Town of Portola Valley
Special Parks & Recreation Committee Meeting
Thursday, May 19, 2022, 7:30 PM
Zoom Videoconference
Meeting Agenda
Remote Meeting Covid-19 Advisory: On September 16, the Governor signed AB 361, amending the Ralph M. Brown Act (Brown Act) to allow legislative bodies to continue to meet virtually during the present public health emergency. AB 361 is an urgency bill which goes into effect on October 1, 2021. The bill extends the teleconference procedures authorized in Executive Order N-29-20, which expired on September 30, 2021, during the current COVID-19 pandemic and allows future teleconference procedures under limited circumstances defined in the bill. Portola Valley Town Council and commission and committee public meetings are being conducted electronically to prevent imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees.
The meeting is not available for in-person attendance. Members of the public may attend the meeting by video or phone linked in this agenda.
Join Zoom Video Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88204564068?pwd=eDRTMnJCNUFEajAzSVlsWGhBcUowZz09 Phone into Zoom Meeting:
1-669-900-6833 or 1-877-853-5247 (toll-free)
Mute/Unmute – press *6 / Raise Hand – press *9
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1. Call to Order
2. Oral Communications: Persons wishing to address the Committee on any subject, not on the agenda, may do so now. Please note however, the Committee is not able to undertake extended discussion or action tonight on items not on the agenda. Two minutes per person.
3. Approval of Minutes: April 21, 2022
4. Dedicated Pickleball Court
5. Zots2Tots/Town Picnic
6. Field User Fees
7. Parks and Rec Committee Charter
8. Committee Membership
9. Housing Element Committee Update
10. CA StateParks and Rec Grant Program Update
11. Next Meeting June 16, 2022
12. Adjournment
Dear Craig,
Thank you for the time to chat about how we can rebuild and reinvigorate the Wildfire Preparedness Committee. As you know, I am a deeply concerned and committed resident who wants to help our town survive the threats that wildfires present in the increasing severity of climate change.
In reading the Mission statement for the WPC:
“Given the inherent risk of wildfire in the Town of Portola Valley and evolving character of wildfire related events due to climate change, the Wildfire Preparedness Committee ("WPC") shall advise the Town Council on ways to mitigate risks associated with wildfires.” I believe that the WPC should work on understanding and mitigating all aspects of wildfire threats to the town by providing recommendations derived from known best practices to the Council. This would include the ongoing WPC efforts of recommendations of home hardening, vegetive management and funding, but also should include active investigation and discussions of the latest scientific studies on preventing structure loss and evacuation methods in WUI environments like ours.
I understand that this is a lot of work for the WPC to do, but ask yourself for the safety of our town residents—is there really anything more important for us to achieve? We need to evaluate carefully what are our greatest hazards and to go after those. I strongly believe that information in studies like the NIST 2205 provide information of many of our greatest hazards that we are not presently focused on, and cannot be delayed in evaluating. Specifically, the NIST 2205 study identifies that structural separation distances (SSD) are critical for structure survival in WUI fires that a community such as ours has an increasing chance of experiencing. Furthermore, inadequate structural separation distances are an equal or greater hazard as vegetive threats and can completely negate structural hardening efforts.
Your statement in response to my request to also focus on issues in NIST 2205 and the follow-on studies that will occur in July has caused me step back and think. What you informed me of:
1. What actions can be taken from the study of NIST 2205 and the like? The building codes can only be changed when WFPD analyzes the fire severity zones for our town and such studies such as NIST 2205 and changes the Fire codes.
2. It’s better for the WPC to focus on informing the public in fairs and working on the vegetive reduction, building hardening, and financing efforts rather than getting frustrated in proposing code changes which the Town cannot take action on until WFPD changes the Fire code.
The WFPD is not responsible for making the building codes for the town. In fact, the WPC recommended building code changes to the Town Council which the Council adopted on Dec 8, 2021 without waiting for WFPD to modify the fire code (WFPD did review and agree with the proposed changes). You explained to me that these were exceptions that were needed by the end of the year before SB9 and SB10 came into effect. What now prevents the Town Council from adopting similar revisions independent of WFPD modifying the fire code?
At present the town staff is feverishly working on new building projects to meet the state mandates for new housing. No significant effort is being done by the town staff on evaluating the safety of these
projects for the existing residents and for the future new residents in consideration of new studies such as NIST 2205. Please don’t get me wrong—I am not objecting to new housing—I am objecting to new housing which further endangers the safety of our residents. The Town has had a long history of ignoring the information of fire hazards that have been presented—for example in 2008 by CAL Fire, WFPD, and the Moritz report and so on. The time has come to get ahead of this.
