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HomeMy WebLinkAboutApril 10OSC Final_Minutes14-0410.docx 1 Los Altos Hills Open Space Committee Los Altos Hills Parks and Recreation Building FINAL Minutes of April 10, 2014 Members Present: George Clifford, Nancy Couperus, Karen Lemes, Alice Sakamoto, Jean Struthers, Wendie Ward, Sue Welch Members Absent: Sharen Schoendorf, Roger Spreen Associate Members Absent: Kit Gordon City Council Liaison Present: Gary Waldeck Members of the Public: Jim Abraham, Planning Commission Yoriko Kishimoto, MROSD Board Kjell Karlsson, Traffic Safety Committee Bill Balson (Dori Lane) 1. Call to Order and Approval of Minutes The meeting was called to order at 9:05 am. Minutes of the March 27, 2014 meeting were approved with typos amended (GC, NC, KL, AS, JS, WW approved; SW abstained). The agenda was approved as written. 2. Current Business A. Announcements i) Earth Day. This annual event will be held Sunday April 27 at Westwind Barn and will feature the wild cats from Wild Cat Education and Conservation Fund. Volunteers offered to staff the OSC table and bring materials for the public. ii) Bay Area Open Space Council Conference. Several members of OSC will attend at this conference on May 8, 2014. iii) LAH Pathways Run. GC sent a note to Richard Chiu and Parks and Rec requesting that the organizers of this even in Byrne Preserve (May 10) remove all streamers, signs, and other materials immediately after the event. iv) MROSD. Yoriko Kashimoto reported that MROSD will make a presentation to the April 17, 2014 LAH City Council meeting asking for support for their open space bond measure (Measure AA) that will be on the ballot in June. v) SOD BLITZ. Sixth annual SOD BLITZ will be held Saturday, May 24 at Town Hall. B. Site Plan Reviews. i) Review of site visit procedure. GC distributed a draft of the procedure OSC should follow for assessing properties under development that staff requests the OSC review as part of the development process. The procedure includes elements requested by planning staff that were conveyed to GC in discussions with them. (See attachment.) OSC discussed issues (e.g., time required to notify developers, access to parcel, review of records for existing easements) and made minor edits (e.g., allow a longer time to notify developers of site visit). GC will distribute the edited version. ii) The following properties were reviewed at staff request: a) 24100 Hillview Drive (Lands of Lam). The reason for review is a major remodel. The parcel is on the south side of Hillview at the corner of Magdalena Road and has frontages on both streets. Most of this parcel (as well as the parcel across the creek) falls within the designated LAH Open Space Conservation Area shown on the Town's Land Use Map, meaning special care must be taken to preserve its natural open space values. (See attachment.) OSC reviewed the site in Jan 2012 at staff request. Hale Creek runs just outside the southern property border on the OSC Final_Minutes14-0410.docx 2 adjacent property to the south (11993 Magdalena). The redwood fence on 24100 Hillview appears to be less than 2 feet from the top of the creek bank. (See attachments). SCC parcel maps and the owners’ development plans show “Town of LAH Flood Easement” that extends into the parcel well past the standard 25- foot riparian setback. FEMA flood maps indicate an even larger area as “Special Flood Hazard Area Subject to Inundation by the 1% Annual Chance Flood”. (See attachments.) Two parcels to the west on Hillview have conservation/open space easements along Hale Creek (24150 and 24202 Hillview). KL moved that OSC ask the Town to enforce the standard riparian easement on this property (25 feet from the top of bank) along Hale Creek and to dedicate an open space easement over the same area. The vote was unanimously in favor. A wooden footbridge has been constructed over Hale Creek on the adjacent parcel to the south (11993 Magdalena) just upstream of the culvert that goes under Magdalena. Additional structures have been placed within the floodway easement. (See attachments.) KL moved that OSC ask the Town to review possible violation of LAH Floodplain Management Regulations at 11993 Magdalena as well as the riparian setback on this property. SW seconded and the vote was unanimously in favor. b) 24745 Olive Tree Lane. The reason for review is construction of a new residence. The parcel is on the north side of Olive Tree Lane and is steeply sloped and densely wooded with large oaks. Much of the parcel meets LAH criteria for open space easements based on the steep slope and mature trees. JS moved that the Town ask the developers to dedicate an open space easement on the steep northern portion of the parcel along the chain link fence that passes through the 690 ft elevation line and extending along the line of the fence all the way to the western border of the property. KL seconded and the vote was unanimously in favor. C. Review “Charges and Duties” of the OSC. Chair GC distributed revised text for review and comment. (See attachment.) After discussion, no changes were made to the edited version. GC moved that the OSC accept the revised Charges and Duties. SW seconded and the vote was unanimously in favor. Chair GC will submit the revised document to the City Clerk, who will present it to City Council for approval. D. Coyotes in Byrne Preserve. The Town placed display boxes for signs and informational brochures at entrances to Byrne Preserve to alert visitors to the presence of coyotes and to educate them about appropriate behaviors (e.g., hazing) to reduce encounters. Boxes are up, but info materials are not in place at this time. Earlier this month an off-leash dog charged and barked at the sheriff patrolling Byrne Preserve and the owner was cited. E. Open Space Stewardship Update. Richard Chiu, LAH Director of Public Works, and several members of OSC met with Acterra on April 9, 2014 to discuss potential plans, communication channels, and administrative procedures. A work party with student volunteers from Pinewood School will be held at the end of April. F. Stirling subdivision. None. G. Lehigh Quarry Update. Council Member Gary Waldeck reported that Joe Simitian, member of SCC Board of Supervisors representing District Five (includes LAH and other towns around the quarry), is organizing a coalition of the major regulatory agencies overseeing quarry activities (e.g., RWQCB, Bureau of Mines and Reclamation, and air quality agencies). This coalition will greatly facilitate communications and monitoring. H. Fence Permit Report. No issues for OSC for one permit reviewed. OSC Final_Minutes14-0410.docx 3 I. Subcommittee report on Tree Cutting Policy in Byrne Preserve. KL reported that the subcommittee has prepared a six-page draft document that they will edit to three pages and present to OSC at the May meeting. J. Creek Signs in LAH. Deferred. K. Drainage proposal. Mr. Balson, LAH resident, presented a proposal to upgrade swales and storm drains in Town. OSC discussed proposal. KL moved that while the OSC does not endorse this proposal, the committee in general favors slowing water flow, protecting creeks, and limiting erosion and flood risk. NC seconded and the vote was unanimously in favor. 3. New Business. None. 4. Open Discussion. The Environmental Design Committee is currently considering a proposal to broaden the LAH tree policy to protect trees other than heritage oaks, and may bring this to the OSC for review and comment. 5. Communications from the Floor 6. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 10:50 AM. Next Meeting: Thursday, May 8, 2014 9:00 AM at LAH Parks and Recreation Building Final minutes approved at the OSC meeting of April 13, 2014