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Home My WebLink About0309.091, ~ .' ! , I June 6, 1991 ~ HONORABLE CITY COVNCIL Palo Alto, California Foothills Park Neighbors Days Proposal Members of the Council: Report In Brie f 5 At the October 9, 1990 Council Meetin9~ Council requested that staff evaluate and report back on the feasibility and particulars of opening Foothills Park on a limited basis to non-Palo Alto residents. This staff report responds to that request. Background Council's proposal was to open Foothills Park to residents of incorporated and unincorporated co~unities bordering on pal~ Alto on what would be called Neighbors Days. Neighbors Days were to be variable days of access throughout the year. Environmental sensitivity and preservation of Palo Al tans I spontaneous ac.:.ess were to be controlling factors in the staff response. Discussion and Recgmmendations In response to Council, staff is proposing two Neighbors Days plans, Plan A and Plan B. Plan A ~ould establish Neighbors Days on variable days throughout the year and limit non-Palo Alto resident Foothills Park use to neighboring communities as Council directed. Plan B is recommended by staff as an alternative. Plan A. 1. Non-Palo Alto use of Foothills Park on Neighbors Days would be restricted to residents of incorporated and unincorporated communities whi'ch are contiguous to Palo Alto. These communities are Altamont Hills, CUpertino, East Palo Alto, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Trancos Woods, Menlo Park, Mountain VieW', Portola Valley and Stanford. 2. Neighbors Days would be rotated through the week for a trial period of one year, beqinning with Monday, July 1, 1991. CMR:309:91 • o Under this plan I succeeding Neighbors Oays .... ould occur on Tuesday, July 3; wednesday, July 17; Thursday, July 25; and Friday, August 2. The rotation vould then begin again the next week with Monday, August 5. weekends and holidays would not be included in the N(.ighbors Oays rotation during the months of May throlJgh September, lihen Park attendance on 'Weekends and holidays is heavy. Attachment,1 lists all proposed Neighbors Days for Plan A from Monday, July 1, 1991 through Thursday, June 25, l~g2.. Under Plan A, no limit would be set on the number of non-residents admitted. t.."hen the Park capacity ot 1,600 ~as reached, the Park would be closed. At the end of the trial period, staff would report back to Council with recom..mendations, if an:f, for modifications of Neighbors Days~ Plan B. 1. Any non-Palo Alto resident would be allo .. ed to use Foothills Park on Neighbors Days. 2. Neighbors Days ~ould occur on the same days of the week thr-o-ughout the year, for a trial period of one year, beginning Tuesday, July 2, 1991 through Tuesday, June 30, 1992. Under-this plan, all Tuesdays during the year would be designated as Neighbors Days~ Tuesday is recommended because it is the weekday whe~ Foothills Park has its lowest attendance (see the attachlcent #2 fer Foothills Park daily attendance information). As part of plan B, staff also recolt.mends that the first Saturday of each month, October through April, be designated Neighbors Days. opening the Park on Saturdays provides non residents the opportunity to use the Park as a family unit. CUrrent Foothills Park Saturday attendance during non-summer months is low enough to permit the anticipated additional use on Neighbor Days without causing cro~ding in the Park. Attachment #3 lists all proposed Neighbors Days for Plan s. Staff recoDUllends Plan B because it will result in fewer public relations problems for the city and be easier for staff to administer than Plan A. Moreover, the city Attorney believes that it 'Would be more difficult l although not impossihle, to justify factually restrictions which CMR:309:91 2 • '. distinguish between different non-resident groups. Under Plan A, non-Palo Al to residents 'Would he turned away from Foothills Park if they were not from com..'Tluni ties contiguous to Palo Al to~ This would require staff to establish and implement procedures to verify residents. It increases the possibility of residents from non-designated communi ties mist.akenly thinking they