Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutOctober 12OSC FINAL_Minutes17-1012.docx 5/10/19 1 Los Altos Hills Open Space Committee Los Altos Hills Parks and Recreation Building FINAL Minutes of Regular Meeting October 12, 2017 Members and Associates Present: Nancy Couperus, Kit Gordon, Alice Sakamoto, Sharen Schoendorf, Jean Struthers, Wendie Ward, Sue Welch (Members); Peter Brown (Associate) Members and Associates Absent: George Clifford, Richard Contreras (Members); Karen Lemes (Associate) Council Liaison Absent: Roger Spreen Member of Public Present: Pat Lang (LAH resident) Kjell Karlsson (LAH Finance and Investment Committee) 1. Call to Order and Approval of Minutes A. Roll Call. NC called the meeting to order at 9:05 am. B. Acceptance of Meeting Minutes. KG moved to accept with minor amendments the minutes of the Sep 14, 2017 meeting. SW seconded and the vote was 5 in favor (NC, KG, JS, WW, SW); AS and SS abstained (not present at that meeting). C. Announcements i. Naming of Moody Creek. At the May 2017 OSC meeting, OSC voted unanimously to pursue a request to USGS to officially designate as “Moody Creek” the creek that runs from Foothills Park along Central Drive, through Byrne Preserve to Moody Road, and across Hidden Villa lands to join Adobe Creek. KG contacted USGS and received instructions for pursuing this designation. She will write a resolution and present to Town Council. ii. Landscape Plan for 26691 Moody Court. OSC reviewed the landscape plan for this parcel at the Aug 10, 2017 OSC meeting with a recommendation to require the fence be set back 25 feet from top of bank of Moody Creek, which runs through the property. Also, the hardscape and fence in the road ROW should be removed. Planning Commission will review the landscape plan on Nov 2, 2017. iii. Historical Articles for LAH. KG received a file of historical articles about the Town and will pass them to OSC members to read. SW took the articles and will return them next month. iv. Communication with EDPC. KG plans to speak at a future EDPC meeting about the value of riparian vegetation. v. Lehigh Cement Plant Emissions. PL reported that the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) will vote next week on whether to require new more strict regulations (Regulation 11- 18) controlling emissions that will lower all stationary sources of toxins exhausted from industrial sources, including the Lehigh Cement plant near LAH. Emails in support of passing this regulation must be sent by Monday, Oct 16, 2017. PL will send an email with additional details and the email address for your letters. vi. Proposed vegetable garden in O’Keefe Open Space Preserve. Parks and Rec Committee apparently is still interested in installing a community garden in O’Keefe OSP. OSC reviewed this proposal in the past and determined that this use is not consistent with an OSP. vii. CNPS Native Plant Sale. The annual fall plant sale at the CNPS nursery at Hidden villa will be held Sat Oct 21. viii. New invasive pest plant in Foothills Park. SW learned at the Santa Clara County Weed Management Area meeting on Oct 10, 2017 that a stand of Purple Loosestrife was found in Borundo Lake in Foothills Park. This is the first report of this highly invasive aquatic plant in Santa Clara County. The infestation, which was probably introduced by a landscape contractor, was extirpated. OSC members will monitor Moody Creek for spread of this problematic plant. 2. New Business A. Charter Revision and Council Suggestion. KG distributed for discussion a copy of the most recent OSC charter (revised at the Sept 2017 meeting; Attachment A). The charter was revised further with the following edits: 1) remove the text in parentheses in the fourth bullet “(including the identification of properties for which preservation is recommended)”; and 2) to add the words “following standard Town communication policies” at end of fifth bullet. KG will send the new revision to Council Liaison Spreen for review and comment and bring it back to OSC at the November meeting. OSC FINAL_Minutes17-1012.docx 5/10/19 2 3. Planning A. Fence Permit Reviews. i. 26965 Orchard Hill Lane. Replacement of full perimeter fence; no open space issues. ii. 26815 Ortega Drive. Replacement of fence on Fremont Road frontage; no open space issues. B. OSC Site Reviews and Recommendations for Development Projects. i. 25700 Bassett Lane (Lands of Yiu). OSC reviewed the subdivision of this parcel several times (11/13/14; 11/12/15; 3/10/16; 4/14/16) during the subdivision process. The main concerns were slopes ≥30%, drainage swale, and mature oaks. OSC recommended OSEs on both parcels. The current review is for site development (new residence) on Parcel 2. An OSE was dedicated on March 2017 along the 532-ft elevation contour line. OSC discussed the plans and recommended referral back to Planning Commission because of concerns about the large number of oaks to be removed for the pool and the fire truck turn-around. ii. 28550 Matadero Creek Lane. JS, KG, and SW volunteered to make a site visit and prepare a draft recommendation. 