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HomeMy Public PortalAbout19741127 - Minutes - Board of Directors (BOD) ME ng 74-24 MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT Regular Meeting Board of Directors M I N U T E S November 27 , 1974 745 Distel Drive Los Altos, CA I . ROLL CALL President Peters called the meeting to order at 7 : 24 P.M. Members Present: Katherine Duffy, Barbara Green, Nonette Hanko, William Peters and Daniel Wendin. Personnel Present: Herbert Grench, Edward Jaynes, Jon Olson, Anne Crosley, Carroll Harrington and Jennie George. Audience of fourteen persons. II . APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion: D. Wendin moved adoption of the minutes of November 13, 1974 as presented. B. Green seconded the motion. Discussion: D. Wendin suggested that the minutes be amended on page two, paragraph two under New Business Requiring Action, to include Santa Cruz County in the sentence " . . .and which would also connect with trails in San Mateo County and Santa Clara County. . . " W. Peters stated the consensus that this change was acceptable to the Board. The motion, as amended, passed unanimously. III . ORAL COMMUNICATIONS No one wished to speak at this time. IV. ADOPTION OF AGENDA K. Duffy asked that Mr. Robert Yeaton be allowed to speak to the Board under Oral Communications upon his arrival at the meetinq. She also asked that the Board discuss the Mainten- ance Endowment Fund under New Business Not Requiring Action. D. Wendin requested the Board to consider Advertising of Business Meetings under New Business Requiring Action. W. Peters stated the consensus that the above changes in the agenda were acceptable to Board members . Meeting 74-24 Page two V. PUBLIC HEARING A. Proposed Black Mountain Open Space Preserve H. Grench introduced his memorandum (M-74-171) dated November 20, 1974 , regarding the Proposed Black Mountain Open Space Preserve. He acknowledged the work of Dr. Judith Unsicker and ion Olson in preparing much of the report. He showed the Board and audience slides of the property, many of which were taken by Don Weden of the County Planning Department. He noted that the District' s land acquisition program had begun prior to the completion of its Master Plan, especially with respect to lands which would clearly rank high in eventual plans. This particular parcel, he said, corresponds to the District' s Basic Policy and to the developing Master Plan. The property is located outside Urban Service Area boundaries. The only present access to the property is via Monte Bello Road. H. Grench advised that this transaction was a complex one, and that the District has succeeded in obtaining a 593/600 interest in the approximately 600 acre parcel, and a 120/160 interest in the approximately 160 acre parcel. Escrow was scheduled to close by the end of December, 1974 . The total purchase price of the property was about $955,000 over a three year payment period. He recommended that the Board of Directors take titletothese interests, instruct the staff to continue negotiations in the remaining interests, and approve the interim management plan described in the report, subject to further staff exploration and refinement. J. Olson said the Black Mountain property was blessed with rich resources and a variety of wildlife and vegetation. He said the property had been used somewhat for grazing and for study by educational and conservation groups and that such uses, properly controlled, would probably be compatible with the character of the land. He added that there was evidence of overgrazing in some areas. In answer to a question from N. Hanko, he said the rare Dudley' s shield fern could perhaps be protected by interior fencing. In answer to a auestion from D. Wendin, H. Grench advised that the effect of removal of the property from the tax rolls for the Monte Bello Elementary School District has been investigated previously. B. Green advised that she would not participate in the dis- cussion or voting on the 600 acre parcel because of her personal friendship with one of the owners of the property and his endorsement of her campaign. W. Peters noted that a letter had been received from Ms. Mary Hallesy of the Sierra Club in support of the acquisi- tion of the Black Mountain property. Meeting 74-24 Page three K. Duffy noted the property was closer to downtown Sara- toga than to downtown Palo Alto. Mr. Robert Mark, 725 Cowper Street, Palo Alto, said that as a geologist he was pleased to see the District acquir- ing some property on the San Andreas fault. He asked that casual hiking be permitted in the future. Ms. Marge Sutton, 609 Rosita Avenue, Los Altos , spoke as Chairwoman of the Sierra Club' s Loma Prieta Chapter. She said the Black Mountain proposed preserve was in a beauti- ful area and hoped the Board would decide to acquire the property. She added that she also hoped there would be general access to the property in the future, especially for schools and environmental volunteers . Mr. Don Miles, 961 Wood Duck Avenue, Santa Clara, said he was from Peterson High in the Monte Bello Ridge area, which was part of the Santa Clara Unified School District. He advised the Board that the school had been granted use of the property for 'study,. and people from the school had helped in clearing brush and fixing the roads on the pro- perty in the past. He said he had noticed erosion of the property due to cattle grazing. He expressed a desire for the continued use of the property by the school, and said he supported the District' s preservation program. Mr. Carl Newman, 12641 Quinnhill, Los Altos , the botanical and wildlife study of the report on the Black Mountain property. He said that he had never sighted any rattlesnakes on the property, although there were a few wild boars in the area. Mr. Howard