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SCTF 06-18-02 FINAL MINUTES City of Cupertino STEVENS CREEK TRAIL TASK FORCE Regular Meeting of Tuesday, lune 18, 2002 ATTENDANCE: Task Force Members Present Jeanne Bradford, Cupertino Parks and Recreation Commission Susie Brain, Friends of Stevens Creek Trail John Buenz, Meadows Homeowners Association Ann Cleaver, Meadows Homeowners Association Dave Constant, Linda Vista Park Neighborhood John Giovanola, Hanson Permanente Cement David Greenstein, Cupertino Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Mary Jo Gunderson, Linda Vista Neighborhood Scott Hathaway, Deep Cliff Golf Course Task Force Members Absent Craig Breon, Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society Steve Haze, Cupertino Historical Society Beez Jones, Stevens Creek Canyon Homeowners John Kolski, Stevens Creek Quarry Richard Lowenthal, Cupertino City Council Chuck Noble, Scenic Circle Neighborhood Staff Present Therese Smith Ambrosi Smith, Director, Parks and Recreation Department Marie Preston, Administrative Secretary Consultant Jana Sokale Sokale, Environmental Planner APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Minutes of January 22 and May 21, 2002 were unanimously approved as written. COMMUNICATIONS: Written: The Task Force received a copy of an email from Alex Tsai. Oral: None City of Cupertino Stevens Creek Trail Task Force Minutes of June 18, 2002 Page NEW BUSINESS: Review of Draft Trail Feasibility Report Ms. Sokale reported that the Task Force received the draft feasibility report at the last meeting. She also stated that this report was posted on the Stevens Creek Trail website and it was available at city hall. Jana Sokale consolidated Task Force comments in the meeting's handout entitled Summary of Feasibility Report Comments. She broke out the comments by study area, as well as by general and formatting comments. She will incorporate most of these comments in the pre-print final document and then into the final document. She summarized the comments from the handout and answered questions from the Task Force Additional Comments · Study Area C: o Language will be added to the report that says eventually, should trail maps be developed for this area, Linda Vista Park will not be indicated as a staging area. However, though, the site will be as such in the feasibility report and the environmental documents to evaluate this use for potential impacts. o Language to be added to indicate that hikers and mountain bikers might use Linda Vista Park as a way to get to Stevens Creek County Park without paying the County's $4 parking fee. o Language will be added to discuss improving the sidewalk along McClellan Road to Linda Vista Drive. · Study Area D: o For clarity, more language will be added to the report to indicate that the trail will connect to Stevens Creek Boulevard between the Stocklmier home driveway and the creek. o High resolution, black and white photographs will be included in the document to depict locations being discussed. o The concern of the Meadows Homeowners Association of the potential impact of trail users attempting to park on the Scenic cul-de-sacs, which are private and posted as such, will be highlighted. o Language will be added that indicates the Task Force explored and rejected the petition the trail alignment alternatives in the petition. These reasons for the rejection will be cited. A copy of the petition will be included in the appendix. · Other Content and Format Comments: o Community Congress document will be included. o Glossary of terms will be added. City of Cupertino Stevens Creek Trail Task Force Minutes of June 18, 2002 Page o Security overheads will be placed in the appendix with text about them in the body of the report. o A flowchart displaying steps and the public participation process will be added. Flowchart will include the Blackberry Farm master plan process. The recommendations include: Feasibility Report Recommendations Jana Sokale reviewed the five recommendations with the Task Force and addressed their questions. After review, one change to a recommendation was made. This included adding language to Recommendation #2 so that it would include the wording "alternative all-weather, multi-use surface." The revised recommendations include: 1) Recommend that the Blackberry Farm master plan process consider changes to the park operation and/or design that would permit the trail alignment in this area to move closer to the creek and be integrated within the park setting as opposed to isolated from the fee use areas. The Task Force was challenged to recommend a design that fit the character of the park under the current operating system. 2) Recommend that alternative all-weather, multi-use surfaces to a paved asphalt pathway that are just now becoming available on the market such as pine tar resin and others be fully investigated for use in Study Areas C and D between McClellan Road and Stevens Creek Boulevard. The investigation would include environmental consideration, durability of surface and long-term maintenance costs. 3) Recommend that the environmental review for Study Areas B, C and D from Linda Vista Park to Stevens Creek Boulevard be incorporated into the environmental documentation that will be prepared during the master plan process. 4) Recommend that the environmental review for Study Area B from Linda Vista Park to Stevens Creek County Park continue on course as an element of the environmental review being conducted for Canyon Heights Academy, the private development project proposed on the site. 5) Recommend that the City work with the County to initiate the development of the trails in Study Area A upon completion of the environmental review process. City of Cupertino Stevens Creek Trail Task Force Minutes of June 18, 2002 Page 4 Public Comment Susan Sievert, Byrne Avenue, asked if the comments were going to be in the feasibility report? Jana Sokale answered that the comments will be integrated into the text and in the appendix of the report. Ms. Sievert felt it was important to include that Byrne and San Fernando residents did not have representation on the Task Force. She stated that she was not noticed. She asked for clarification on McClellan Ranch status as a preserve. She does not want bikes to be allowed into McClellan Ranch. She asked why the trail was not put at the base of the Hanson-Permanente Cement property. She also believes that the trail will be harmful to deer. She believes some animals will not cross a trail or railroad track to get food. Deborah lamison, 21346 Rumford Drive, believes that the McClellan Ranch Master Plan is being ignored and asked the Parks and Recommendation