4. Continuing Business A. Byrne Preserve: Grassroots Ecology Update. Workdays for planting, invasive weed removal, and other work in the preserves resumed on Oct 9 and will be held every other Monday until the rains start and then every week. B. Stinkwort Town-wide management. Herbicide spraying for stinkwort was done on Oct 4-6 under direction of to Public Works Director Allen Chen. It appeared that some property owners responded to the Town-wide notice about spraying and the stinkwort info flyer by pulling the stinkwort on their road frontages before the spraying. OSC discussed the project and agreed on an earlier start (and spray date) next year. Also, methods for helping to control stinkwort infestations on and near construction sites and the numerous large infestations on private property are needed. It was suggested that conditions of approval for permits for new projects could include responsibility to remove stinkwort on the site during and after the project. Reporter Megan Winslow wrote an accurate and interesting article for the Los Altos Town Crier about the stinkwort infestsion in LAH (Attachment B). C. Westwind Community Barn (WWCB) weed management proposal. In early October OSC sent a memo to City Manager Carl Cahill requesting the Town hire Ecological Concerns to do a preliminary assessment of the weed situation on WWCB property, focusing on the lower wetland area. OSC is awaiting action by the Town on this project. OSC members removed a large quantity of stinkwort, YST, and PST from this area in late September and are composting it on site. D. Tree ordinance proposal from EDPC. The proposal has not yet been sent to Planning Commission for review. E. Sudden Oak Death SOD BLITZ results. SW reported that Dr. Garbelotto will present results of the 2017 Sudden Oak Death Testing and Mapping Program at a meeting at Portola Valley Town Center at 7 pm Friday, October 13, 2017. He will also discuss changes to recommended treatment options. F. Site Development and Fast Track Review Meetings. OSC members were reminded to volunteer to attend these important planning meetings (held Tuesdays at 10 am) to provide input on potential impact of proposed development projects on creeks, trees, and other conservation resources. 5. Open Discussion. None 6. Communications from the Floor. None. 7. Adjournment. The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 am. Next Regular Meeting: Thursday, November 12, 2017 9:00 AM at LAH Parks and Recreation Building Attachment A: DRAFT Open Space Committee Charter revised Sept 2017 Attachment B: Stinkwort article in Los Altos Town Crier Final minutes were approved as amended (red text) at the regular OSC meeting of Nov 12, 2017. 
 Open
Space
Charter
RevisedFeb
2017.docx





3/6/17
 Committee
Overview The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 9 members. The Open Space Committee currently has 9 members. Five members are required for a quorum. Responsibilities The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be to: • Advise and assist the Town Council, Planning Commission and staff in implementing the policies and goals of the General Plan, specifically with respect to acquisition, maintenance and protection of conservation easements, open space easements and open space • Make recommendations at subdivision, site development, Planning Commission and Town Council meetings regarding the acquisition, maintenance and protection of conservation easements, open space easements and open space • Advise and assist the work for the preservation, restoration and enhancement of the environment and natural resources within the Town • Study and recommend ordinances and resolutions relating to the acquisition, restoration, maintenance and use of conservation easements, open space easements and open space within the Town, including the identification of properties for which preservation is recommended • Communicate Town policies and procedures regarding conservation easements, open space easements and open space • Provide educational material and informational forums and programs to the public regarding natural resources (e. g. wildlife, creeks, native plants and wildlife habitat) • Develop relationships with other Town Committees, neighboring municipalities, and regional entities to collaborate on environmental issues ', ffiA{.U Mfj Jr b- ob.l g?A{6 @ttAn4 rTleE (y The Hills are alive -with the