Harrington, 830 Melville Avenue, Palo Alto, asked the Board if it were necessary to study the finan- cial impact on the Monte Bello School District of taking the property off the tax rolls. D. Wendin advised that since the School District had such a small tax base, there could be a significant impact. N. Hanko commented that the Black Mountain Preserve was representative of the wilderness experience element pro- posed in the Master Plan and of the spirit behind the move to organize a park district. She said it seemed appropriate that the proposed Black Mountain Preserve had come before the Board on Thanksgiving Eve, and that the District was fortunate the land was in an unspoiled state. She noted that the late Mildred Ligda had cared for the land, sometimes with great personal sacrifice. Motion: N. Hanko moved adoption of Resolution No. 74-26 , a Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Midpeninsula Regional Park District Authorizing Acquisition of Property (Black Mountain Open Space Meeting 74-- Page four Preserve) (1) . K. Duffy seconded the motion. The motion passed on the following vote: AYES - Duffy, Hanko, Peters and Wendin. ABSTAIN - B. Green. Motion: D. Wendin moved adoption of Resolution No. 74-27 , a Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Mid- peninsula Regional Park District Authorizing Acqui- sition of Property (Black Mountain Open Space Pre- serve) (2) . N. Hanko seconded the motion. Discussion: D. Wendin noted that Resolutions No. 74-26 and 74-27 both contained the following section: "Unless and until a different policy is adopted by the Board of Directors, said land shall be maintained in open space, grazing and similar compatible agri- cultural uses as now exist on the property unless other or additional uses are approved by all the owners thereof. " The motion passed unanimously. W. Peters complimented the staff on the work they had done in preparing the proposed acquisition of Black Mountain land for Board consideration. H. Grench commented that E. Jaynes had done an outstanding job in his negotiations. Motion: N. Hanko moved that the Board of Directors direct staff to continue negotiations toward completion of the acquisition of the Black Mountain Open Space Preserve and report back to the Board at a later time. D. Wendin seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Motion: N. Hanko moved that the Board of Directors approve the management plan for the Black Mountain Open Space Preserve as described in the General Manager' s memorandum (M-74-171) dated November 20, 1974 , as presented as a basic policy for use of the land until further staff exploration and policy develop- ment is presented to the Board. K. Duffy seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Motion: N. Hanko moved that the Board of Directors instruct staff to study and report on the impact of the re- moval of the Black Mountain property from the tax rolls of the Monte Bello Elementary School District. D. Wendin seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. W. Peters said he would like to see a new category in future reports on land acquisition that would include consideration of alternative uses (if the property were not acquired) , of particular parcels of land as affected by zoning, seismology, etc, to be used as a working document. Meeting 74-24 Page five VI. OLD BUSINESS NOT REQUIRING ACTION A. Review of Annexation Subcommittee Assignment N. Hanko introduced her letter of November 15, 1974 regard- ing the original assignment to the Annexation Subcommittee made by the Board of Directors on December 12, 1974. She said that she and B. Green, the subcommittee members, were both satisfied with that assignment. They would also like to consult with the District' s legal counsel on several questions that have arisen about annexation, she added. W. Peters and K. Duffy expressed their desire to see the subcommittee stress assignment No. 2, which deals with the possible annexation of the remainder of Santa Clara County. Action: W. Peters stated the consensus that the Annexation Subcommittee assignment as set forth in N. Hanko' s letter of November 15, 1974 is acceptable to the Board. VII . NEW BUSINESS REQUIRING ACTION A. Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Midpeninsula Regional Park District Adopting Budget for Fiscal Year 1974-1975 as Amended H. Grench introduced his memorandum (M-74-172) dated November 19, 1974 , regarding the amended budget for the District' s 1974-1975 fiscal year. He advised the Board that total revenue for the District would be $285, 000 more than antici- pated, and he recommended that the additional revenue be placed in the "Opportunities and Emergencies" fund to pro- vide the District with maximum flexibility. He also pointed out that on page 1 of Exhibit A to the Resolution, under "B. Salaries and Benefits" , the annual expenditure for Dir- ectors is $6, 000 rather than $1, 500, and the annual expend- ture for the General Manager is $26, 000 rather than $6 , 000. D. Wendin said the "Opportunities and Emergencies" category seemed to be the most appropriate place for the additional revenue. Motion: K. Duffy moved adoption of Resolution No. 74-28 , a Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Midpen- insula Regional Park District Adopting Budget for Fiscal Year 1974 - 1975 as Amended, with the corrected exhibit. D. Wendin seconded the motion. Discussion: In response to a question by D. Wendin, H. Grencii—advised that adoption of the budget by resolution was a formality, a matter of discretion by the District. The motion passed unanimously. Meeting 74-,. - Page six In response to a question from the audience, H. Grench ad- vised that the $100, 000 received from the Land and Water Conservation Fund must be applied to the acquisition of the Perham Ranch. B. Scheduling of