Commission and the Parks and Recreation director to consider the all-ready existing McClellan Ranch Master Plan. She requested that the master plan and the other documents that govern the activities at McClellan Ranch be added to the feasibility report and brought to the attention of the Parks and Recreation Commissioners. She believes that some of the recommendations for the Stevens Creek Trail violate the McClellan Ranch Master Plan. Responses to Public Comments Jana Sokale stated she would integrate public comments into the report. To the concern that the Byrne Avenue neighborhood was not represented, Jana Sokale stated that David Greenstein lives on Byrne Avenue. David stated that he did not do outreach as a Byrne Avenue neighbor, but did do outreach as a member of the Bicycle/Pedestrian Task Force. It was noted that many neighbors, including Byrne Avenue, were included in the initial contact letter. Therese Smith reported that over 800 homeowners were initially contacted. ACTION: A motion was made and seconded that the feasibility report note that the Byrne/San Fernando Avenue community was not included on the Task Force, but it was the belief of the Parks and Recreation staff that they were noticed. The motion failed to pass 2 to 8. ACTION: A motion was made that a note be put in the feasibility study that the Byrne Avenue community was not initially invited to be a part of the Task Force and that they did not think they received regular notices, and that we append the mailing list on the report. A second motion was not made and the motion failed. City of Cupertino Stevens Creek Trail Task Force Minutes of June 18, 2002 Page 5 Note: Ms. Sievert was mailed the next day a City Clerk certified copy of the initial mailing list, which showed that the Byrne Avenue homeowners were included. Ms. Sievert' s mother's address was highlighted. Pertaining to the request to highlight the McClellan Ranch Master Plan and bringing it to the attention of the Parks and Recreation Commission, Jana Sokale stated that the policies do indeed support a trail and support bicycle use. It does not specify a trail surface. Other documents that might be included would be the founding ordinance and the policies and guidelines adopted for the preserve. Jana Sokale reported that the Hanson-Permanente Cement property is outside the City of Cupertino's jurisdiction, but it was included in the 1995 Santa Clara Countywide Trail Master Plan as a future route. She also noted that it is not feasible to build a trail through the quarry at this point in time because the quarry is fully functional and operating with heavy equipment. Ms. Sokale will add this to the alternatives that were reviewed and deemed not feasible. Jana Sokale reported that deer often habituate very well to the presence of humans in park settings. She noted that antelope will not cross a fence or railroad track for food or water, but there should be no concern about harming antelope as the area is void of antelope. ACTION: A motion was made, seconded, and unanimously approved for the Stevens Creek Trail Task Force to accept the feasibility report recommendations forwarded the Draft Stevens Creek Trail Feasibility Report with the indicated revisions to the Parks and Recreation Commission. The next draft of the report will be the Pre-Print Final Creek Trail Feasibility Report. Review of Dog Policies Jana Sokale reported that the issue of dogs on the Stevens Creek Trail was brought up by the public and Craig Breon, and that this issue had not been addressed in the discussions regarding the feasibility study. She summarized the current dog policies within the study areas. She noted that the vast majority of parks that are along the creek or within the study areas exclude dogs at this point. Those parks are McClellan Ranch, Blackberry Farm, Rancho San Antonio County Park, and Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve. Dogs are allowed in limited areas at Stevens Creek County Park, Linda Vista Park, and Fremont Older Open Space Preserve. Jana Sokale asked the Task Force if they wanted to recommend the inclusion or exclusion of dogs within the draft report. City of Cupertino Stevens Creek Trail Task Force Minutes of June 18, 2002 Page Public Comment Deborah lamison, 21346 Rumford Drive, who is a committed dog owner and seeks out trails to walk with her dogs, believes that dogs on leash, walking through parks, do no more damage than people. Despite this, she believes that McClellan Ranch is not a multi-use park and dogs should not have access to this park. She added that the Union Pacific Railroad corridor would be wonderful when it is made into trails and can be multi-use. Therese Smith recommended that a statement be placed in the draft report that would say that the policies regarding dogs have to be consistent with the adjacent parkland. ACTION: A motion was made, seconded and approved 9 to 1 to include language in the feasibility draft that the Task Force, while they did not fully discuss the issue of dog policies, were supportive of the current policies for the various study areas currently in place. Jana Sokale thanked the Task Force for all their efforts, site visits, ad hoc trips, bringing information to neighborhoods, and reading volumes of information from January 2001 to June 2002. Jeanne Bradford, representing the Cupertino Parks and Recreation Commission, thanked the Task Force for their hard work and commitment to the process. She acknowledged that the Task Force members took a lot of scrutiny by the community. She also acknowledged the great public participation. David Greenstein thanked the public for coming to the meetings and being a part of the process. He encouraged their continued participation as the Stevens Creek Trail process as it goes to the next phases. Jana Sokale reported that sometime this summer, maybe July, the environmental report for Study Area A will be released. There are tentative hearings with the Cupertino Planning Commission in August, and to the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Commission in September on Study Area A. Everything will be coming back to the Cupertino City Council probably in September or October 2002. City Council will be reviewing the report for acceptance (not adoption) as a completed and comprehensive study. Once they adopt CEQA document for Study Area A, work can proceed to construct this segment of the trail when funds become available. City of Cupertino Stevens Creek Trail Task Force Minutes of June 18, 2002 Page 7 Adjournment Chairman David Greenstein adjourned the final meeting of the Stevens Creek Trail Task Force. Respectfully submitted, reston, Administrative Secretary