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HomeMy Public PortalAbout19730321 - Minutes - Board of Directors (BOD) Meeting 73-6 Corrected MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT Board of Directors Special Meeting County Park Headquarters March 21, 1973 Vasona Lake Park Los Gatos I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL President Wendin called the meeting to order at 8 : 10 p.m. Members present: Daniel Condron, Katherine Duffy, 'Nonette Hanko, William Peters, Daniel Wendin. Also attending: Anthony Rizzo, John Parham, Philip Wander (members of the County Parks and Recreation Commission) ; Don Weden (staff member of the County Planning Department) ; and Arthur Ogilvie. vie. II. President Wendin asked Mr. Robert Amyx, Director, County Parks and Recreation Department to proceed with his planned presenta- tion. Mr. Amyx passed out copies of the Parks and Recreation element of the County General Plan noting that it also shows the 10-Year Plan which will be implemented by the funds from the Charter amendment. Last year he presented to the Board of Supervisors a schedule of expenditures for a five year period asking them to approve the first year' s figures and that they accept the other four years ' figures as guidelines to be reviewed and accepted each year. Mr. Amyx proceeded to describe the current acquisition program of the County using maps for illustration. A. Baylands Mr. Amyx described the ownership and activity of the baylands areas of Santa Clara County: 1. The Palo Alto Baylands 2. Charleston Slough area is currently being negotiated for purchase by the County from Leslie Salt Company. It would probably be turned over to the City of Palo Alto to be ad- ministered as a part of their interpretive program. 3. Preliminary negotiations are being carried out with Leslie Salt to develop "dual use" of salt ponds adjacent to Charles- ton Slough and the Mountain View Baylands Park. This dual use would allow continued use of the ponds for salt produc- tion and also as small boat access to the Mountain View Park. It would require increasing of the water depth from 1 1/2 to 2 feet to about 5 feet. The County has participated with the City in acquisition and development of this Park area. 4. Moffett Field - Ames Laboratory Lockheed 5. Sunnyvale Sanitary Landfill area to be developed for park purposes. 6. Adjacent to the east of the Sunnyvale land are four parcels which the County is currently acquiring. One parcel is now Meeting 73-8 MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT Board of Directors April 11, 1973 Sunnyvale Community Center I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL President Wendin called the meeting to order at 7 : 40 p.m. Members present: Daniel Condron, Katherine Duffy, Nonette Hanko, William Peters, Daniel Wendin. Audience of 3 persons. II. MINUTES OF MARCH 2$ D. Condron corrected page 1, MINUTES OF MARCH 21, correct spell- ing is "Kelley" , not Kelly. D. Condron corrected page 3, eighth paragraph should read "Presi- dent Wendin thanked Mr. Norton . . . " Motion: D. Wendin moved acceptance of the minutes of March 28 as corrected. Second by D. Condron. Passed unanimously. Meeting 73-6 . . . page 2 in the legal notification stage; the Board of Supervisors has passed a notice of intent on two parcels; the fourth parcel will be purchased in October of 1973. The County delayed on this parcel in order to apply for Land and Water Conservation funds. The total of about 370 acres represents about $3 ,250,000. (Three parcels were pur- chased at $13 ,500/acre; one will cost $25,000/acre. ) The parcels have been zoned "public lands" from industrial by the City of Sunnyvale. W. Peters asked the procedure used when the County decides to acquire a parcel of land. Mr. Amyx described these steps: a. review by the Parks and Recreation Commission b. authorization to proceed with acquisition from the Board of Supervisors c. application for grants d. the Real Estate Division of the County Public Works Department then employs an outside appraiser. Two apprai- sals are required when applying for State and Fed- eral funds. The County is bound by that appraisal fig- ure - adjustments can only be made upward. N. Hanko asked if there were baylands properties which Mr. Amyx felt the District might be interested in acquiring. He responded that he did not think there were any. 7. Wildlife Refuge lines have not been firmly drawn but vAll include acquisition of salt ponds which will be leased back to Leslie Salt. The Count gave 164 acres to the Fed- eral Refuge. rgovernment for inclusion in the e al 8. Alviso Marina Siltation is a problem in this area. The County is current- ly negotiating with Leslie Salt to purchase 32 acres adja- cent to the Marina. The dredged materials would be placed in the area to dry out and would be used as fill elsewhere. An environmenta1 impact report is being ing written for th e proposal. N. Hanko asked if there were threatened properties close in to Mountain View or Sunnyvale which Mr. Amyx felt should be looked at by the District. Mr. Amyx replied that there were none. W. Peters asked if the County was interested in the I.T.T. property in Palo Alto. Mr. Amyx said no. N. Hanko said this land has been prezoned "agricultural" . W. Peters asked Wabout_ trie. Mountain View areas adjacent to the Baylands Park which are suffering from subsidence problems. Mr. Amyx stated there are no plans for County acquisition of these areas. He described a Mountain View plan for collection of storm drainage to be "put back" to combat the subsidence problem. Mr. Amyx said the rate of subsidence has slowed down but is still occurring. One explanation has been that wells have Meeting 73-6 . . . page 3 created the problem. He explained that one function of the