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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJuly 10OSC Final_Minutes14-0710.docx 1 Los Altos Hills Open Space Committee Los Altos Hills Parks and Recreation Building FINAL Minutes of July 10, 2014 Members Present: George Clifford, Nancy Couperus, Karen Lemes, Alice Sakamoto Roger Spreen, Sharen Schoendorf, Jean Struthers, Sue Welch (arrived 9:25 am) Members Absent: Wendie Ward Associate Members Absent: Kit Gordon City Council Liaison Present: Gary Waldeck Members of the Public: Bill Balson (Dori Lane) 1. Call to Order and Approval of Minutes The meeting was called to order at 9:02 am. Minutes of the May10, 2014 meeting were approved with typos corrected (GC, NC, KL, AS, RS, JS approved; SW abstained). The agenda was approved as written. 2. Current Business A. Bicycle Signs on Byrne Preserve Pathways. Proposal by staff to place signs indicating bikes are to yield to horses and pedestrians will be taken under consideration by Planning Commission at the meeting this evening. B. Site Plan Reviews i) 27299 Byrne Park Lane. Review completed at the last meeting. ii) 12810 Deer Creek Lane. The draft review presented by Chair GC (Attachment A) was discussed. Issues included the proposed property line fence along the Purissima and the southern border, the requirement not to fence any of the open space easement that provides access for wildlife to the creek, and a suggestion the owners consider riparian restoration. GC moved that we remove the part of the first paragraph under "Recommendations" starting with the sentence "Depending upon its construction..." to the end of the paragraph, and replace it with “This open space easement was created at the time of subdivision to assure access for wildlife to Deer Creek. The fencing as planned limits wildlife access to the creek from Purissima Road. Thus, we want to reaffirm that the owners understand that the open space easement cannot ever be fenced (per Town ordinances).” SW seconded and the vote was unanimously in favor. RS moved that the last paragraph be replaced with a sentence from the email response provided by staff: “Because of the poor condition of Deer Creek passing through the property, the Committee recommends that the owner consider riparian restoration. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Regional Water Quality Control Board would need to review any proposal for work within the creek channel and/or between the channel and top of bank, and issue permits.” KL seconded and the vote was unanimously in favor. GC will send the edited OSC recommendation to planning staff. C. Announcements. None D. Election of Chair and secretary. GC nominated RS as chair. KL seconded and the vote was unanimously in favor. SW agreed to continue as secretary; GC seconded and the vote was unanimously in favor. E. Update of Coyote Alert Signs in Byrne Preserve. Staff placed additional signs letting users know that dogs are not permitted in the grassland area of Byrne Preserve at this time because of coyote pups. They also added display boxes at Moody Road and Byrne Park Lane entrances to Byrne Preserve with informational brochures about coyotes and OSC Final_Minutes14-0710.docx 2 how to haze them. Town staff also has requested additional sheriff patrols and installed a camera to monitor repeated vandalism to the signs. F. Update on LAH Dog Park Proposal. City Council discussed this proposal at the Council Meeting on June 19, 2014 and asked staff for additional study. G. Horse grazing workshop. Sheila Barry, a Certified Rangeland Manager with the UC Extension Service has offered to present a local workshop on managing grasslands in Byrne Preserve for horse grazing. This will be free and open to the public and cover grazing management practices to improve forage. SW moved that the OSC request from the City Manager permission to hold the meeting and funds not to exceed $350 to cover expenses (e.g., gas for presenter for 3 trips from San Jose, copies of educational materials, and refreshments). RS seconded and the vote was unanimously in favor. A letter with this request will be sent to the City Manager. H. SOD BLITZ Update. SW reported that about 13-15 people attended and/or submitted samples for testing at Dr. Garbelotto’s lab at UC Berkeley. OSC will hold a second meeting in the fall to report test results and provide treatment information. I. Discussion and Vote on Draft Tree Cutting Policy. KL handed out copies of the proposed policy that had been distributed to OSC members for review in May (Attachment B). After discussion and minor edits (i.e., remove size limit for “significant” tree; add text to specify the policy applies only to trees in Town-owned open space), RS moved that the OSC accept the draft Tree Policy with the minor amendments and forward it to Richard Chiu for review and comment. JS seconded and the vote was unanimously in favor. J. Open Space Stewardship