could use the Park on Neighbors Days. It ~il1 be difficult for staff to deal with the anticipated number of angry Foothills Park turnaways under Plan A. Plan B~ since it opens the Park to non-Palo Alto residents on the same day each week, reduces the likelihood that non-Palo Alto residents will be turned away from Foothills Park because they have come to the Park on the wrong day~ Plan e would also be easier to administer, because it will not require staff to verify residency. Staff is concerned that opening Foothills Park to non-residents on the limited basis proposed in either Plan A or Plan B ~ould cause Palo Alto residents to lose spontaneous access to the Park. Therefore, staff recommends that space be reserved for Palo Alto residents by not admitting non-residents after the Park reaches 75 percent (1,200 visitors) of its legally established limit (1,600 visitors)~ If the current average attendance on the days proposed as Neighbors Days were to double, the increase under Plan A would be about 7.400 visitors pe~ year, and, under Plan B, 8,400 visitors per year~ The number of additional autos would be 3,000 and 3,350 respectively. Staff is additionally concerned 'With the possible overuse of Foothills park. The Park 'Was set aside not only for people to enjoy. but in order to preserve its natural values. Periods of lo~ attendance are positive, for that allows ecological recovery to occur. Constant heavy intrusion is a negative factor for the Park. These lower use periods also provide visitors ~ith an opportunity :for serenity and give the staff time and space for maintenance activities~ The current restriction is the best approach to protect the park environment. While historically there has been higher use of the Park, it was also very difficult to maintain the Park properly 'While attending to the problems associated .... ith larger numbers of visitors. Staff recommends that non-residents be charged a fee of $5.00 per vehicle to enter Foothills Park on Neighbors Days. This is higher than the $3.00 fee charged by local county parks, but is comparable to the $5. 00 and $6.00 day-use fees charged by national and California State Parks respectively~ CMR:309:9l J • , . -.,.. .. o o Summary Plan A. l~ Foothills Park's Neighbors Oays would be rotated through the week., beginning Monday, July 1# 1991, for a test period of one year. Weekends and holidays 'Would not be included in the Neighbors Days rotation during the months of May through September a 2. Non-Palo Al to resident use of Foothills Park on Neighbors Days would be restricted to residents of those communities which are contiguous to Palo Alto. These communities are Altamont Hills, CUpertino, East Palo Alto, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills ... Los Trancos Woods, Menlo Park, Mountain Vie~, Portola Valley aT~ Stanford. 3. Non-Palo Alto residents would be charqed a day's use entry feg of $5.00 per vehicle, and non-resident hikers and bicyclists 'Would be charged a fee of $2.00 each. Annual passes would not be available to non-Palo Alto residents. 4. Plan A contains 47 days during the year when non-Palo Alto residents yould be admitted to Foothills Park. Plan B. 1. Foothills Park's Neighbor-s Days would occur on all Tuesdays during the year and the first Saturday of each month from october through April. There wculd be a test period of one year, beginning ~~esday. July 2. 1991. 2.. Foothills Park -would be open to all non-residents on Neighbors Days4 3. The number of non-residents admitted to the Park on Neighbors Days would be limited to 1,200 per day. 4. Non-residents would be charged a day's ~se entry fee of $5.00 per vehicle, and non-resident hikers ana: bicyclists would be charged a fee of $2.00 each. Annual passes would not be available to non-Palo Alto residents. 