perculation system of the Flood Control District has been to help this situation. B. Coyote Creek This is a 20-year joint project of the City of San Jose and the County which reaches from Kelley Park in San Jose to the Anderson Reservoir. The State of California has purchased parcels totalling $2, 500,000 to be included in the Creek Park. The Prk will be about 20 miles long with hiking, biking and riding trails with grade separation. Joint. State, County and City costs will be about $12 ,000, 000 for acquisition and about $30 , 000, 000 for development. The County owns about 380 acres adjoining Anderson Reservoir which will be developed for park purposes. The remaining un- developed land is privately owned and is a planned community for 100, 000 people. C. Upper-Stevens Creek This property of about 1200 acres is totally undeveloped at present. The area is heavily wooded and development will be concentrated with the remainder left to hiking trails. Areas lying between the park lines and Skyline Boulevard will be acquired as a part of the Skyline Plan. D. The San Jose Water Works property has been referred to the Parks and Recreation Commission by the Board of Supervisors. Mr. Amyx' s report will be considered by the Commission on April 4. N. Hanko asked Mr. Amyx to describe his recommendations. Mr. Amyx stated that he has recommended acquisition of a 70 acre parcel which has two small lakes for picnicking and park- ing. In the larger 1000 acre area, which he is also recommen- ding, there is a bench area and wooded knoll which could accommodate about 130 family-campsites, a day-use area, and a group area. The road would be one-way connecting the San Jose Water Works property with the Sanborn-Skyling area for a total of nearly 2000 acres. N. Hanko asked if the money for this project would come from the 10-Year Plan. Mr. Amyx said no that the funds required would come from monies left from the 1964 bond issue. About $2,000, 000 are left from the Calera project - a project which has been limited in scope from original plans due to the pre- sence of a high level of mercury. W. Peters asked about the third parcel in the San Jose Water Works property. Mr. Amyx explained that he has recommended against acquisition of a 300 acre parcel. He described it as very, very steep, with no access and as severed from the rest of the property. W. Peters asked if it was the general policy Meeting 73-6 . . . page 4 of the County to acquire land which is more developable. Mr. Amyx stated that the County' s obligation may be different from the District' s concept and policies as he understands them. The County is providing facilities for people as well as pre- serving areas and the development they try to make compatible with the resource. W. Peters asked if there are any county areas which do not include campsites and picnic areas. Mr. Amyx said no that all include at least some picnic area. He pointed out that of the 2000 acres in the Sanborn-Water Works area the developed area would be on only 300 acres. Basic developments required for this area Mr. Avlyx felt are access, parking for cars, and sanitation and water. Projected develop- ment costs are minimal. Mr. Amyx described the County' s program as one designed around resources the mountains, the reservoirs, streams and the bayfront with development related to that resource. N. Hanko asked what the projected maintenance costs are for the County' s program. Mr. Amyx stated that they had projected a doubling of operating costs in the next five years, but with the advent of SB-90 it was difficult to know. A rather para- doxical situation now exists since the County has money to acquire and develop parks but may have none on which to oper- ate the new lands. Mr. Amyx expressed the belief that the problems brought on by SB-90 will have to be worked out and sited Legislative Analyst Alan Post' s opinion that SB-90 will breakdown by its own weight at the State level. E. Santa Teresa Park This area currently contains about 700 acres including trails, equestrian center, rifle and pistol range, and a golf course. The County is currently working on acquisition of an additional 300 acres. The golf course rates have recently been increased by the Board of Supervisors. Under previous rates the golf course has re- turned over operating expenses about $60,000 per year to the General Fund. F. N. Hanko asked about the Skyline Scenic Recreational Route plan. Mr. Amyx stated that it was in the program along with Sanborn Park. The Board of Supervisors have recently •author- ized the staff to begin precise studies on the area and to obtain an encroachment permit from the State Division of High- ways. The study will determine if the hiking, biking and riding trails will fit into the 15 ft. right-of-way; where The State has condemnation rights for trail purposes which the County does not. It is anticipated that the State will cooperate by use of these rights with County funds scheduled for this Skyline acquisition. Mr. Amyx stated that this yearks budget was $3 , 131, 000 with a projected five year figure of $4, 677 ,000 (anticipating a 7% growth factor in assessed valuation) . The County carries a con- tingency fund of about 5% to cover "bad guesses" and for oppor- Meeting 73-6 . . . page 5 tunity purchases which may arise. Another source of funds comes from the accumulation of cash which is placed in short-term in- vestments. N. Hanko asked what areas Mr. Amyx would choose for District con- sideration. He stated that this was difficult to answer, but that he felt the acquisitions would have to be spread throughout the District which causes fragmentation of money. However, since the available baylands are already being acquired by the County the District would probably want to turn attention toward the