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HomeMy Public PortalAbout19770223 - Minutes - Board of Directors (BOD) Meeting 77-5 MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT Regular Meeting Board of Directors M I N U T E S February 23 , 1977 745 Distel Drive Los Altos, CA I. ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order by President Wendin at 7 : 35 P.M. Members Present: Katherine Duffy, Barbara Green, Daniel Wendin, Nonette Hanko, George Seager and Harry Turner. Personnel Present: Herbert Grench, Edward Jaynes, Anne Crosley, Jon Olson, Carroll Harrington, Stanley Norton, Jennie George, John Melton and Del Woods . II . APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. Minutes of February 5, 1977 Goals Workshop D. Wendin stated the consensus that the minutes of February 5, 1977 be approved as presented. He expressed the thanks of the Board to Norma Grench for having served as Volunteer Recording Secretary for the Goals Workshop.- N. Hanko requested that a letter of thanks be sent to Syntex Cor- poration for the use of their facilities for the workshop. H. Grench responded that a letter had been sent under his signature. B. Minutes of February 9 , 1977 D. Wendin referred to page three, paragraph three and asked that the first sentence be reworded for clarification to reflect that R. Childress said, "in the event that a small part of the Phillips and Nellis properties were to be developed, the District would acquire the remaining Phillips and Nellis properties, . . . " D. Wendin stated the consensus that the minutes of February 9, 1977 be approved as amended. A. minutes of February 23 , 1977. G. Seager referred to the following typographical errors : (1) on page five, paragraph seven, '1197711 should read "1972" ; (2) on page eight, paragraph two, "gopography" should read "topography" ; (3) on page nine, paragraph five, "Part" should read "Park" . K. Duffy referred to a typographical error on page thirteen, paragraph six of the minutes, in which the name "burry" should read "Duffy. " It was the consensus of the Board that the words " (weekends only) " should be eliminated from paragraph five of page six of the minutes. D. Wendin stated the consensus that the minutes of February 23, 1977 be approved with the above changes . Meeting 77- 5 Page two III . WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS J. George referred to a communication dated January, 1977 from Mr. Jack W. Harris, Director of Advanced Studies Program in Special Districts Management, University of California Extension, inviting the Board to a conference of Special District directors for the purpose of discussing board level management concerns. The conference will be held February 25-27 , 1977 in Palm Springs. J. George referred to a letter dated February 8 , 1977 from Bruce and Mary Stephen, 12321 Saraglen Drive, Saratoga, re- questing termination of their subscription to the MRPD agendas, asking that they be sent an annual report and wishing success to the District in its endeavors to preserve and protect the natural beauty of the midpeninsula. J. George stated there were numerous letters from residents of San Carlos urging the District' s support of the acquisition of the Hassler Health Home property. J. George referred to a letter dated February 21, 1977 from Mr. Arthur L. Ogilvie, Executive Director, El Camino Trust for His- toric Preservation, regarding the former Fremont Older home lo- cated on the District' s Fremont older Open Space Preserve. He recommended that options should be kept open to pursue research on the architectural history of the house with the hope that the property would have the necessary basis for registration on the National Register of Historical Places. H. Grench said this matter would be discussed under Informational Reports. N. Hanko introduced a letter dated February 15, 1977 , from Mr. N. Timothy Hall, Professor of Geology at Foothill College, and said it would be discussed under Informational Reports. IV. ADOPTION OF AGENDA It was the consensus of the Board that the agenda be adopted as presented. V. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Mr. Robert Mark, 725 Cowper, Palo Alto informed the Board that he had noted numerous fresh motorcycle tracks on the Permanente Creek Park property. VI . NEW BUSINESS WITH ACTION REQUESTED A. Proposed Addition to Fremont Older Open Space Preserve (Maurantonio-Gregory Property) E. Jaynes introduced the General Manager' s report (R-77-7) , Meeting 77- 6 Page three dated February 15, 1977 , regarding the Proposed Addition to Fremont Older Open Space Preserve (Maurantonio/Gregory Property) . This 19. 6 acre addition would complete the 68 acres of land the Board approved October 8, 1975 for acquisition to the existing Fremont Older Open Space Preserve. E. Jaynes said the 1975 appraisal figures were in line with current appraisal figures , and were also recommended by the Superior Court Judge based on data given him. Messrs. Maurantonio and Gregory have agreed to sell their 19. 