scourgu of By Mega+ V. Winslow staff Writc/lqeganw@l,atc.com stinkwort, by any otler name, would smell just as noxious, ex- crete gils just as irritating an{ pro- duce barbsjust as sharp. "It's horrible stuff," said Sue Welch, Los Altos Hills Open Space Committee mem- ber. "I would really like to see the town get a handle on it." To that end, a pest control company is scheduled to begin spot-treating specially designated stinkwort infestations through- out town with herbicide this week. Applica- tion is expected to take one or two days. It's been years since the town pursued such an aggressivo approach agaitrst a pest, but Op.en Space Committee membb.rs feel it's warranted in this case;, stinkwort is a highly invasive weed that starts fl<iwering and spreading seeds in September. A map the committee created to guide the pest control company as it sprays shows pink highlighted areas throughout town, and their. number is particularly worrisome considering just one stinkwort plant can produce and disperse up to 30,000 seeds. "The window of opportunity for pre- venting reproduction this year is drawing rapidly to a close," Welch said. Unfavorable traits Dittrichia graveolens, native to southern Europe, first arrived in California in the See STINKWORT, Page 6 MAG4N An odiferous invasive weed has begun seeding itself throughout Los Altos Hills, promptlng an herbicldal qesponse. STINKWORT From Page 1 mid-1980s, according to the 2013 UC Davis book "Weed Control in Natural Areas in the Western United States." From afar, stinkwort plants resemble mini Christmas trees: Their bright green limbs can reach up to 3 feet tall, and the ends fea- ture yellow buds like baubles. But the plant's innocuous appearance belbs some unfavorable traits such as sticky, odiferous foliage capable ofcausing contact derma- titis in humans who touch it and intestinal inflsnmation in live- stock thaf eat it Stinkwort grow- ing.near vineyards may even af- fect tln tasle of grapes and wine. Nd only does stinkwort dry out during California's fire season, ading to the fire fuel load, its resin is, highly flammable, increasing fi re risk, said Kit Gordon, Open Space Committee chaiiwoman. In fact, she said, it was volunteers' removal of stinkwort and other invasive weeds from Byrne Park Preserve that trclpeO mitigate the 5-acre Mountain Fire there in July; Firefighters "said the fire didn't have a lol of fueI," Gordon said. "It was easy to put out." In addition to the preserve, stinkwort favors Los Altos Hills' roadways and paths. It thrives in well-drained, disturbed soil, so hillsides and construction sites are prime spots for infestations. A common Los Altos Hills sceirario' involves a residential construction project in which the home is built but the property is not yet landscaped, Welch said. Chances are, the house is sitting on a dirt plot sprinkled with stink- wort plants whose seeds can be dis- persed-by wind or human activity to neighboring properties. Population explosion Mowing, the town's"preferred method of weed control, is not ef- fective against stinkwort, and hir- ing a contractor to pull the plant by hand would take too much iime and prove cost-prohibitive, Gordon said. The Open Space Commit- tee recommended spraying, and town officials hired Reno-based Pestmaster Services at a cost of $14Jso. "We've not advocated this ap- proach willingly, but we feel it's an exponential population explo- sion, and that's why we need to take this mea- sure," Gordon said. Garlon 3a, the herbi- cide used by Pestmaster, is Environmental Protec- tion Agency-approved and safe for aquatic life, said Jason Virden, the company's business de- velopment and contracts manager. The spray, ap- plied by hand, includes a nontoxic, blue dye com- ponent to show which plants have been targeted. .Garlon 3a "permeates the earthTnd only kills the weed it's supposed to," Virden said. "Ito "No Spraying" signs on their road frontage "if they are committed to removing any stink- wort themselves," Public Works Director Allen Chen wrote in a Sept. 22letter mailed to residents. Stinkwort's shallow root sys- tem makes the weed fairly easy to dislodge by hand, but residents who elect for the herbicide-free route should wear long pants, long sleeves and gloves before yanking to avoid allergic reactions. The\ may dispose of plants at Foothili College through a free Green- Waste Recovery service offered the third Saturday ofevery month. "We're hoping residents, when they become more aware, will start tackling the weed on their property," Gordon said. T;: MECAN V. WINSLOVTOWN CRIIIdoesn't kill the grass'" preventing p.otir".otion requiresThosc opposed to' btriking uErbre stinkivort's seeds fully herbicides may erectr 6irn"..1", u p.o""r, already underway.