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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-07-23 Parks & Recreation Commission Summary MinutesAPPROVED APPROVED 1 1 2 3 MINUTES 4 PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION 5 REGULAR MEETING 6 July 23, 2024 7 In-Person & Virtual Conference 8 Palo Alto, California 9 10 Commissioners Present: Chair Amanda Brown, Vice Chair Nellis Freeman; Commissioners 11 Anne Cribbs, Jeff Greenfield, Shani Kleinhaus, and Joy Oche 12 Commissioners Absent: Commissioner Bing Wei 13 Others Present: 14 Staff Present: Steve Castile, Javod Ghods, Adam Howard, Sarah Robustelli, and 15 Michael Warner 16 CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL 17 PUBLIC COMMENT 18 Dashiell Leeds, Conservation Coordinator for the Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter, 19 commented on the Palo Alto Airport Long-Range Facilities & Sustainability Plan. The 20 alternatives proposed in the plan involved the use of parkland with the exception of the 21 no-action alternative. The Sierra Club wanted to know if the Commission could clarify 22 the potential impacts of airport expansion on parkland and baylands. 23 Diane McCoy, volunteer with Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society and Environmental 24 Volunteers, spoke about Palo Alto Airport’s expansion plan. Three of the five proposed 25 alternatives impact the preserve’s wetland marsh area. Two alternatives propose to fill in 26 the Palo Alto Baylands Duck Pond, adjacent marsh, and northwest portion of the lagoon. 27 Those areas provide habitat for plants and wildlife, including the salt marsh harvest 28 mouse and the Ridgway’s rail, which are federally red-listed species. It is a migration 29 Pacific flyway for thousands of birds each year. Ms. McCoy expressed her concern about 30 Palo Alto Airport’s expansion resulting in increased noise, CO2 emissions, and pollution 31 from leaded fuel. 32 AGENDA CHANGES, ADDITIONS, AND DELETIONS 33 None 34 APPROVED APPROVED 2 APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1 1. Approval of Draft Minutes from the June 25, 2024, Parks and Recreation 2 Commission Regular Meeting 3 Commissioner Cribbs asked for rewording Line 6 of Page 5, deleting “in the youth 4 aspect” in Line 11 of Page 12, and clarifying Line 25 of Page 13 refers to the turf. 5 Motion by Commissioner Cribbs to approve the Parks and Recreation Commission 6 Meeting minutes of June 25, 2024, with amendments; seconded by Commissioner 7 Oche. The motion passed 5-0 by roll call vote with one abstaining. 8 CITY OFFICIAL REPORTS 9 2. Department Report 10 Sarah Robustelli, Community Services Department, delivered the Recreation Department 11 report. 12 On July 4, the City celebrated its 40th annual chili cook-off and summer festival. Ms. 13 Robustelli thanked the commissioners who volunteered as judges. Ten chili cook-off 14 teams cooked an estimated 285 gallons of chili. Approximately 2300 people attended the 15 event with 1900 obtaining wristbands, an increase of 300 compared to last year. 16 Family movie nights in Mitchell Park have been successful with several hundred in 17 attendance for each movie night. Upcoming family movie nights are scheduled for 18 August 2 and August 16. 19 There have been three twilight concerts at Rinconada Park and Mitchell Park with over 20 1000 attendees each. All were encouraged to attend the next twilight concert from 6:30-8 21 p.m. on July 27 at Mitchell Park. 22 The Municipal Service Center Open House will be 10-2 on Saturday, which will feature 23 giveaways, games, food, and heavy machinery on display. The Moonlight Run & Walk 24 will be on September 20 in Baylands Open Space. Jack-O-Jaunt will be in October. 25 Steve Castile, Assistant Director of Open Space, Parks, and Golf, addressed the 26 Commission. Park staff collaborated with Wastewater Management on the 27 malfunctioning main irrigation pump system at the golf course. Staff is moving forward 28 on the golf course mitigation project and will provide the Commission updates as they 29 become available. 30 This year’s annual athletic field renovation will use a different unit to fracture the ground 31 APPROVED APPROVED 3 of the soccer fields and outfields to create more aeration, a soft playability surface, and it 1 is healthy for the turf. 2 Regarding the Valley Water Tide Gate Park Improvement Ordinance, staff can provide 3 an update on sluice gate operations and address any ongoing concerns. 4 Over the last several weeks, staff has been collaborating closely on the First Tee 5 partnership program and anticipates continuing discussions. 6 Palo Alto Airport announced its Long-Range Facilities & Sustainability Plan and posted 7 it on https://bit.ly/PAAirport. There is a link on the City of Palo Alto Airport webpage. 8 Staff will contact Palo Alto Airport to obtain more information. 9 Ramos Park restrooms were completed last month and the concrete pathway paving was 10 completed this week. Hardscaping around Rinconada’s restrooms was completed and 11 asphalt was installed this week. The restrooms in Ramos Park and Rinconada will open 12 in August 2024. 13 Boulware Park restrooms were delivered. Concrete work has started. Playground 14 installation will be set up next. Project completion is estimated to be in the fall. 15 Demolition for the Cameron Park Improvement Project occurred approximately one 16 week ago. Grading and excavation work was done. A new playground will be installed. 17 Cameron Park is on target for opening in September 2024. 18 Mr. Castile invited questions and comments from the Commission. 19 Commissioner Greenfield noted that 1900 wristbands were issued for the chili cook-off 20 but 2300 attended. Staff remarked there were enough wristbands for whoever chose to 21 participate. 