After much thought, I cannot find it morally correct for me to continue on the WPC while the Town Council refuses to consider, let alone take important actions, to protect the safety of its residents . Yes we are in a deep hole as far as Fire hazards and the possible resulting risk of loss of life and property, but the first thing you need to do when you realize you are in a hole is to make sure you are not digging the hole deeper. So I am tendering my resignation from the WPC effective immediately.
I am doing so at this time because at the next meeting of the WPC the chairperson will be elected and I do not think it would be correct for me to vote in this matter when I have decided to leave the WPC.
Since I am now leaving the WPC, I would like to bring up what happened at the March 1st WPC meeting for the Town Council’s consideration.
I volunteered to serve on the Wildfire Preparedness Committee because I wanted to participate in and contribute to the development of our Town’s public policy for wildfire prevention and safety. I assumed that I would be accorded the respect and opportunity to participate like any other member of the Committee. I believed that our policies and decisions would be formulated through public meetings conducted in an open and fair manner as required by the Brown Act. I thought that our decisions would be made in public, based on direct and candid discussion among all Committee members.
I now see that I was mistaken.
I now see that during our March 1 meeting some members of the Committee communicated privately during the meeting with one another and with the Town manager about the topic under deliberation.
There was a clear effort to secretly orchestrate decisions by this Committee and another Town committee. I now see that such private communications by certain Committee members may have also occurred before and after the March 1 meeting to the exclusion of me and other members of the Committee.
I now believe that the effort made at our last committee meeting to move the Evacuation Subcommittee out of the WPC and over to a different committee was orchestrated in private by some Committee members, the Town Council liaison and the Town Manager to the exclusion of me and other Committee members.
I am deeply disappointed to learn that some members of this Committee, including the Council liaison, have communicated privately among themselves to the exclusion of me and other Committee members about our committee’s business. This is not the fair and open process I signed up for when I volunteered to serve. I do not believe such conduct is consistent with the ethical standards I expect and hope our Town to follow.
I have personally worked very hard since I joined the WPC to help the Town develop a competent and reliable assessment of its evacuation capacity. There are many additional elements beyond the limited traffic study currently underway that need to be addressed if we are ever going to have a comprehensive plan and program for safe and effective evacuation of the town.
The town attorney's response to the issues of Brown Act violations was agendized for the aborted April 4th WPC meeting, and she has subsequently come out to dispute the alleged violations—I don’t know if there were violations or not (I find it very hard to believe that the Brown act allows these things to go on) but regardless of this, I would suggest a few questions that I’d appreciate the Town Council and Town residents to ponder on. I want and need to understand clearly what ethical standards our Town will apply to the public’s business.
1. Is it OK during a public meeting of a town committee for some members of the Committee to essentially hold a private meeting among themselves about the topic under deliberation via text or email to the exclusion of other members of the committee and the public?
2. Specifically, is it OK during a public meeting for one member of our committee to communicate privately with one or more other members of the Committee regarding the business of the Committee, or should such communication be made publicly and openly?
3. Is it OK for a Town Council member to line up in advance enough members of a committee to win an upcoming vote in the Committee, either directly or through seriatim contacts by the Town Manager or Committee members?
4. Do we want the work of our Town committees and legislative bodies to be conducted in open public session, or do we want the work of our committees to be decided in secret by some members of a committee to the exclusion of other members of a committee?
5. Will the Town be collecting and turning over the text messages, emails and other communications requested in the letter which was attached to the April 4th WPC agenda meeting so that we can understand what is going on? I, for one, want to see and learn how our Town is in fact being run.
I feel that the work the town committees is incredibly important for the well-being of my friends and fellow residents in the town. But to achieve this we need to have open and honest discussions in our committees between all of our committee members. We should not have pre-polled voting positions set out in private before our public meetings. And there should be no behind the scene texting etc. We need to respect the role and listen carefully to other committee members and exchange our ideas and best thinking in public before we work and vote on an issue. We need to work together candidly and constructively during meetings, not be divided before they even begin.
Finally, I believe it is critically important for all of our discussions to be heard by our town residents, so we can elicit and incorporate their valuable inputs.
Craig, thank you for your consideration.
Rob Younge
Like many residents in this community I love this town and will continue my time and efforts to protect it and protect the well being of its residents.
Many of us are committed to safeguard this community, but many are not chosen to serve without any explanation other than “we are not the proper fit.”
PV residents who have been engaged in the last 5 years understand paid staff is taking over the decision making process getting their ideas and facts from peers at neighboring cities like Menlo Park, Palo Alto, San Mateo.