Second Meeting in December W. Peters asked the Board to consider whether a second regu- lar Board meeting should be held in the month of December, or whether a workshop-retreat should be scheduled in its place. H. Grench advised that the December 11 agenda was already very full, assuming the Master Plan would be considered. He said that according to his notes the Board would like to discuss the following topics at a workshop: (1) updating of the Action Plan; (2) reflection on the progress of the District; (3) the economic future of the District; and (4) land management. He said he had hoped to prepare an annual report for the Board prior to the next workshop, and that very little written material on the various items could be prepared in time for a December workshop. W. Peters suggested it would not be necessary to have an annual report prepared for the workshop and perhaps the report could include Board members' opinions. D. Wendin and K. Duffy both expressed an interest in allot- ing a generous amount of time at the workshop to land manage- ment. Action: Following discussion, W. Peters stated the consensus that Sunday, December 15, at 10: 00 A.M. would be the date of the goals workshop, with the place to be determined. C. Advertising of Business Meetings D. Wendin said he would like staff to investigate the cost of advertising the District' s regular Board meetings in various newspapers in the District. He said he was con- cerned that the District' s meeting dates did not consis- tently appear in the governmental calendar section of the Palo Alto Times. VIII. NEW BUSINESS NOT REQUIRING ACTION A. Review of Notices of Intent and Draft Environmental Impact Reports of Other Agencies H. Grench introduced his memorandum (M-74-170) dated Novem- ber 20, 1974, regarding Review of the Environmental Impact Reports and Notices of Intent from other Agencies. He advised that the Board's policy has been that little staff time should be spent reviewing these reports and notices. Meeting 74-24 Page seven W. Peters suggested this matter would fall under the cate- gory of intergovernmental relations, which he thought should be discussed at the next Board workshop. N. Hanko expressed her agreement with W. Peters' suggestions, and added that she thought each Board member should be res- spnsible for the reports pertaining to his or her ward. She asked the General Manager if the reports could be forwarded to the Board member or members whose wards would be affected, and he replied that this could be done. Action: W. Peters stated the consensus that Environmental Impact Reports and Notices of Intent should be discussed at the next Board workshop. B. Maintenance Endowment Fund K. Duffy said she would like the staff to investigate the possibilities for assistance to the District through the Maintenance Endowment Fund. H. Grench said the Land Manager, Jon Olson, could look into the Fund and perhaps compile some information for the Board for the upcoming workshop. IX. CLAIMS Motion: D. Wendin moved acceptance of the revised claims (C-74-22) dated November 27, 1974. N. Hanko seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. III. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS (continued) Mr. Robert (Bob) Yeaton, a developer from the Saratoga area, addressed the Board concerning the possibilities that exist for educated developers in the private sector to build single family dwellings and condominiums while maintaining the natural beauty of the surrounding land. He said it was his opinion that it was financially feasible to cluster housing units, provide open space land for the owners of the housing units, and donate the remainder of the property for public open space use. Mr. Yeaton explained to the Board that he had used this concept in the Las Cumbras development. He said he was going to expand on the idea in the proposed Las Simas develop- ment. People who are looking for quality housing in a naturally beautiful setting will pay the price, he said, which Meeting 74-24 Page eight will make the extra work involved financially sound. it is necessary for the developer to consider the land involved; not the monetary gain, he said. This attitude will aid the developer in obtaining permits from cities, although the financial gain might not be the largest margin possible. He invited Board and staff members to tour his developments at their convenience. X. EXECUTIVE SESSION The Board recessed to Executive Session at 10: 25 to discuss land negotiations. XI. ADJOURNMENT The Board reconvened to adjourn at 11: 40 P.M. Anne Cathcart Crosley Administrative Secretary APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion: N. Hanko moved adoption of the minutes of November 27, 1974 as presented. K. Duffy seconded the motion. Discussion: N. Hanko asked that the third paragraph on page two of the minutes be amended to read as fol- lows: "In answer to questions from N. Hanko, H. Grench advised that part of the property was in the Monte Bello Elementary School District, and staff had studied the effect of the removal of the property from the tax rolls, but did not have the figures at hand. " A. Crosley advised that there was en error on page three, paragraph five of the minutes, in that the first sentence should read "Mr. Carl Newman, 12641 Quinnhill, Los Altos, said he liked the botanical and wildlife study of the report on the Black Mountain property. " The words "said he liked" had been inadvertently omitted from the minutes. W. Peters said the first sentence on page one of the minutes appeared to contain an error in the starting time of the meeting. A. Crosley advised that the correct startin-j time should be 7: 34, rather than 7 : 24 . W. Peters stated the consensus that the above amendments were acceptal-le to the Board. The motion, as amended, Passed unanimc)'Usly.