22 Commissioner Greenfield queried if there was a plan to put some plants between the 23 restroom and the street. Mr. Castile replied that the plan was for landscaping to occur 24 once the hardscaping was done. 25 Vice Chair Freeman expressed kudos to the staff who organized the chili cook-off. He 26 wondered if there was a cutoff for entrants to submit their names to participate. Ms. 27 Robustelli responded there was a cutoff date for chili teams; however, a few people who 28 had signed up dropped out at the last minute. 29 Vice Chair Freeman asked if the irrigation pump work was due to a failure or 30 maintenance. Mr. Castile explained it was a failure. The system has to be pressurized. A 31 sub pump keeps the pressure static in the lines. The system was leaking air, causing the 32 pump to cycle many times, resulting in excessive wear on the pump. 33 APPROVED APPROVED 4 Vice Chair Freeman queried whether the proposal for a study on athletic field renovation 1 would include synthetic fields. Ms. Robustelli replied that staff is developing the scope 2 and would then put the study out to bid. Staff will provide an update to the Commission 3 once the timeline has been determined. Staff has been working on the Mayfield Field. 4 This month was the start of the new fiscal year. Staff was directed that the El Camino 5 Park funding for the CIP would be utilized for the study, so that field will not be 6 completed this year. The plan is to renovate the Mayfield Field or Stanford/Palo Alto 7 Playing Fields starting in spring 2025 after the rains. 8 Commissioner Kleinhaus requested staff to reinstate the “nature moment” that had 9 disappeared from staff reports. 10 Commissioner Kleinhaus wanted staff to come back to the Commission to answer the 11 following questions: What is this Commission’s role in evaluating the proposed airport 12 alternatives? How much parkland will each alternative take away from Palo Alto Parks? 13 Is a vote required to “un-dedicate” parkland? If baylands need to be filled in, how much 14 wetland will be lost? Based upon Commissioner Kleinhaus’ understanding from the 15 Airport public meeting, the Airport was going directly to City Council to select an 16 alternative in September; however, Commissioner Kleinhaus wanted it come to the PRC 17 first. Commissioner Kleinhaus suggested advertising the Airport’s online survey. 18 Commissioner Kleinhaus was surprised the Ramos restrooms faced the picnic grounds. 19 Public comment during the initial discussion asked for the restroom doors to face the 20 fields so parents could see their kids. Commissioner Kleinhaus asked for native plants in 21 landscaping facing the street, such as Toyon and Ceanothus but not grasses. 22 Mr. Castile stated he would work in collaboration with staff to research the information 23 requested by the Commission about the airport. Regarding the right direction of the 24 restrooms, Mr. Castile will look into it and see what happened. Mr. Castile 25 acknowledged the comment about native shrubbery where possible and staff will share it 26 with the project manager. 27 Commissioner Oche gave kudos to City staff for making the chili cook-off safe and 28 entertaining. Commissioner Oche asked if there were any updates on the upcoming 29 community center. Mr. Castile responded that it was actively being worked on, there 30 were no updates but staff can come back later with more information. 31 Commissioner Cribbs stated the chili cook-off was a great time and staff did a good job. 32 Commissioner Cribbs asked about First Tee. Mr. Castile replied that staff was in active 33 discussions with George Maxe from First Tee. Staff will provide an update in the future. 34 Commissioner Cribbs wanted to know if the new recreation center downtown would 35 APPROVED APPROVED 5 have rental spaces available for the community to use for classes or gatherings. 1 Commissioner Cribbs wanted the scoping for the study on playing fields to be 2 comprehensive, including grass field maintenance costs as well as grass field rest and 3 water needs. Mr. Castile confirmed it would be included. 4 Chair Brown encouraged everyone to attend the Municipal Service Center Open House. 5 Commissioner Kleinhaus asked for information about the community center because she 6 missed the last meeting. Mr. Castile explained a new community center is coming in the 7 future but he did not have the address with him. Commissioner Cribbs stated it is the 8 building downtown that La Comida was moving into that previously was a gymnasium. 9 BUSINESS 10 3. Pickleball Lines at Fletcher Middle School (Terman Park) 11 Senior Community Services Manager Adam Howard delivered a slide presentation. With 12 support from the PTA, Fletcher Middle School administration requested adding 13 pickleball striping to the blacktop area at Terman Park for eight pickleball courts to serve 14 32 students. Terman Park is City-owned property, including the grass fields, dirt infield, 15 blacktop area, and two tennis courts. Fletcher students use the blacktop area during 16 school hours. Stakeholder engagement included Fletcher PTA, Fletcher administration, 17 the Physical Education (PE) Department, and 140 postcards mailed to residents 18 requesting feedback via email or at tonight’s meeting. 19 The blacktop area has striping for basketball, tennis, street hockey, four square, and 20 numbers. The Fletcher PE Department operates a pickleball program in the gym using 21 temporary lines but there is not enough space to accommodate all students. Students only 22 have access to pickleball during PE. Palo Alto and Gunn High Schools as well as JLS 23 and Greene Middle Schools have outdoor pickleball courts. Middle School Athletics is 24 looking into adding pickleball as one of its offerings. 