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03. P&R reports , ---- I ''\'\\ II II ¡, __T . CUPEIQ1NO Parks and Recreation Department CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT GOAL SETTING SESSION Agenda Item Number 3CL Agenda Date: January 31,2006 ISSUE Stevens Creek Trail - Rancho San Antonio Park to Oak Valley BACKGROUND The equestrian and hiking trail from Whispering Creek Stables to Rancho San Antonio Park and the De Anza Knoll will be dedicated this spring. The Stevens Creek Trail Feasibility Study also identified the potential for a paved trail connecting Stevens Creek Boulevard to Rancho San Antonio Park (west side of the Gates of Heaven Cemetery). The County of Santa Clara Parks and Recreation staff has secured grant funds to build the paved trail. The paved trail would ultimately cross the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and connect to Stevens Creek Boulevard bike lanes. An obstacle to implementing the plan is the railroad: they have refused to allow the County to construct a pedestrian crossing as long as the tracks are still being used. County staff is currently planning to expend the grant funds to build a portion of the trail in 2007. They are working with the grantor to have the project amendment so that one trail does not dead end at the railroad tracks. It has been suggested that the City take the project over and manage it for the County in an attempt to expedite project implementation. In conversations with County staff, it appears this strategy would take longer than the County's performing the work on its current schedule. The steps necessary to transfer management responsibility to the City involve approval of fund transfer through the grantor, approval through the County Board of Supervisors to allow City management of the project, a right of entry, hold harmless, etc. Staff does not recommend pursing this route since County construction is scheduled for spring 2007. 3Gt-1 Printed on Recyclsd Paper January 17,2006 Page 2 of2 RECOMMENDATION Take no action and look forward to the 2007 trail opening. Respectfully submitted: Council: Approved for submission to City ~fnL Therese Ambrosi Smith, Director Parks and Recreation Department ~ David W. Knapp, City Manager g:\parks and recreation admin\parks\ranch san antonio cc staff rpt 013106.doc 3a....-;Z ~I l!J~ ~. . .- CUPEIQ1NO Parks and Recreation Department CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT GOAL SETTING SESSION Agenda Item Number 3b Agenda Date: January 31, 2006 ISSUE Rancho Rinconada Park at Lawrence Expressway BACKGROUND The material storage site used by County Roads and Airports, adjacent to Lawrence Expressway, has been identified as a potential park site to serve the Rancho Rinconada neighborhood. It is identified for acquisition in the City's General Plan and in the San Tomas Aquino Trail Master Plan that was prepared by the County of Santa Clara and adopted by the City of Cupertino. The City's involvement came at the very end of the project, as Rancho was not annexed into Cupertino when the public process commenced. The City of Santa Clara is also signatory to the plan. Cupertino has completed a portion of the San Tomas Aquino Trail to the south of the Roads and Airports parcel. The City of Santa Clara has exacted funding from proposed development to the north for a reach of the trail to connect to the Agilent Technologies campus. The Roads and Airports parcel will become, within the next couple of years, a gap in an otherwise continuous link of trail. "Gap closure project" applications rank more highly in competitive grant screening processes. For the past two years, City staff has been meeting with County Roads and Airports staff to discuss use of the parcel for park purposes. We have not been able to convince County Roads and Airports to vacate the site, but there is interest in allowing a partial use of the acreage to provide some access for a trail connection. Their proposal, if approved through the County Board of Supervisors, would reserve the front of the property (along Lawrence Expressway) for the Roads and Airports Department providing for convenient dumping and recycling of paving material. The City's portion would be fenced along the creek to allow a trail connection. DISCUSSION The Roads and Airports parcel is used for storage of asphalt grindings and other construction related materials (see attached photos). The proximity of this site to their Printed on Recycled Paper 3b-1 January 31,2006 Page 2 of2 corporation yard and the expressway access makes this the most convenient location for them in the west valley. The attached are photographs that were taken approximately two months ago. There is also an aerial attached that shows the amount of space on site the mounded material occupies. An access drive for delivery and pick-up is also needed. Were we to fence off a remnant portion of the parcel for a trail, there would be "blind" areas created behind the hills of asphalt and security fence, which could potentially become problem pockets for trail users. In