated San Mateo County(Assessor's Parcel Number 056450-0 10 and 056450-030) as an addition to Mirarnontes Ridge Open Space Preserve; Adoption of the Preliminary Use and Management Plan; and Approval of a Categorical Exemption in Accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act—M.Williams 6. Award of Contract for Completion of CEQA Analysis and Documentation for the La Honda Creek Master Plan—L. Bankosh i INFORMATIONAL REPORTS—Reports on compensable meetings attended.Brief reports or announcements concerning activities of District Directors and staff;opportunity to refer public or Board questions to staff for factual information;request staff to report back to the Board on a matter at a future meeting;or direct staff to place a matter on a future agenda. A. Committee Reports B. Staff Reports C. Director Reports 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. You may address the Board concerning other matters during Oral Communications. Each speaker will ordinarily be limited to three minutes.Alternately,you may comment to the Board by a written communication, which the Board appreciates. Consent Calendar:All items on the Consent Calendar may be approved without discussion by one motion.Board members, the General Manager, and members of the public may request that an item be removed from the Consent Calendar during consideration of the Consent Calendar. 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,Las Altos,California 94022. CERTIFICATION OF Pos,r[NG OF 1 I,Michelle Radcliffe,District Clerk for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District(MROSD),declare that the foregoing agenda for the Regular Meeting of the MROSD Board of Directors and the Regular Meeting of the District Financing Authority was posted and available for review on February 3,2012,at the Administrative Offices of MROSD,330 Distel Circle,Los Altos California,94022. The agenda is also available on the District's web site at http:,//www.oVenspace.or . Signed this 3rd day of February,at Los Altos,California. District Clerk February 3,2012 Claims No. 12-02 Meeting 12-06 Date 2/8/12 Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District # Amount Name Description 16839 $7,924.59 Rick Skierka Lot Line Adjustment Maps&Survey Work For Application Submitted To San Mateo County 16840 $6,735.00 LSA Associates Environmental Consulting Services-Midego Gateway Project 16841 $6,700.00 Imhof Tractor Service Fence Installation Around Rental Residence Water Tank And Pump House 16842 $6,614.06 Bryan&Arlene Mooney Legal Fees For Access Road At Sierra Azul 16843 $4,290.00 Old Republic Title Company Title&Escrow Fees For Post Madonna Creek Purchase& Addition To Miramontes Ridge 16844 $2,970.19 *1 First National Bank Computer,Website&Internet Expenses-FFO Internet/Email Service Provider For Sending Email Blasts/Hard Drives For AO/ Statistical Software To Support Biological&Environmental Analysis By Resource Management Staff/Web Form Service 16845 $2,650.00 Cagwin&Dorward Landscaping Services-AO 16846 $2,587,27 Ascent Environmental CEQA/NEPA Document Preparation&Support For Mt. Umunhum Site Planning 16847 $2,462.50 Concern Employee Assistance Program Quarterly Fee 16848 $2,400.00 # Woodside Portola Patrol Patrol Services At Hawthorn Property 16849 $2,393.08 The Sign Shop Assorted District Signs, Decals&Miscellaneous Preserve Signage 16850 $2,250.00 The Bank Of New York Mellon Trust Trustee Services-Closing Of 2012 Refunding Promissory Notes Company 16851 $2,175.00 Glasser Kolly Labor Relations Consultant Services-Labor Negotiations&Labor Relations 16852 $2,040.00 Liebert Cassidy Whitmore Employment Consortium Membership&Legal Services 16853 $1,854.00 Macro Corporation Project Management Services-Implementation Of District's New Radio System 16854 $1,768.00 *1 First National Bank Conferences&Training-Social Media In Government Communications Conference/Pension Reform Webinar 16855 $1,675.71 California Work Trucks Paint&Service Patrol Truck 16856 $1,400.00 *2 MCB Remodeling Deposit For Shower Stall Replacement-Rental Residence 16857 $1,389.82 *1 First National Bank Business Related Meals-Board Meetings/Legal Meeting/ Strategic Plan Meeting/General Manager Meetings/Meeting With Coastal Conservancy&Bay Area Open Space Council! Hwy17 Connectivity Project Meeting Y 1 9 16858 $1,339.30 CMK Automotive Vehicle Maintenance&Repairs 16859 $1,250.00 Rhus Ridge Associates 2011 Road Maintenance Dues 16860 $1,249.53 Tadco Supply Janitorial Supplies 16861 $1,240.59 Design,Community&Environment Assistance Assembling Resource Management Policies 16862 $1,232.50 Fall Creek Engineering Design Services For Ponds DR07&DR08 At La Honda Creek 16863 $1,219.56 Redwood General Tire Company Tires 16864 $1,181.00 Del Rey Building Maintenance Window&Blind Cleaning/Building Maintenance&Supplies-AO 16865 $1,173.22 Mission Valley Ford Vehicle Maintenance&Repairs 16866 $1,172.00 Communication&Control Radio Repeater Site Rent-Tomita Hill 16867 $1,029.03 *1 First National Bank Rental Residence Expenses-Booster Meter/Replace Garage Door 16868 $1,000.00 *3 Old Republic Title Company Purchase Deposit-POST Madonna Creek Ranch 16869 $993.66 Big Creek Lumber Lumber For SFO Stock 16870 $812.22 Office Depot Office Supplies/Toner For Fax Machine/Wall Planners/Binders &Binder Clips/Hanging Folders/Break Room Supplies 16871 $669.29 *1 First National Bank Field Supplies/Supplies For Handrail On Horseshoe Puncheon 16872 $660.67 Orchard Supply Hardware Field Supplies/Maintenance&Cleaning Supplies For FFO/ Shop Supplies For FFO&SFO/Water Filters/Dimmer Switch For Rental Residence/Level/Parking Lot Lights For SAO/ Supplies For Alpine Pond Dock Project/Tie Down Straps 16873 $600.89 Summit Uniforms Uniform Expenses 16874 $547.16 United Site Services Sanitation Services-Sierra Azul&Fremont Older 16875 $541.60 Accountemps Accounting Temp Page 1 of 3 Claims No. 12-02 Meeting 12-06 Date 2/8/12 Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District # Amount Name Description 16876 $485.67 *1 First National Bank Uniform Expenses 16877 $458.05 *1 First National Bank Office Supplies/Calendars/Supplies For Printer Repairs/Break Room Supplies/Cordless Drill For AO/Earthquake Disaster Supplies 16878 $406.29 Metro Mobile Communications Installation Of Mobile Radio In Maintenance Truck 16879 $402.82 Great Printing&Copies Printing Services-Photocopy Maps For La Honda Creek&El Sereno 16880 $400.00 Santa Clara County Cities Managers' 2012 Lunch&Parking Dues For Santa Clara County Cities Association Managers'Association 16881 $369.83 R. E. Borrmann's Steel Company Materials For New Safety Gate At Rental Residence/Tractor Parts&Supplies 16882 $347.86 Pape' Material Handling Tractor Parts 16883 $304.94 *1 First National Bank Miscellaneous Expenses-Decorations For Year End Celebration /Recording Fees For Property Purchase/Supplies For Skyline Water System 16884 $303.49 Pacific Water Systems UV Lamps&Filters For Fremont Older&SAO 16885 $300.49 Sunnyvale Ford Vehicle Maintenance&Repairs 16886 $271.99 Congdon, Bunny Lodging&Mileage-Accounting Department Support 16887 $271.00 Cupertino Medical Group Employee Medical Services 16888 $255.21 ADT Security Services Alarm Service-SFO 16889 $219.86 HSBC Business Solutions(Costco) Field Supplies/IAFS Meeting Snacks 16890 $216.50 Foster Brothers Keys For FFO 16891 $205.41 Moore Medical Training Supplies 16892 $201.62 California Water Service Company Water Service-AO&Windy Hill 16893 $200.00 Simms Plumbing&Water Equipment Water System Maintenance-Rental Residence 16894 $199.88 G&K Services Shop Towel Service-SFO&FFO 16895 $194.77 *1 First National Bank Vehicle Maintenance&Supplies-Fuel/Fuel Cap 16896 $166.46 C.E.B. Legal Books 16897 $158.13 *1 First National Bank Advertising,Subscriptions&Books-Survey Monkey Monthly Subscription/Book"Saving Nature In A Post Wild World" 16898 $128.68 Waste Management Of Guadalupe Disposal Of Pressure Treated Wood Disposal Company 16899 $109.00 Coastal Sierra Internet Service-SFO 16900 $85.49 Aramark Uniform Expense 16901 $81.09 FedEx Shipping Charges 16902 $78.00 Pacific Telemanagement Services Pay Phone-Black Mountain 16903 $71.00 Terminix Pest Control Services-AO 16904 $69.19 Staples Credit Plan Break Room Supplies-AO 16905 $62.99 Tom McFall Refund-Web Store Merchandise 16906 $43.00 Allen's Press Clipping Bureau Clipping Service 16907 $36.96 *1 First National Bank Volunteer&Docent Training Supplies-Snacks For Volunteers 16908 $30.00 *1 First National Bank Membership Dues-Groundspeak Annual Dues 16909 $28.30 O'Reilly Auto Parts Motor Oil&Power Outlet Plug 16910 $21.63 Los Altos Hardware Field Supplies-Materials For New Safety Gate At Rental Residence 16911 $20.30 United Parcel Service Parcel Shipping 16912 $6.39 Kwik Key Lock&Safe Company Two Masterkeys For AO Page 2 of 3 Claims No. 12-02 Meeting 12-06 Date 2/8/12 Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District # Amount Name Description Total $87,403.73 *1 Urgent check issued 1/6112 The total amount for First National Bank is$9,494.85 "2 Urgent check issued 2/1/12 `3 Urgent check issued 2/2/12 # Hawthorn expenses Page 3 of 3 s Claims No. 12-02 Meeting 12-06 Date 2/8/12 Revised Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District # Amount Name Description 16839 $7,924.59 Rick Skierka Lot Line Adjustment Maps&Survey Work For Application Submitted To San Mateo County 16840 $6,735.00 LSA Associates Environmental Consulting Services-Midego Gateway Project 16841 $6,700.00 Imhof Tractor Service Fence Installation Around Rental Residence Water Tank And Pump House 16842 $6,614.06 Bryan&Arlene Mooney Legal Fees For Access Road At Sierra Azul 16843 $4,290.00 Old Republic Title Company Title&Escrow Fees For Post Madonna Creek Purchase& Addition To Miramontes Ridge 16844 $2,970.19 *1 First National Bank Computer,Website&Internet Expenses-FFO Internet/Email Service Provider For Sending Email Blasts/Hard Drives For AO/ Statistical Software To Support Biological&Environmental Analysis By Resource Management Staff/Web Form Service 16845 $2,650.00 Cagwin&Dorward Landscaping Services-AO 16846 $2,587.27 Ascent Environmental CEQA/NEPA Document Preparation&Support For Mt. Umunhum Site Planning 16847 $2,462.50 Concern Employee Assistance Program Quarterly Fee 16848 $2,400.00 # Woodside Portola Patrol Patrol Services At Hawthorn Property 16849 $2,393.08 The Sign Shop Assorted District Signs, Decals&Miscellaneous Preserve Signage 16850 $2,250.00 The Bank Of New York Mellon Trust Trustee Services-Closing Of 2012 Refunding Promissory Notes Company 16851 $2,175.00 Glasser Kolly Labor Relations Consultant Services-Labor Negotiations&Labor Relations 16852 $2,040.00 Liebert Cassidy Whitmore Employment Consortium Membership&Legal Services 16853 $1,854.00 Macro Corporation Project Management Services-Implementation Of District's New Radio System 16854 $1,768.00 *1 First National Bank Conferences&Training-Social Media In Government Communications Conference/Pension Reform Webinar 16855 $1,675.71 California Work Trucks Paint&Service Patrol Truck 16856 $1,400.00 *2 MCB Remodeling Deposit For Shower Stall Replacement-Rental Residence 16857 $1,389.82 *1 First National Bank Business Related Meals-Board Meetings/Legal Meeting/ Strategic Plan Meeting/General Manager Meetings/Meeting With Coastal Conservancy&Bay Area Open Space Council/ Hwy 17 Connectivity Project Meeting 16858 $1,339.30 CMK Automotive Vehicle Maintenance&Repairs 16859 $1,250.00 Rhus Ridge Associates 2011 Road Maintenance Dues 16860 $1,249.53 Tadco Supply Janitorial Supplies 16861 $1,240.59 Design,Community&Environment Assistance Assembling Resource Management Policies 16862 $1,232.50 Fall Creek Engineering Design Services For Ponds DR07&DR08 At La Honda Creek 16863 $1,219.56 Redwood General Tire Company Tires 16864 $1,181.00 Del Rey Building Maintenance Window&Blind Cleaning/Building Maintenance&Supplies-AO 16865 $1,173.22 Mission Valley Ford Vehicle Maintenance&Repairs 16866 $1,172.00 Communication&Control Radio Repeater Site Rent-Tomita Hill 16867 $1,029.03 *1 First National Bank Rental Residence Expenses-Booster Meter/Replace Garage Door 16868 $1,000.00 *3 Old Republic Title Company Purchase Deposit-POST Madonna Creek Ranch 16869 $993.66 Big Creek Lumber Lumber For SFO Stock 16870 $812.22 Office Depot Office Supplies/Toner For Fax Machine/Wall Planners/Binders &Binder Clips/Hanging Folders/Break Room Supplies 16871 $669.29 *1 First National Bank Field Supplies/Supplies For Handrail On Horseshoe Puncheon 16872 $660.67 Orchard Supply Hardware Field Supplies/Maintenance&Cleaning Supplies For FFO/ Shop Supplies For FFO&SFO/Water Filters/Dimmer Switch For Rental Residence/Level/Parking Lot Lights For SAO/ Supplies For Alpine Pond Dock Project/Tie Down Straps 16873 $600.89 Summit Uniforms Uniform Expenses 16874 $547.16 United Site Services Sanitation Services-Sierra Azul&Fremont Older 16875 $541.60 Accountemps Accounting Temp Page 1 of 3 e Claims No. 12-02 Meeting 12-06 Date 2/8/12 Revised Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District # Amount Name Description 16876 $485.67 *1 First National Bank Uniform Expenses 16877 $458.05 *1 First National Bank Office Supplies/Calendars/Supplies For Printer Repairs!Break Room Supplies/Cordless Drill For AO/Earthquake Disaster Supplies 16878 $406.29 Metro Mobile Communications Installation Of Mobile Radio In Maintenance Truck 16879 $402.82 Great Printing&Copies Printing