6 acres for $160, 000, which would include all in- terest in the property. On January 26, 1977 , the Board agreed to accept the terms of a lease agreement with Tele-Communications, Inc. , which would cover their interest in the Maurdntonio/Gregory property. As part of the lease agreement the District will re- ceive a $2,000 credit from Messrs. Maurantonio and Gregory; there- fore, the proposed settlement price for the property is, in effect, $158, 000. In order to save time, settlement should be handled in court rather than in escrow. In response to a question from K. Duffy, E. Jaynes said there were four possible building sites on the property. Motion: D. Wendin moved that the Board adopt Resolution No. 77-7, a Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Midpen- insula Regional Park District Approving Stipulation and Judgment and Authorizing Counsel for District, General Manager and Other District Personnel to Take All Acts Necessary to the Carrying Out of Same (Maurantonio/ Gregory Property) . B. Green seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. B. Plan to Borrow Money to Finance Land Acquisition J. Melton reported that the District had an offer to borrow from Union Bank an amount up to $782, 000 for land acquisition. This offer expires February 28 , 1977. He said he had been in contact with Union Bank to determine if they would be willing to extend the offer for 60 to 90 days, but the response had been negative. The bank did not feel it could extend under the same conditions, but would be willing to confirm an offer of new to at a slightly higher rate than the original 5. 5%. The new offer, in effect, would be that they would be willing to loan money to the District but with the additional condition that the District maintain an interest-free balance of $100, 000 in an acount with Union Bank. J. Melton said he calculated that this arrangement would add �% to the effective interest rate of the loan. He added that other sources are being explored and he would report to the Board at a later time on these sources . Meetint 77-5 Page four N. Hanko asked if the amount of $782,000 would have to be tied to a specific parcel. J. Melton advised that the Board would have to have a specific project in mind for application of the money in order to get the necessary legal opinion as to the tax-free nature of the interest. D. Wendin asked if the District could borrow less than the $782, 000. He gave as an example the combined totals of the Maurantonio/ Gregory and Mozzetti properties the Board was considering at this meeting. J. Melton said his understanding was that the offer is for up to $782, 000. However, the legal opinion and necessary documents would have to be ready by February 28 regardless of the project. He said from his investigation, 5. 5% is about the top interest the District should have to payand money is available. E. Shelley asked if all of the potential sources have about the same payoff time. J. Melton responded that he and the General Manager each had developed some sources (non-bank types) which would be similar to an underwriting type of funding resulting in 10 year funding rather then 5 year funding. He said this would require further investigation. In response to a question from G. Seager, J. Melton said he had not been able to determine for sure if this type of financing would be more costly. H. Grench said that so far discussion is in terms of 5% for the same amount of money; however, it could possibly be as much as 2% more. He indicated it is very competitve with general obli- gation bonds but possibly 2% less than the interest rates on bonds which a non-profit organization could issue. D. Wendin asked J. Melton how he felt about using the bank line on financing the Maurantonio/Gregory property costing $160 , 000 and,assuming Board approval, the Mozzetti property at $235,500. He further asked if this arrangement would interfere with future financing with Union Bank. J. Melton explained that bank portfolios change very rapidly and that unless you have a firm commitment, it' s difficult to predict and advise. However, he said interest rates are edging up again and possibly this would be the best rate the Board might get in some time. Meeting 77- 5 Page five D. Wendin said he felt it would give the District maximum flexi- bility to borrow the money now and apply it to the two properties the Board was considering and conserve the cash in that amount for future needs. In response to E. Shelley' s inquiry about transferring the Dis- trict' s accounts to Union Bank, J. Melton said, considering the lesser amount of the loan, he would like to negotiate those terms out of the arranagement. J. Melton said he did not feel it was fiscally unsound to pro- ceed in this way, and he did not believe he could find any new source of money within 60 days. G. Seager recommended proceeding with the loan even if a Special Meeting were required on February 28 or before. D. Wendin advised tabling the item until after Board discussion of the Proposed Acquisition of an Addition to the Fremont Older Open Space Preserve (Mozzetti Property) . The Board concurred. C. Possible Change of Name of District H. Grench introduced his report (R-77-9) , dated February 17 , 1977 regarding a Possible Change of Name of District. He said the District had recently received a letter from the Santa Clara County Local Agency Formation Commission dated February 4, 1977, which asked that the