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BPC 04-07-05 APPROVED BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN COMMISSION AND P ARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION CITY OF CUPERTINO JOINT MEETING THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2005 CALL TO ORDER BPC Chairman Paulsen called the joint meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission to order at 7 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL Bicvcle Pedestrian Commission (BPC) Commissioners present: David Greenstein, Joseph Walton, May Koski, Geoffrey Paulsen, James Wiant Commissioners absent: None Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC) Commissioners present: Jeanne Bradford, Rod Brown, Frank Jelinch, Cary Chien Commissioners absent: Roger Peng Staff present: Therese Ambrosi Smith, Director; Glenn Goepfert, Assistant Director, Public Works; Marie Miller, Administrative Assistant, Parks and Recreation ORAL COMMUNICATIONS - None WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS - None APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. March 7 Special Meeting minutes ACTION: A motion was made, seconded and unanimously made to approve the BPC Special Meeting minutes of March 7,2005. PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION 2. Mary Avenue Bicycle Footbridge: Assistant Director Goepfert gave a brief PowerPoint status report that discussed the planning, design features, and development schedule ofthe project. He reported that the meeting was called to explore common interests the two commissions may have on this project. It was Bicycle Pedestrian and Parks and Recreation Commissions Joint Meeting of April 7, 2005 Page 2 of 5 clarified that the purpose of the presentation was for information only and that no action was intended. The project has park-like settings and the PRC was asked to view the park area and how it will fit into other park assets. The total park area equals approximately 13 acres. Landscape plans will include grown trees and foliage to keep people on the path. Lighting in the park area has not yet been worked out. There will be lighting on the bridge. At this time, there are no plans for fixtures/furniture in the park space. The bridge project was designed to encourage people to move on and not to utilize the parkland as a gathering place. The landscaping will be beautiful as well as prickly. The next community meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 12. The Parks and Recreation Commission requested more extensive information on this project. BPC Commissioner Koski reiterated her support of purchasing the most mature foliage and trees possible. Public Comments - None 3. Regnart Creek Trail: BPC Chairman Paulsen sununarized the Regnart Creek- An Urban Creek Trail report drafted by Geoffrey Paulsen and Robert Levy, January-February 2003. The project site is described as a Santa Clara Valley Water District flood protection creek/ditch. If the project were approved and financed, the site would need a lot of work, as the banks are steep, made of stacked sandbags and concrete slabs. Some wildlife exists in the watershed ditch. During the dry season, the vision is to allow access to the area, and during the wet season, lock the area off due to flood hazards. In one part, the project would access public property, but in the rest, the project would run behind people's homes. Many concerns from neighbors of the project have been raised regarding security, privacy, safety, vandalism, illegal activities, graffiti, trash, rock throwing, vegetation, fence height, noise, and lighting. Santa Clara County Sheriff, Captain Hirokawa, had stated that legitimate use by residences tends to result in a decrease in crime because these areas are no longer off limits on the other side of the fence, but are subject to the frequent observations of trail users. BPC Chairman Paulsen announced that at this time, it has been decided to stop any further action on this project pending the hiring by the city of a consultant to conduct an assessment and work with a neighborhood group that would function as a task force. He stated that the Council supports the concept of wa1kability and encourages bicycle use. The trail has been viewed as a possible transportation route. BPC Commissioner Greenstein presented the idea, and asked for public comment, that when a feasibility study is done, that the feasibility of putting a trail on roads that already exist also be studied; meaning, that the city try to make the road conditions as safe as possible as a trail, which may mean concessions on those roads. Bicycle Pedestrian and Parks and Recreation Commissions Joint Meeting of April 7, 2005 Page 3 of 5 Public Comments The following people spoke their objections to the Regnart Creek Trail Project with concerns about losing privacy, losing neighborhood safety, increase in property damage, increase in noise, increase in crime, fire hazard of the ditch, strangers walking in their backyards, lack of emergency access, giving the community open access to a flood- control area, barking dogs, maintenance responsibility issues by city and/or the Santa Clara Valley Water District, increasing the erosion problems of the ditch, project conflicts with the Neighborhood Watch program, and chasing away of the natural habitat: · Nick Garcia, La Mar Drive · Beth Garcia, La Mar Drive · David Ranney, La Mar Drive · Sue Ranney, La Mar Drive · Lionel Jara, La Mar Drive · Gary Sepulveda, Farallone Drive · Dave Riopel, Whitney Way · Ron DiOrandi, Red Fir Court · M. S. Sathya, Las Ondas Way · Stephine Yoshikawa, Las Ondas Way · Qi Zhu, Lozano Lane The