Services-Photocopy Maps For La Honda Creek&El Sereno 16880 $400.00 Santa Clara County Cities Managers' 2012 Lunch&Parking Dues For Santa Clara County Cities Association Managers'Association 16881 $369.83 R. E. Borrmann's Steel Company Materials For New Safety Gate At Rental Residence/Tractor Parts&Supplies 16882 $347.86 Pape' Material Handling Tractor Parts 16883 $304.94 *1 First National Bank Miscellaneous Expenses-Decorations For Year End Celebration /Recording Fees For Property Purchase/Supplies For Skyline Water System 16884 $303.49 Pacific Water Systems UV Lamps&Filters For Fremont Older&SAO 16885 $300.49 Sunnyvale Ford Vehicle Maintenance&Repairs 16886 $271.99 Congdon,Bunny Lodging&Mileage-Accounting Department Support 16887 $271.00 Cupertino Medical Group Employee Medical Services 16888 $255.21 ADT Security Services Alarm Service-SFO 16889 $219.86 HSBC Business Solutions(Costco) Field Supplies/IAFS Meeting Snacks 16890 $216.50 Foster Brothers Keys For FFO 16891 $205.41 Moore Medical Training Supplies 16892 $201.62 California Water Service Company Water Service-AO&Windy Hill 16893 $200.00 Simms Plumbing&Water Equipment Water System Maintenance-Rental Residence 16894 $199.88 G&K Services Shop Towel Service-SFO&FFO 16895 $194.77 *1 First National Bank Vehicle Maintenance&Supplies-Fuel/Fuel Cap 16896 $166.46 Continuing Education Of The Bar Legal Books 16897 $158.13 *1 First National Bank Advertising, Subscriptions&Books-Survey Monkey Monthly Subscription/Book"Saving Nature In A Post Wild World" 16898 $128.68 Waste Management Of Guadalupe Disposal Of Pressure Treated Wood Disposal Company p p Y 16899 $109.00 Coastal Sierra Internet Service-SFO 16900 $85.49 Aramark Uniform Expense 16901 $81.09 FedEx Shipping Charges 16902 $78.00 Pacific Telemanagement Services Pay Phone-Black Mountain 16903 $71.00 Terminix Pest Control Services-AO 16904 $69.19 Staples Credit Plan Break Room Supplies-AO 16905 $62.99 Tom McFall Refund-Web Store Merchandise 16906 $43.00 Allen's Press Clipping Bureau Clipping Service 16907 $36.96 *1 First National Bank Volunteer&Docent Training Supplies-Snacks For Volunteers 16908 $30,00 *1 First National Bank Membership Dues-Groundspeak Annual Dues 16909 $28.30 O'Reilly Auto Parts Motor Oil&Power Outlet Plug 16910 $21.63 Los Altos Hardware Field Supplies-Materials For New Safety Gate At Rental Residence 16911 $20.30 United Parcel Service Parcel Shipping 16912 $6.39 Kwik Key Lock&Safe Company Two Masterkeys For AO 16913 R $15,565,27 Tessco Equipment For District Radio Project 16914 R $13,584.00 Aviat Equipment For District Radio Project 16915 R $7,197.69 San Mateo County Planning&Building Permit Fees For Ponds DR07&DR08 Division 16916 R $5,148.00 County Of Santa Clara- Services Related To Design, Installation& Maintenance Of A Communications Department Two Way Radio System Page 2 of 3 Claims No. 12-02 Meeting 12-06 Date 2/8/12 Revised Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District # Amount Name Description 16917 R $3,980.00 Group Delphi New Sign Boards For Cooley Landing 16918 R $3,247.58 Home Depot Lumber For Alpine Pond Dock/Lumber For Nature Center Dock/ Material&Supplies For FFO Equipment Shed Restoration/FFO &SFO Shop Tools/Concrete For Windy Hill Gate Project/Two Drills For FFO/DHF Supplies/Supplies For SAO Plumbing Repairs 16919 R $2,929.77 Krames Staywell Medical Training Books&Training Supplies 16920 R $881.43 Moffett Supply Company Janitorial Supplies 16921 R $668.10 Gardenland Power Equipment Pole Saw/Air Filter For Air Compressor/Chainsaw Parts 16922 R $554.68 AmeriGas Propane-Rental Residences 16923 R $545.57 Congdon, Bunny Lodging&Mileage-Accounting Department Support 16924 R $425.00 Shute,Mihaly&Weinberger LLP Legal Services-ECDM Staging Area And Trails Improvement Project 16925 R $370.56 Recology South Bay Dumpster Service-RSA 16926 R $221.04 Petty Cash Carwashes/Fuel/Bridge Tolls/Parking/Office&Break Room Supplies 16927 R $180.54 *4 California Water Service Company Water Service-Rental Residences 16928 R $161.29 Neopost Postage Machine Supplies 16929 R $140.00 Geocon Consultants Environmental&Geotechnical Consulting Services For Mindego Ranch Landfill 16930 R $100.00 Beckman,Craig Reimbursement-Cell Phone I 16931 R $90.11 Allied Waste Services Garbage Service-Rental Residences 16932 R $80.00 Malone, Brian Reimbursement-Cell Phone 16933 R $68.79 #1 California Water Service Company Water Service-Hawthorn 16934 R $60.00 Hooper,Stan Reimbursement-Cell Phone 16935 R $55.00 California Department Of Public Health Water Treatment Certification Renewal 16936 R $44.16 Lampson Tractor&Equipment Tractor Supplies Company 16937 R $37.50 Baillie,Gordon Reimbursement- Membership Renewal For Park Rangers' Association Of California 16938 R $15.65 Robert's Hardware Painting Supplies 16939 R $12.00 Rancho Cobbler&Cleaners Sew On Badge Total $143,767.46 *1 Urgent check issued 1/6/12 The total amount for First National Bank is$9,494.85 *2 Urgent check issued 2/1/12 *3 Urgent check issued 2/2/12 *4 Urgent check issued 2/2/12 # Hawthorn expenses #1 Hawthorn expenses Urgent check issued 212/12 Page 3 of 3 I i I Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District M l To: Board of Directors From: Stephen E. Abbors Date: February 8, 2012 Re: Written Communications Michelle Radcliffe From: sagrice@gmail.com Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2012 2:01 PM To: BOARD; Clerk-, Vicky Gou; General Information Subject: 01/12/2012 -sagrice@gmail.com -Contact Board First Name: Sally Last Name: Rice Email Address: saqrice(c.qmail.com Ward /Location: Pleasant Hill, CA Comments: Hi All, Riley and I had the priviledge of hiking Skyline Ridge over the weekend with our Police Chief and his wife. It's been awhile since I have hiked any of MidPenn's trails. It was and incredibly beautify day and the views/experience was amazing. I was reminded how blessed we all are to have this property preserved so well. Thanks for all you continue to do. I think of you often and miss you all. Sally ,I Dear Sally, Thank you for your January 12, 2012 letter. We are glad that you still enjoy hiking on our preserves and hope that you will continue to visit us from time to time. Thanks for staying in touch! Sincerely, DRAFT RESPONSE PREPARED BY STAFF FOR BOARD CONSIDERATION Curt Riffle, Board President Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District II i Michelle Radcliffe From: enidpearson1@gmail.com Sent: Sunday, January 15, 2012 11:55 AM To: BOARD; Clerk; Vicky Gou; General Information Subject: 01/15/2012 -enidpearson1@gmail.com - Contact Board First Name: Enid Last Name: Pearson Email Address: enidpearson1((Dgmail.com Ward /Location: Palo Alto Comments: Dear Members of the Board: During the December holidays my whole family (including 4 from Texas) hiked the Pulgas Ridge Trail. It was, as usual, a great experience. Thank you for your work acquiring these lands for the public. Our one dismay was coming upon the wonderful row of old eucalyptus tress that we saw were doomed to be cut down. There seems to be a huge effort to destroy these great trees because they are not indigenous. My hope would be that Midpen would take a lead and do everything it can to preserve them. Proper pruning would go a long way. I have two in my own yard that I have taken care of for 35 years, properly pruning them sometimes twice a year. I hope you will revisit these trees and look for a better solution. Thanks again, Enid Pearson, former PA City Council Member, &Green Foothills President plus other stuff i ', | GENERAL MANAGER uenhcnE.A0000 n.«/"n^/ 0 peOSOEL0e | Midpen|nsu|a Regional Open Space District BOARD OF DIRECTORS � Pete Siemens / wnkomsh/mvto Jed Cyr Curt Riffle � woneueHamkm ' LanYnaoeu DR AFT RESPONSE' Cen/v*arn, February 8, 2012 PREPARED 13Y STAFF FOR =~~~.~. CONSIDERATION Subject: � Dear Ms. Pearson: � Thank you for the comments you sent to Director Yoriko Kishimoto regarding the removal of eucalyptus trees from Pu|gas Ridge Open Space Preserve (OSP). The purpose of this letter isto provide you with � information on why the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (District) is removing eucalyptus trees � at this preserve. � As part of its mission to protect and restore the natural environment, the District has been removing eucalyptus trees and other types of non-native invasive vegetation since 1985 from the former location of a tuberculosis hospital at Pu|gas Ridge OSP. The hospital and associated buildings were original built on a graded hilltop in the middle of relatively undisturbed piece of property.The hospital grounds were landscaped with non-native treesandshrubsand' unfortunate|}\ sonnenfthesespreadintothe surrounding natural oak forest, chaparral, grasslands and creeks. Eucalyptus trees certainly have a long history in the state and are attractive in landscape environments. However, upon acquisition by the District, the purpose of the Pulgas property changed from the use described above to protecting its natural qualities and providing recreational opportunities. The buildings and much of the infrastructure were nenooved, and then the District started the decades-long process of stopping the spread of acacia, broom, and eucalyptus into over 3SO acres ofnatural habitat. For many years,we have been removing young eucalyptus seedlings from the hillsides surrounding the former hospital grounds, and it is evident to us that only removing the mature seeding trees will stop this ongoing modification of the surrounding natural environment. Eucalyptus trees are being removed at this Preserve because they reduce the biodivecsity of the natural habitats, a view supported by scientific research as well as many land management agencies (CAL EPPC, � 3004;S[R[D. 2U11, Thompson, eta| 2D00). Furthermore, eucalyptus trees are highly flammable, easily � carry fire into forest canopies by sending fire brands over large distances, and alter the patterns of fire � frequency and severity(Esser, et al, I993). Because of the fire risk posed by eucalyptus trees ona � ridgeline, especially when they are gradually spreading down the slopes into chaparral areas and toward � � residential areas, we believe gradual removal of the remaining trees is the responsible way to manage this preserve. � � 3soo/ste|c/,ur Los Altos,c^y*n2a � ,6so6*--,2on � ,6so6o1048s � wwmop,nspac*.oro � �� In 1994, the District prepared a restoration plan for Pulgas Ridge to enhance the natural values of the Preserve by replacing invasive non-native vegetation with self-sustaining native species that require little or no long term maintenance. Only a few eucalyptus trees are removed every year. Every few years, a new area is ready for restoration and the District designs a project to plant and/or allow the natural regeneration of native plants to the former eucalyptus area. Although this is a gradual process, we have seen native under to ryfill in areas formerly dominated by eucalyptus trees and a bare understory. Thank you again for your interest in the District. While I know this is not the answer you sought, I hope the explanation I have provided addresses your concerns and the reasons behind the District Board's decision to gradually restore natural conditions at Pulgas Ridge OSP. Sincerely, Curt Riffle, Board President Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District References: A.Thompson, 2008. Effects of Eucalyptus globulus removal on Islais Creek flows, San Francisco, CA. Bossard, C.C., J.M. Randall, and M.C. Hoshovsky(eds.) 2000.Invasive plants of California's Wildlands. University of California Press, 360 pp. illus.ISBN: 0-520-22547-3. California Exotic Pest Plant Council (Cal EPPC), 2004. Part IV Plant Assessment Form; For Use with "Criteria for Categorizing Invasive Non-Native Plants that Threaten Wildlands." Available: http://www.cal- ipc.org/ip/inventory/PAF/Eucalyptus%20globulus.pdf [2012,Jan 20]. Esser, L. L. 1993. Eucalyptus globulus.In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/(2012,Jan 20]. Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District(SCRCD). 2011. Addressing Regulatory Obstacles to Eucalyptus Control in San Mateo County. 