Board consider a change of name for the District. LAFCO members felt the present name perpetuated con- fusion regarding the District' s role as an open space agency, as opposed to a parks agency. H. Grench also mentioned there had been discussions on this matter at the recent Goals Workshop. H. Grench said that at the time of the District' s formation in November, 1977 , open space agencies formed under the reg- ional park district enabling legislation were required to call themselves "regional park districts . " He said many resi- dents, supporters of the District and the Santa Clara County Landowners ' Association have expressed the desire to change the District' s name to eliminate confusion regarding its function. Also, District-initiated legislation (Assembly Bill 1164) amended the enabling legislation to allow a regional park district to be called either regional park, or regional open space, or regional park and open space district in order to identify its functions or purposes more clearly. He pointed out the District' s reasons for open space acquisition as reflected in the District' s draft Master Plan. He referred to the professional public opinion surveys that were conducted during the recent annexation, which asked people what their con- ception of "open space" was; 76% responded "undeveloped land" . Meeting 77-' 5 Page six H. Grench said the alternatives were the present name of the District, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Midpeninsula Regional Park and Open Space District and "Peninsula" since the District extends south of the area commonly thought of as the midpeninsula. Pros and cons were given in his report of all of the choices. In addition, H. Grench said he had written to Mr. Herbert Rhodes, Director of the California Department of Parks and Recreation, asking whether Midpeninsula Regional Park and Open Space District or Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District would affect eligi- bility for funding or priority for funding under the grant pro- grams; specifically the Roberti Bill funds or the Land and Water Conservation Funds. Mr. Rhodes responded the name change would not effect grant funding. H. Grench recommended that the Board schedule a public hearing to consider a name change and he tentatively recommended Midpen- insula Regional Open Space District pending views expressed by the public. B. Green said she favored Midpeninsula Regional Open Space Dis- trict for the educational value. E. Shelley and K. Duffy ex- pressed agreement. H. Turner said he had read a source book on how open spaces are preserved in developed areas and that the open space concept is to provide benefits that go beyond just recreation. He felt it is imperative for an agency such as the District, which pro- vides for this concept in its Basic Policy, to have a name that reflectsits purposes. N. Hanko suggested contacting some of the originators of the District for their opinions. She felt that many of these people would be agreeable to the removal of "Park" and adding "Open Space" , as that choice had been the original sentiment but at the time they were bounded by law to have "Park" in the name. She added that it would make the District' s purposes clearer in the future to the voters. She suggested holding two public hearings - one at the District office and one in the newly an- nexed area, possibly at the same time the draft Master Plan is presented there. H. Grench informed the Board that the draft Master Plan might be available in time for the Regular meeting of March 23; however, he urged a decision on the name as soon as possible since signs for sites should be ordered soon, as well as supplies which have the District' s name on them. Meeting 77- 5 Page seven D. Wendin stated the consensus of the Board to hold a Public Hearing at the Regular Meeting of March 9 at the District office and at that time decide, based on the status of the draft Master Plan, whether or not to hold a second Public Hearing at the Regular Meeting of March 23 or call a Special Meeting. A four- fifths vote of the Board is required for the name change. H. Turner requested that staff present three alternatives for public educational programs associated with the name change and the District' s mission as an open space agency. He thought these alternatives should be available at the time or soon after a name change may be adopted. H. Grench advised that since this type of program might require a substantial amount of staff time outside the scope of the Action Plan and budget, it might require Board action for imple- mentation. D. Wendin suggested that H. Turner coordinate with the Public Communications Coordinator regarding a firmer proposal to be discussed at the March 9 meeting. D. Permanente Creek Park Use and Management Plan and Initial Study J. Olson introduced his report (R-77-7) , dated February 17, 1977 regarding the Permanente Creek Park Use and Management Plan and Initial Study, attached to the General Manager' s memorandum (M-77-20) dated February 17, 1977. The General Manager' s memor- andum recommended the following, subject to testimony received at the neighborhood meeting: (1) A Negative Declaration to be adopted by the Board on the Use and Management