25 The blacktop surface is rougher than a typical pickleball court or tennis court. No 26 pickleball equipment will remain outside. The pickleball court will only be available 27 during school hours. After school hours, basketball hoops are available. 28 If approved, pickleball striping will be a joint project between PAUSD and the City. The 29 project estimate is $8900, so the City’s portion would be $4450. 30 Public Comment: 31 Amy Lauterbach is President of Palo Alto Pickleball Club. Ms. Lauterbach has seen an 32 increasing number of young people coming to Mitchell Park and people of all ages play 33 APPROVED APPROVED 6 together. Ms. Lauterbach addressed the issue of pickleball noise and did not think 1 neighbors should be concerned about having pickleball nearby. Two homes were 200 2 feet from the proposed courts at Fletcher, two additional homes at 250 feet, and two 3 additional homes at 300 feet. Ms. Lauterbach believed the distance was sufficient and the 4 noise of kids playing pickleball would not exceed the normal playground noise. There 5 are several models of quiet balls and paddles. The Menlo Circus Club has pickleball 6 courts 50 or 100 feet from neighbors; therefore, all players are required to use quiet 7 paddles. Fletcher School could provide quiet balls and/or quiet paddles if pickleball 8 noise proves to be a problem in the future for the neighbors. Palo Alto Pickleball Club 9 offered to explore those options and potentially fund them if necessary. 10 Ginnie N., Fletcher alumni parent and former PTA President, spoke on behalf of 65 11 parents, teachers, and students who signed a letter. Fletcher Middle School is the only 12 school within PAUSD on land owned by the City of Palo Alto. Fletcher is at a 13 disadvantage to other schools that have pickleball courts. Fletcher does not offer its 14 students a fair and equitable experience relative to JLS and Greene Middle Schools. PE 15 can play pickleball outside. Last year, JLS had a pickleball lunch club with over 50 16 members. Pickleball provides an outlet for kids to exercise, is a positive distraction from 17 screens, is good for mental health, and builds community. 18 Corey Levens lives 200 feet away. Mr. Levens spoke against pickleball lines at Fletcher. 19 Mr. Levens plays pickleball and has a racket. Mr. Levens opined that pickleball is a very 20 loud, disruptive sport and did not fit in the neighborhood in a small park where sound 21 travels. Quiet paddles can reduce sound up to 50 percent. Mr. Levens hoped the School 22 would require and provide quiet paddles for students from the start instead of waiting 23 until neighbors complain. Some pickleball clubs install sound-reducing materials. 24 Terman tennis courts have old mesh that may need replacement and the same netting 25 should be put on the pickleball courts. Mr. Levens wanted Palo Alto Police to patrol and 26 enforce no public use of Fletcher’s pickleball courts. 27 Christian S. is a 17-year-old senior at Palo Alto High School. At 14, he became the 28 Founding President of the Paly Pickleball Club with 21 members. Christian found 29 sponsor companies to provide high-quality equipment for their club. Engage, Selkirk, 30 and Paddletek provided 30 new paddles. Pickleball is fun and allows you to socialize. 31 Pickleball is an efficient use of space because in one tennis court you can fit four 32 pickleball courts with 16 players. This past year, Christian had treatments and several 33 hospitalizations resulting in him missing many weeks of school for an autoimmune 34 disorder, during which time he was socially and physically distant from friends and 35 peers. Christian has met new people at open play in Mitchell Park without experiencing 36 any awkwardness, which has had a tremendous impact on his mental health. 37 APPROVED APPROVED 7 Grace Mah’s two sons attended Fletcher and spoke about her personal views on 1 pickleball. Ms. Mah was on the Santa Clara County School Board for 17 years. Ms. Mah 2 was a former Board Member and President of Stevenson House, a senior housing project 3 next to pickleball courts. Ms. Mah occasionally teaches the pickleball getting-started 4 class. The Palo Alto Pickleball Club invited residents from Stevenson House and about 5 20 attended. It is important to have equity among all the schools. Fletcher is the smallest 6 middle school. Regarding the concern about using school pickleball courts after school 7 hours, Amy performed a spot check and did not see anybody using the JLS or Greene 8 courts after hours, there were no nets, and asphalt is difficult to play on. 9 Monica Williams is cofounder of the Palo Alto Pickleball Club and Ambassador for the 10 USA Pickleball Association. Ms. Williams is in support of pickleball striping on the 11 blacktop at Fletcher School. Pickleball is a wonderful sport for a child who is not a 12 natural athlete or too shy to learn a new sport. Pickleball is easy to learn and the culture 13 focuses on inclusivity, having fun, and making friends. The health benefits of playing 14 pickleball include staying active and away from screen time as well as improved 15 coordination, balance, and agility without putting too much stress on the body. Fletcher 16 students should have same privilege as other Palo Alto middle and high school students. 17 David S. is the parent of a Fletcher student and a homeowner in the yellow zone shown 18 on the map. David is in support of painting lines for pickleball at Fletcher. David 19 requested mitigation to reduce the noise impact to the neighborhood. 