20 pp. 2 r Michelle Radcliffe From: Michelle Radcliffe Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2012 9:38 AM To: 'enidpearson1 @gmail.com' Subject: RE: 01/15/2012 -enidpearson1 @gmail.com -Contact Board Dear Ms. Pearson: Thank you for the leadership role you have played in acquiring and protecting thousands of acres of parks and open space in our region. We'd also like to thank you for the comments you sent to Director Yoriko Kishimoto regarding the removal of eucalyptus trees from Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve (OSP). The purpose of this letter is to provide you with information on why the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (District) is removing eucalyptus trees at this preserve. As part of its mission to protect and restore the natural environment,the District has been removing eucalyptus trees and other types of non-native invasive vegetation since 1985 from the former location of a tuberculosis hospital at Pulgas Ridge OSP. The hospital and associated buildings were originally built on a graded hilltop in the middle of a relatively undisturbed piece of property.The hospital grounds were landscaped with non-native trees and shrubs and, unfortunately, some of these spread into the surrounding natural oak forest, chaparral,grasslands and creeks. Eucalyptus trees certainly have a long history in the state and are attractive in landscape environments. However, upon acquisition by the District,the purpose of the Pulgas property changed from the use described above to protecting its natural qualities and providing recreational opportunities. The buildings and much of the infrastructure were removed, and then the District started the decades-long process of stopping the spread of acacia, broom, and eucalyptus into over 350 acres of natural habitat. For many years,we have been removing young eucalyptus seedlings from the hillsides surrounding the former hospital grounds, and it is evident to us that only removing the mature seeding trees will stop this ongoing modification of the surrounding natural environment. Eucalyptus trees are being removed at this Preserve because they reduce the biodiversity of the natural habitats, a view supported by scientific research as well as many land management agencies.. Furthermore, eucalyptus trees are highly flammable, easily carry fire into forest canopies by sending fire brands over large distances, and alter the patterns of fire frequency and severity. Because of the fire risk posed by eucalyptus trees on a ridgeline, especially when they are gradually spreading down the slopes into chaparral areas and toward residential areas, we believe that pruning of trees will not address the fire risk and therefore gradual removal of the remaining trees is the responsible way to manage this preserve. 1 In 1994,the District prepared a restoration plan for Pulgas Ridge to enhance the natural values of the Preserve by replacing invasive non-native vegetation with self-sustaining native species that require little or no long term maintenance. Only a few eucalyptus trees are removed every year. Every few years, a new area is ready for restoration and the District designs a project to plant and/or allow the natural regeneration of native plants to the former eucalyptus area. Although this is a gradual process, we have seen native understory fill in areas formerly dominated by eucalyptus trees and a bare understory. Thank you again for your interest in the District. While I know this is not the answer you sought, I hope the explanation I have provided addresses your concerns and the reasons behind the District Board's decision to gradually restore natural conditions at Pulgas Ridge OSP. Sincerely, Curt Riffle, Board President Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District -----Original Message----- From: enidpearson1(a)gmail.com [mailto:enidpearson1(a),gmaii.com1 Sent: Sunday, January 15, 2012 11:55 AM To: BOARD; Clerk; Vicky Gou; General Information Subject: 01/15/2012-enidpearson1 a1))gmail.com - Contact Board First Name: Enid Last Name: Pearson Email Address: enidpearson1(a0mail.com Ward /Location: Palo Alto Comments: Dear Members of the Board: During the December holidays my whole family (including 4 from Texas) hiked the Pulgas Ridge Trail. It was, as usual, a great experience. Thank you for your work acquiring these lands for the public. Our one dismay was coming upon the wonderful row of old eucalyptus tress that we saw were doomed to be cut down. There seems to be a huge effort to destroy these great trees because they are not indigenous. My hope would be that Midpen would take a lead and do everything it can to preserve them. Proper pruning would go a long way. I have two in my own yard that I have taken care of for 35 years, properly pruning them sometimes twice a year. I hope you will revisit these trees and look for a better solution. Thanks again, Enid Pearson, former PA City Council Member, & Green Foothills President plus other stuff z i February 8, 2012 Subject: Dear Ms. Pearson: Thank you for the leadership role you have played in acquiring and protecting thousands of acres of parks and open mace in our region. We'd also like to thank you for the comments you sent to Director Yoriko Kishimoto regarding the removal of eucalyptus trees from Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve (OSP). The purpose of this letter is to provide you with information on why the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (District) is removing eucalyptus trees at this preserve. As part of its mission to protect and restore the natural environment, the District has been removing eucalyptus trees and other types of non-native invasive vegetation since 1985 from the former location of a tuberculosis hospital at Pulgas Ridge OSP. The hospital and associated buildings were originally built on a graded hilltop in the middle of a relatively undisturbed piece of property.The hospital grounds were landscaped with non-native trees and shrubs and, unfortunately, some of these spread into the surrounding natural oak forest, chaparral, grasslands and creeks. Eucalyptus trees certainly have a long history in the state and are attractive in landscape environments. However, upon acquisition by the District,the purpose of the Pulgas property changed from the use described above to protecting its natural qualities and providing recreational opportunities. The buildings and much of the infrastructure were removed, and then the District started the decades-long process of stopping the spread of acacia, broom, and eucalyptus into over 350 acres of natural habitat. For many years,we have been removing young eucalyptus seedlings from the hillsides surrounding the former hospital grounds, and it is evident to us that only removing the mature seeding trees will stop this ongoing modification of the surrounding natural environment. Eucalyptus trees are being removed at this Preserve because they reduce the biodiversity of the natural habitats, a view supported by scientific research as well as many land management agencies.. Furthermore, eucalyptus trees are highly flammable, easily carry fire into forest canopies by sending fire brands over large distances, and alter the patterns of fire frequency and severity. Because of the fire risk posed by eucalyptus trees on a ridgeline, especially when they are gradually spreading down the slopes into chaparral areas and toward residential areas,we believe that pruning of trees will not address the fire risk and therefore gradual removal of the remaining trees is the responsible way to manage this preserve. In 1994, the District prepared a restoration plan for Pulgas Ridge to enhance the natural values of the Preserve by replacing invasive non-native vegetation with self-sustaining native species that require little or no long term maintenance. Only a few eucalyptus trees are removed every year. Every few years, a new area is ready for restoration and the District designs a project to plant and/or allow the natural regeneration of native plants to the former eucalyptus area. Although this is a gradual process,we have seen native understory fill in areas formerly dominated by eucalyptus trees and a bare understory. Thank you again for your interest in the District. While I know this is not the answer you sought, I hope the explanation I have provided addresses your concerns and the reasons behind the District Board's decision to gradually restore natural conditions at Pulgas Ridge OSP. Sincerely, Curt Riffle, Board President Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District i DRAB" RESPONSE D By STAFF February 8, 2012 ARE CONSIDERATION FOR BOARD Subject: Dear Ms. Pearson: Thank you for the comments you sent to Director Yoriko Kishimoto regarding the removal of eucalyptus trees from Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve (OSP). The purpose of this letter is to provide you with information on why the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District(District) is removing eucalyptus trees at this preserve. As part of its mission to protect and restore the natural environment, the District has been removing eucalyptus trees and other types of non-native invasive vegetation since 1985 from the former location of a tuberculosis hospital at Pulgas Ridge OSP. The hospital and associated buildings were originally built on a graded hilltop in the middle of a relatively undisturbed piece of property.The hospital grounds were landscaped with non-native trees and shrubs and unfortunately, some of these r p spread into the surrounding natural oak forest, chaparral, grasslands and creeks. Eucalyptus trees certainly have a long history in the state and are attractive in landscape environments. However, upon acquisition by the District, the purpose of the Pulgas property changed from the use described above to protecting its natural qualities and providing recreational opportunities. The buildings and much of the infrastructure were removed, and then the District started the decades-long process of stopping the spread of acacia broom and eucalyptus pp g p uca yptus into over 350 acres of natural habitat. For many years, we have been removing young eucalyptus seedlings from the hillsides surrounding the former hospital grounds, and it is evident to us that only removing the mature seeding trees will stop this ongoing modification of the surrounding natural environment. Eucalyptus trees are being removed at this Preserve because they reduce the biodiversity of the natural habitats, a view supported by scientific research as well as many land management agencies.. Furthermore, eucalyptus trees are highly flammable, easily carry fire into forest canopies by sending fire brands over large distances, and alter the patterns of fire frequency and severity. Because of the fire risk posed by eucalyptus trees on a ridgeline, especially when they are gradually spreading down the slopes into chaparral areas and toward residential areas, we believe that pruning of trees will not address the fire risk and therefore gradual removal of the remaining trees is the responsible way to manage this preserve. c �F In 1994, the District prepared a restoration plan for Pulgas Ridge to enhance the natural values of the Preserve by replacing invasive non-native vegetation with self-sustaining native species that require little or no long term maintenance. Only a few eucalyptus trees are removed every year. Every few years, a new area is ready for restoration and the District designs a project to plant and/or allow the natural regeneration of native plants to the former eucalyptus area. Although this is a gradual process,we have seen native understory fill in areas formerly dominated by eucalyptus trees and a bare understory. Thank you again for your interest in the District. While I know this is not the answer you sought, I hope the explanation I have provided addresses your concerns and the reasons behind the District Board's decision to gradually restore natural conditions at Pulgas Ridge OSP. Sincerely, Curt Riffle, Board President Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District R Michelle Radcliffe From: Michelle Radcliffe Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2012 11:04 AM To: sagrice@gmail.com' Subject: RE: 01/12/2012 - sagrice@gmail.com - Contact Board Dear Sally, Thank you for your January 12, 2012 letter. We are glad that you still enjoy hiking on our preserves and hope that you will continue to visit us from time to time. Thanks for staying in touch! Sincerely, Michelle Radcliffe on behalf of Curt Riffle, Board President Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Michelle Radcliffe, C MC~ District Clerk mradcliffeCa>openspace.org -----Original Message----- 1idp��r�ir�s€�i eic��oi Open Space District From: sagrice gmail.com [mailto:sagrice a�7gmaiLcoml 3f� t�itel Circle, Los Altos, A 40 Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2012 2:01 PM . _ To: BOARD; Clerk; Vicky Gou; General Information : (�� ) 91- ; � �� 61.04f3 i Subject: 01/12/2012-sagrice(o)gmail.com -Contact Board First Name: Sally Last Name: Rice Email Address: sagrice .gmail.com Ward /Location: Pleasant Hill, CA Comments: Hi All, Riley and I had the priviledge of hiking Skyline Ridge over the weekend with our Police Chief and his wife. It's been awhile since I have hiked any of MidPenn's trails. It was and incredibly beautify day and the views/experience was amazing. I was reminded how blessed we all are to have this property preserved so well. Thanks for all you continue to do. I think of you often and miss you all. Sally i i I i Dear Sally, Thank you for your January 12, 2012 letter. We are glad that you still enjoy hiking on our preserves and hope that you will continue to visit us from time to time. Thanks for staying in touch! Sincerely, Curt Riffle, Board President Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District I Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District R-12-16 Meeting 12-06 February 8, 2012 AGENDA ITEM 4 AGENDA ITEM Cancellation of the February 22, 2012 Regular Board Meeting and Calling of a Special Board Meeting on February 29, 2012 GENERAL MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION Approve the General Manager's recommendation to cancel the February 22, 2012 Regular Board Meeting and to call a Special Meeting for February 29, 2012. SUMMARY l Due to the General Manager's scheduled vacation in February, the General Manager recommends that the Regular Board Meeting of February 22,2012, be canceled and that a Special Board Meeting be scheduled for February 29, 2012 in its place. DISCUSSION Due to the General Manager's scheduled vacation from February 3rd through February 21", the General Manager recommends that the Regular Board Meeting of February 22,2012, be canceled and that a Special Board Meeting be scheduled for February 29, 2012 in its place. 