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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDecember 10OSC_Min_121004 3/6/20 1 Minutes - Los Altos Hills Open Space Committee December 10, 2004 Present: Patty Ciesla, Nancy Couperus, Mary Dvey, Elaine Nelson, Duffy Price, Roger Spreen, Susan Welch Regrets: Barbara Mordo, Jean Struthers Guests: None The meeting was called to order at 3:10 PM in the Multi-Purpose Room at Bullis School APPROVAL OF MINUTES Minutes from the 12 November 2004 meeting were approved without amendment. OLD BUSINESS Crozier Hogle Conservation Easement Nancy Couperus provided an update on the status of the voluntary conservation easement for the lands of CrozierHogle. The owner’s attorney has made a few additional changes to the agreement and is nearing a final contractual point. The issue of allowable changes in the height of the residence, should it be remodeled, is outstanding. A title search needs to be completed. The Committee again thanks Nancy Couperus, Roger Spreen, and Carl Cahill for their efforts in this project. Roger Spreen addressed the City Council at the meeting of December 2, 2004 regarding the Crozier Hogle conservation easement donation and requested that the Town provide funds to help cover the cost of the survey of record that will serve as baseline documentation for the easement. Council members, some of whom had visited the site, were appreciative ofthe easement donation and unanimously approved a motion to provide up to $7,000 towards the cost of the survey of record. The total cost of the survey, which will be done by Mark Thomas and Company, will be about $13,000; the portion not paid by the Town will come from the Open Space Committee budget. Lois Crozier Hogle spoke briefly at the meeting and received thanks from the Council and a standing ovation. A reporter from the Town Crier interviewed Roger Spreen about the Crozier Hogle conservation easement donation and will print a story in an upcoming issue. The reporter also expressed interest in developing a longer feature article about Lois for a January issue. These articles will provide timely publicity and as well as help to educate the public about conservation easements. A suggestion was made to create a video or CDROM about the Crozier Hogle donation and conservation easement in general. The issue of creating a conservation easement monitoring program was raised again. Nancy Couperus has obtained a number of useful publications from the Land Trust Alliance that will be helpful in developing the program and other committee activities. Conservation Easement Ordinance The ordinance will be discussed in detail at the next meeting. It was suggested that as the Crozier Hogle easement negotiations are completed the Committee begin looking at other lands that might be appropriate for preservation in conservation easements. OSC_Min_121004 3/6/20 2 Conservation Easement Information Brochure Discussion continued about developing a brochure to introduce landowners to the concept of voluntary conservation easements and to provide practical advice for negotiating an agreement. Copies of the booklets prepared by the Towns of Portola Valley and Woodside were reviewed. The consensus is that the content should be brief, simple, and organized in a question and answer format. A subcommittee (Roger Spreen, Nancy Couperus, and Sue Welch) was formed to work on the brochure. The goal is to have the brochure completed for the League of Women Voters forum on conservation easements to be held in February 2005. Duffy Price reported on two bids for printing 500 booklets; the cost will be about $1750 to $2000 for the printing, depending on the final specifications (e.g., number of pages, paper selection, number of color photographs). Photos of the lands of Crozier Hogle will be included and Lois Crozier Hogle has selected a quote from Wallace Stegner to accompany the photo. Patty Ciesla suggested that the Committee consider creating additional information booklets on other topics such as California native plants, water conservation, and watershed stewardship. Duffy Price suggested a Los Altos Hills calendar with photos and month-by-month garden guides. Memorial Bench A ceremony to inaugurate the Lamparter memorial bench was held last month, attended by the Lamparter family, Open Space Committee members, and others. Photos of the tracks left on the bench by a lounging mountain lion were posted on the Committee web site. The issue of developing a policy for memorial donations was discussed. Adobe Creek Watershed Group Meeting The Adobe Creek Watershed Steering Committee, residents, and the agencies are continuing negotiations and making slow but steady progress on