Plan; (2) That the recommended Use and Management Plan be adopted; and (3) That the unofficial name Permanente Creek Park be continued as the unofficial name pending the re- port of the Site Naming Policy Subcommittee. J. Olson reported that the District acquired title to this 393 acre site on June 12, 1975 and adopted an Interim Use and Manage- ment Plan on September 24, 1975. The site is located directly south of the City of Los Altos Hills within the unincorporated area of Santa Clara County, west of Highway 280 and close to the cities of Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Cupertino, Sunnyvale and Mountain View. Meeting 77- 5 Page eight J. Olson informed the Board that a Citizen's Advisory Group was formed to coordinate neighborhood input. In addition, neighbor- hood meetings had been held, one last year and two recently at which time the neighbors were presented a draft of the plan for comments. The results of these meetings had been favorable. In describing the site, J. Olson commented on its gopography, geology and soils, hydrology, biotic communities, wildlife habitat and cultural history. J. Olson said that Santa Clara County is negotiating for a portion of the St. Joseph' s Seminary property for a development of a County Park. A report has been presented to the County Board of Supervisors; however, no decision has been reached at this time. A preliminary schematic use and management plan for both the proposed County Park and the adjacent District land has been developed by both agencies and recommends that access be pro- vided to both sites from Foothill Boulevard via Cristo Rey Drive. J. Olson advised that the recommendations in the plan are sub- ject to change upon reevaluation of environmental impacts dur- ing the review process and if the County of Santa Clara acquires the St. Joseph' s Seminary property. J. Olson stated that at the present time St. Joseph' s Avenue provides the best access. Using the Eva - St. Joseph' s Avenue intersection, staff studied the projected traffic which might be created by the District and its associated uses, St. Joseph' s Seminary and St. Patrick' s High School, and compared them to the Perham family' s former business operations and the possible 80 residences had the ranch been subdivided for development. Based on this study, J. Olson felt that there would not be a significant increase in traffic than prior to the District' s acquisition of this property. J. Olson outlined the types of uses and associated recommendations: (1) Individuals and Groups - Without Motor Vehicles Hiking and equestrian use for those persons who can gain access via the public rights of way or from adjacent private property where they have the property owner' s consent. No permits would be required. (2) Individuals and Groups - With Motor Vehicles Permits required to be issued for recreational and educational activities, giving priority to educational groups. It will be the responsi- bility of the naturalist/caretaker to coordinate motor vehicle permit use in order to avoid Meeting 77- 5 Page nine scheduling conflicts. A general guideline would be not more than one group (depending upon the number of vehicles) visiting the site per day to avoid detrimental impacts. No permits would be issued on-site, after the fact. (3) Day Camp and Environmental Education Program A multi-agency program has been planned to maxi- mize public benefit of the site while not in- creasing vehicle traffic on neighborhood streets. The day camp would be in operation during July and August. The resident naturalist/caretaker, would coordinate day camp programs. If approved, the MRPD would enter into agreements with the participating agencies for a period of one year or less. (4) Group Use Area After removal of buildings and general cleanup, an area would be available for group use. No physical development would be involved. (5) Cattle Grazing It had been recommended in the report that due to the light rainfalls , no cattle grazing would be introduced at the present time; however, it appears some grazing may be implemented. Five areas fre being considered for future grazing and plans are proceeding with respect to perimeter and enclosure fencing, boxing and piping of springs, estimation of the number of grazing ani- mals and coordination with trail use. Staff would report on this at a future time. J. Olson described the following access recommendations: (1) Public Access to the Site - The existing group parking area accomodating 10 cars should be signed and graveled. Permits would be required for parking area and will be issued based on the quota 5 vehicles (weekends only) . Bicycle racks should be provided inside the St. Joseph' s Avenue boundary fence. Hikers can gain access to the Part at public rights of way to the site or from adjacent private property with the owner' s consent. Equestrian access should be allowed on the western and southern boundaries. If it is necessary for local equestrians to gain access at Ravensbury Avenue and Mora Drive, keys for locked gates would be distributed by a local equestrian association to all responsible eques- trians in cooperation with the District. Meeting 77- 5 Page ten (2) District Vehicle Access - St. Joseph' s