'The Special Board Meeting on February 29r" will allow the Board to focus on the Initial FY2012-13 Budget and Action Plan, and approve the employment agreement for the District General Counsel and two brief items related to the Board's Appointees contracts. Moving the meeting to � this date would allow the General Manger time to finalize budget and action plan review with the departments and to be in attendance for any clarification that the Board may require regarding Board appointee matters. FISCAL IMPACT There are no unbud 7eted fiscal impacts associated with this recommendation. €� p PUBLIC NOTICE Notice was provided pursuant to the Brown Act. No additional notice is necessary. R-12-16 Page 2 CEQA COMPLIANCE No compliance is required as this action is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). NEXT STEPS If approved, the District Clerk will post a Notice of Cancellation for the February 22, 2012 Board meeting and notify interested parties of the cancellation. The District Clerk will also comply with all notification requirements pertaining to the Special Board Meeting on February 29, 2012. Prepared by: Michelle Radcliffe, District Clerk Contact person: Stephen E. Abhors, General Manager Michelle Radcliffe, District Clerk i Midpeninsula Regional ' Open Space District li R-12-10 I Meeting 12-06 February 8, 2012 AGENDA ITEM 5 AGENDA ITEM Approvalp p p of the Proposed Purchase of the Peninsula Open Space Trust Madonna Creek Ranch Property located south of State Highway 92 approximately a half mile east of the City of Half Moon Bayin unincorporated San Mateo Count Assessors Parcel Number 056-450-010 and � Y( 056-450-030) as an addition to Miramontes Ridge Open Space Preserve; Adoption of the Preliminary Use and Management Plan; and Approval of a Categorical Exemption in Accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act GENERAL MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATIONS ��w 1. Determine that the recommended actions are categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act(CEQA) as set out in this report. 2. Adopt the attached Resolution authorizing the purchase of the Peninsula Open Space Trust (Madonna Creek Ranch) Property and approving the related Assignment of Lease of the Property. 3. Adopt the Preliminary Use and Management Plan contained in this report. 4. Designate the Property as an addition to Miramontes Ridge Open Space Preserve. 5. Withhold dedication of the Property as public open space. SUMMARY The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (District) is proposing to purchase the approximately 564-acre Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) (Madonna Creek Ranch)property at a price of$600,000, $500,000 of which will be funded by a California Department of Parks and Recreation Habitat Conservation Fund grant. As part of this transaction, the District is also proposing to continue leasing a 27-acre portion of the property to the existing tenant for irrigated and dry farm row crops and a small equestrian boarding facility. The following report presents a description of the POST (Madonna Creek Ranch)property, the Coastside Protection Plan process, a Preliminary Use and Management Plan, the environmental review, the purchase terms and conditions, and financial considerations. R-12-10 Page 2 DISCUSSION The 564-acre POST (Madonna Creek Ranch)property being considered for purchase by the District is located adjacent to Miramontes Ridge Open Space Preserve(Preserve) and is located just south of State Highway 92 (San Mateo Road) and approximately a half mile east of the City of Half Moon Bay(see Attachment 2). POST received the property as a gift from the Levitt family in 1995. The property is entirely within the Coastside Protection Area, an area that was annexed into the District boundaries in 2004. Property Description (see Attachment 2) Overall, the POST (Madonna Creek Ranch)property presents an outstanding combination of agricultural, natural resource, and recreational values as a natural extension of the contiguous Miramontes Ridge Open Space Preserve, integrating closely with the 676-acre POST (Miramontes Ridge)property addition purchased in 2005 (see R-05-71). Special status birds, fish and amphibians are present, as are deer and mountain lion. The riparian corridors are thriving, and the property presents a future opportunity to expand and interconnect the existing P � public regional trail system. Prime farmland soil (Class II) is present in the alluvial valley bottoms. The terrain of the property varies from level farmed fields to gentle terraces along the top of the ridges to extremely steep hillsides as much as 40% sloe falling sharply off in a northeasterly g Y p ( p ) g � Y Y I es on the south and west lead down toward the it tion to Madonna Creek. Rollingentlerad d ec g �' coastal lowland of Half Moon Bay and Miramontes Creek. Elevations range from 120 feet on the northwest to 600 feet where the east property line crosses the ridge at the present Preserve boundary. The property has considerable plant diversity, including slopes covered with chaparral and grass, willow and alder riparian areas along the creeks and in shaded side ravines, and small stands of conifers and eucalyptus groves. The property was grazed until the 1950s and patches of European annual grass can be found throughout the scrub cover on southern slopes. On north- facing slopes, scrub cover is unbroken and forms a particularly rich habitat that supports a wide variety of small mammals,birds, reptiles, and insects. Grassland accounts for at least half the acreage of the property and, like nearly all of California's coastal grasslands, is made up of introduced European grasses and weedy herbs brought into the area with cattle during the Spanish land grant days. Native and non-native wildflowers dot the grassland in spring. Eucalyptus trees form a dense canopy covering approximately 40 acres below Miramontes Ridge on the north-facing slope and on the south. At the east property line is a stand of planted Monterey pines that reach 100 feet in height. Non-native invasive plant species, like thistle, fennel, dandelion, and cow parsnip are common next to the roads, and cape weed(ivy) is prevalent along the creeks. With approximately three miles of stream frontage(including '/2 mile of Pilarcitos Creek), one in-stream pond, and several seeps, the property possesses significant watershed and riparian values. Bordered by Pilarcitos Creek to the north and Miramontes Creek to the south, the riparian corridors provide a diversified willow-alder riparian habitat for a number of special status species including California red-legged frog and yellow warbler. Madonna Creek bisects i R-12-10 Page 3 the property between Miramontes Ridge to the south and the prime agricultural fields to the north. The trees shade the stream and the understory of shrubs, vines, and ferns. Smaller willow stands flourish next to year-round seeps and also along the Miramontes Creek on the south property line. The property is confirmed deer/mountain lion habitat that forms a corridor, extending far to the east beyond Skyline Boulevard to the San Francisco watershed lands. Golden eagles have been observed foraging on the property on several occasions. Additionally, habitat for at least twelve other special status species identified either on or near the property will be protected by adding this property to already preserved adjacent open space lands at Miramontes Ridge Open Space Preserve and Burleigh Murray Ranch State Park. The western extension of Miramontes Ridge,the focal physiographic feature of Miramontes Ridge Open Space Preserve, lies within the project site. The ridge is a prominent and imposing landscape feature that overlooks the coastal agricultural lowlands. Extending from Skyline Boulevard to the east side of the City of Half Moon Bay, the ridge separates the watersheds of Pilarcitos Creek and its tributary Madonna Creek from that of Mills Creek. Whether seen from the Skyline Scenic Corridor and the Preserve, State Highway 92, Burleigh Murray Ranch State Park, or the coastal area below, Miramontes Ridge is central to the uninterrupted rolling landscape scenery that gives character to the region. Likewise, views of the ocean and lowland from the ridge are spectacular. North of the property are several large greenhouses used by flower nurseries. Privately owned lands to the south and west of the addition parcel are zoned for agricultural purposes,but appear to be unused at this time and are possibly grazed lightly by cattle or sheep. Current Use and Development The property was historical) used for residential purposes, a dal farming of irrigated field p p Y Y p 1P dairy, g g � crops and dry farmed grain. The now demolished farm buildings were situated along both sides of Madonna Creek at the property midpoint; these were initially used for dairy farming,then for hog farming, and eventually as an equestrian facility. Several residences were historically found near the property's northern entrance,where the horse boarding facility now stands. Until recently the only remaining structure was a large 50 by 120 foot wood frame and corrugated steel barn;however this barn collapsed in 2008 and its remaining debris was removed by POST in 2011. Foundations, extensive concrete slabs, and other dairy-era ground level infrastructure remain on the property, now mostly hidden by dense vegetation. Based on historic aerial photos, a 1,000-foot segment of Madonna Creek was channelized by the dairy farming operation and was crossed several times by bridges. An unknown number of culverts and bridge abutments are still present in the stream channel, also hidden by vegetation. One vehicular bridge crossing of Madonna Creek remains, comprised of large eucalyptus log stringers and wood decking. POST has re-decked and added a safety railing to this bridge. For approximately 250 feet above this bridge Madonna Creek becomes a willow marsh exhibiting no flow channel or banks,having been filled with sediment likely many years ago. Cattle grazing was a dominant land use in this region during the early 1900s, and dry land farming once occurred on the now overgrown ridgetops above Madonna Creek and Miramontes Creek. San R-12-10 Page 4 Mateo County soils maps show approximately 27 acres of gently sloping Botella Clay Loam (Class II) soils along the v-shaped valley formed by the confluence of Pilarcitos and Madonna Creeks. This portion of the property is currently being farmed under an agricultural lease. Recent farming activities include growing irrigated pumpkins or other truck crops, and raising dry farmed grain and hay. Irrigation infrastructure consists of a portable pump and piping system that draws water directly from the diversion pond within Madonna Creek. The unpermitted in-stream diversion pond on Madonna Creek presents a complete fish passage barrier, and has altered downstream hydrology. The pond's concrete impoundment and spillway is crossed perpendicularly by a wooden trail bridge,recently repaired by POST. The pond impoundment and spillway appear to have received little maintenance over the years,judging by the erosion gulling and deep scouring below the spillway. A historic ranch landfill is present on the eastern creek bank immediately below the pond spillway, debris from which can be observed in Madonna Creek extending at least 250 feet below the landfill site. The surface debris present in the creek has been removed by POST,however an unknown amount of buried landfill debris is embedded in the stream,some appearing to have been deposited many years ago. The property is also improved with a County-permitted horse stabling facility, which makes limited use of the property's roads for equestrian trails. According to the provisions of the lease, the agricultural tenant is responsible to conduct good animal husbandry practices and provide a safe environment for horses and their boarders. The tenant is also responsible for managing the horse boarding facility and associated by-products (such as manure) consistent with San Mateo County confined animal operation permit requirements. Vehicular access to the property is directly from Highway 92 (San Mateo Road) on the north and from the private section of Miramontes Street on the south, which originates in downtown Half Moon Bay. The adjacent property to the east has an access easement to utilize property's main ranch road to access the southwestern portion of their property. The POST (Madonna Creek Ranch)property contains an estimated six miles of existing lightly used seasonal ranch roads. In general these roads are in good condition and do not show signs of significant soil erosion. A 1.5 mile portion of the road system was assessed by a POST consultant in 2005. This assessment recommended a number of high and moderate priority treatments that were never implemented, including a bridge evaluation, short trail realignments, installation of drainage dips and ditches, as well as road rocking. Shaded portions of the main road are prone to puddles due to summer fog drip. Potential Future Use and Development