Citizen’s Advisory Committee Meeting

Meeting Summary

7:00 PM on Monday, January 28, 2008

Open Space Authority Administration Office

6830 Via Del Oro, Suite 200, San Jose

Attendees:

Citizen Advisory Committee Members:

Name

Represent

Present

Absent

Susan McKuhen

District 1

 

Vacant

District 2

-

-

Jan Hintermeister

District 3

 

Eric Carruthers

District 4

 

Vacant

District 5

 

-

Yacanex Posadas

District 6

-

Jas Gidda

District 7

 

Vacant

Agriculture

-

-

Vacant

Business

-

-

Vacant

Civic Organizations

-

-

Daniel J. Kenney

Development Community

 

Gloria Dirkmaat

Education

 

David Poeschel

Environmental

 

Son Cheong (C.K.) Kuan

Labor

 

Dorsey Moore

Parks

 

Kitty Monahan

Trails

 

 

Totals

9

2

 

Other Attendees:

Board Liaison Present:

The Honorable Dr. Kulwant Gill – Director, District Seven

The Honorable Virginia Holtz – Director, District Five

Staff Present: Patrick Congdon, General Manager

Public Present: Lynne Paulson, Santa Teresa Foothills Neighborhood Association

                                     Matt Freeman, Santa Teresa Foothills Neighborhood Association

                                     Chris Kangas

Action Items:

Task

Lead

Due Date

ü

From 1/28/08 Meeting:

 

 

 

Review draft of Ag Study and provide comments to Eric

All

2/8/08

 

 

1.      Call to Order – Dorsey Moore, Chairperson

A.      Approved excused absences – Susan.

B.      Introduction of Guests – Lynne Paulson, Matt Freeman, Chris Kangas.

 

2.      Public Presentations for Items not Listed on the Agenda (Limit:  3 minutes)

      No public presentations were made.

 

3.      Approval of the Meeting Summary of Previous Meeting

·         Motion: Eric

·         Second:  Kitty

·         Vote: Ayes:  Gloria, Eric, David, Dorsey, Jan, Susan, Kitty 

·         Karna Carlson submitted resignation due to conflicts with her work schedule.  Dorsey reported she wrote a letter stating she had enjoyed serving on the CAC, that it was a very positive experience, and that she hoped in the future she would have the opportunity to come back and serve again.


 

 

4.      Presentation: Matt Freeman, Santa Teresa Foothills Neighborhood Association

·         Purpose of Association is to preserve the Santa Teresa foothills that are still undeveloped (Preservation of the Santa Teresa Foothills, Creation of a public trail along the Coyote-Alamitos Canal, Public Education and Awareness, Safe Neighborhoods, Hillside Development Enforcement)

·         Area covers the land adjacent to Santa Teresa County Park spreading to the City of San Jose’s Almaden Lake Park.

·         Purpose in harmony with objectives of OSA

Ø       Was a #1 priority for Open Space in Preservation 2020 Task Force

Ø       One of OSA’s original high priority acquisition areas

Ø       Closest to greatest # of residences

Ø       Covers 1500 acres

Ø       One of ten OSA study areas

·         Value

Ø       Location

Ø       Numerous trail connectivity opportunities

·         Coyote Creek Trail

·         Alamitos Creek Trail

·         Santa Teresa Park trails

·         Bay Area Ridge Trail

·         Coyote Alamitos Canal Maintenance Road

Ø       Critical habitat for threatened Checkerspot butterfly

Ø       Large serpentine area and rare plants

Ø       Nesting & foraging habitat for wildlife species

Ø       Top and other side of hillside is privately owned and built up

·         Historical & Archaeological Resource

Ø       Ohlone artifacts in area

Ø       Mining history in area

·         Past Development

Ø       Significant residential development on Almaden Valley side of hill area

Ø       Boulder Ridge Golf Course located on the top of the ridge

Ø       Gustavson Subdivision (4 lots on ridge top)

Ø       Nakashima Subdivision (2 lots on hillside)

Ø       Rai Residence (new home near ridge top)

Ø       Sanfilippo Rezoning (home on hillside)

·         Sanfilippo willing to sell his 50% of 33 acre lot to OSA, but need to get other co-owner to agree to sell his 50% and a trail easement

·         Fear that as soon as first house is built on 33 acres, other development will follow

·         33 acres is county jurisdiction

 

Kitty asked if the association had been to the city to request 20% funding and they had spoken to council members

 