Portola Valley is unique and cannot be compared to any of those cities.
Portola Valley has a general Plan that was adopted in 2015. Our General Plan was created carefully to ensure we do not lose our Identity, keep our rural character, open space, maintain our trails, and good governance based on volunteerism.
It is the blue print for the Town’s future growth and development. It addresses issue of importance to the community, sets forth policies for conservation and development under all 7 elements, additional concerns and special parts of Town.
The focus in the last years have been about housing but here are so many issues that have to be resolved before we add any more housing. in 2012 our senior planner reduced the RHNA numbers from 74 to 64 because she applied the warnings as stated in our general Plan.
As HCD former director lynn Jacobs confirmed in 2013 - RHNA numbers are projections upon projections, not real numbers.
We reached our 64 units for cycle 5 in 2018 and continued building without upgrading our infrastructure and other needs to support more housing.
We have asked to see the data Town staff submitted to HCD resulting in the huge increase to 253 units in cycle 6, but staff and other government officials are ignoring our data requests.
Last month we discovered the audit by the California State Controller and shared its findings that : HCD does not ensure that its housing needs assessments are accurate and adequately supported.
PV finally started to address the importance of our wildfire and fire risks and the need for evacuation routes. but we are behind on so many other issues like emergency shelter, energy independence, reliable internet and other communication, water supplies , water quality, water pressure, and not to forget sewer…
We, PV residents pay taxes, which increase yearly with the promise to fix things.
we have shared our concerns and presented solutions for at least the last 6 years…We ask you again to follow the guidelines of our existing General Plan and solve all ongoing issues before adding any more housing.
Thank you,
Caroline Vertongen
TOWN COUNCIL WEEKLY DIGEST
Thursday – May 19, 2022
1. Agenda – Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee Special Meeting – May 24, 2022
2. Agenda – Architectural Site Control Commission Special Meeting – May 23, 2022
3. Agenda - Conservation Committee – May 24, 2022
4. Memo from Howard Young, Public Works Director – Update on BPTS Committee Parking Recommendations on Portola Road and on Willowbrook Drive
______________________________________________________________________________
MEETING AGENDA
Remote Meeting Covid-19 Advisory: On September 16, the Governor signed AB 361, amending the Ralph M. Brown Act (Brown Act) to allow legislative bodies to continue to meet virtually during the present public health emergency. AB 361 is an urgency bill which goes into effect on October 1, 2021. The bill extends the teleconference procedures authorized in Executive Order N-29-20, which expired on September 30, 2021, during the current COVID-19 pandemic and allows future teleconference procedures under limited circumstances defined in the bill. Portola Valley Town Council and commission and committee public meetings are being conducted electronically to prevent imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees. The meeting is not available for in-person attendance. Members of the public may attend the meeting by video or phone linked in this agenda.
Below are instructions on how to join and participate in a Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting Online:
Please select this link to join the meeting:
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Or Telephone:
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Remote Public Comments: Meeting participants are encouraged to submit public comments in writing in advance of the meeting. Please send an email to [email protected] by 12:00 PM on the day of the meeting. All comments received by that time will be distributed to Committee Members prior to the meeting. All comments received are included in the public record.
We encourage anyone who has the ability to join the meeting online to do so. You will have access to any presentations that will be shown on your screen and can easily provide comments using the “raise your hand” feature when the Chair calls for them.
Approximate timeframes are provided for agenda items as a guide for the Chair, Committee Members, and the public. Actual times may vary.
TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY
4:30 PM – Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee Special Meeting Monday, May 24, 2022
THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD
VIA TELECONFERENCE ONLY
Committee Members:
Jeff Aalfs - Town Council Subcommittee Al Sill - ASCC Representative and Vice-Chair Aimee Armsby Jocelyn McArthur - Chair
Sarah Dorahy Nicholas Targ - Planning Commission Representative Erik Doyle Bob Turcott
William Kelly Janey Ward
Anne Kopf-Sill - Planning Commission Representative Sarah Wernikoff - Town Council Subcommittee Andrew Pierce - Race and Equity Committee Representative Helen Wolter Staff Contacts:
Laura Russell - Planning & Building Director
Dylan Parker – Assistant Planner
4:30 PM - CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Persons wishing to address the Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee on any subject not on the agenda may do so now. Please note however, that the Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee is not able to undertake extended discussion or action tonight on items not on the agenda. Comments will be limited to two minutes per person.