Although not proposed for consideration at this time, the property could potentially be opened for low-intensity recreational use and integrated into the overall District trail system in the future after the long-term planning process is completed, unless precluded by environmental, agricultural or other constraints identified during this process. The existing road and trail networks on the property continue through the adjacent open space preserve to Burleigh Murray Ranch State Park to the south and could provide a major link that could someday connect the planned regional trails. The timing and final configuration of this trail system will depend on future District and partner priorities. R-12-10 Page 5 Coastside Protection Program Process As part of the annexation process, the Service Plan and subsequent conditions approved by LAFCo established a number of policies and procedures for conducting the Coastside Protection Program. The Program now guides the District's purchase, use and management of open space land within the Coastside Protection Area. The proposed purchase of the POST(Madonna Creek Ranch)property described in this Report and the accompanying Preliminary Use and Management Plan are consistent with the policies and procedures contained in the Program. The Coastside Protection Program requires consultation with interested public agencies, officials and interested organizations to solicit input into the planning process prior to the Board's consideration of purchasing the property. On December 5, 2011, District staff met and consulted with the San Mateo County Farm Bureau, who supported the project and provided information about past agricultural use of the property. The project was also presented to the San Mateo County Agricultural Advisory Committee where it was generally supported. District staff assured both the Farm Bureau and the Agricultural Advisory Committee that agricultural concerns would be carefully considered in future planning for the property, and that the decision making process would include numerous opportunities for their participation and input. The District's Real Property Committee, a standing committee of the Board of Directors, held a meeting on the property(within the Coastside Protection Area) with neighbors and interested members of the public in order to familiarize them with the property and to receive public input on the proposed purchase. This meeting was held on November 30, 2011, after notice was distributed to property owners of land located adjacent to or surrounding the property, Coastside p p Y J g p p Y public officials, community-interest groups, non-profit land trusts, conservation-oriented organizations, elected officials, government agencies and government-sponsored organizations within the Coastside Protection Area. Several members of the public attended the meeting including the existing agricultural and stable tenant. At the meeting, staff described the property and how it would be managed as a natural extension of the adjacent Preserve, the proposed preliminary use and management plan, and the purchase terms. USE AND MANAGEMENT Planning Considerations The District's Regional Open Space Study identifies the property as along the route of several potential major regional trail connections from Skyline Boulevard to Half Moon Bay. The Bay Area Open Space Council's Conservation Lands Network, the result of their Upland Habitat Goals Project, identifies the POST (Madonna Creek Ranch)property as "Essential to Conservation Goals", indicating that it is an essential component of a network of conservation lands for biodiversity preservation. Pilarcitos Creek is shown as a"Priority 1 Stream Conservation Target" indicating that it is one of the most important streams and watersheds in the San Francisco Bay Area, especially for listed anadromous fish species and important assemblages of native fishes. The property is comprised of three legal parcels and has a potential development density of three residential sites. Development of the property for residential purposes would be feasible, as much of the property is accessible from public roadways and there are many relatively level R-12-10 Page 6 building sites along or near ridgetop above the agricultural fields. Within close proximity are numerous homes visible from, and close by, on one to twenty acres of land. The current San Mateo County General Plan designation for the property is Agriculture, and the zoning is Planned Agricultural District/ Coastal Development(PAD/CD). Adjacent private properties to the west, and along Highway 92 to the north are also zoned PAD/CD. Adjacent private properties along Miramontes Street at the south west corner of the property are zoned Resource Management/Coastal Zone(RM-CZ). District staff requested that San Mateo County review the conformity of the District's proposed property purchase with the County General Plan. Because the General Plan land use designation is Agriculture, the conformity review was referred to the San Mateo County Agricultural Advisory Committee. On December 12, 2011, District staff made a presentation about the property purchase to this Committee. On December 14, 2011, the San Mateo County Planning Commission conducted its conformity review and found the purchase in conformance with the General Plan. According to California Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program (FMMP), the core of the property is prime farmland, and meets the County Local Coastal Plan/District Coastside Protection Program definition of"Prime Agriculture"moderately to highly suited to the cultivation of truck and field crops. This area corresponds to the 27-acre leased, actively farmed portion of the property, where irrigation and other farming infrastructure is present. Soils in the lowlands along Miramontes Creek on the southern edge of the property also meet the definition of Prime Agriculture, however this area has no existing irrigation and farming infrastructure since it has not been cultivated for many years. Consistent with District Coastside Protection Program policies, the Preliminary Use and Management Plan contained in this report specifies that the District will continue to lease the prime agricultural land in the northern half property for irrigated and dry farm row crops. District staff will work with an agricultural management consultant to prepare a comprehensive Agricultural Production Plan for the property for future District Board of Directors review and consideration, after soliciting public input and consulting with Coastside agricultural experts. This effort is estimated to cost $25,000 (one-time cost). The unpermitted in-stream agricultural water diversion, scoured spillway, and historic creek bank landfill would present challenging planning considerations in any scenario,but in this case the complexity is compounded by the presence of special status frogs and steelhead and by the existing equestrian trail crossing. The pond that the agricultural operator depends upon for his livelihood is also the habitat for the California red-legged frog and a barrier to steelhead migration. These factors would require the District to prioritize a careful Madonna Creek resource assessment and improvement plan, in coordination with the Agricultural Production Plan,to develop recommendations for irrigation infrastructure improvements (including potentially wells) that balance the existing agricultural production capacity on the prime farmland with sensitive aquatic species protection, consistent with the Coastside Service Plan and to the satisfaction of the resource regulatory agencies. This effort is estimated to cost$100,000(one-time cost) and would be budgeted as a cost associated with the land purchase(not a capital improvement). The Pilarcitos Creek Watershed Plan,under preparation by the San Mateo County Resource Conservation District, would inform this creek assessment and assist in determining the potential fish habitat value of the Madonna Creek watershed above the pond in the context of the entire watershed. R-12-10 Page 7 Regarding the FMMP designation for the balance of the property, approximately 374 acres are shown as suitable for grazing, with the remainder shown as "other lands" comprised of steep scrublands. Although potentially suitable for grazing, the property lacks grazing infrastructure j such as fencing and watering facilities. The cost of installing these facilities would likely exceed the foreseeable grazing revenue. Some of the ridge lands may have been dry farmed historically, however these lands have been faloowed for many years with no obvious farming infrastructure present. The horse stable facility is a recreational use which provides an income source that allows the agricultural tenant to afford to farm the property. Since it is an existing permitted use allowed by the current lease, the Preliminary Use and Management Plan proposes retaining the stable. Upon property purchase, District staff would need to work with the tenant to ensure County confined animal ordinance permit compliance, including the requirement that manure be covered and separated from the ground by an impermeable material. Staff would also prepare a Stable Management Plan to guide the ongoing operation of the facility. The County permit allows up to 15 horse stalls on the property; currently, twelve are present. The Stable Management Plan would assess the capacity for and appropriate location of the additional three stalls allowed for in the County permit. This plan would undergo public review and be presented to the Board for consideration prior to implementation. The Stable Management Plan is estimated to cost approximately$20,000 (one-time cost). The agricultural tenant currently permits his equestrian sub-tenants to ride on approximately two miles of the property's ranch roads, some of which border or cross the actively farmed prime farmlands. The District's Coastside Protection Program Mitigation Measures specify that trails be located so as not to fragment agricultural operations unless no feasible alternative is available, and that if trails must traverse cultivated lands then they shall incorporate adequate buffers, signs, and other necessary measures to ensure that trail use does not interfere with agricultural operations. Because the agricultural tenant has had direct control of the equestrian trail route and the trail use occurs on existing ranch roads, on ridgetops or on field margins, these mitigation measures have already been incorporated into the existing trail design. Although unnecessary at this time, the Preliminary Use and Management Plan includes provisions for monitoring, tenant consultation, additional signage, fencing, or informational brochures if needed in the future to insure that trail use does not interfere with agricultural operations. To enable Operations Department staff to best coordinate this trail use and assuming the property is purchased, staff would immediately begin working with the tenant to issue District access permits with terms meeting the District's typical neighbor use requirements. A potential property encroachment is found near the northern property entrance where the neighboring property owner has constructed a horse paddock along the driveway as well as cleared and fenced for a bull pasture on a steep hillside. POST has performed a boundary survey to better clarify property lines. Resolution of the possible encroachment issues will fall to the District and this matter will return to the Board for consideration at a later date. Although physically accessible from Highway 92 and Miramontes Street, the property's driveways do not lend themselves to future public use because of their narrowness and the close proximity of private residences, agriculture and farming uses along the road. For these reasons, i R-12-10 Page 8 the property is recommended to be closed to public access, except for good neighbor permits and tenant permits. Under the terms of the existing lease, which would be assigned to the District as part of the property purchase, the agricultural tenant is obligated to repair and maintain all roads within the leased premises used for the agricultural operation and to prevent and control erosion resulting from their use. The lease also specifies other minor tenant stewardship and maintenance responsibilities outside the leased premises. Since conditions may have changed since the 2005 I POST-sponsored partial road assessment, the proposed Preliminary Use and Management Plan calls for a new road assessment on the entire property to determine improvement and ongoing maintenance needs. After this assessment is completed, staff anticipates clarifying road maintenance responsibilities relative to the tenant lease obligations and adjoining owner's access easement road usage. This Road Conditions Assessment is estimated to cost approximately $20,000 (one-time cost). The low-lying agricultural fields along Pilarcitos and Madonna Creeks are potentially subject to seasonal flooding and are within the Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA) designated I00-year flood zone. The District commissioned a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment prior to purchase and District staff has conducted due diligence investigations and inspections of the property, including a review of San Mateo County's