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Home My Public Portal About19950708 - Minutes - Board of Directors (BOD) - Open Space MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT Meeting 95-17 SPECIAL MEETING BOARD OF DIRECTORS July 8, 1995 I. ROLL CALL President Pete Siemens called the meeting to order at 10:10 A.M. near the gate at the intersection of Skyline Boulevard and Portola Park Heights Road, Long Ridge Open Space Preserve, San Mateo County. Members Present: Pete Siemens, Mary Davey, Teena Henshaw, David Smernoff, Nonette Hanko, Betsy Crowder, and Wim de Wit. Personnel Present: Craig Britton, John Escobar, Randy Anderson, Jean Fiddes, David Sanguinetti, Mary Gundert, Mike Williams, Dennis Danielson, and Julie McCullough. 11. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS William Obermayer stated that he would like to discuss the good neighbor policy; P. Siemens responded that it was one of the items to be discussed during the general discussion. Linda Huntimer stated that members of the community had provided input on items they wanted discussed at the meeting and the main categories for discussion were: liability; Bay Area Ridge Trail crossing; additional trail crossings; legal issues; electric gate; good neighbor policy; and notification policies. C. Britton stated that the first hour of the meeting would focus on specific trail crossing alternatives, public comments on the alternatives, and Board discussion of the alternatives and the second hour woui focus on additional items of interest to the community. He introduced District staff members present at the meeting. 111. ADOPTION OF AGENDA Motion: T. Henshaw moved that the Board adopt the agenda as presented. N. Hanko seconded the motion. The motion passed 7 to 0. IV. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS There were no written communications. V. BOARD BUSINESS 1. Neighborhood Workshop for Long Ridge Qpg,,-n Space Preserve - Site Visit and Discussion of Proposed Use and Management Plan Items Including Trail Use an Road Issues (R-95-91) R. Anderson introduced the staff presentation, describing the original Bay Area Ridge Trail project, and the Board's decision to delay consideration of the Long Ridge Open 330 Distel Circle - Los Altos, CA 94022-1404 - Phone:415-691-1200 - FAX:415-691-0485 - E-mail: tlirosd@netcoi-n.com Bo,ird of Directors:Pete Siemens,Mary( I)avey, I vena Henshaw,enhaw,Ginny Babbitt, N()ri(,tt(,Hanko,13(,t,,v(towdef,Wim d(,Wit Genera!1%11mw�4er:L.Cr,iip,Britton Meeting 95-17 Page 2 Space Preserve Use and Management Plan amendment to construct the Bay Area Ridge Trail segment across Portola Park Heights Road until after this workshop. He stated that the trail element of Long Ridge Open Space Preserve Use and Management Plan concerning the former Acronico property and the remainder of the preserve was anticipated to be presented next year. M. Gundert reviewed three alternatives for the Bay Area Ridge Trail alignment on Portola Park Heights Road. The alternatives were: alternative 1 (presented at April 25, 1995 neighborhood meeting) - passes through the Fowkes easement, follows existing disc line and crosses Portola Park Heights Road near the existing Skyline Boulevard entrance gate; alternative 2 (new) - passes through the Fowkes easement, drops down below where the workshop meeting was being held to the landing area, follows the road up to Portola Park Heights Road, and then climbs to old jeep road that parallels Skyline Boulevard; and alternative 3 (new) - passes through the Fowkes easement, follows the existing disc line to old road bed where workshop meeting was being held, then crossing Portola Park Heights Road at bend in road at the existing pullout area and then angling up the bank; alternatives two and three would also tie into trail to Peter's Creek. M. Gundert reviewed the types of fencing, signing, and stiles that would be installed at each of the alternatives. She said that signing on Portola Park Heights Road would alert those in vehicles that they were approaching a trail crossing. With respect to other trail crossings of Portola Park Heights Road in the next five years, M. Gundert stated that with alternative 1 two other e crossings were anticipated (one near the Bean house driveway and one where alternative two crosses Portola Park Heights Road and that with alternatives 2 and 3, only one additional in anticipated near the Bean house .drivewa crossing was antic pa y Discussion regarding the three trail alternatives prior to visiting the location of the alternative 2 crossing included the following topics: why members of the community had not been directly involved in the trail crossing