PRESENTATION
1. Overview of May 16th Committee of Committees Meeting by Chair Judith Murphy
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
2. Partial Draft Housing Element
a. Update on ADU/JADU and Opt-in Programs
b. Committee Discussion and Recommendations
STAFF UPDATE
1. Staff updates to Committee (5 Minutes)
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
1. Minutes of April 18, 2022 and May 2, 2022 meetings
ADJOURNMENT
COMMUNICATIONS DIGEST
Public comments received since the last meeting will be distributed to the Committee at the end of each agenda packet.
AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION
For more information on the items to be considered by the Committee, please email [email protected].
Any writing or documents provided to a majority of the Town Council or Commissions regarding any item on this agenda will be made available for public inspection at Town Hall located 765 Portola Road, Portola Valley, CA during normal business hours. Copies of all agenda reports and supporting data are available for viewing and inspection at Town Hall.
ASSISTANCE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Planning Department at (650) 851-1700. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the Town to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Public Hearings provide the general public and interested parties an opportunity to provide testimony on these items. If you challenge any proposed action(s) in court, you may be limited to raising only issues you or someone else raised at the Public Hearing(s) described in this agenda, or in written correspondence delivered to the Committee at, or prior to, the Public Hearing(s).
______________________________________________________________________________
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
Remote Meeting Covid-19 Advisory: On September 16, the Governor signed AB 361, amending the Ralph M.
Brown Act (Brown Act) to allow legislative bodies to continue to meet virtually during the present public health emergency. AB 361 is an urgency bill which goes into effect on October 1, 2021. The bill extends the teleconference procedures authorized in Executive Order N-29-20, which expired on September 30, 2021, during the current COVID19 pandemic and allows future teleconference procedures under limited circumstances defined in the bill. Portola Valley Town Council and commission and committee public meetings are being conducted electronically to prevent imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees. The meeting is not available for in-person attendance. Members of the public may attend the meeting by video or phone linked in this agenda.
Below are instructions on how to join and participate in a Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting Online:
Please select this link to join the meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81911508542?pwd=Rkp0dTJ1WkFMSjJESFc0U0ZGUDdKZz09 Or: Go to Zoom.com – Click Join a Meeting – Enter the Meeting ID Meeting ID: 819 1150 8542 Passcode: 865549
Or Telephone:
1.669.900.6833
1.888.788.0099 (toll-free) Enter same Meeting ID and Passcode *6 - Toggle mute/unmute. *9 - Raise hand.
Remote Public Comments: Meeting participants are encouraged to submit public comments in writing in advance of the meeting. Please send an email to [email protected] by 12:00 PM on the day of the meeting. All comments received by that time will be distributed to Commissioners prior to the meeting. All comments received are included in the public record.
We encourage anyone who has the ability to join the meeting online to do so. You will have access to any presentations that will be shown on your screen and can easily ask questions using the “raise your hand” feature when the Chair calls for them.
TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY
4:00 PM – Architectural Site Control Commission Meeting Monday, March 23, 2022
THIS SPECIAL MEETING IS BEING HELD
VIA TELECONFERENCE ONLY
4:00 PM - CALL TO ORDER
Commissioners Cheung, Sill, Wilson, Vice-Chair Koch, Chair Ross
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Persons wishing to address the Architectural and Site Control Commission on any subject not on the agenda may do so now.
Please note however, that the Architectural and Site Control Commission is not able to undertake extended discussion or action tonight on items not on the agenda.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Preliminary Architectural Review of an application for a new residence, File # PLN_ARCH0001-2022, 300 Alamos Drive, Lacroute (R. Robinson)
2. Preliminary Architectural Review of an application for a new residence, File # PLN_ARCH0005-2022, 9 Buck Meadow Drive, Keller (J. Garcia)
3. Preliminary Architectural Review of an application for a new residence and site development permit, File # PLN_ARCH0002-2022, 1195 Westridge Drive, Kaveh (R. Robinson)
COMMISSION, STAFF, COMMITTEE REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
4. Commission Reports
5. Staff Report
a. Update on Housing Element and Safety Element
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
6. ASCC Meeting of March 14, 2022
ADJOURNMENT
AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION
For more information on the projects to be considered by the ASCC at the Special Field and Regular meetings, as well as the scope of reviews and actions tentatively anticipated, please contact Carol Borck in the Planning Department at Portola Valley Town Hall, 650- 851-1700 ex. 211. Further, the start times for other than the first Special Field meeting are tentative and dependent on the actual time needed for the preceding Special Field meeting.
Any writing or documents provided to a majority of the Town Council or Commissions regarding any item on this agenda will be made available for public inspection at Town Hall located 765 Portola Road, Portola Valley, CA during normal business hours. Copies of all agenda reports and supporting data are available for viewing and inspection at Town Hall.