20 Joan Deng is a psychiatrist at Stanford. Outdoor physical activities play a crucial role in 21 the mental health and wellbeing of children. Regular exercise can reduce symptoms of 22 anxiety and depression, improve mood, and boost self-esteem. A study published in the 23 Journal of Pediatrics found that physical activity interventions were associated with a 24 statistically significant reduction in depressive symptoms among children and 25 adolescents. Social activities, especially those involving physical exertion, foster a sense 26 of community and belonging. A study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health 27 reported that participation in team sports is associated with higher self-esteem, improved 28 social skills, and reduction in feelings of loneliness and social anxiety among 29 adolescents. These benefits extend to early adulthood. A study published in the 30 International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity found that 31 community sport participation not only improved children and adolescents physical 32 health in relation to such matters as the obesity crisis but also enhances psychological 33 and social health outcomes. Dr. Deng prescribes physical activity to her patients with 34 depression if they are reluctant to take antidepressant medication or unable to tolerate a 35 full dose due to side effects. Pickleball is easy to learn, fun to play, and suitable for all 36 ages and abilities, making it an ideal activity for youth. Dr. Deng strongly urged the PRC 37 to consider the request for pickleball lines at Fletcher. 38 APPROVED APPROVED 8 Commissioner Oche wanted a cost breakdown. Mr. Howard replied the cost is for a 1 contractor to stripe eight pickleball courts. Assistant Director Steve Castile stated the 2 cost included paint, materials, and labor for designing the layout and painting the courts. 3 Vice Chair Freeman asked if there was any feedback from the 140 postcards to the 4 neighbors. Mr. Howard received emails from eight pickleball supporters, one resident 5 had clarifying questions and was concerned about sound but did not voice opposition. 6 Vice Chair Freeman wanted to know how this impacted the neighboring community and 7 what measures the City was considering to reduce noise. Mr. Howard stated tonight’s 8 discussion was to solicit feedback, including any thoughts on mitigation. Terman Park is 9 open for the public to use. Vice Chair Freeman commented that pickleball is available at 10 other Palo Alto schools. It is a wonderful sport, easy to pick up, and students who are 11 challenged during PE for other sports can play pickleball. 12 Mr. Howard addressed Chair Brown’s questions. Splitting the costs is the standard 13 practice with this location. The PE Department and Middle School Athletics will get 14 their own equipment. Although it is difficult to say with certainty, the blacktop is mostly 15 used for basketball in the evenings. 16 In Commissioner Greenfield’s observation, most of the after-hours use of the park is on 17 the playing fields for soccer and softball practices, not so much the courts. 18 Commissioner Greenfield wondered what happens after hours if somebody shows up 19 with a net to play pickleball and somebody shows up with a basketball to shoot some 20 hoops. Mr. Howard pointed out that there were currently no distinctions between 21 activities on the multiuse blacktop space. 22 Commissioner Greenfield asked what the cost difference was between quiet paddles and 23 balls versus standard paddles and balls. Mr. Howard did not have that information but 24 staff could look into it. Chair Brown invited the public to respond if they knew the 25 answer. Monica Williams answered the OWL Paddle is $169; balls are about $5. Amy 26 Lauterbach noted that buying 30 paddles was more expensive than trying quiet balls first, 27 such as the Librarian ball. 28 Commissioner Greenfield recalled when the City reviewed potential pickleball sites that 29 Terman Park was excluded because of its proximity to residents. Mr. Castile replied 30 there were many factors. Mr. Howard remarked that staff did not identify Terman Park 31 as a community access point for pickleball because Terman has no public bathrooms and 32 does not have enough parking. Commissioner Greenfield thought that starting with some 33 form of mitigation might be the advisable approach. Librarian balls are an inexpensive 34 solution whereas quiet paddles are more expensive. Commissioner Greenfield wondered 35 if quiet paddles were needed with quiet balls; staff stated they would look into it. 36 APPROVED APPROVED 9 Commissioner Greenfield asked about the status of renaming Terman Park as Fletcher. 1 Staff stated they could look into that. 2 Commissioner Kleinhaus queried if there was lighting now or if it was in consideration 3 for the future. Mr. Howard replied there was no lighting nor had there been any 4 discussion about lighting. Commissioner Kleinhaus inquired if it could be a condition of 5 approval that there not be lighting in the future. Mr. Howard stated there was no thought 6 of lighting at this point. Commissioner Kleinhaus repeated her question. Mr. Howard 7 said that even temporary lighting needed approval from the PRC and the City Council. 8 Commissioner Kleinhaus asked if there was fencing around the courts. Mr. Howard 9 responded there was fencing around the blacktop but there were multiple entryways to 10 the fencing. Commissioner Kleinhaus wanted to avoid errant balls colliding with people 11 playing soccer on the field. Mr. Castile remarked it would be rare for that to happen. 12 Commissioner Kleinhaus queried how many pickleball courts are in the gym and if this 13 proposal added to or replaced the courts in the gym. Mr. Howard replied he was only 14 told the gym was not enough to serve all the students. Mr. Howard thought the school’s 15 goal was to be outside and not have pickleball in the gym anymore. 16 Commissioner Kleinhaus asked if had to come before the PRC before adding restrooms. 