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P&R 05-05-05 APPROVED PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION CITY OF CUPERTINO REGULAR MEETING THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2005 I. CALL TO ORDER Chairman Jelinch called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. ROLL CALL Commissioners present: Commissioners absent: Staff present: Jeanne Bradford, Rod Brown, Frank Jelinch, Cary Chien, Roger Peng None Therese Ambrosi Smith, Director; Marie Miller, Administrative Assistant, Parks and Recreation Jana Sokale, Environmental Planner Others present: 4. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS A. Regular meeting of February 3, 2005 ACTION: A motion was made, seconded and unanimously made to approve the meeting minutes of February 3, 2005. B. Joint meeting of April 7, 2005, with the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission ACTION: A motion was made, seconded and unanimously made to approve the meeting minutes of April 7, 2005. 5. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Chester Gabriel, Scenic Boulevard, spoke on his negative experiences with loud amplified music from Blackberry Farm and his concern about opening the park to year round use which would expand the continuation of amplified music. He believes that his home value will decrease, as he will "have to divulge this nuisance when he goes and sells the house". Chairman Jelinch referred this issue to staff to investigate. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Stevens Creek Corridor Park: Director Smith presented a PowerPoint report outlining neighborhood access to Stevens Creek Corridor Park. She covered the City Council's commitment to a multiuse trail within the parkland and the request to investigate ways to reduce automobile traffic into the park. Commission had Parks and Recreation Commissions Meeting of May 5, 2005 Page 2 of7 been asked to take public testimony and make recommendations regarding pedestrianlbike access points to Stevens Creek Corridor Park. Access Points: Director Smith provided examples of possible pedestrianlbicycle accesses to the park from Dean Court, Scenic Circle and San Fernando Avenue neighborhoods. She reported that it had been determined that access for the Dean Court neighbors could be from one of the Stocklmeir gates only if that neighborhood would like their own access; there would be no public access point from this area. There is already a gate in the Scenic Circle neighborhood, but it has been locked. Park access could be offered to the public from this neighborhood. To provide pedestrianlbike access from San Fernando, a short, narrow segment of the trail could be installed along the inside of the golf course, parallel to San Fernando Avenue into Blackberry Farm. . Cost: It was reported that this is an appropriate time to make these decisions as surveying and planning work is underway. Developing each of these access points will increase the cost ofthe project; however, as the map illustrated, they would also provide convenient access to the park for surrounding neighborhoods. After it has been determined which of these access points should be developed, cost details can be worked out. Parking Fee: Councilmember Sandoval had asked that the commission to consider charging a parking fee so as to discourage driving into Stevens Creek Corridor Park. Director Smith reported that from a review of the Stevens Creek Trail Task Force files, a major concern for property owners surrounding the Corridor was that parking would overflow into their neighborhoods, and for this reason, staff does not recommend that a parking fee be instituted. Public Comment Max Bokelman, Scenic Circle resident, reported that he and his wife have put up with years of picking up trash and calling the Sheriff due to nighttime disturbances. In a letter to the city manager, they requested that the city close off access to the park by extending the fence further along the creek. In the response letter, the city manager wrote that the city does not object to extending the fence further if that is the wish ofthe neighborhood; hence, a fence was installed closing off the opening and a gate was put in on a trial basis to accommodate a few neighbors who wanted some kind of opening to the park. A neighbor locked the gate nightly, which became a chore, and the gate was left open for about three months. The consequence was the resumption of nighttime parties and calls to the Sheriffs department. The gate was locked in January 2005. Since that time, there have been no disturbances. The most recent petition, signed by all households in the neighborhood, expressed opposition to any plan that would give open and direct access to the planned trail from Scenic Circle. He asked the commission to consider the re-opening of this gate and exposing the neighbors again to nighttime disturbances of the past. He reported that in February, city staff and neighbors met with Sheriff Hirokawa. Hirokawa Parks and Recreation Commissions Meeting of May 5,2005 Page 3 of7 had stated that if access to the park is re-opened from the neighborhood, lights should be installed at the park and shrubbery should be cut by the access so deputies will have better visibility to the area. Mr. Bokelman believes that it wouldn't be fair to the neighborhood to provide an access to the park and trail from Scenic Circle. He also believes that it will degrade the property values of the homes. 