review of trail literature on safety and criminal activity, it is generally accepted practice that trails should be open to law-abiding citizens. Creating places that are hidden and out of the public eye are generally not recommended, and in those instances where problems occur on trails, it is in "hidden" locations. Staff has concerns that the trail use and asphalt storage use are not compatible. The County was the lead agency on the San Tomas Aquino Trail Master Plan, and given that adjacent cities are completing reaches of the trail, there will be some pressure to have the trail connect. Staff imagines that it will only be a matter of time before County Roads and Airports staff is asked to plan for relocation of this storage facility. At this point, City staff cannot cause this move to occur. If the Council chooses to pursue this project, there are two alternatives available - one is to try to design a joint use facility for the purposes of extending the trail. However, it should only be done after the connection on the north end is constructed. Worse than creating a pocket of trail not visible to the public would be creating a dead-end trail not visible to the public. Staff should let the city of Santa Clara take the lead on trail construction in the north end, and when the time is right, pursue the joint use of the facility. However, a much more desirable outcome would be to have the City acquire the entire parcel. This would begin to address some of the park needs in that area, as well as provide an opportunity for a trail extension. RECOMMENDATION Monitor the City of Santa Clara's progress on the San Tomas Aquino Trail and when appropriate, return to Council regarding options for parcel acquisition or shared use Respectfully submitted: Approved for submission to City Council: ~~ Therese Ambrosi Smith, Director Parks and Recreation Department W David W. Knapp, City Manager g:\parks and recreation admin\parks\rancho rinconada\staff report 0131 06.doc 3 b- J-.. County Roads and Airports materials storage si te County Roads and Airports materials storage site Aerial showing County Roads and Airport materials storage site and County corporation yard on Creekside, San Jose --:sb-3 .__~____.__,,_.M_..__M~__""~_'_'_~ ~~~'M~~'_'__'_.__, ,,--,,-,---- -,~~- "'-~~,~~~~,-.-,-,_.,-.-,,--~-~-------- '<-~o ~\'? ~\.) OFFIC£ or ~..... «~ ~~¡.. 'I-~O c.;,«; 0~ ,,0 COUNfY ASSESSOR SANTA Ç¡.ARA COlJNTY, CALIFORr¡,A r 37511. 2'4 II · · · ., . ~......! 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' --,)',,'>' ,., 3 b-tj ,,! l!!!\) ~' , . , , .- CUPEIQ1NO Parks and Recreation Department CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT GOAL SETTING SESSION Agenda Item Number 3c.. Agenda Date: January 31, 2006 ISSUE Blue Pheasant - Request to remain open until midnight Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights BACKGROUND The current lessee at the Blue Pheasant, Mr. Mike Tsacres, has been closing at II p.m., per tenns of the lease executed last spring. Prior to signing the lease, Mr. Tsacres requested that the City, as property owner, rezone the two-acre parcel that the restaurant and parking lot occupy. The full request was for a General Plan amendment, zone change (rrom park to general commercial) and conditional use pennit. Currently, our zoning code does not provide for park use after 11 p.m. and there is no mechanism for issuing a conditional use pennit. The request for the General Plan amendment, zone change and conditional use pennit was denied. At the time of the denial, several Council members opined that they felt changing the General Plan designation rrom park to general commercial was a betrayal of public trust regarding property acquired as open space. Mr. Tsacres has asked again if there is a way to allow him to stay open until midnight, three nights a week. Staff has considered this request and Council's direction, and offers one alternative: The Council, after two public hearings, could amend the zoning code to allow issuance of a conditional use pennit in the park zone. If this change were made, Mr. Tsacres would apply for a conditional use pennit and go through the public process with the Planning Commission and City Council again. The Council's decision to create a mechanism for issuing a conditional use pennit in the park zone does not guarantee that Mr. Tsacres would be successful in obtaining one. No General Plan amendment would be necessary to affect this change. Any park parcel upon which a conditional use pennit was issued would remain park. 3C-1 Printed on Recycled Paper January 31,2006 Page 2 of2 RECOMMENDATION If the Council believes it is in the City's best interest to have the ability to issue conditional use permits in the park zone, it should add the pursuit of a zoning code amendment to the 06/07 work program. Respectfully submitted: Approved for submission to City Council: ~ Therese Ambrosi Smith, Director Parks and Recreation Department ~ David W. Knapp, City Manager g:\parks and recreation admin\blue pheasant\staff reports\cc staff report 0131 06.doc 3(-2