·         Ongoing/Future Development Threats

Ø       Potential application for homes on Golf Course property

Ø       New homes/minor subdivision on existing parcels

·         Compliance with OSA

Ø       Santa Teresa project complies with OSA criteria

Ø       Santa Teresa project complies with OSA Priority Acquisition Criteria

·         OSA Action on this item to date

Ø       Last month the Santa Teresa Foothills Neighborhood Association asked OSA Board to take first steps by entering into negotiations to acquire the Sanchez property and they agreed 

Ø       Estimated value of land per Patrick is $.5M

 

David asked for a synopsis on efforts to get trail.  The neighborhood association has looked at the maintenance road as a potential trail.  The city did a study to put a paved trail (wide enough for two vehicles to pass each other) from the Coyote Alamitos Trail to the Coyote Creek Trail and found it cost prohibitive.  The neighborhood association is asking for the unpaved road to serve as a 1.8 mile trail and the City of San Jose has agreed to revisit.  The city already owns ½ mile of the proposed trail area and they are trying to get an easement by the water district.

 

 

5.  Reports

·                     Board Liaison Report 

Ø       Dr. Gill

·         Recognized 2006-07 Annual Report that was recently released and all the good work done by the staff in producing it.

·         OSA Board is working on getting funding monies for projects from various new sources

 

Ø           Virginia Holtz

·         Pleased the Blair Property deal was closed.  Acknowledged the collaborative effort between foundation funding and OSA

·         Blair Property

Ø       Close and easy access

Ø       Maximizes Rancho property and extends the wildlife area

·         Reported that last meeting, a lot of time was spent on developing a financial policy to find better ways to earn interest on OSA funds. Status of Law Suit may not even be addressed this year.

·                     Authority Staff Report

Ø       Patrick Congdon report on Blair Ranch off Uvas Road

·       Four years ago began acquisition of 980 acres of oak woodland brush and grasslands with ponds and easy access

·       Property has improvements and grazing land, including:

§         2500 square foot ranch house

§         1800 square foot barn

§         1000 square foot shop

§         This is a potential staging area

·       Family will retain 122 acres

·       Good serpentine linkage areas

·       Ponds on property can be enhanced to support wildlife

·       Cost:  $8,680,000

§         $1M - Santa Clara County Parks if agree to open within 5 years

§         $4.3M – State Coastal Conservancy if agree to grazing at specific levels and public access of which $2.3 is loan that OSA must repay

§         $2M Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

§         $1.3M – OSA

·       County will not take on any responsibility to manage

 

Eric asked what would be the costs and source of monies needed to meet the OSA obligation. Patrick stated that the existing ridge road as a trail corridor and there would be minimal cost there. It would take $300K-$350K (estimated) to develop the Staging Area.  OSA would look for a grant and then it would also take $15K-$35K (estimated) to manage each year.  A grazing tenant would provide a significant part of that.  Volunteers would be used also.

 

Patrick reported that this was the first project funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation in south Santa Clara County. 

 

Kitty asked if there were any plans to connect the Almaden Quicksilver and Rancho lands.  Patrick said that it is a project that requires a collaborative effort on the part of Santa Clara County Parks, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Santa Clara Valley Water District and the Authority but one that is currently being worked on.

 

Members

Ø       Eric

·         LAFCO Action – City of Morgan Hill drafting an agricultural land mitigation policy

·         Coyote Valley EIR revision to take one year

·         Agricultural land mitigation for Coyote Valley set aside for now

·         Feb4-6 he will be attending the Annual Conference of California Council of Land Trust and he will report back to the group

Ø              Gloria

·       Made contact with the Muir Heritage Program recommended by David

·       Will make a visit to program in Spring (recommended to come when weather has improved)

Ø              Dorsey

·       Handed out a flyer on Willow Glen Spur Trail. 

·       Jas may not be able to continue because of conflicts with his job

·       Openings in District 5, Agriculture, Business and Civic Organizations

Ø               

5.       Unfinished Business

·           Agricultural Study follow-up:        

Ø      Eric asked that we read and see if it makes sense and give him feedback in a week so he can finalize the report.

Ø      Remaining work:  final check up on individual data and still need to get some feedback from agencies that haven’t responded.

Ø      OSA Board wants informational report on what neighboring programs look like in a comparative manner to help them with decisions on future

6.      New Business

·         Election of Officers:

Ø       Chairman:  Dorsey Moore nominated       

·         7 Ayes (Eric, Gloria, Kitty, Dave, Yacanex, Susan, Jan); 2 Abstains (Dorsey, C.K.)

·         Dorsey accepted

Ø       Vice-Chair: David Poeschel nominated     

·         8 Ayes ( Eric, Glor