HomeMy WebLinkAboutOctober 9OSC Final_Minutes14-1009.docx 1
Los Altos Hills Open Space Committee
Los Altos Hills Parks and Recreation Building
FINAL Minutes of Regular Meeting October 9, 2014
Members Present: George Clifford, Nancy Couperus, Jean Struthers, Roger Spreen, Sue Welch,
Kit Gordon (Associate Member)
Members Absent: Karen Lemes, Alice Sakamoto, Sharen Schoendorf, Wendie Ward
City Council Liaison Present: Gary Waldeck
Members of the Public: Kjell Carlsson
1. Call to Order and Approval of Minutes
A. Roll Call. RS called meeting to order at 9:10 am.
B. Acceptance of Meeting Minutes. Minutes of the September 11, 2014 Regular Meeting were
approved as written (NC moved; JS seconded; GC, NC, JS, RS voted in favor; SW
abstained). Agenda was approved as written.
2. Continuing Business
A. Byrne Preserve
i) Open Space Stewardship Update. Acterra presented their second quarterly report to
Richard Chiu on Friday, September 19, 2014. Regular community workdays (Byrne
Brigade) will resume at the end of September after the rains begin. OSC discussed a
presenting another update on the project to Council next April, before the FY214-2015
budget is made. Councilmember Gary Waldeck suggested showing a series of simple
charts (e.g., percentage of OSP infested, percentage of invasive weeds removed), and
reviewing the need for ongoing long-term maintenance.
Although the Westwind Community Barn (WWCB) property is not included in the
Acterra contract, at the request of WWB staff, Acterra staff met with them on Sept 29 to
offer advice on improving the pastures on WWB property.
ii) Birding at Byrne. As part of the contract educational program, Acterra held a birding
walk with local expert Lisa Myers on Sunday, September 21, 2014. Twenty-seven
people attended and 35 species of birds were recorded.
B. Horse Grazing Workshop. Not yet scheduled.
C. Community Trail Camera Project. OSC is still interested in this project and is considering
organizations (e.g., Green Team or film group at LAHS) and methodology to get it started.
D. SOD BLITZ Update. OSC will host the workshop, "Oak Health 101: Managing for Sudden
Oak Death, Drought, and More" in Foothills Park on Sunday, Oct 19, 2014 (10:00 am). Dr.
Matteo Garbelotto from UC Berkeley and his staff will review SOD biology and
management options, as well as information on general oak care and caring for oaks during
drought.
E. Creek Signage. KG showed examples of sign options and a list of potential locations
(Attachments A and B). KG had met with LAH Public Works Director, Richard Chiu, who
expressed a preference for brown metal signs with white lettering (similar to LAH pathway
signs) and installation on existing structures where possible. After OSC discussed the pros
and cons of the options, SW moved that OSC ask the Town to install metal signs similar to
those used by Acterra at pedestrian height on existing structures or on a post if needed. GC
seconded and the vote was unanimously in favor (GC, NC, JS, RS, SW). KG will take
photos of proposed sign locations and send them to OSC members for review before sending
them to staff.
OSC Final_Minutes14-1009.docx 2
3. Planning
A. Fence Permit Report. In 1981, a pool and tennis court were constructed in the open space
easement along Robleda Creek on 12900 Atherton Court. OSC will send a note to planning
staff requesting that this OSE (which is shown on current SCC assessors maps) be shown on
the current development plans for this parcel.
B. Site Plan Reviews. None.
4. New Topics
A. Proposals for preventing tree work on weekends. At the September meeting it was proposed
that the Town prohibit tree trimming by persons other than homeowners on weekends when
staff are not available to monitor compliance with permitting and heritage tree ordinances.
After discussion, OSC proposed to meet with planning staff to discuss this before taking
further action. OSC also discussed illegal use of heavy equipment (e.g., chainsaws, tractors)
by commercial crews on weekends. Members will review LAH ordinances, find out how
other nearby towns (e.g. Portola Valley) address this, and consider writing an item for the
Town newsletter to remind residents of the existing ordinances.
B. SCVWD Grants for trails along Creeks. This grant cycle focuses on funding new trails that
provide access to creeks. The consensus was that there are no projects in LAH that met
criteria. KG is working with several environmental organizations to prepare a statement for
the SCVWD expressing their concerns about building trails along creeks and offering
suggestions about how to minimize disturbance to natural riparian areas (e.g., avoid lighting
and hardscape).
C. Rain Catchment Grant for Westwind Community Barn. KG is working on a grant to fund
construction of a rainwater storage system at Westwind Barn, which could provide water for
irrigation, dust control, and other uses.
5. Communications from the Floor. None
6. Open Discussion.
A. CNPS Native Plant Sale. CNPS will hold their fall native plant sale at Hidden Villa on
Saturday, November 18, 2014.
7. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 10:35 am.
Next Regular Meeting: Thursday, November 13, 2014
9:00 AM at LAH Parks and Recreation Building
Attachment A: Creek Sign Options
Attachment B: List of Potential Locations for Creek Signs
Minutes approved as amended (new text shown in red) at the regular meeting of the Open Space
Committee on November 13, 2014