property records and files. The property is near the Half Moon Bay Oil Field, one of several known oil fields in San Mateo County. Small scale oil exploration was unsuccessfully pursued in the early 1960s, and was properly capped and abandoned upon drilling. The report notes the presence of the aforementioned ranch landfill, indicating that the presence of hazardous materials in landfill debris cannot be ruled out without further investigation. The report also notes that the valley floor portion of the property has been historically used for agriculture with the potential for presence of residual persistent agricultural chemicals such as DDT in shallow soil, typical of ranch use dating back past the 1970s when these chemicals were sold. No other information of concern was noted in reviewing this Phase I information. Preliminary Use and Management Plan (Next Steps) The principal purpose of the proposed Preliminary Use and Management Plan is to establish a status quo approach to land management to be effective in the interim between purchase and the completion of a subsequent long-term plan. This plan outlines the uses that can occur on this property in the near term and the management methods for ensuring their compatibility with each other and with neighboring properties. It also outlines actions to protect and balance the agricultural and natural resource potential, and initiate activities needed to inform long term planning and management. The studies and potential future projects and tasks described in the Preliminary Use and Management Plan will be prioritized and scheduled separately, in the context of the District's overall workload and budget as part of the annual Action Planning and Budget process, so no specific timing for implementation is presented herein. This is particularly appropriate because potential future studies, tasks, and projects on the property can only be determined after thorough assessment and investigation of the site conditions set out in this report and subsequent review under the California Environmental Quality Act. i I R-12-10 Page 9 The proposed Preliminary Use and Management Plan below would take effect upon the close of escrow, and remain effective until a long-term plan is developed for the property. The Preliminary Use and Management Plan includes continuation of farming and equestrian boarding under the provisions of an agricultural lease, posting signs, and securing the site, as described more fully below. All mitigation measures contained in the Coastside Environmental Impact Report (EIR) are incorporated into this Preliminary Use and Management Plan. Name: Designate the property as an addition to Miramontes Ridge Open Space Preserve. Per the Purchase Agreement, for a limited period, allow POST to name one specific site element, such as a location, land formation, trail, natural and physical feature, staging area or other area of significance within the property, consistent with the District's "Policy for Site Naming and Gift Recognition". Public Access: Designate the property as closed to the public. However,to be consistent with the assigned agricultural lease,the specified trails shown on Attachment 3 are designated as open by permit to equestrians that board their horses on the property. In consultation with the tenant, formalize a permit process for equestrian use. Monitor equestrian trail use and modify route to use other existing trails if needed to avoid interference with agricultural operations. Assess appropriateness for year-round trail use or seasonal closure, and conduct further evaluation of the long-term improvements needed to sustain these trails for equestrian use, taking into account site-specific agriculture, natural resources, and road and trail conditions. Issue neighbor permits on a case-by-case basis(per the Good Neighbor Policy) allowing hiking and equestrian use consistent with historical use patterns. Allow docent-led hikes, after evaluating the compatibility of limited public access in light of existing on-site factors including agriculture, natural resources, neighbor concerns, temporary parking/staging needs, and road and trail conditions. I R-12-10 Page 10 Signs, Safety Install private property, closed area and preserve boundary signs where and Site appropriate. If needed to further address conflicts with agricultural use, sign Security: trails adjacent to agricultural areas and provide trail users with informational brochures. No evidence of any recognized environmental condition has been found on the property that has not already been corrected. As with every situation involving a property with historic agricultural use, perform a thoughtful analysis of the specific working conditions before all future maintenance and repairs. Structures and Lease the equestrian facility under the provisions of the assigned POST Improvements: Agricultural Lease and in compliance with the San Mateo County Confined Animal Permit. Prepare a revised District Stable Lease and a Stable Management Plan to outline the overall operation/management of the equestrian facility, including an evaluation of the addition of three horse boarding stalls as allowed under the County permit. Provide the revised Stable Lease and Stable Management Plan to the Board of Directors for review and consideration. Assess need for removal of old concrete foundations and slabs associated with the historic dairy as part of resource management studies (described below). Resource Prepare a study to assess Madonna Creek, including the pond, spillway, Management: bridges, creek bank landfill site, and the agricultural use of water, in coordination with the Agricultural Production Plan. Develop improvement review roval. The plan alternatives and cost estimates for Boardand approval.PP study should integrate the following tasks to balance the resource protection needs with compatible agricultural use: l. Investigate aquatic resources present in the in-stream pond, Madonna Creek, and vicinity. Assess stream conditions and habitat value throughout the property, and identify alternative habitat enhancement improvements. 2. Assess pond spillway and bridge integrity, and identify repairs and/or alternatives for improvement. 3. Assess creek bank landfill site cleanup alternatives. 4. Working with the tenant, assess the agricultural use of water and investigate the feasibility of developing alternative off-stream agricultural water sources. 5. Conduct consultations with coastside organizations (including the Resource Conservation District and Natural Resource Conservation District) and solicit public input. Conduct consultations with regulatory agencies regarding improvement plan alternatives. Coordinate efforts with the Pilarcitos Creek Watershed Plan. R-12-10 Page 11 Conduct a detailed resource assessment of the entire property, covering such topics as vegetation management and special status plants and animals. Conduct other interim invasive plant and animal management activities consistent with the District's policies and practices. Prime Continue cultivation of agricultural crops under the existing agricultural Agricultural lease being assigned to the District. Prepare an Agricultural Production Plan, Land: including an agricultural water use assessment, in coordination with the above mentioned Madonna Creek Study. Prepare a long-term agricultural lease for the prime agricultural land in accordance with the District's Coastside Service Plan. Obtain public input, consult with Coastside agricultural experts, and present the long-term agricultural lease and Agricultural Production Plan for review and consideration by the District Board of Directors. Monitor equestrian trail use and perform ongoing consultation with the agricultural is tenant to ensure that trail use s not interfering with farming. Patrol: Regularly patrol the property utilizing existing ranch roads. Wildfire Fuel Conduct standard District-wide fuel management and defensible space Management: practices. Further assess plant communities on the property to determine wildfire management needs and consult with San Mateo County and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in developing site- specific fuel modification and management program as part of the subsequent planning process. Roads and Keep existing primary roads serviceable for vehicular and trail use in Trails: coordination with the agricultural tenant. Implement maintenance and minor erosion and sediment control measures for access roads in accordance with District and Service Plan standards. Prepare a more detailed road,bridge, and trail assessment of the entire property consistent with Service Plan requirements, considering equestrian use as discussed under Public Access above. Clarify tenant and adjoining property owner road maintenance obligations. Fences and Install new fences and gates as necessary to prevent unauthorized vehicular Gates: entry at the property boundaries or other appropriate locations. Provide for equestrian access on permitted equestrian trails. Fence trails adjacent to agricultural areas if needed to minimize conflicts with agricultural use. Coastside Operate and manage the property in conformity with the provisions of the Service Plan: Service Plan for the Coastside Protection Program and the mitigation measures adopted pursuant to the Coastside Service Plan Environmental Impact Report. Dedication: Withhold dedication of the property as public open space at this time. Study timing of dedication as part of the subsequent planning process. R-12-10 Page 12 Subsequent Develop a long-term plan for the property as an addition to Miramontes Planning: Ridge Open Space Preserve, including more detailed plans for resource management, public access, road and trail management, agricultural production, and wildland fuel and fire management. Study potential disposition of prime agricultural lands to promote continuance of agricultural use. Since the property is within the Coastside Protection Area and is subject to the Service Plan, the process for developing a long-term plan involves conducting more detailed resource assessments to inform resource management, and public access plans including consultation with interested government officials, agencies and organizations; and an extensive public input process. The long-term plan will be subject to further environmental assessment under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). CEQA COMPLIANCE Project Description The proposed project consists of the acquisition of a 564-acre property as an addition to the District's open space preserve system and the concurrent adoption of a Preliminary Use and for h The 1 would permanently reserved as open ace and Management Plan o the property.. e and ou d be e i g p p Y p Yp p p maintained in a natural condition. The property would be closed to the public, except for the currently occurring equestrian and neighbor trail use. The 27-acre prime farmlands would continue to be leased for farming as irrigated and dry farm cropland. The existing stable would continue to operate in the current configuration. Minor resource and wildfire fuel management activities would occur, small signs and rustic fences would be installed, and existing ranch roads would be maintained according to District standards. Madonna Creek, natural resource, agricultural production, and road conditions studies would be completed. No decisions would be made now about future changes to use, management or improvements proposed for the property. Ultimately, the property would be included in a future long-term plan for the Miramontes Ridge Open Space Preserve, which would be subject to further public input and subsequent environmental review. The outcome of this future decision making process is speculative at this time. In accordance with the District's Coastside Protection Program, the proposed project incorporates all of the Coastside EIR mitigation measures that apply to land purchases within the Coastside Protection Area and is subject to the Coastal EIR mitigation monitoring program. CEQA Determination The District concludes that this project will not have a significant effect on the environment. It is categorically exempt from CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) under Article 19, Sections 15301, 15316, 15317, 15325, and 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines as follows: Section 15301 exempts operation, repair,restoration, maintenance,permitting, leasing, licensing or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing at the time of the lead agency's determination. The Preliminary Use and R-12-10 Page13 I Management Plan specifies the property will be operated and maintained in the current, primarily natural condition and there will be no expansion of agricultural, trail, or stable use. The property will be closed to the public with the exception of the existing equestrian trail use; irrigated and dry farmed agriculture will continue; minor resource and wildfire fuel j management activities will occur; minor signs and rustic fences will be installed; and existing ranch roads will be maintained according to District standards. Section 15316 exempts the acquisition of land in order to create parks if the site is in a natural condition and the management plan proposes to keep the area in a natural condition. The Preliminary Use and Management Plan