Avenue, Ravensbury Drive and Mora Drive should be used as service and patrol access points. J. Olson continued with the site recommendations, stating as follows: (1) Signs - Signs identifying the District and the site should be located where necessary to identify and protect the site and to guide visitors. In addition, "No Parking" signs would be needed at the turnaround at the St. Joseph' s Seminary area; (2) Existing unsurfaced roads - Roads should be main- tained for agricultural, patrol and resi- dential use; however, portions of these roads also serve as links in the trail system. Some construction should be established with regard to the trail system; (3) Fencing - Improvements associated with any lease for cattle grazing should be intended to define the grazing areas and trails routes, and hiking stiles should be constructed at Mora Drive and Ravensbury Drive if needed for neighborhood access; (4) Structures - The former Hartnett house and barns should be removed; the Grant cabin should have the necessary repairs to keep the structure standing while investigation is made into the possibility of restoration; the naturalist/caretaker residence should be designated an Environmental Education Area, with maintenance coordinated with the operating agencies of Los Altos and Mountain View; the former Perham upper residence should continue to serve as a ranger or caretaker residence with the day camp using a portion of it in connection with their use of the pool. At the same time, staff will investi- gate the possibility of moving the house off-site. The former Perham Construction Company yard would be used as a ranger office and for vehicle and material storage, with minor changes made to make it suitable for such a facility; water storage tanks, no longer in use, in the upper meadow, should be removed; Meeting 77- 5 Page eleven (5) Clean-Up - Debris should be removed from the corporation yard, group use area, dumping site and old water system; (6) Patrol and Data Collection - Rangers will patrol on a regular basis and record the num- ber of users encountered and the types of of activities observed; (7) Name - Permanente Creek Park should be con- tinued as the unofficial name pending the report of the Site Naming Subcommittee; (8) Implementation of Plan - Within six months of adoption of the Use and Management Plan, staff will implement the recommendations giving first priority to the removal of safety hazards, improving the parking area, develop- the trail system and signing agreements with the cities of Mountain View and Los Altos; (9) Site Information Brochure - No recommendation is being made at the present time; (10) Costs - The total cost for site preparation and capital improvement was estimated at $20,000, and approximately $3, 500 has already been spent from the current budget. E. Shelley asked if there would be restroom facilities for the group use area. J. Olson said "no", as the water line does not extend that far. B. Green inquired if any of the recommendations were beyond the capabilities of staff time and finances. J. Olson responded that many things had already been resolved. H. Turner asked for a summary of the neighborhood meetings. J. Olson said he had presented the entire plan and there were some concerns with regard to change in character of the neighbor- hood if this site attracts people to the area; however, the neighbors were generally supportive. He added that one main con- cern was possible fires in the area. H. Grench added that 100 copies of the summary of the plan had been distributed to the neighbors. Meeting 77- 5 Page twelve N. Hanko commented that this site is the District' s closest site to the City of Sunnyvale and wondered if there had been any inquries from or contacts with their staff. J. Olson said he had tried to involve Sunnyvale in the summer camp program last summer but, due to some past negative experi- ences in other situations, they were hesitant to have camps out- side of their city. D. Wendin said since there would probably be quite a lot of liter- ature being dispersed in connection with the day camps and per- haps other uses, he suggested removing the work "Park" in the name of the site at the present time. K. Duffy asked if that would affect the grant application. H. Grench recommended it could be done on a contingency basis until some further communi- cation took place with Mr. Herbert Rhodes of the California De- partment of Parks and Recreation. Motion: H. Turner moved that the site be given the temporary name of Permanente Creek Open Space Preserve provided that name met the contingencies of the Grant Appli- cation. The motion failed for lack of a second. H. Turner asked how many vehicle permits would be issued per day. J. Olson responded it would depend on the size of the group, but generally five. H. Turner asked if the number of vehicle permits would change on weekends when families want to go on the site. J. Olson replied the total would still be five permits with ed- ucational groups given preference. B. Green expressed concern for flexibility and asked if a six or seventh vehicle permit would be issued if requested. J. Olson said unless it was an unusual circumstance, the re- questing party would be asked to choose