following spoke in favor of the project: · Mary Nelson, La Mar Drive Commission Comments · Linda Wyckoff, La Mar Drive · Dave Wyckoff, La Mar Drive · Jeff Glick, Clay Street · Patti Glick, Clay Street · Rachel Friedman, Pacific Drive · Kyoko Tsukamoto, Clifden Way · Nita McGalliard, Clifden Way · Robin Wilson, Las Ondas Way · Julia Miyakawa, Farallone Drive · Ilango Ganga, Farallone Drive · John Liu, La Mar Drive BPC Chairman Paulsen reported that there is no money for the project; so at this point, the project is dead in the water. The process is that when the city gets money, the city will hire a professional to work with a task group and all who attend the meeting will be notified. PRC Chairman Jelinch stated that there appears to be a great deal of opposition to the project. This project has never been brought to the PRC and this was the first time he had heard of it. He believes that the project site is not a place where a trail should go because it causes safety concerns, noise, worry and community dissention. Jelinch stated he is in favor of having improved bicycle paths and having a trail on sidewalks. He stated that if people had wanted the trail, they would have shown up at the meeting to give their support, but that did not happen. He is not clear on the legality of this Santa Clara Valley Water District land being open to the public. He is concerned with the reported lack of maintenance of the ditch, as well as the report of bank erosion that is intruding into people's property. He stated that there are a lot ofthings he is not informed about and he would like to get more information. Bicycle Pedestrian and Parks and Recreation Commissions Joint Meeting of April 7, 2005 Page 4 of 5 BPC Commissioner Walton gave a brief history of the origin of the idea ofthe trail. He reported that the Santa Clara Valley Water District has an initiative to create 70 miles of trail throughout the county adjacent to their waterways. They also have funding to facilitate this initiative. BPC Commissioner Greenstein added that at a Community Congress, the idea of getting more trails for safer transportation and connectivity in Cupertino was raised, so a task force was formed to investigate that idea. He spoke on two pedestrian deaths in 2002; most traffic accidents cluster around Cupertino schools. He would like to take a look, in a feasibility report, at making our roads and sidewalks as safe as possible to reduce accidents. BPC Commissioner Koski stated her surprise at the neighborhood objections to the project. She does like the references people made to preserving the wildlife, as well as supporting the idea oflooking at making the streets and sidewalks safer. She is concerned about the flood nature of the area. PRC Commissioner Brown gave his support to the idea of looking at alternatives. He supports making the roads safe for bicyclists. He stressed the importance of noticing of public meetings. PRC Commissioner Bradford stressed the importance of noticing, as it can become a credibility issue. She supports the idea of investigating alternatives on streets and sidewalks to make the community more walkab1e and safe. She sees the area as providing restoration opportunities. She reported that she has walked the area and believes the concerns raised by the public are real. Some concerns are solvable, others may be more difficult to solve. She believes it would serve the community better to come up with a proposal that addresses safer streets and walkability for the community. PRC Commissioner Chen informed the community that there is plenty of time for them to influence the nature of the land, including eliminating it from the General Plan. He encouraged their ongoing involvement. Director Smith stated that looking at the aerial, she sees a critical flaw in the plan in which the entire area is all back fences. She does not see an entire vacant lot or potential access points to the proposed trail. While initially it appears to be an obvious neighborhood amenity, there is actually no way to get in the corridor to utilize it. In cases where trails work, even people who are originally opposed to them, find something in the plan ultimately that serves them. In this particular situation, it doesn't appear to me that there were any provisions made for connectivity. Consequently, the people impacted by the trail are not going to be able to get to the trail. People will not be able to have access to the trail through their back gates because at certain times of the year this is going to be flooded. The Water District will insist on controlling that security. She stated her support of improving street and sidewalk access. Bicycle Pedestrian and Parks and Recreation Commissions Joint Meeting of April 7, 2005 Page 5 of 5 BPC Chairman Paulsen believes that creeks are community resources. He asked the community to develop their vision for the waterway. He would like consideration given to infrastructure modifications for traffic. Assistant Director Goepfert stated, regarding noticing the public, that postcards had been mailed out to the affected area and beyond. He stated that he was concerned that some said they had not heard about the meeting. He asked for a show of hands to see who had received a notice, and saw that there still appears to be a problem with getting the word out. He also announced that the Water District staff working with the city on this project are: Bill Springer and Brian Mendenhall. ADJOURNMENT The Parks and Recreation Commission adjourned at 9:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted, lJ(~ ~ Marie Miller, Administrative Assistant Minutes approved at the May 5, 2005, meeting.