17 Mr. Howard responded that adding a public bathroom to that site needed to go through 18 City process including City Council. 19 Commissioner Kleinhaus did not want to wait until neighbors complained about noise; 20 therefore, she encouraged the requirement of quiet nets, Librarian balls, and quiet 21 paddles. We cannot call the police if people play pickleball after school hours because it 22 is their right to use the park. Commissioner Kleinhaus wondered if there was space to 23 increase the density of shrubs and trees to create more of a buffer between the homes and 24 fields. Mr. Castile responded that location does not have space, it is densely planted, and 25 trees surround the perimeter of the area. Staff would have to see if there was adequate 26 spacing to add trees along the fence between the paved area and the fields and make sure 27 it is sustainable. Some shrubs grow tall as can be seen at other City parks. Commissioner 28 Kleinhaus suggested planting shrubs between the trees to create more of a buffer. 29 Commissioner Kleinhaus inquired if there were any studies showing the difference in 30 noise based on the number of courts. The request is for eight courts but does having six 31 courts make a big difference in noise? Mr. Howard did not have specific numbers. 32 Commissioner Kleinhaus asked staff to look into how noise related to the number of 33 courts. Mr. Howard stated he could see if he can find any information. 34 Commissioner Kleinhaus opined overall this was a good project to use existing 35 hardscape as long as every method possible was used to reduce the noise level, including 36 APPROVED APPROVED 10 shrubbery or trees in between existing trees, quiet equipment, the surface if there was 1 anything quieter, and potentially the number of courts if it makes a difference. 2 Commissioner Cribbs agreed with the importance, validity, and opportunities for kids 3 playing pickleball and its mental health benefits. Commissioner Cribbs expressed her 4 concern for neighbors listening to pickleball all the time. Commissioner Cribbs would 5 like a cost analysis for quiet pickleball paddles and balls as well as data on other 6 blacktop uses during non-school hours. Mr. Howard replied that staff could look into 7 getting firm costs associated with the equipment. The Middle School Athletics Program 8 and the School may be supportive of using quiet equipment; however, Mr. Howard does 9 not know how to mandate it for community members. Regarding current blacktop usage 10 during non-school hours, spot-checking does not provide a firm answer. Commissioner 11 Cribbs is in support of having eight new pickleball courts for kids at Fletcher but was 12 also interested in mitigating the sound. 13 Chair Brown sees this as adding a program for a middle school that other Palo Alto 14 middle and high schools have. Chair Brown saw the site and did not think it will be a 15 destination for pickleball users. Palo Alto already has a world-class facility that is well 16 loved and used. Chair Brown was hesitant to put too many restrictions and requirements 17 because it takes away the spirit of making pickleball accessible for everyone. Chair 18 Brown is in support of recommending quiet materials, balls and/or paddles. Chair Brown 19 suggested asking the School if they are getting complaints from neighbors. If they think 20 it is significantly louder than other activities, then we can begin to explore low-cost 21 options such as signage “please keep it down, you are in a neighborhood.” Chair Brown 22 does not know if netting reduces noise but it could be explored later if it becomes an 23 issue, and then go to bigger things such as shrubbery. Chair Brown wanted to make sure 24 there were clear lines of communication so the neighbors know whom to call if there is 25 an issue. Chair Brown noted the staff report mentioned the School would use temporary 26 solutions outside if they could not get painted lines. Mr. Howard thought that was for the 27 Middle School Athletics two-month program. Chair Brown opined the painted lines 28 seemed like a good solution; however, she was in favor of some low-cost mitigations and 29 seeing what the appetite was of our school partners. 30 Commissioner Greenfield asked if Middle School Athletics programs shared equipment 31 with PE Departments. Mr. Howard replied that even though they have a great 32 partnership, they typically do not share because they each have their own equipment 33 stored in separate places. Commissioner Greenfield encouraged staff to consider adding 34 a rule for everyone to use Librarian balls, if it was determined to be an effective solution. 35 Commissioner Greenfield thought it would be easy to get community support for using 36 quiet balls at this site. 37 APPROVED APPROVED 11 Commissioner Cribbs queried if the current lines on the blacktop would be painted if 1 pickleball lines were added. Mr. Howard answered no because the blacktop and lines 2 were resurfaced over spring break. 3 4. Foothills and Pearson-Arastradero Nature Preserves Update 4 Michael Warner, Supervising Park Ranger at Foothills and Arastradero Nature Preserves 5 and Esther Clark Park, delivered a slide presentation. 6 In 2023, Foothills Nature Preserve had 158,507 visitors. In 2023, approximately 83,711 7 vehicles entered the preserve, 38,566 paid entries, and 3104 annual passes sold. In 2022, 8 there were 107,473 vehicles. In 2023, vehicle entry fees generated $231,492 for Foothills 9 and Arastradero Nature Preserves. 10 Palo Alto Park Rangers responded to 61 calls for service. Three full-time rangers are 11 based out of Foothills. Two assistant rangers and three open space technicians work 12 approximately two to three shifts per week (960-hour employees). During summertime, 13 rangers cover shifts from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mr. Warner spoke about staff training. Mr. 14 Warner hoped to fill two open space technician positions by next month. 