specifies that the land will not be developed and will remain in a natural condition. Section 15317 exempts the acceptance of fee interests in order to maintain the open space character of an area. The District will acquire fee interest and maintain the open space character of the area. No new development is proposed as part of this project. Section 15325 exempts transfers of ownership of interests in land in order to preserve open space and to allow continued agricultural use to occur. This acquisition will transfer fee ownership of the property to the District and ensure that the open space will be preserved, that continued agricultural use will occur by implementing the Preliminary Use and Management Plan, and by incorporating it into the District's open space preserve system. This proposed project is categorically exempt from CEQA under these five sections. TERMS AND CONDITIONS The 564-acre POST (Madonna Creek Ranch) property is being purchased at a bargain sale price of$600,000 (approximately$1,064 per acre). The property has a fair market appraised value of ( pp Y p p P Y $3,600,000 based upon an independent appraisal commissioned by the District. POST's surveying, brid a repair, and clean-up projects,have an estimated cost of$100,000, enhancing g p p P J the value of the property by making it more suitable for District purchase. In 2006, District staff applied for a purchase funding grant from the Rare, Threatened, Endangered or Fully Protected Habitat category of the Habitat Conservation Fund to assist for POST Madonna Creek Ranch property and was awarded a the 369-acre uplands portion of O p p ( ) p p Y grant of$500,000 under this program from the State Department of Parks and Recreation(State) in 2007 (see Report R-06-121 . This grant will be applied towards the bargain sale purchase price of$600,000 with a gift match from POST of$3,000,000 based upon the fair market appraised value. The net cost to the District is $100,000 which reimburses POST for the property clean up,bridge repair and survey costs incurred, as discussed above. The State requires a deed restriction on title to ensure that the portion of the property purchased with grant funds is used for purposes consistent with the grant scope. The deed restriction will be compatible with the standard use and management of the District's open space preserve system. The grant application and deed restriction only apply to the uplands portion of the property(see Attachment 2) so that the District retains flexibility in the future if the Board later determines that the best wayto manage the farmland is to sell the 195-acre lowlands portion of the property g p p p Y to an agricultural buyer, consistent with Coastside Protection Program guidelines. R-12-10 Page 14 As part of this transaction, POST will assign to the District POST's agricultural lease with Mr. Johnny Cozzolino which includes the 27 acres of irrigated and dry farm row crops and a County- approved temporary twelve(12) stall horse boarding facility. The lease requires the protection of the riparian corridors, and the quality of the stream habitat that abuts the cultivated areas. The lease provisions allow the District the ability to close roads and trails used as equestrian trails to protect the natural resources on the property if necessary. The assigned lease ends on May 31, 2012, and will continue in a month to month holdover lease arrangement until a stable management plan, agricultural production plan and new lease is negotiated with the current tenant. These items will be presented to the Board at a future public meeting. The purchase agreement also includes a covenant that provides POST a period of five years to recognize significant donors through the naming of a single, specific location, land formation, trail, or other natural feature on the property, in accordance with the District's"Policies for Site Naming and Gift Recognition". FISCAL IMPACTS FY2011-12 Budget for New Land Purchases: New Land Budget $13,495,000 Less: Land purchase commitments this fiscal year ($5,415,500) j POST Madonna Creek Ranch)property purchase $600,000) New Land Purchase Budget Remaining $ 7,479,500 Controller M. Foster was consulted on this proposed purchase and has indicated that, considering cash flow and account balances, funds are available for this property purchase. i Current Coastside Protection Area Fiscal Considerations The 564-acre property is located in the District's Coastside Protection Area. Because it is located within the service area of the Coastside Fire Protection District, the property is not subject to the Agreement between San Mateo County and the District regarding fire services. Similarly, the property is not located in the La Honda-Pescadero School District; therefore, no fees will be payable under either Agreement as a result of the proposed purchase. The Coastside Protection Program included a Fiscal Analysis conducted by Economics Research Associates confirming the feasibility of implementing that Program. To ascertain whether the conclusions made in the Fiscal Analysis are valid for this particular project, Staff has researched the specific site conditions and expected costs associated with the proposed purchase and subsequent management of the property. This site assessment indicated that acquisition and management costs for the POST (Madonna Creek Ranch)property are expected to be consistent with the Fiscal Analysis projections. The total estimate for natural resource and land management studies called for within the Preliminary Use and Management Plan is $165,000 over an estimated five year period. The R-12-10 Page 15 Bargain Sale gift component of$3,000,000 as well as the $500,000 purchase grant will offset site assessment costs, management costs, and future implementation costs associated with this property. Furthermore, staff assessed the costs associated with this project and compared them to the Controller's most recent 15-year projections of cash flow, property tax revenue and operating expenses. Staff therefore concludes that purchasing and managing this property will not result in any significant impact to the District's existing services, and that the District has the resources to sustain this project. PUBLIC NOTICE An advance notice announcing the meeting date and the agenda for this public meeting, where the Board of Directors will consider purchasing this property, has been sent to property owners of land located adjacent to or surrounding the subject property, individuals requesting notification about this specific property, agenda subscribers, individuals requesting notification of proposed Coastside and Preserve projects, and Coastside public officials, community-interest groups, non-profit land trusts, conservation-oriented organizations, elected officials, government agencies and government-sponsored organizations within the Coastside Protection Area, as well as attendees of the November 30, 2011 Board Real Property Committee Meeting. The agenda and this report have been made available on the District's website. Accordingly, all notices I required b the Brown Act and the Districts Coastside Protection Program have been provided. q Y NEXT STEPS Upon approval by the Board of Directors, staff will proceed with close of escrow for the purchase of the property, and will undertake the next steps identified in the Preliminary Use and Management Plan contained in this report. Attachments: 1. Resolution 2. Property Map 3. Trail Permit Access Plan Prepared by: Sandy Sommer, Senior Real Property Planner Michael Williams, Real Property Manager Contact person: Michael Williams, Real Property Manager Graphics prepared by: Zachary Alexander, Planning Technician RESOLUTION 12-XX RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT AUTHORIZING ACCEPTANCE OF PURCHASE AGREEMENT AND ASSIGMENT OF LEASES, AUTHORIZING GENERAL MANAGER OR OTHER OFFICER TO EXECUTE CERTIFICATE OF ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT TO DISTRICT,AND AUTHORIZING GENERAL MANAGER TO EXECUTE ANY AND ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE TO CLOSING OF THE TRANSACTION (MIRAMONTES RIDGE OPEN SPACE PRESERVE -LANDS OF PENINSULA OPEN SPACE TRUST) The Board of Directors of Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District does resolve as follows: Section One. The Board of Directors of Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District does hereby accept the offer contained in that certain Purchase Agreement Bargain Sale between the Peninsula Open Space Trust and the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, a copy of which purchase agreement is attached hereto and by reference made a part hereof, and authorizes the President or other appropriate officer to execute the Agreement and all related transactional documents on behalf of the District to acquire the real property described therein ("the POST Property„) Section Two. The General Manager, President of the Board of Directors or other appropriate officer is authorized to execute a Certificate of Acceptance for the Grant Deed on behalf of the District. Section Three. The General Manager is authorized to accept the Assignment of Lease from Peninsula Open Space Trust on behalf of the District. Section Four. The General Manager or the General Manager's designee shall cause to be given appropriate notice of acceptance to the seller and to extend escrow if necessary. Section Five. The General Manager is authorized to expend up to $10,000.00 to cover the cost of title insurance, escrow fees, and other miscellaneous costs related to this transaction. Section Six. The General Manager is authorized to sign the Deed Restriction as required by the California Department of Parks and Recreation as a condition of the Habitat Conservation Fund Grant. Section Seven. The General Manager and General Counsel are further authorized to approve any technical revisions to the attached Agreement and documents which do not involve any material change to any term of the Agreement or documents, which are necessary or appropriate to the closing or implementation of this transaction. Section Eight. The purpose of this Section is to enable the District to reimburse its general fund for the cost of certain land acquisitions. The District wishes to finance certain of these real property acquisitions and expects to use tax-exempt debt, such as bonds,but a tax-exempt financing is not cost justified for the District unless the principal amount of the financing is large enough to justify the related financing costs. Consequently, it is the District's practice to buy property with its general funds and,when a tax-exempt financing is cost justified based on the aggregate value of acquisitions, to issue tax-exempt obligations to reimburse itself for previous expenditures of general funds. These general funds are needed for operating and other working capital needs of the District and are not intended to be used to finance property acquisitions on a long-term basis. 0 92 Imont, 4 92 Carlos• �%Ijcl%0 a o \ \ Equestrian De r Facilities Half Moon Bay - \ 1. 35 A h 1 \ Ag Fields c \,\ APN 056-450-030 n Half Moon Bay a ` APN 056-450-010 i s=`1 •r m n 1 a ? \1 0 n`n V �3= e e k `_-- / I 0 s nv tes5IIVV Burleigh Murray zk M\�mo POST Ranch State Park 41�`� o (Johnston Ranch) Attachment 2: POST (Madonna Creek Ranch) Property Midpeninsuta Regional Open Space District Grant-Funded Uplands Portion Other Protected Open Space or Park Lands Private Property (MROSD) Ag Fields Land Trust Developed Land January, 2012 MROSD Preserves Other Public Agency g Y Half Moon Bay City Limit Feet . 