Update. SW reported that Acterra continues to make progress on invasive weed removal using volunteers and has scheduled regular community workdays open to all volunteers for Thursdays 9:30 am to noon. A brief summary of Acterra’s first Quarterly Report (Attachment C) and Vegetation Management Plan will be presented at the next Council meeting. i) Article for Town newsletter. SW worked with Alex Atkins, editor of the Town newsletter, to prepare a short article about Acterra open space stewardship activities for the September issue. ii) Weed Wrench Purchase. SW received info from the Chair of the Santa Clara County Weed Management Area about a new type of weed wrench. This is an essential tool for removing many types of invasive weeds and the previous supplier is no longer in business. The stewardship project is currently using borrowed wrenches because the Town does not own one. RS moved that the OSC ask the Town to approve funds for the purchase of two weed wrenches (at $150 each) for use in Town-owned open space. NC seconded and the vote was unanimously in favor. K. Deer Signs on Fremont Road. NC reported that the City Council voted against installing deer crossing signs along Fremont road as requested by residents in the area, where several deer have been hit. The Council veto was based on complaints from other residents about the proliferation of roadside signs in Town. L. Fence Permit Report. No reported issues. M. Creek Signs in LAH. KG not present; discussion deferred. 3. New Business. None 4. Open Discussion. A. Native Plant List for Landscaping Guidelines. JS reported that she KG, and Pat Ley (member of the EDC) are preparing a list of native (and possibly non-native) drought tolerant species appropriate for the LAH area for the Town landscaping guide. OSC Final_Minutes14-0710.docx 3 B. Library of Tools for Residents. KL suggested the Town provide specialized tools such as weed wrenches that residents could check out and use on their properties, especially along roadsides, which the Town no longer sprays with herbicide. After discussion of implementation issues and concerns about staff time required, action was deferred. C. Request for Seed Collection. The City Manager contacted the OSC for advice about a request to collect seeds of native plants in Byrne Preserve they had received from the non-profit “Save the Bay”, which does restoration at sites in the Bay area. SW suggested the Town might want to impose a moratorium on seed collection for a year because of the extensive invasive plant removal activities. Seeds of natives may be needed to fill in areas where invasive weeds are removed. OSC will seek advice from Acterra before responding to staff. 5. Communications from the Floor. None 6. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 am. Next Meeting: Thursday, August 14, 2014 9:00 AM at LAH Parks and Recreation Building Attachments: A. Draft OSC Review of 12810 Deer Creek Lane Site Development Plan B. Draft Tree Cutting Policy (May, 2014) C. Acterra Quarterly Progress Report (April–June 2014) Approved without amendments at the Regular Meeting of the OSC on August 14, 2014 Open Space Committee Review DRAFT 12810 Deer Creek Lane Site Development Plan July 10, 2014 On June 23 three members of the Open Space Committee (Sharen Shoendorf, Wendie Ward, and George Clifford) visited 12810 Deer Creek Lane to evaluate the proposed site development plan. Description The property is a vacant lot located at the corner of Deer Creek Lane and Purissima Road. Deer Creek crosses the middle of the property in a south-to-north direction and currently has water flowing in it. A bridge for Deer Creek Lane crosses over the creek at the edge of the property. The creek bank is quite steep, and there is evidence that it was once retained by concrete, which has collapsed into the creek. Two small concrete dams (approximately 2’ and 5’ high) exist that would bar the passage of fish. Some non- native vegetation is growing along the creek including a large palm tree. A well-used east-west wildlife trail crosses the creek. The neighbor’s existing deer-proof fence extends along on the rear (south) property line Recommendation The development plan calls for a six foot high wood fence extending from the southwest corner of the lot along Purissima Road for about 50’. This section of fence may need to be relocated away from the road to comply with existing town ordinances. The Committee reaffirms the Town’s current ordinance on the design and placement of fencing on the border of open space easement blocking wildlife access to the easement. Open space/conservation easement perimeter fences shall provide openings sufficient to accommodate the free passage of wildlife through the easement. A split-rail wood fence or equivalent design shall be required. (See Fences, Walls, Gates, and Columns, revised 6/25/14) Because of the poor condition of Deer Creek passing through the property, the Committee recommends that the owner consider riparian restoration. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Regional Water Quality Control Board would likely need to review any proposal for work within the creek channel and area to the top of bank, and to issue permits. AttachB_Draft TreePolicy14-0512Draft TreePolicy_edits14-0512.docxDraft TreePolicysw14- 0429edits.docx 4/28/2014 1 Open Space Resource Management Policy — Trees Many Town residents believe Los Altos Hills' 132 acres of Open Space are the Town's most valuable assets. The General Plan makes clear that the Town has a responsibility to keep open space lands in their natural state and to manage them with preservation and enhancement of natural resources as a primary goal. Open Space Preserve (OSP) 115. This designation is applied to undeveloped, natural areas that provide wildlife habitat, scenic views, and opportunities for nature study and low-impact outdoor recreation such as hiking and horseback riding. The primary purpose of this designation is the preservation and enhancement of the natural state of the land and its plants and animals. —LAH General Plan Conservation Element In particular, the largest Town-owned property of Byrne Preserve, with 88 acres of native trees, plants and wildlife, merits careful attention to preservation of its resources. The gift by Dr. Albert Byrne in the 1960s to the Nature Conservancy and subsequent acquisition by the Town was one of the earliest efforts in the nation to recognize and preserve open space for future generations. A magnificent view of Byrne Preserve is the masthead of Los Altos Hills official website. Value of Trees Trees provide great psychological, monetary, aesthetic, and utilitarian values. They also provide beauty, recreation, shade, heat dissipation, blockage of glare, blockage of noise, reduction of pollutants, production of oxygen, reduction of erosion, wildlife habitat, increase property values, and increase economic stability. From http://warnell.forestry.uga.edu/warnell/service/library/index.php3?docID=119 General Management of Trees • Proper stewardship requires specialized knowledge and experience. The Town should rely on guidance from professional arborists and open space stewards and follow established Best Management Practices (BMPs) in managing open space lands with the goal of coupling routine maintenance with habitat management and enhancement. • The Town should foster relationships with professional and environmental organizations, educational institutions, and forest scientists to inform management decisions based upon sound, current science. Input from professional organizations that have knowledge of local native tree varieties and their habits and needs would be especially valuable. • The Town should establish an ongoing relationship with a specific International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist (i.e., a designated City Arborist) to provide professional advice on tree management. Annual Tree Survey AttachB_Draft TreePolicy14-0512Draft TreePolicy_edits14-0512.docxDraft TreePolicysw14- 0429edits.docx 4/28/2014 2 • A Certified Arborist should annually examine trees along pathways in Town-owned open space preserves for general health and potential risk to the public. The arborist will provide a brief written report with recommendations to the Town Engineer and Open Space Committee. • The Certified Arborist will also be available on an as-needed basis to conduct less frequent broader surveys of the general condition of the woodlands in the preserves. Tree Pruning and Removal • Any tree near a pathway that appears to be potentially hazardous (e.g., severely leaning, damaged, rotting, or dead or in severe decline) should be evaluated by the Certified Arborist before it is removed (i.e., felled). • Dead or declining trees that are not near pathways should be assessed by the Certified Arborist for potential safety risk and, if not a hazard, left standing to decay naturally to create wildlife habitat and to help maintain the historic habitat of the preserve. A sign may be placed near this tree to educate the public regarding the habitat value of dead trees. Dead standing trees (i.e., snags) provide important habitat for birds, reptiles, insects, and other wildlife. Snags provide nest sites for cavity-nesting birds such as woodpeckers, chickadees, and oak titmouse. Salamanders and small mammals use logs, slash and other woody debris for cover, dens, nests, and foraging sites. Allowing downed wood to decompose returns valuable nutrients to the soil. • Pruning should be done only as recommended by the Certified Arborist and should conform to standards of the International Association of Arboriculture (ISA). Pruning of broken, diseased, or dead branches can be done any time of year if a hazard to public safety exists. Live branch pruning should be done late in the dormant season (July and August for oaks or