another time if all ve- hicle permits for that weekend had been taken. He said he felt some limitations had to be set and hoped that this plan would be a good compromise until Santa Clara County possibly acquires the St. Joseph' s Seminary property, which would help to resolve the long-term access problem. He emphasized that an educational group would be considered as one vehicle permit. N. Hanko recalled that the Bicycle Subcommittee of the Trails Task Force had found this site most important with regard to bicycle trails and asked if provisions would be necessary to get bicyclists over the fence on the alternate route from Mora Drive. In addition, she asked if the bicycle racks would be highly visible to discourage vandalism. J. Olson replied he did not feel any provisions would be required from Mora Drive Meeting 77- 5 Page thirteen and recommended placing the bike racks by the bridge near the tennis courts for maximum protection. Mr. Robert Mark said he thought the plan was generally good; however, he expressed concern about local versus regional use with regard to access. He felt a zero increase in traffic did not serve a regional need of a regional property. He also ob- jected to "No Parking" signs. He questioned that too much vege- tation would be cleared for trails . J. Olson responded that trail maintenance and vegetation en- croachment is an ongoing and costly problem. With regard to regional access, J. Olson said he felt there would be a conflict to increase the traffic by having a public parking lot of any particular size on the site. He said there would be a problem of preserve visitors using a residential street, which creates a public relations problem for the District in trying to con- trol the number of people in the parking lot. Mr. Gordon Jennings, 3611 Woodside Road, Woodside commented that he liked the trail plan, and suggested another loop be incorporated. He advised staff of the hazards of cattle guards to bicyclists. He requested that the water through which had been presented by his equestrian group be considered a perman- ent contribution to the site and moved further from the build- ings; however, he felt a trail should come down to it. He also expressed concern for establishing quotas on vehicles in order to satisfy neighbors. Motion: G. Seager moved that the Board adopt the Negative Declaration on the Use and Management Plan for Per- manente Creek Park (R-77-7) dated February 17 , 1977 D. Wendin seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Motion: D. Wendin moved Board adoption of the recommendations in the Use and Management Plan for Permanente Creek Park (R-77-7) dated February 17, 1977 . H. Turner seconded the motion. Amendment: K. Durry moved to amend the motion to provide that the number of vehicle permits be in- creased to ten. B. Green seconded the motion. Discussion: E. Shelley said he felt that staff had presented some strong agruments in favor of the plan and that increasing the vehicle permits to ten would not solve any problems. G. Seager said he thought it would be better to wait until some experience had been gained. N. Hanko suggested that staff report back to the Board on this matter at a later time. B. Green Meeting 77- 5 Page fourteen said a later report on the status of vehicle permits would be agreeable to her. D. Wendin asked what would be a reasonable amount of time to return with a report J. Olson responded he thought three months. The amendment to the motion failed on the following vote: AYES - B. Green and K. Duffy. NOES - D. Wendin, N. Hanko, H. Turner, E. Shelley and G. Seager. The motion passed unanimously. Motion: D. Wendin moved that the naming of the area be post- poned until a report is presented regarding the effects of the name change. N. Hanko seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. The Board recessed at 9: 50 P.M. and reconvened at 10: 00 P.M. E. Proposed Acquisition of an Addition to the Fremont Older Open Space Preserve (Mozzetti Property) H. Grench introduced his report (R-77-8) , dated February 17 , 1977 regarding the Proposed Acquisition of an Addition to the Fremont Older Open Space Preserve (Mozzetti Property) . He said this proposed purchase of 216 acres of land in the Stevens Creek watershed of the Cupertino foothills would become an addition to the present Fremont Older Open Space Preserve, Unit II. Unit II currently consists of a 2 . 5 acre parcel which is non- contiguous to Unit I (which consists of 334 acres) . An addi- tional 75 acre proposed addition to Unit II is under litigation. H. Grench said the owners have offered to sell the total 216 acre site for $198, 500 to the District with the requirement that the District pay all delinquent taxes due on the property, or, $37, 000, whatever is less. It has been determined that the District would be obligated for the additional $37 , 000, bringing the property' s total cost to $235, 500. J. Olson presented slides of the site and informed the Board that there is no development on the site,that a P.G. & E. line exists on the property and that the property will not ever be intensively developed. H. Grench recommended that the Board adopt the resolution to acquire the property. He said he thought it was a good oppor- tunity