0 2,000 4.000 While the District strives to use the best available digital data,this data does not represent a Legal survey and is merely a graphic illustration of geographic features. �� I G 1 • e�,��0;`05 Equestrian Facility 92 \ Ponda i dam` �A / - Bridge v A C ; D �\ Old Barn � o=� Site t' D 6(MR 03) F .. t POST (Madonna 9 A�o;. Creek s �a�' Ranch) A , Street $ Miramontes S Attachment 3: POST (Madonna Creek Ranch) Property Trail Permit Access Plan Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Subject to Seasonal Closure MROSD Preserves Private Property (MROSD) Ag Fields Land Trust Other Protected Open Space 0 or Park Lands January, 2012 Feet 0 t,000 2,000 While the District strives to use the best available digitat data,this data does not represent a legal survey and is merely a graphic illustration of geograp is Teatures. ' Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District R-12-17 Meeting 12-06 February 8, 2012 AGENDA ITEM 6 AGENDA ITEM Award of Contract for Completion of CEQA Analysis and Documentation for the La Honda Creek Master Plan GENERAL MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION Authorize the General Manager to execute a contract with Ascent Environmental for an amount not to exceed $55,000 to complete the analysis of potential environmental impacts associated with the La Honda Creek Master Plan pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). SUMMARY A qualified consultant is needed to complete the environmental review process for the La Honda Creek Master Plan Project (Project), initiated in 2004. After seven public workshops, open houses, and hearings, the Board of Directors tentatively approved the Project in November 2009. The Project includes a Public Use Option that would permit bicycle use on approximately 9.4 miles of proposed new and existing trail. Since then, work on the project has been deferred due to budget and staffing constraints associated with higher priority projects. The General Manager recommends retaining the firm of Ascent Environmental to complete the analysis of potential environmental impacts associated with the Project pursuant to CEQA. Ascent has unparalleled knowledge of Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District's (District) policies, practices, and environment due to extensive recent experience with Mt. Umunhum, and have proven themselves adept at analyzing complex and highly sensitive projects. Ascent is also a prequalified environmental consulting firm pursuant to the District's consultant selection policy. DISCUSSION Background Beginning in June 2004, staff, with assistance from the consulting firm. Design, Community and Environment(DC&E) and guidance from the Board of Director's La Honda Creek Master Plan Ad Hoc Cormmittee, began preparing a Draft Master Plan for La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve (Preserve). During this comprehensive planning process, the southern area of the Preserve has remained closed to the public; only the northern area that is accessed via Allen Road is currently open to the public via permit. If approved, the Master Plan will ensure responsible stewardship of the Preserve by describing District actions to protect natural and cultural resources, expand conservation grazing, and provide public environmental education and R-12-17 Page 2 ecologically-sensitive recreation consistent with the District's strategic goals. The Master Plan will also be consistent with the Coastside Service Plan given that over one-half of the Preserve is located in the Coastside Protection Area. The first phase of the project focused on data collection and review with subsequent phases utilizing those data to identify, analyze, and solidify recommendations for resource management, conservation grazing, and public access. The District has encouraged active public participation throughout the planning process, soliciting input from agencies, environmental organizations., local neighbors, and trail users at workshops, through phone interviews, and in focus group meetings. In response to comments from the public and suggestions from the Board Ad Hoc Committee, staff prepared alternative recommendations for bicycle and dog access opportunities in the Draft Master plan for consideration by the full Board of Directors. fhe introduction of bicycle and dog use 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 given numerous ponds/aquatic habitat and presence of California red-legged frog. Although no SFGS have yet been observed or recorded at the Preserve to date, including since 2004 when the District first began to actively conduct surveys and monitor the property, District staff nonetheless prepared the proposed Draft Master Plan recommendations with the goal of protecting this species and enhancing its habitat in the event the species is present. For example, core SFGS habitat is proposed to be designated a Conservation Management Unit (CMU) where general public access is restricted to protect the high quality pond and upland habitat for this and other listed species. Moreover, the Draft Master Plan proposes ongoing SFGS surveys to determine presence, and if none are found, the plan proposes the reintroduction of SFGS in the CMU. After receiving comments at two public hearings in Spring 2009 (see Reports R- 09-71, R-09- 85), the Draft Master Plan, including Public Use Option 2 (expanded bicycle access), was tentatively approved by the Board in November 2009 (Report R-09-105), initiating the environmental review process. A first draft of a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) was prepared by DC&E. At that time, using the first draft as a starting point, staff initiated a significant revision process to produce an MND that fully addressed all potential impacts and met all CEQA and Service Plan requirements. The revision process has yet to be completed, primarily due to shifting priorities given other high-profile capital projects. A consulting firm with extensive knowledge of the District's applicable policies and environment, and experience conducting CEQA analyses for complex planning projects with significant public involvement, is required to expedite completion of the environmental review and enable the Draft Master Plan to be presented to the Board for final approval. Consultant Selection The District's professional consultant selection policy includes a process to pre-qualify consultants. After staff has completed a consultant selection process consistent with this policy, the District maintains a list of those consultants who were determined to be qualified and competent in the performance of professional services. Staff maintains a list of such consultants in their appropriate categories. For a period of two (2) years from the determination of qualification, staff may select a prequalified consultant from this list. In July 2011, Ascent Environmental submitted a proposal to prepare a Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Mindego Gateway project. Although not selected for that project, Ascent was among the firms determined to be qualified to perform this CEQA work. Accordingly, District policy enables R-12-17 Page 3 staff to recommend selection of Ascent as a prequalified consultant without having to repeat the Request for Proposal Process which greatly expedites the contracting process and will expedite the completion of the MND for this long awaited Master Plan Project. Ad Hoe Committee Review The Ad Hoc Committee assigned to this Project worked closely with staffto develop the Draft Master Plan recommendations from 2004 to 2009. at which point the Project was taken to the full Board of Directors for consideration of tentative approval. Staff does not foresee the need to return to the Committee, and instead expects to bring consideration of CEQA certification and final Master Plan approval to the full Board at a subsequent hearing later this year. FISCAL IMPACT The FY2011-12 budget includes $35,000 to fund the completion of the MND for the Draft Master Plan. It is expected that the FY2012-13 budget will include an additional $20,000 to fund participation by the consultant in future Public meetings to consider Certification of the MND and final approval of the Master Plan, as well as to address comments received during the public review process. PUBLIC NOTICE Public notice was provided as required by the Brown Act. No additional notice is required. Once the CEQA analysis is completed, the Mitigated Negative Declaration will be released for Board and public review. Notice of this review period along with a project status update and upcoming public hearing to consider CEQA certification and final Master Plan approval will be mailed and distributed to the Master Plan project mailing list and adjacent neighbors, as well as posted on the District's website and Preserve trailhead entrance. CEQA COMPLIANCE The scope of work for the Ascent contract will complete the CEQA compliance process for the I.a Honda Creek Master Plan project. No separate CEQA review is required to award this contract. NEXT STEPS Upon Board authorization, the General Manager will enter into a contract with Ascent Environmental to revise and complete the draft Mitigated Negative Declaration. A fourth public hearing will be scheduled following this review period for the Board to consider additional public comment, certification of the environmental review document, and determine whether to approve the Master Plan consistent with any environmental or other constraints and required mitigation measures identified during the environmental review process. R-12-17 Page 4 Permitting review and coordination will involve the following regulatory agencies: United States Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Game, United States Army Corps of Engineers, Regional Water Quality Control Board, and San Mateo County. Prepared by: Lisa Bankosh, Planner III Contact person: Same as above i Midpeninsula Regional • ' Open Space District To: Board of Directors From: Stephen E. Abbors Date: February 8, 2012 Re: FYIs � r Rgio Open Space MidpeninsuIDaist ictnal Memorandum DATE: February 8, 2012 MEMO TO: Board of Directors THROUGH: Stephen E. Abbors, General Manager FROM: Kate Drayson, Administrative Services Manager SUBJECT: Integrated Accounting and Finance System Update Attached is the 2011 Fourth Quarter Status Report for the Integrated Accounting and Finance System project. Although we had some schedule delays due to the Chart of Accounts development, we still anticipate meeting the scheduled Core Financials Go-Live date of July 2,2012 and the HR/Payroll Go- Live date of January 7,2013. REPORTQUARTERLY STATUS �\��;., \. ��i ya�. s gip,. �'✓j��✓��1�% '�� \.�` s {l,� ,a � \,`\ ip'� � �„ For the Month of: Q4, 2011 Date: 1/24/12 I' Submitted by: Kate Drayson ACCOMPLISHMENTSKEY •D • Project Initiation and Kickoff—9/16/11. This start-up meeting was held on-site with the MROSD project team, New World Systems and Schafer Consulting. The purpose of the meeting was to initiate work on the implementation timeline and establish understanding across the project team members concerning goals, project governance, project management tools, and implementation methodology. • Chart of Accounts Training — 10/31/11. New World and Schafer Consulting were on n in u the chart of accounts which for days to train on the general ledger d sett site o 3 Y 9 9 9 P serves as a foundation for the system. Establishing a structure for the chart began at this time. • System Installation — 11/14/11 —A New World Systems technician was on site to work with our IT resources in setting up the Logos.Net environments. The district has 3 environments. The "Live" environment is where we will do our work once we are live on the system. Additionally, we have a "Test" environment which can be utilized to test new releases, data conversions or other deliverables from New World prior to putting them in Live, and a "Training" environment which we can utilize for training our staff. • Chart of Accounts Definition — Determining the optimal structure for the chart of accounts required careful consideration and took about 2 months. In addition to the budgetary/organizational revenue and expense tracking that we require from the chart, we needed to establish methods for tracking a number of other types of revenue/expenses including costs by preserve, project activity, grant activity, and rental properties. In order to accommodate these needs, we are utilizing New World's Project Accounting module. • Project Schedule and Project Management Plan —A project schedule has been established. The major milestones of the schedule include the Finance go-live in July, 2012, Annual Budget go-Live in December, 2012 and HR/Payroll go live in January, 2013. There is a substantial amount of training and preparation required to execute these implementations successfully and New World will be on-site 18 weeks over the course of 2012. • Conversion schedule established —We will be "converting" our General Ledger history, Vendors and Employees from FundWare as part of this project. A schedule has been established for the activities associated with these conversions. Schafer Consulting will be assisting the district with our extraction which is a key component of the conversion process. • Conversion schedule is slightly behind, but this delay is not severe as there is still adequate time to catch up. • Chart of accounts entry is behind schedule. This issue has been mitigated by entering an adequate portion of the chart into our training environment for the January 23`d training. ITEMS IN • Coet m• I ion of the chart of accounts. P • Completion of the project structure for all departments. • Data extraction for conversion. UPCOMING st . i quarter. h weeks f January 23 and March 5 during the 1 u rte New World will be on-site the ee s o Ja u ry g q Both of these trips are focused on "immersion"training on applications within the financial management package. During these trips, New World will overview and train on the different applications. The follow-up to these trips will be configuration. This will include decisions on what functionality we wish to employ, work-flow within the system, and setting up the system for our needs. CHANGES TO SCHEDULE (INCLUDING • A financial management trip was cancelled for the week of 12/5 due to the process of establishing our chart of accounts structure taking longer than expected. This trip was re-scheduled for the week of 1/23/12. This change did not impact our scheduled go live date in July. CHANGES TO r • None �I Anna Duong is leaving the District for The void will be filled by Kate Drayson and another position. In the interim, the PM Nancy Schafer, but meanwhile, the District tasks will be divided between Kate will begin recruiting for an interim Project Drayson and Nancy Schafer. Manager. Nancy is helping Kate with reviewing viable resumes. The new Accountant, Louise, no longer is Bunny, Louise's predecessor will be employed by the District. As a result, coming back to the District as a part time another key member of the contractor to help out with the implementation team is gone. implementation.