1. Yuen, Scenic Court, opposes a park/trail access point in the Scenic Circle neighborhood. He requested that the commission consider making a recommendation against the Scenic Circle access option. Aaron Grossman, works at McClellan Ranch, lives near the Stevens Creek Trail in Mountain View, spoke in favor of providing access to the trail. He stated that the trail in Mountain View is safe because the pubic uses the trail and this discourages unsafe and illegal use by others. He reported that there have been no more problems on the trail than any other part of Mountain View. He did recommend that a nighttime patrol once or twice in the evening might be advisable. He recommended locking the gate at night to address the neighbor's concerns. He reported that Stevens Creek Trail in Mountain View is viewed as an enhancement in the selling of homes. David Greenstein, Byrne A venue, does not believe that access from Scenic Circle will work because the area is isolated with lots of hiding places, and that putting a chain link fence will not change this situation. He believes that parking permits might solve the problem. He encouraged a neighborhood watch program for the area. Mark Burns, Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino realtor, commented that on the topic of whether the park and/or trail would add or subtract value to the homes next to it, he would lean more to the taking value away from the homes. He reported that in the disclosure process, the park's noise, litter, traffic, or egress problems would need to be reported. Adding the access, in his opinion, will make the neighborhood less desirable and less valuable. He also stated that parking permits in neighborhoods raise concerns that there are parking problems and this does not make people feel that they are in a better neighborhood. Jill Moody, Scenic Circle, spoke against a trail/park access point in the Scenic Circle neighborhood. She does not approve of parking permits and the signs that come along with that process as it destroys the "whole nature feel ofthe area." Steve Moody, Scenic Circle, spoke against a traiVpark access point in the Scenic Circle neighborhood. He relayed an incident when someone started a fire on a picnic table about five years ago. Alex Tsai, San Fernando Avenue, is concerned that the Scenic Circle neighborhood is not designed for a trail/park access point. He believes it will have a negative impact and detriment to the residents. He would like to see the trail designed in such a way that it is good for the neighborhood and the trail user. Parks and Recreation Commissions Meeting of May S, 2005 Page 4 of7 Larry Loo spoke in opposition to any access to Scenic Circle. He believes the trailhead will bring more traffic to the neighborhood. He requested that the commission recommend keeping the neighborhood the way it is. Commission Comments Commissioner Chien stated that he is familiar with the area. He supports keeping the Dean Court area not accessible to the public as it is on private property. Commissioner Brown asked for clarity on improvements suggested on San Fernando A venue by pedestrians and bicyclists. Ms. Sokale explained that the road is too narrow to accommodate vehicles and pedestrians, so a small, narrow trail was being proposed along the golf course that parallel's San Fernando Avenue, slightly down slope from the road. Ball catcher fences could be installed for protection. The small trail would need to be constructed because the park fee-based services will be open 100 days a year; otherwise, they could use the road for the trail. The trail would then connect with the Stevens Creek Trail near the retreat center. Commissioner Bradford asked for clarity on the parking fee. Director Smith stated that she was unable to come up with a single argument in favor of a parking fee. She stated that a parking fee might bring in some revenue, but there would be additional costs to manage three parking lots. Commissioner Bradford agreed that a parking fee would create a negative impact on the neighbors and would not be good for the city. She stated she is not supportive of a parking fee. She would like to see a decision made that defers to the neighbors' needs, but she is not sure that every decision made needs to support the neighbors' requests; she believes there should be compromise. She stated that she struggles with the Scenic Circle access, as she understands the issues the most immediate neighbors to the park have, but she sees that the Commission's role is to make a recommendation to City Council for policies that serve the greater community, not the people most adjacent. She supports the idea of patrolling the area. Regarding San Fernando Avenue access, she believes it is a good idea, but she's not sure how to make it work because the hole is close by. Commissioner Brown said he would be against charging for parking and implementing the parking permit process. Regarding San Fernando Avenue, he would support providing a parallel trail access as this addresses safety concerns of people walking or biking on San Fernando Avenue. Commissioner Brown stated that he had heard all the comments from the Scenic Circle neighbors and understands that the area has had its share of problems, but believes it is mostly due to the fact that it has been an isolated area. As a result of studies done on similar trails, he believes that problems will decrease substantially if this area becomes a public access point. He would like to see a gate- locking regimen done by city staff and that it should be locked at night. He also stated that there is a lot of data that states that property values remain stable in the one or two houses immediately adjacent to a trail access and increase going off from there. He has Parks and Recreation Commissions Meeting of May 5, 2005 Page 5 of7 concerns about cutting off the Scenic Circle access during the day when people can have positive interactions in this public area. He believes that if there are problems in the future, the plan can be modified, but the gate should be an amenity for all residents, not just the Scenic Circle neighborhood. Chairman Jelinch stated that he does not support parking permits in the neighborhoods and does not support a parking fee. As for the Scenic Circle neighborhood, he agrees with allowing traiVpark access in this area. He does not agree with the neighbors' concerns about crime increase, as studies prove otherwise and, in fact, neighborhoods improve. He is in support of a gate that is locked in the evening. He is in favor of patrols and reported that Cupertino has one of the lowest crime rates in Santa Clara County. He is supportive of any measure that lessens the impacts on the community. Commissioner Bradford stated that she would like to see