15 Five acres of fire fuel reduction work was completed on Alexis Drive and Bandera Drive 16 adjacent to the Foothills Nature Preserve. 17 During winter 2022-2023, 46 inches of rain fell in the Foothills (average is about 20 18 inches). An 8-inch natural gas line became eroded and was exposed, requiring 19 collaboration to formulate a plan together with the Utilities Department, Cal Fish and 20 Wildlife, and the Regional Water Board to restore the creek bed in that area. 21 From October 2023 to March 2024, 32 trees were cleared by staff. 22 All aboveground powerlines were removed within Pearson-Arastradero Preserve. 23 Utilities crews have about 1300 feet of undergrounding work remaining within Foothills. 24 Mr. Warner spoke of various maintenance projects completed last year. Wildlife pictures 25 from Foothills Nature Preserve were shown, including a Red-Shouldered Hawk, Steller’s 26 Jay, Columbian black-tailed deer, coyote, and a turkey. Five coyote pups were born 27 within the park last year and three this year that can be seen playing in the evenings. 28 Mr. Warner addressed the Commission’s questions. 29 Commissioner Cribbs inquired about staffing needs. Mr. Warner replied they could use 30 more full-time staff. 31 APPROVED APPROVED 12 Vice Chair Freeman asked about the decrease in attendance. Mr. Warner thought 1 visitation levels decreased post COVID now that people can do more things. Another 2 factor could be the entry fee. 3 Vice Chair Freeman queried about camp space rentals. Mr. Warner noted the 4 campground was usually fully reserved every weekend. 5 Vice Chair Freeman inquired if any changes in wildlife had been observed that might 6 speak to the health of the ecosystem. Mr. Warner had not observed any wildlife changes. 7 Mr. Warner has been a ranger for about 14 years, previously working in Mendocino 8 County and Marin County, and he thought Foothills was the most wildlife-rich preserve 9 he has worked in. Mr. Warner stated Foothills is the only place you can see animals and 10 birds on a one-hour hike. 11 Commissioner Kleinhaus requested further details on citations and warnings for being on 12 closed trails, the breakdown of bikes versus pedestrians as well as what types of bikes. 13 Mr. Warner replied that seasonal trail closure citations were for pedestrians within 14 Arastradero Preserve. Mr. Warner did not have statistics on the types of bikes. The 15 majority of written warnings were for afterhours or dogs off leash in the preserve. There 16 was a decrease in citations and written warnings issued compared to 2022. 17 Commissioner Kleinhaus remarked it was best practice to look for bird nests and rare 18 plants before doing vegetation management. Mr. Warner stated a couple of woodrats 19 nests were noted; the minimum requirement is 30 feet but they went 50 feet around nests 20 to avoid disturbance. Work started the beginning of August. Commissioner Kleinhaus 21 suggested not doing work during nesting season. 22 Commissioner Kleinhaus opined that metal or plastic wayfinding signs and benches do 23 not fit in a nature preserve. Historically, wood was used and it lasted for 20 years. Mr. 24 Warner explained that most of the signs being replaced were made of pressure-treated 25 lumber and were replaced with redwood or Douglas fir. They are not using plastic. They 26 are using metal for signs. It is easier for staff to produce metal signs versus the labor for 27 hand-hewn and carved signs. Commissioner Kleinhaus suggested asking if Foothills 28 volunteers could do wooden signs. 29 Commissioner Kleinhaus stated that the area where power lines were removed from 30 Alexis Drive down toward Arastradero Creek had a wetland with a lot of tadpoles and 31 wetland plants and she wanted to know if that wetland was going to be preserved. Mr. 32 Warner responded it is always in the open space’s best interest to restore and maintain 33 the preserve in a natural state. There are no current plans for the wetland. Commissioner 34 Kleinhaus asked how the Commission could help promote restoration or at least not 35 allow the wetland to disappear and dry out. Mr. Warner replied that Commissioner 36 APPROVED APPROVED 13 Kleinhaus was doing enough by bringing it up. Staff will see what they can do so the 1 wetland is not impacted any further. 2 Commissioner Kleinhaus queried if there was any effort to monitor species, common or 3 rare. Mr. Warner replied that the only ongoing monitoring within the preserve is with the 4 Puma Project out of UC Santa Cruz. Other than that, there is not enough staffing to track 5 animals or do studies. Commissioner Kleinhaus wondered if there were any grants 6 available to monitor bird species or plants. 7 Commissioner Kleinhaus inquired about wildlife accidents. Mr. Warner did not have 8 numbers but he knew of a couple of incidences were wildlife were struck by vehicles. On 9 a daily basis, staff tries to get people to slow down when they are driving through the 10 preserves. Commissioner Kleinhaus asked for monitoring of the number of deer because 11 deer have small home ranges and are very visible, so they are not too difficult to track. 12 Commissioner Kleinhaus noted a new road was paved with asphalt from the water tower 13 to Alexis Drive without a City permit or any environmental review. Mr. Warner was not 14 consulted on the scope of work. A fire protection dirt road from Station 8 down to Alexis 15 Drive was paved by the Department of Public Works. Rangers’ staff had no input. 16 Assistant Director Steve Castile understood there was going to be work performed from 17 the top of the water tower access but staff may not have correctly understood the scope. 