in very early Spring before new buds appear for deciduous trees). SET A SIZE LIMIT for SIGNIFICANT TREES (e.g., 4 inches in diameter).?? Any tree below that size can be felled or pruned w/o arborist approval. • Tree felling and significant pruning should not be done during bird nesting season (February 1 to August 31) unless the tree poses an imminent safety risk. Topping and tree removal should take place between the end of August and the beginning of January to avoid disturbance of nesting birds protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) and California Department of Fish and Game Code Section 3500 et seq., unless a nesting bird survey is first conducted and there is a determination that there are no active nests within the tree. LAH Municipal Code 5-8.08 • Contractors hired to remove or prune potentially hazardous trees should be independent of the Certified Arborist making the recommendation to prune or remove the tree. AttachB_Draft TreePolicy14-0512Draft TreePolicy_edits14-0512.docxDraft TreePolicysw14- 0429edits.docx 4/28/2014 3 Public Notice of Tree Removal • The public should be notified prior to the removal of any tree in Town open space. A notice will be posted for a period of two weeks on any tree scheduled for removal, listing the reason for removal and contact numbers for more information. • If an emergency or immediate hazard exists, the Town may arrange to have a tree removed without two-week public notice. Disposal of Felled Trees and Tree Prunings • Dead and hazardous trees designated for removal by the Certified Arborist will be felled and delimbed. Trunks and large branches from felled trees should be cut up and left on the ground to decompose naturally and provide habitat for flora and fauna. • Prunings, smaller branches, and other green waste from felled or pruned trees should be disposed of on site in a manner that will not increase fire risk or interfere with growth of other vegetation. — Debris from trees NOT infected with Sudden Oak Death (SOD) should be cut in place and piled into relatively small compact piles that will not create undue fire risk but will provide habitat and decompose reasonably quickly. — Branches and logs, and green waste from trees that might be infected with Sudden Oak Death (SOD), should not be chipped. This material should be cut and left to decompose at the site to help prevent spread of disease. Tools, equipment, vehicles, and workers footwear should be inspected and cleaned with a dry brush after working in SOD-infected areas. • No green waste or tree prunings should be thrown in creeks or piled on creek banks to avoid damage to the structure and ecology of the creek or its banks and adjacent riparian vegetation. Source: Hillsborough Fire Hazard Mitigation and Fuel Reduction Project, 2012; CEQA Applicability OMIT? Tree removal projects may be subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The scope of the environmental review depends on the scope of the project: 1. Ministerial Projects. Exemption from the CEQA review process may be allowed for an emergency situation, and for requests to remove four or fewer trees on a vacant or developed parcel. 2. Discretionary Projects. a. Categorical Exemptions may be allowed for minor alterations to land (Class 4 CEQA exemption) to remove five to ten unhealthy hazardous trees, for fuel management AttachB_Draft TreePolicy14-0512Draft TreePolicy_edits14-0512.docxDraft TreePolicysw14- 0429edits.docx 4/28/2014 4 activities permitted by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF), or for the topping of trees. Source: Arcata Land Use Code Tree Replacement • In some locations in open space preserves, replacement trees may need to be planted to replace trees that are removed. The replacement tree should be chosen from natives to the area, with a goal of increasing the diversity of species to prevent loss of trees to disease. • Conserving and restoring oak woodlands should be a primary goal in management of open space lands. Oak woodlands, which have the richest abundance of wildlife species of any habitat in California, are in rapid decline throughout the state, and local oak woodlands represent a rare valuable habitat. Statewide [in California], over 30,000 acres of oak woodlands are converted to residential and commercial uses each year and only about 4% of the remaining woodlands are protected. —California Oak Foundation Statistics • Coast Live Oaks felled because of SOD infection should be replaced with Valley Oak, Blue Oak, or other species that are not susceptible to this disease. Sudden Oak Death • Sudden Oak Death has been detected on California Bay Laurels in Byrne and Juan Prado Mesa preserves and a number of Coast Live Oaks in Byrne Preserve have succumbed to this disease and been removed. • Open Space Committee should continue testing California Bay Laurel trees in preserves for the SOD pathogen as part of the annual SOD BLITZ organized