foothills. He felt it might be desirable for the District to consider the Morrell property which was left to Stanford Univer- sity and the Duveneck property. W. Peters asked what the cost is of maintaining a project like Sanborn. Mr. Amyx said he has no formula for estimating these costs. At least some patrolling of the area would be required. Projected maximum capacity at one time would be about 2000 people. Another problem causing need for patrol will be the off-road vehicles. W. Peters asked if the County has considered providing a moun- tainous area for off-road vehicles. Mr. Amyx said the County has purchased about 900 acres near the village of Coyote. The primary purpose of this acquisition was to provide a site for a second rehabilitation center for the Sheriff. Other uses being considered by the Parks and Recreation Department are an "outdoor sportsmen' s park" , including a range for rifle and pis- tol, trap and skeet, achery, casting pond; another area would be for off-road vehicles possibly. An environmental impact re- port is being prepared. Mr. Amyx pointed out the the County has found the most effective regulation against use of off-road vehicles on trails has been a $50. 00 fine. W. Peters asked what the County pays its rangers. Mr. Amyx re- ported that a supervising ranger receives on the average $14 ,508 annually; a senior park ranger, $13,152; and a park ranger, $11, 928. In addition, park staff also includes maintenance per- sonnel with average annual salary of $10,308. N. Hanko asked if the District were to acquire lands adjacent to a County Park would Mr. Amyx see a possibility for the District to contract for the services of a ranger to keep guard on the District land also. Mr. Amyx stated this was a possibility. K. Duffy asked what Mr. Amyx' s estimate would be of the impact to be felt on Black Road if his proposal for the San JOse Water Works property is adopted. Mr. Amyx said this would be the main en- trance and would be one-way. The maximum day use would be 800 persons. W. Peters asked if the County had considered purchase of the 70 acre parcel and leave it as it is without development. Mr. Amyx Meeting 73-6 . . . page 6 pointed out that much of the development already exists. He stated further that he felt the Directors were being naive if they think they can buy 10,000 acres and only let 200 people on it. While this may be an exageration of the point, Mr. Amyx felt there would be a great demand for use. W. Peters asked if the County carries liability insurance cover- ing undeveloped lands, like Upper-Stevens Creek. Mr. Amyx said that under the law one is in a better situation with undeveloped land than with that which is developed. D. Wendin asked if the suggestion made during the campaign that in future years the District could lease into the County at a dollar per year for County operation of the District' s lands, would seem a possibility to Mr. Amyx as he foresees the budget ten years hence. Mr. Amyx stated that it seems like a good, reasonable possibility for a policy decision in the future. Mr. Amyx stated that currently the County spends $1, 800,000 for operating costs of which about 30% is returned from revenues received. W. Peters asked why the appraisals, discussed earlier in connec- tion with land acquisitions, must be shared with property owners. Mr. Amyx reported that when funds are being sought from the Federal or State governments, this disclosure is required. Mr. Amyx felt that secret discussions with a property owner to es- tablish price could result in a taxpayer' s suit since there must be justification for the amount paid. In his opinion appraisals are the only legitimate justification for price. Another tool for land acquisition is the tax benefit available to the seller who sells at a reduced figure. This is a method being used by the Trust for Public Lands. Mr. Amyx explained the procedure required when purchasing lands : (1) taking action of notice of intent to purchase (2) publication of intent for "X" number of times for a month (3) final action to consummate purchase He further recommended that the Directors seek legal advice. The purpose of the publication of intent, he explained, is to allow the public the opportunity to oppose the expenditure. W. Peters asked how the County had shared in the Mountain View Baylands Park. Mr. Amyx stated that the County contributed $600, 000; the City, $600 ,000; and $1,000 ,000 was obtained from Land and Water Conservation funds. N. Hanko asked how committed the County is to spending funds as outlined in the 10-Year Plan. Mr. Amyx explained that the Char- ter amendment states that the Board of Supervisors cannot allo- cate frcaithe fund for park purposes unless it is included in the Plan. It would be possible, but involve a long procedure, to amend the plan. K. Duffy asked that if lands are offerred to the County, and it is not of interest to them, could the owners be referred to the District. She would like to see good communications established for this procedure. Mr. Amyx felt that as soon as the District Meeting 73-6 . . . page 7 has staff he would certainly hope to establish such communi- cation. K. Duffy asked what communications there were between the County and the Castle Rock Park deVelopment. Mr. Amyx explained this has been limited to communication through an intermediary - Mrs. Varian - and while he is interested he isn't devoting a lot of time to it until the land for Sanborn is acquired. Don Weden asked if land donation is a realistic hope for the District. Mr. Amyx did not feel it is and explained the lack of success on the part of the County when it attempted to en- courage such a plan about 10 years ago. President Wendin thanked Mr. Amyx. The meeting was adjourned at 10 :20 p.m. Norma Grench Secretary