for the District to acquire and preserve a property still wild in nature yet close to the urban area. The site could increase the recreational potential and scenic protection of the adjacent Santa Clara County Stevens Creek Park as well as the District' s nearby 200 acre Picchetti Ranch. In addition, H. Grench recommended adoption of the unofficial name Fremont Older Open Space Preserve, Unit II . Meeting 77- 5 Page fifteen J. Olson presented the following use and management recommenda- tions intended to maximize public use of the site consistent with protecting the natural resources: (1) Policy Recommendations: (a) Preserve and protect the natural ameni- ties of the area taking care to guard against disturbance of the southern canyon area. (b) Cooperate with local governmental agencies to establish a regional trails network to link recreational lands. (c) Keep the site open for low intensity recreational use without permit. (2) Interim Use and Management Recommendations: (a) Access. - Vehicular access is not recom- mended. Primary hiking and equestrian access should be via Stevens Creek County Park using the trails now existing on both sites . (b) Patrol. - District rangers should patrol on a regular basis. (c) Signing, Trails and Road Maintenance.- No signing, trail construction or road main- tenance is recommended at this time, but recommendations will be made when the Use and Management Plan for Fremont Older Open Space Preserve is reviewed in May. N. Hanko said she thought this was a valuable piece of property as it complimented other areas of open space already owned by the District and other agencies. It added in creating a green- belt in the southern part of the District. Mr. Gordon Jennings informed the Board that there are many equestrians in that vicinity from nearby stables. He said he felt it would be a key acquisition. Motion: K. Duffy moved that the Board adopt Resolution No. 77-8 , a Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Midpenin- sula Regional Park District Authorizing Exercise of Option to Purchase Real Property, Authorizing Officer to Execute Certificate of Acceptance of Grant to Dis- trict, and Authorizing General Manager to Execute Any and All Other Documents Necessary or Appropriate to Closing of the Transaction (Fremont Older Open Space Preserve Addition - Mozzetti Property) G. Seager seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Meeting 77- 5 Page sixteen Motion: D. Wendin moved that the Board adopt the Interim Use and Management Plan of the Proposed Acquisition of an Addition to the Fremont Older Open Space Preserve (Mozzetti Property) as contained in Report R-77-8. dated February 17 , 1977. G. Seager seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Motion: D. Wendin moved that the Board adopt the unofficial name of Fremont Older Open Space Preserve, Unit II. B. Green seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. F. Plan to Borrow Money to Finance Land Acquisition (continued) D. Wendin said he would like to direct staff and the Controller to define the projects to borrow the maximum amount of money possible before the time limit set by Union Bank. He added that he viewed this as an exception. Most of the staff work had already been done and this was a particularly good opportunity. Motion: D. Wendin moved that staff be directed to proceed in borrowing the maximum amount of money within the frame- work of the Union Bank loan already approved in princi- ple by the Board at its Regular Meeting December 8 , 1976. N. Hanko seconded the motion. The motion passed unani- mously. D. Wendin stated the consensus of the Board that the President call a Special Meeting when needed so that the motions and resolutions necessary for the loan can be approved. He noted that six votes of the Board were needed. VII. NEW BUSINESS WITH NO ACTION REQUESTED F. Presentation of MRPD 1976 Progress Report H. Grench presented the MRPD 1976 Progress Report which he said had been drafted by A. Crosley and taken through the printing process by C. Harrington. He added that some corrections are needed before final distribution to government officials and a mailing list of interested citizens. He suggested if any Directors know of persons to whom they wish to send the Progress Report, they could submit a list of names to staff. VIII. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS A. Proposition 2 Fund Allocation H. Grench announced that he had attended a recent meeting in San Mateo County of park administrators. The meeting had been called Meeting 77- 5 Page seventeen by Doc Mattison, Director of San Mateo County Parks and Recreation, for the purpose of discussing the allocation of the Proposition 2 funds, H. Grench informed the Board that the 1974 Bond Funds had been split to give 90% to cities and local recreation districts; and 10% to regional parks, namely the County, and it appears the Proposition 2 funds will also be di- vided this way. He said Doc Mattison is required to meet with the various agencies before giving a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. The formula has to be adopted by at least 50% of the cities and districts representing at least 50% of the popula- tion, and the Board of Supervisors. H. Grench