5. Plan B contains 60 days during the year ~hen non-Palo Alto residents would be admitted to Foothills Park. CMR:J09:91 4 .. ! ',-, - ": ~> ~./. " /' Staff can implement either Plan A or B. Consistent maximum use of the Park does endanger its delicate balance, as it was designed to preserve the area's fragile natural state and to allow limited access to protect that balance. Low use periods are therefore consistent with the need to preserve the facilitY4 Either plan will limit access, so that no irreversible damage will occur to the Park. Plan B comes closer to preserving the Park and allowing non resident access and is a plan which is easier to administer. Whichever plan is i~plemented, staff will report hack within one year~ ReC9UlJDenda t i on Either plan can be implemented, however, staft recommends that City Council approve Plan B because it is a simpler. less confusing system of admitting non-Palo Alto residents to Foothills park. ~=F~I June Fleming ~ Assistant city Managar Attachments: Plan A Mary .10 Levy. Acting Director community Services Average Daily Attendance Plan B CMR:309: 91 5 ~ ---~--~---------------:;~::::: o . /. -':~I'.; ~ -,;" Attachment tl FOO'1'IIILLS PARK NEIGHBORS DAYS -PLAN A Rotatinq Days Through The Week- Monday, July 1, 1991 Tuesday~ July 9, 1991 Wednesday, July 17, 1991 Thursday, JUly 25, 1991 Friday, August 2, 1991 Monday, August 5, 1991 Tuesday, Auqust 13, 1991 Wednasday, August 21, 1991 Thursday, August 29, 1991 Friday, September 6, 1991 Monday, September 9, 1991 Tuesday, September 17, 1991 Wednesday, September 25, 1991 Thursday, OCtober 3 I 1991 Friday, October 11, 1991 saturday, october 19, 1991 Sunday, OCtober 27, 1991 Monday, November " 1991 Tuesday, November 12, 1991 Wednesday, Nov~er 20, 1991 Thursday, November 28, 1991 Friday, December 6, 1991 Saturday, December 14, 1991 Sunday, December 22, 1991 Monday, December 30, 1991 Tuesday, Janu&r}" 7, 1992 Wednesday, January 15, 1992 Thursday, January 23, 1992 Friday, January 31, 1992 Saturday, February 8" 1992 Sunday, February 16, 19~2 Monday, February 24, 1992 Tuesday, March 3, 1992 Wednesday, Karch II, 1992 Thursday, March 19" 1992 Friday, Karch 27, 1992 Saturday, April 4, 1992 Sunday, April 12, 1992 Monday" April 20, 1992 Tues~ay, April 28, 1992 Wednesday, May 6, 1992 Thursday, May 14, 1992 Friday, May 22, 1992 Mon~ay, June I, 1992 Tuesday, June 9, 1992 Wednesday, June 17" 1992 Thursday, June 25, 1992 • Weekends and Holidays, during the months of Kay through september, not included in this rotation~ .• pay of Week Konday TUesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday .c-,-, ;""-' " Attacllllent U FOOrKILLS PARX AVERAGE DAIL1I: M'TXIlllAlICE FISCAL YEAR 1989-90 Annu 5l1 Daily =211Bll!'l!:I:: (Junt.l:llllllu.sl AVlrage Visitor DA~~X V1§itor Avgrage Attendanc~ Attendance i161tQr~ Autos V1sitQl:& ~ 108 43 176 70 93 37 144 58 96 ~8 174 70 103 41 16'1 67 130 52 200 80 359 1" 479 192 535 214 763 305 "." / o o Attachment t3 FOOTHILLS PARK NEIGHBORS DAYS -PLAN B Same Days Ot The Week* TUesday, July 2, 2991 Tuesday, July 9, 1991 TUesday, July 16, ~991 TUesday, July 23, 1991 Tuesday, July 30, 1991 TUesdey, Auqust 6, 1991 Tuesday, Auquat 13. 1991 Tuesday, August 20, 1991 Tuesday, August 27, 1991 Tuesday, September 3, 1991 Tuesday, September 10, 1991 Tuesday, September 17, 1991 ~~esday, September 24, 1991 Tuesday october 1, 1991 Saturday, october 5, 1991 TUesday, October 8, 1991 Tuesday, October 15, 1991 Tuesday, October 22, 1991 Tuesday, october 29, 1991 Saturday, November 2, 1991 Tuesday, Noveaber 5, 1991 Tuesday, Nove~r 12, 1991 Tuesday, November 19, 1991 Tuesday, November ~6, 1991 Tuesday, December 3, 1991 Saturday, Oec~er 7, 1991 TUesday, oece~er 10, 1991 Tuesday, Dece&ber 11, 1991 Tuesday, December 24, 1991 TUesday, Deeember 31, 1991 Saturday, January 4, 1992 TUesday, January 7, 1992 TuesdaYI January 14, 1992 TUesday, January 21, 1992 TUesday. January 28, 1992 Saturday, February 1, 1992 Tuesday, February 4, 1992 Tuesday, February 11, 1992 Tuesday, February IB, 1992 Tuesday, February 25, 1992 Tuesday, March 3, 1992 Saturday, March 7, 1992 Tuesday, March 10, 1992 Tuesday, March 17, 1~92 Tuesday, Karch 24, 1992 Tuesday, ~arch 31, 1992 Saturday, April 4, 1992 Tuesday, April 7, 1992 Tuesday, AF~il 14, 1992 Tuesday. April 21. 1992 Tuesday, April 2B, 1992 Tuesday, May 5, 1992 Tuesday, May 12, 1992 Tuesday, May 19, 1992 TuesdaYI xay 26, 19S2 Tuesd,ay, J"u.."1.e 2" 1992 TUesday, June 9" 1992 TUesday, June 16, 1992 Tuesday, "June 23, 1992 Tuesday, June 30, 1992 * Saturdays not inclUded durinq the month~ o~ May throuqh Septe2ber. •