this project. League of Women Voters Forum on Conservation Easements The League of Women Voters of Los Altos and Mountain View will hold a forum on conservation easements on Sunday February 6, 2005. The forum, Conservation Easements: A Forum on Land Preservation Tools for Local Communities, will be held at CongregationBeth Am and Los Altos Hills participants include Carl Cahill, Planning Director for Los Altos Hills, and Mary Davey, President of Mid Peninsula Regional Open Space District and member of the Open Space Committee. Jason Kibbey, Director of Defense of Place, David Mitchell, Board Director of Peninsula Open Space Trust , and several others will also speak. The primary sponsor for the forum is the League of Women Voters of Los Altos-Mountain View; other cosponsors are being sought. Individual are asked to bring refreshments. Byrne Preserve Fire Management Plan Roger Spreen met with the Los Altos Hills County Fire District last month to discuss the environmental damage caused by the goats over-grazing the fuel break in Byrne Preserve during the summer. The Fire District acknowledges that the over-grazing extended beyond the planned limits and said that they will probably not use goats next year. They also acknowledge that the CCC crew was not managed as carefully as it could have been and that some overzealous cutting may have occurred. The Fire District has undertaken fire management program at Byrne Preserve at no cost at the request of the Town. The Ttown benefits significantly from this help and does not want to make the project burdensome for the Fire District. The Fire District is currently dealing with organizational and mutual assistance issues with the Town of Los Altos; further, the OSC_Min_121004 3/6/20 3 responsibility for the Byrne Preserve Fuel Management Program does not lie with a single individual. Next summer the Committee and the Fire District will make efforts to more carefully monitor the fuel management activities. This will include identifying and/or placing Preserve boundary markers, avoiding or limiting goat grazing, and more carefully monitoring the activities of the CCC crew. Duffy Price, who is also a member of the Fire Commission will discuss with the Fire District their plans for the large number of trees that were girdled asa result of goat grazing. These standing dead trees probably are a fire hazard. Supporters of Westwind Community Barn Elaine Nelson reported a good turnout for the holiday lighting event at the barn. All City Council members and many families with children attended. The Supporters have received a $10,000 grant from the L.J. Skaggs and Mary C. Skaggs Foundation, a California charitable organization that provides grants to support programs and projects to preserve and increase appreciation for America’s historical and cultural heritage. The grant will be put towards work on the barn. It was also noted that on December 3, 2004, Elaine Nelson was recognized by the Towns of Los Altos and Los Altos Hills for her loyal and dependable volunteer work for the Westwind Barn; she was one of seven recipients of the 2004 Community Service Award. Planning for Earth Day Celebration (Sunday April 24, 2005) at the Westwind Barn is continuing. The event will be held from 1:00 to 4:00 PM and Leopards, Etc. will again perform. The committee hopes to increase the number of participating organizations and to include more child-oriented activities this year (the tortoises and snakes were a great hit in 2004). Patty Ciesla will organize a restoration project for Junior High youth for the day of the event and an educational program for school children is under consideration. Suggested participants included Hidden Villa, Acterra, the Santa Clara Water District, the Fire District, organizations promoting alternate power sources (e.g. solar), owners of straw bale houses, the representatives of the consulting group building Town Hall. Ideas for publicity include posters and a large banner for downtown Los Altos, inserts in the Town newsletter, and announcements on affiliated web sites. A motion was made to budget $300 for Earth Day publicity. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously. In addition, Community Relations may be able to provide funds and local coffee franchises will be approached for donations for refreshments. Joint Meeting with Portola Valley On February 10, 2005, 4 to 6 PM a second joint meeting will be held with the Open Space Committees of Los Altos Hills, Portola Valley, and Woodside,. The meeting was adjourned at 5:05 PM. The next meeting will be held on Friday, January 14 at 3:00 PM in the Multi- Purpose Room at Bullis School Respectively submitted, Susan Welch OSC_Min_121004 3/6/20 4