said he is fol- lowing the matter and keeping in touch with Doc Mattison and will be reporting to the Board at a future time. He suggested that any Directors who feel the formula is not adequate might want to speak to members of the San Mateo County Board of Super- visors or Parks and Recreation Commission. B. Regional Park Districts Meeting H. Grench announced that the joint meeting of regional park districts, which is being hosted by the Monterey Peninsula Reg- ional Park District, is now scheduled for April 30 and May 1. An agenda will be arriving from the General Manager, Gary Tate. C. Trails on Los Trancos Open Space Preserve J. Olson gave an update on the trails that have already been constructed and some proposals for other trails. He said the Dis- trict is working with Mr. N. Timothy Hall, Professor of Geology at Foothill College, to locate the earthquake features present on the site that could be incorporated into an earthquake inter- pretive trail. J. Olson said the construction would be handled by District staff, and the signing, brochures and perhaps interpretive tours would be done by students and staff of Foot- hill College. In addition, J. Olson referred to the Use and Management Plan which stated that the trails used primarily for hiking could be used by equestrians also. He said it appears that there are a good number of equestrians using the trails and due to the fragility of these trails, he is designating portions of the perimeter trails for equestrian use and other trails for hikers. D. Fremont Older Open Space Preserve Structures J. Olson referred to the recommendations in the Use and Manage- ment Plan regarding the structures and gave the following updates: (1) Grey House - the amount of up to $15, 000 had been Meeting 77- 5 Page eighteen allocated toward making the house habitable while staff investigated costs for bringing it up to code. J. Olson reported it appears that cost would be around $20, 000. He said $600 has been spent so far for plumbing and heating, and he recommended painting the exterior, cleaning up around the premises and using the house as a rental or for rangers . (2) Adobe House and Pool Area - $10, 000 was allocated for restoration and staff was to seek the help of historical groups to perform the restoration. J. Olson has had an architect draw up plans for improving the interior to make it more habitable and to restore the original facade of the exterior. The estimated figure, somewhat over budget, would be around $12,500. He recommended the gardens remain as they are, and the pool filled so that only the outside rim would remain visible (3) Fremont Older Main House - the adopted recommen- dation had been for staff to pursue alternate uses and if there were none, the house would be demolished. J. Olson reported that staff had contacted many historical groups (local, State and federal) and individuals, seeking support and sug- gestions . The response had all been negative. He added there has been some vandalism to the house and it was a management problem. Fencing the area would cost about $1,200. He advised razing the house and placing a commemorative placque. He said he felt the cultural history would be main- tained by restoration of the Adobe and gardens. N. Hanko said she had received calls from people interested in the Older home and felt the matter should be placed on a future agenda. She felt the agreement had been that staff would re- turn to the Board before actually razing the home. E. Shelley responded he understood that had been the plan; however, he felt the Board had had ample time to consider the question. B. Green asked how long it would take the architect to complete the investigation referred to in Arthur Ogilvie' s written communication. J. Olson said communications with Arthur Ogilvie have been in progress since September, 1976, and that the El Camino Trust' s real concerns are directed towards the architectural merit, not the restoration, of the house. Meeting 77- 5 Page nineteen D. Wendin stated that the questions seem to be, (1) the Use and Mangement Plan does not provide for money, so where will the money come from, and (2) should it be an agenda item. He suggested placing the matter on the March 9 agenda. He added that Mr. Ogilvie is welcome to address the Board at that time. N. Hanko asked that the scheduling be flexible in case staff is not prepared to report by March 9. D. Wendin confirmed her request. E. Los Gatos Hillside Study K. Duffy reported she had reviewed the Los Gatos Hillside Study Planand it appeared to be adequate. F. Redwood City, San Carlos and Atherton Detachment Efforts N. Hanko requested that the District' s records reflect the fact that detachment efforts on the part of the cities of Redwood City, Atherton and San Carlos were denied February 3 , 1977 by the Santa Clara County Local Agency Formation Commission. IX. CLAIMS Motion: D. Wendin moved approval of the revised claims (C-77-4) , dated February 23 , 1977 . H. Turner seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. X. EXECUTIVE SESSION The Board adjourned to Executive Session at 11: 05 P.M. to discuss land negotiations. XI . ADJOURNMENT The Board reconvened to adjourn at 11:56 P.M. Jennie George Deputy District Clerk