the issue of adding patrols be coupled with an adequate patrolling plan. She believes that the access on Scenic Circle will not work if there are no patrols. Director Smith reported that the city of Mountain View developed a ranger program for their Shoreline Park and Stevens Creek Trail. These ranger positions are a combination of enforcement and maintenance responsibilities. She reported that with the addition of Stevens Creek Trail and Stevens Creek Corridor Park, there will be a review of staffing needs, and ranger positions will be considered. Ms. Sokale recommended that the commission take a look at the Stevens Creek Trail Feasibility Study appendices where there is information on an operations plan for the trail. . Commissioner Bradford made a motion that the commission recommend that the access points recommended by staff be adopted contingent upon an adequate patrol plan. Commissioner Brown amended the action to add that this be contingent also upon locking the gate in the evening and that the locking of the gate be done by city personnel to reflect the hours in which the park is open and closed. Commissioner Chien stated that he will be voting no for the access at Scenic Circle because there are other ways to get to the park via Stevens Creek Blvd. and McClellan Road, and he believes that past history has shown that crime has been brought into this neighborhood because of the dense shrubbery and by bringing an access into the neighborhood will only bring crime back into the area. Commission Peng echoed Commission Chien's position for the reason of the history of' the area, unless a plan is provided that will give the neighbors the confidence that this access point will work. At this time, he does not believe an access point in Scenic Circle should be provided. Commissioner Brown suggested that the issues be separated out for individual votes so that their attitudes on each of the access points are clear to City Council. Parks and Recreation Commissions Meeting of May 5, 2005 Page 6 of7 Commissioner Bradford withdrew her motion. ACTION: ACTION: ACTION: Commissioner Brown made a motion to accept staff's recommendation on San Fernando Avenue as proposed and pass the recommendation on to the Council. The motion was seconded and unanimously passed 5-0. Commissioner Brown made a motion to recommend access via Scenic Circle contingent upon the patrol of the trail as discussed and the closing of the gate at night by city personnel based upon the hours of park operation. The motion was seconded and passed 3-2 with Commissioners Peng and Chien voting no. Commissioner Bradford moved against charging parking fees.. The motion was seconded and unanimously passed 5-0. Commissioner Bradford said she would like to see it done as a joint effort between the neighbors, the Sheriff s Department, and city staff. Director Smith stated that if the Commission so desired, they could make a motion regarding the Dean Court access and that if the neighbors wanted a spur trail, the city would add it to the budget. Commissioner Brown asked that because Dean Court is private property, the city would pay for the spur trail, which is clearly on public property, but the gate and the access point itself would be paid for by the owners of Dean Court if they so desire, unless they wanted to open it up to everybody. Staff agreed. ACTION: Commissioner Brown moved that an access at Dean Court could be provided if the neighbors desire. The city would support construction of a spur trail to the gate if requested by the neighbors. The motion was seconded and unanimously passed 5-0. 7. NEW BUSINESS A. Meeting schedule for June and July: Chairman Jelinch stated he would not be available for the June 2 meeting. Director Smith reported that a couple of topics would be coming to the commission for a six-month review such as the Community Hall policy, and she wanted to know if commissioners were going to available for the two regular meeting dates of June 2 and July 7. She also stated that Council may want to have a budget hearing on June 2 and she would not be able to be in two places at once, but someone could fill in for her. The items that could be on the agenda might be the patrol (operations and maintenance) plan for the Stevens Creek Trail. She reported that the actual park plan would not be ready until September for review. Commissioner Bradford stated she would like to start the patrol plan, as it would be a good step for the neighbors to put some specific work behind what they can expect from the city in patrolling the area. Parks and Recreation Commissions Meeting of May 5, 2005 Page 7 of7 Director Smith suggested forwarding a report to Council that says the commission has had the meeting, heard the concerns, and these are the recommendations. Staff and the Commission will work on the patrol plan before the Commission asks the Council to take action. Commission Peng supported this idea. 8. MISCELLANEOUS - NO ACTION REQUIRED A. Written Communications: Commissioners given copies of emails addressed to Director Smith regarding that night's meeting. B. Staff Reports: Director Smith reported that they were getting ready for the 4th of July fireworks at Cupertino High School. She requested volunteers for 1776 costumed characters. There is a ¿,Ian to have a birthday cake after the Children's Parade in honor of the City's 50 Jubilee. She reported that the budget seems to be coming together well; no cutbacks are anticipated. Fundraising for the Stevens Creek Corridor Park is going well. The city is short-listed for a number of submitted grant proposals. There are strong indications that another $1.2 million toward the project from three different sources. C. Community Contacts: Commissioner Peng thanked stafffor the well put together packet and the information was given to them in a clear and concise manner. Chairman Jelinch stated that they have excellent staff support. 9. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8: 15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, _ , "C~0-~_j) ¿þ¿l~ Marie Miller, Administrative Assistant Minutes approved at the July 7, 2005, meeting.