18 Mr. Castile reached out to Public Works and is working with them on a weekly basis to 19 understand future projects in the open space areas. 20 In response to Commissioner Greenfield inquiring if the metal trail signs were created in 21 the in-house shop, Mr. Warner replied no, a contractor was used. 22 Commissioner Greenfield asked why Pearson-Arastradero had seasonal trail closures. 23 Mr. Warner explained that seasonal trail closures were outlined in the 2001 Trail 24 Management Plan due to the preserve’s clay-like soil. Rain saturates the dirt trails. 25 Gravel trails are not closed. For public safety and environmental reasons, dirt trails are 26 closed to prevent damage and erosion runoff as well as preventing trips and falls. 27 Commissioner Greenfield believed the plastic signs Commissioner Kleinhaus referred to 28 were one-way signs used during COVID. Mr. Warner stated those signs were temporary 29 and were removed. The material is commonly used for mile markers. 30 Commissioner Oche wanted to know how many trees were planted. Mr. Warner did not 31 have numbers. Grassroots Ecology is contracted to plant native plants in the preserve. 32 Commissioner Oche asked for more information on the fire fuel reduction program. Mr. 33 Warner stated all fire fuel reduction work is outlined by the fire management plan for the 34 foothills put in place in 2009, updated in 2017, and a new update will be out later this 35 APPROVED APPROVED 14 year or early next year. The plan is being updated to be more in line with the community 1 wildfire preparedness plan for Santa Clara County. The current plan was assessed by a 2 fire ecologist who made recommendations. Those recommendations resulted in a list of 3 projects as well as the frequency and priority of those projects. For example, Page Mill 4 Road was higher priority because it is an evacuation route for people who live on 5 Southern Skyline. That work took eight or night weeks to complete and is done every 6 three years. The area behind Alexis Drive and Bandera Drive is outlined on the plan as 7 FC4 (Foothills Control 4). Work was done so if a fire starts in the residential area it will 8 not spread into the wildland. If a fire starts in the wildland, the behavior of the fire will 9 become much calmer as it approaches the homes to gives firefighters a chance to 10 extinguish the fire to improve the survivability of the homes. 11 In reply to Chair Brown querying if funds from entrance fee revenues stayed within Park 12 Operations, Mr. Warner answered yes. Chair Brown asked if entrance fees were in line 13 with other jurisdictions. Mr. Warner believed entrance fees were in alignment with other 14 jurisdictions, Santa Clara Parks in particular, and did not see a need for changing it soon. 15 With the data on visitor habits changing and the seasonality of staffing, Chair Brown 16 thought the Commission would be in support of any operational changes the staff 17 recommends. 18 Vice Chair Freeman asked how often visitors were maxed out for parking. Mr. Warner 19 replied they have come close but it has not happened since April 2021. There are 300 20 parking spots within the park and the preserve closes when there are 300 cars. 21 Commissioner Greenfield recalled a formula was put in place of 3.1 people per car. The 22 official limit is the number of visitors to the preserve at a given time is based on car 23 counts multiplied by a factor of 3.1. 24 Commissioner Kleinhaus inquired if staff was implementing any of the ad hoc’s 25 recommendations last year for Arastradero related to maintenance of unauthorized trails 26 for continued use. Mr. Warner replied that there was no action yet on the unauthorized 27 trails around the Arastradero Bowl area but he thought staff was assessing them. Moving 28 forward, staff will see how to get in alignment with the trail management plan. 29 Northwest Woodland Services has done trail maintenance within the preserves for the 30 last 20 years or so but their contract is being updated. Once the contract update process is 31 complete, staff may start looking at how to best restore some spots or get them in 32 alignment. Commissioner Kleinhaus asked if the contractor was provided with a map for 33 their scope of work and told not to maintain one of the three trails connecting the two 34 bowls. Mr. Warner responded that the scope of work refers to the trail management plans 35 for Foothills and Arastradero but the contract needs to be in place before scheduling the 36 recommended work. Commissioner Kleinhaus suggested pointing out to the contractor 37 that they had been maintaining a trail that was not in the maintenance plan and therefore 38 APPROVED APPROVED 15 should not have been maintained. Mr. Warner stated it would be discussed with the 1 contractor but he thought some of the cuttings Commissioner Kleinhaus observed might 2 have been from Ranger staff or the public. The contractor has to perform the work to 3 restore the tread to a more native environment because staff does not have the ability to 4 do it in-house. 