by UC Berkeley. Removal of California Bay Laurel trees is not recommended at this time. • The Town should continue to consult an ISA Certified Arborist each autumn for preventive treatments for SOD, (i.e., spraying with Agri-Fos) with the goal of saving as many trees for as long as practical. Protecting Trees from Damage Policy 4.20 Trails and paths shall be permitted uses in open space and conservation easements. These trails shall be constructed and maintained to minimize the environmental impact upon the area. —LAH General Plan, Pathways Element • Guidelines for native pathways in LAH require a width of five feet. Those trails that are already wider than five feet should be allowed to return to standard size naturally. AttachB_Draft TreePolicy14-0512Draft TreePolicy_edits14-0512.docxDraft TreePolicysw14- 0429edits.docx 4/28/2014 5 • To avoid damage to pathways from motorized maintenance equipment, the majority of work along pathways will be performed on foot with hand held machinery. • Because of fire danger during drought conditions and high fire danger periods, there will be no motorized equipment on trails during those periods. 1 of 2 Acterra Progress Report to the Los Altos Hills Open Space Committee: Quarter 1 (April 2014 – June 2014) Project promotion and outreach  We have created a webpage for LAH Open Space Preserves on our website at www.acterra.org/programs/stewardship/los_altos_hills.html. Both this webpage and our homepage list LAH events that link to our online event registration system.  We have started an email distribution list (50 emails thus far) to forward LAH event information and updates directly to local residents and others who sign up.  We presented to the LAH Parks & Recreation Committee to update them on community event activities we now offer in LAH and to share educational/promo materials.  We submitted a listing to Sarah Gualtieri for inclusion in the LAH Fall/Winter Activity Guide.  We participated in two tabling events, the LAH Earth Day Celebration at Westwind Community Barn, and a greywater seminar organized by Green Town Los Altos at the Los Altos public library.  We have done two e-newsletter blasts highlighting LAH events in Acterra’s EcoHappenings e- newsletter. Site Assessment and Planning  We enlisted Paul Heiple, our Staff Botanist, to walk all three preserves and assist with the site assessment process. He created native/non-native plant lists for each site and advised us on management strategies for each target species.  Deanna Giuliano, our Native Plant Nursery Manager, also made two site visits to Byrne Preserve to assess optimal areas for revegetation and select a native plant palette that is consistent with reference sites in the preserve and the Adobe watershed.  We consulted with Lech Naumovich, Staff Scientist with Creekside Center for Earth Observation, regarding restoration strategies in areas with horse disturbance.  We completed a draft of the vegetation management plan for all three sites, including maps of each preserve and target zones for invasive removal. Acterra Action for a Healthy Planet 3921 East Bayshore Road Palo Alto ca 94303-4303 tel 650.962.9876 fax 650.962.8234 www.Acterra.org info@Acterra.org 2 of 2 Community Engagement and Education  We led two community workdays in April and May, one with the Pinewood School and one that was open to the public (see photos below).  We have five workdays scheduled this June including a large corporate workday with Guidespark as well a special workday with the Acterra Stewardship staff team. We project that by the end of this quarter, we will have served about 150 participants through workdays (compared to 85 projected in the workplan).  We organized a nature walk at Byrne Preserve attended by 20 people, and also participated in two educational events—LAH Earth Day and GTLA’s Greywater Seminar—where we tabled and disseminated educational materials.  Later this month we are starting up a weekly weeding group called Byrne Brigade that will meet Thursday mornings. Invasive plant management  Our volunteers thus far have helped with removal of Italian thistle, purple star thistle, black mustard, and teasel. Other volunteers like Susan Welch have been weeding French broom and purple star thistle independently of Acterra-organized workdays. These combined efforts are giving us a great start this Spring.  We provided mowing recommendations to the Town for yellow star and black mustard. A first mowing has already been completed at Byrne. Other updates  We met with Torie and Sonali from Westwind Barn, who have been extremely supportive of the project. They agreed to let us use part of one of their sheds for tool storage, and to allow our volunteers to use their bathroom, parking areas, and water.  The Town has provided a green waste dumpster for our invasive plants, and we will also be creating some smaller brush piles on site to deal with the large amount of weed waste.