planning prior to the first workshop; why the District had purchased easements for the Bay Area Ridge Trail in other areas; stile design and compliance with the Americans with Disability Act; liability concerns for trail users in wheelchairs crossing the road; the possibility of moving the trail crossing in front of the gate closer to Skyline Boulevard; how the District could prevent grail users from going down Portola Park Heights Road; the line of sight at each of the alternatives so that drivers could see trail users crossing the road and trails users could see vehicles on the road; the need to make the trail crossing as safe as possible; the possibility of having just one trail crossing near the Bean house driveway area and an electric gate at that point to keep users from wandering around in the Portola Park Heights area; the importance of the existing Pullout area inside the gate to the community for unloading heavy equipment ment and parking cars when necessary; and having a logical separation of drivers' activities, such as opening and/or closing the gate and focusing on people using a trail crossing. Meeting 95-17 Page 3 The meeting recessed at 11:15 A.M. so that workshop participants could walk to the location of alternative 2 trail crossing and the meeting reconvened at 11:20 A.M. M. Gundert pointed out the possible location of the trail downhill from Skyline Boulevard, the trail crossing, and where the trail would follow the dirt road to the helicopter landing site for a short distance. Discussion regarding alternative 2 included the following topics: the need for a geologist to study the proposed site because of runoff from Skyline during the rainy season; rerouting the culvert; whether bikers would continue on Skyline Boulevard to Portola Park Heights Road rather than use the trail to the alternative 2 trail crossing; the number of trail users the District anticipates might be using this portion of the Bay Area Ridge Trail and whether any usage studies had been done on segments of the trail; the incidence of bicycle accidents on District lands; and the difference between the Bay Area Ridge Trail and the Los Gatos Creek Trail. C. Britton noted that Portola Park Heights Road is a private road built on land owned by a public agency (the District). Attorney David Spangenberg of Palo Alto, representing the Portola Park Heights Homeowners Association, noted that the homeowners were not 100% against the crossing and their objective is to remove liability for themselves. He explained the impact of the maintenance agreement for the paved Portola Park Heights Road, noting that the road needs to be maintained in a safe condition and that there is potential liability for the homeowners because of their participation in the road maintenance agreement. He suggested the District accept the Portola Park Heights Road as a public road, if possible. Mr. Spangenberg explained the difference for filing claims against the District, as opposed to against the Portola Park Heights residents and cited extra immunities that the District has that the homeowners do not have. He suggested that a certain section of the road be solely the District's responsibility for maintenance, noting that to resolve the homeowners' liability concerns some way needs to be found so that the homeowners' contractual obligation becomes the District's. Discussion concerning an electric gate focused on the need for a gate that opens and shuts automatically so one does not have to get out of his/her vehicle; the District's responsibility to relieve the homeowners of any overburdening of the road that the District creates; whether the District was responsible for providing an electric gate; and the Board's previous approval for the homeowners to install an electric gate; and the need for a maintenance contract for the gate. Discussion then focused on the good neighbor policy and the District's public notification policies. Linda Huntimer noted that the homeowners association has four elected officials and that there will be a community newsletter in the future. She Meeting 95-17 Page 4 stated the District would be sent a copy and that the newsletter could be a vehicle for disseminating information about District-specific activities. It was suggested that District representatives and the homeowners meet on a regular basis to discuss matters of mutual interest and concern. P. Siemens suggested that the Acquisition and Enterprise Committee could be involved, in behalf of the Board, in activities promoting a better relationship with the Portola Park Heights neighbors. VI. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 12:45 P.M. Jean H. Fiddes, District Clerk