5 Commissioner Kleinhaus wanted clarification on linking the northern and southern ends 6 of the park, as she was unsure if it was a new trail. Mr. Warner explained that the 2001 7 Trail Maintenance Plan for Arastradero Preserve outlined the seasonal portion of 8 Meadowlark Trail. Within the text of the document, it stated that if the use demands it, 9 staff could choose to weatherize the seasonal portion to make it an all-season trail, which 10 staff has chosen to do. 11 Commissioner Greenfield noted there have been more trees removed than replanted over 12 the past few years and asked if it was staff’s goal to replant on at least a 1:1 basis. Mr. 13 Warner explained that the trees were removed had fallen from drought or storms. The 14 open-space philosophy is to be as hands-off as possible and let nature take its course. If a 15 tree falls due to a storm, it is cleaned up if it impacts the fire fuel reduction zone or 16 visitor use area such as a road, trail, or picnic area; otherwise, the tree is left to 17 decompose in place. Many times, trees are capable of growing new sprouts from their 18 stump material if they fall, especially bay laurels and oaks, and that process is not 19 interfered with as long as it does not impact anything immediately. CIP funds will be 20 used for eucalyptus removal within the open space reserves. Mr. Warner, Steve Castile, 21 and Sarah Robustelli have been looking at sites to determine the scope of work to go out 22 to bid to remove. As eucalyptuses are removed, those areas will be restored to native 23 vegetation, including planting trees and native grasslands. Foothills needs more native 24 grasslands than forest. Wildhorse Valley lost about 23 acres of grasslands over the last 25 50 or 60 years because of encroaching forest between the bay laurels and coyote brush. 26 Staff has a general plan for restoring those areas but not a site-specific plan. Planting 27 trees is part of the solution but staff would work with Grassroots Ecology on 28 implementing a more integrated plan since their nursery is within the preserve. 29 Mr. Castile stated the intent is for fuels reduction in wildland-urban interface areas. 30 Esther Clark is in the initial phase because it has the highest impact. This is the first of 31 probably several years of fuel abatement work. The potential replanting in the future, if 32 deemed needed for that area, has not been discussed yet. 33 Regarding the removal of eucalyptus in 7.7 acres, Commissioner Kleinhaus commented 34 that red-shouldered hawk prefer to nest in taller trees and, in many cases, eucalyptus are 35 the tallest trees in the landscape. Commissioner Kleinhaus requested that trees not be 36 removed if there is a nest. Mr. Warner pointed out that eucalyptus is not native to 37 California. Work would be done outside of nesting season following BMPs, which 38 APPROVED APPROVED 16 includes surveying trees. Commissioner Kleinhaus expressed her concern that we lose 1 part of the park’s ecosystem by taking nesting sites away because birds have to find a 2 new location to nest. Mr. Warner will take Commissioner’s Kleinhaus’ comment under 3 advisement. 4 6. Ad Hoc Committees and Liaison Updates 5 Commissioner Oche attended the Chili Cook-off with Commissioner Cribbs. 6 Commissioner Oche spoke with the Teen Program Assistant for Palo Alto. Two themes 7 identified for youth programs were mental health and financial literacy. A few days ago, 8 Commissioner Oche met with the President/CEO of a foundation about financial training 9 for youth. Commissioner Oche hopes to meet with Adam Howard and Christopher 10 Sanchez once the program calendar is finalized. A youth mental health summit will be 11 held on October 5. Commissioner Wei is leading a panel on anxiety management and 12 was planning to recruit speakers. 13 Commissioner Cribbs thanked Sarah Robustelli for leading the effort to bring back the 14 skate park collective, Sarah Robustelli and Friends of the Parks had several meetings 15 with the skate park collective and skaters, and have identified the amount of money they 16 would like to raise by December, perhaps to be included in the CIP plan for next year. 17 Commissioner Cribbs remarked that the swimming pool is open. Commissioner Cribbs is 18 waiting for the Cubberley Ad Hoc Committee to return from vacation. Commissioner 19 Cribbs asked if there was any news on the dog parks. Chair Brown replied that she spoke 20 with some stakeholders and will follow up with staff about the possibility of a meeting. 21 Vice Chair Freeman is waiting to hear what is happening with First Tee. 22 Commissioner Greenfield stated the Park Dedication FY25 Ad Hoc met with Kristen 23 O’Kane. The ad hoc had a list of seven sites, most were disqualified, but they are waiting 24 for research from staff to pursue a couple of sites. The Nature Preserve Access Policy Ad 25 Hoc had an initial meeting with staff and aimed to make progress over the next few 26 months. The Baylands Comprehensive Conservation Plan (BCCP) Ad Hoc is 27 determining what work would be in its scope this year and how to move forward. 28 COMMISSIONER/BOARD MEMBER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, 29 ANNOUNCEMENTS, OR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 30 Chair Brown mentioned future agenda items include the Valley Water Tide Gate Park 31 Improvement Ordinance and First Tee partnership. 32 Commissioner Greenfield was interested in knowing when the airport plans could come 33 before the PRC for input because it was an appropriate overlap for this Commission’s 34 purview and of interest to community members. Chair Brown replied that the 35 APPROVED APPROVED 17 Commission could work with staff to see what and when it might be appropriate to 1 return to the Commission. 2 Commissioner Kleinhaus wanted to have a discussion on what is happening with the 3 road in Foothills. Commissioner Kleinhaus hoped staff could present the outcome of the 4 airport survey in detail. 5 Sarah Robustelli stated the work plan would go to City Council on August 19 as an 6 action item with the PRC. 7 Commissioner Greenfield remarked that the Foothills path issue, rather than coming 8 back to the PRC, perhaps staff could discuss it with the Open Space Preserve Liaisons, 9 Commissioners Kleinhaus and Greenfield. Mr. Warner replied that Public Works needs 10 to address it, so he could follow up with Public Works. 11 ADJOURNMENT 12 Meeting adjourned at 9:57 p.m. 13