CC Resolution No. 01-220RESOLUTION NO. 01-220
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CUPERTINO
IN SUPPORT OF FEDERAL FUNDING FOR CLEANUP OF MOUNT UMUNHUM
WHEREAS, the mission of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District is to acquire
and preserve a regional greenbelt of open space land in perpetuity; protect and restore the natural
environment; and provide opportunities for ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and
education; and
WHEREAS, in keeping with its mission, the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
purchased the former Almaden Air Force Station and all of its remaining facilities on Mount
Umunhum in 1986 with the intent of restoring the site to a natural condition, and providing for
low-intensity public access to this 3,486-foot high peak, the South Bay's sister mountain to Mt.
Tamalpais and Mt. Diablo; and
WHEREAS, this purchase was at full Fair Market Value, with no discount for remnant
military contamination; and
WHEREAS, the District has, over the last 20 years, purchased nearly 200 parcels on and
around Mount Umunhum in an effort to preserve the mountain area for open space,
environmental, and public recreational opportunities in the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve; and
WHEREAS, Mount Umunhum and the District's surrounding Sierra Azul preserve area
comprise critical habitat for a number of endangered or special status wildlife species, including
the California red-legged frog and the southwestern pond turtle; and these lands also provide
important uninterrupted range for mountain lion, as well as bobcat, deer, coyote, and many other
animal species; and
WHEREAS, some 63 plant communities are found on and around Mount Umunhum,
along with the headwaters of Guadalupe and Los Gatos Creeks, which provide an important
component of the water supply for the Santa Clara Valley; and
WHEREAS, Mount Umunhum offers spectacular panoramic vistas, from Monterey Bay
to Mt. Diablo to San Francisco, providing a place of extraordinary perspective for South Bay
visitors, only a few miles from San Jose, California, the nation's 1 lth largest city; and
WHEREAS, the District's studies have found high levels of toxic materials in the
abandoned Air Force facilities on Mount Umunhum, including lead, lead-based paint, and
asbestos, which have made cleanup and restoration of the site prohibitively expensive for the
District to accomplish, and which coupled with decrepit and unsafe structures, have precluded
any public access to a significant portion of the area; and
Resolution No. 01-220 Page 2
WHEREAS, the Defense Environmental Restoration Program, in its Annual Report to
Congress in Fiscal Year 1998, estimated that the Federal government had yet to allocate at least
$2.5 million dollars toward completion of the promised cleanup at the Former Almaden Air
Force Station,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cupertino City Council does hereby
support the efforts of The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District to obtain Federal funding
for clean up of all toxic materials at the former Almaden Air Force Station and, further, urges the
local Congressional delegation and the Federal Government to appropriate the funding necessary
for removal and cleanup of all hazardous materials at this site, including not only current below-
ground contamination, but also all lead, lead-based paint, and asbestos. This appropriation will
make way for returning this area to a spectacular public open space and recreational area.
PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of
Cupertino this 15th day of October, 2001 by the following vote:
Vote
Members of the City Cotmcil
AYES: Burnett, Chang, James, Lowenthal
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTA1N: None
ATTEST:
City Clerk (_/ '
APPROVED:
~/Mayor, City of C~ino