ASSISTANCE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Planning Department at (650) 851-1700. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the Town to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Public Hearings provide the general public and interested parties an opportunity to provide testimony on these items. If you challenge any proposed action(s) in court, you may be limited to raising only issues you or someone else raised at the Public Hearing(s) described in this agenda, or in written correspondence delivered to the Architectural and Site Control Commission at, or prior to, the Public Hearing(s).
TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY
Conservation Committee Meeting
May 24, 2022
7:00 PM
Special Videoconference Meeting via Zoom
CONSERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING Agenda
1) Call to Order
2) Oral Communications
3) Approval of Minutes for April 2022:
4) Site Permits
a) CalWater Station #33, Los Trancos
b) 241 Georgia
c) 151 Brookside
d) 193 Meadowood
5) Tree permits
6) Old business
a) Oversight of significant Town-owned properties
i) Town Center (Richards)
ii) Frog Pond (Zimmerman)
b) Committee/Town Cooperation
i) Housing Element
ii) Public Works (Magill)
(1) Wildlife camera at Springdown
(2) Maintenance of areas that have undergone fire mitigation work (Appendix A) iii) Windy Hill fuel reduction
iv) Trails and Paths (Coleman)
v) Open Space (Chiariello)
vi) Wildfire Preparedness (Chiariello)
(1) Wildfire Prep Faire – 5/14/22
c) Backyard Habitat (Plunder)
d) Tip of the Month (Magill)
e) What’s Blooming Now? (Magill) – Blue Dicks, Ithuriel’s Spear, Soap Lily f) Kudos (Plunder)
g) Plant List sub-Committee (Magill)
7) New Business:
a) Safety Element
Appendix A:
Sequoia’s trail fire maintenance program:
Annually:
Remove all broom and small bay trees,
Remove all re-sprouting oak trees (keep oak seedlings)
Remove poison oak as it regrows.
Late April through May: remove any tall grasses and thistles (mowing or weed-whacking) Additional suggested work for conservation purposes:
Remove in spring: Oxalis pes-caprae
Late summer: Dittrichia graveolens
_____________________________________________________________________________ TO: Mayor and Members of the Town Council
FROM: Howard Young, Public Works Director
DATE: May 18, 2022
RE: Update - BPTS Committee Parking Recommendations on Portola Road and on Willowbrook Drive
UPDATE
The following tasks were completed in November 2021 by the Town per the staff report and discussion at the September 8, 2021 Town Council meeting:
Alpine Road and Willowbrook Drive Intersection
• Prohibit parking by painting curbs red at the west curb returns and to enhance sight lines • Repaint red curb on the east side of Willowbrook Drive to highlight existing parking restrictions and extended red curb to around corner towards Alpine Road.
Willowbrook Drive Divided Road Area (island median near 165 Willowbrook Drive) • Prohibit parking by installing red curb to maintain full roadway width for vehicle and active use
BPTS April 2022 meeting:
The attached study (Attachment 1) in draft format was provided to the BPTS Chair in January 2022. The study was also included in the BPTS Committee agenda in March 2022 and April 2022. At its April 2022 meeting, the BPTS Committee chair recommended adoption of the measures outlined in the study and the Committee accepted. These measures were specifically concerning signage installation on Portola Road. The next steps would be finalizing design details for Portola Road and to bring the details back to the BPTS for comment. Note that refinements to the consultant’s scope and probable costs are likely to occur to the draft.
ATTACHMENT
1. Krupka Consulting study dated 12/9/2021
TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY
DIGEST MEMO
December 9, 2021
Mr. Howard Young by email only > [email protected] Public Works Director
Town of Portola Valley
765 Portola Road
Portola Valley CA 94028
RE: Draft Report > Study of Portola Road & Willowbrook Drive Parking Recommendations (BPTS, August 2021)
Dear Howard:
The Town of Portola Road Valley (Town) engaged Krupka Consulting (Consultant) to study recommendations regarding parking restrictions that were advanced by the Town Bicycle, Pedestrian &Traffic Safety Committee (BPTS) at its August 4, 2021 meeting, namely Portola Road & Willowbrook Drive Parking Recommendations (BPTS Recommendations). The study was instigated by Town Council action at its September 8, 2021 meeting. This Draft Report presents the purpose, background, scope and findings of the study for your review and comments.
Purpose
The purpose of the study was to review the basis and details of the BPTS Recommendations and, by applying engineering study and judgment, establish whether needs exist and, if so, define conceptual solutions.
Background
The BPTS established a subcommittee to review weekend roadside parking activities on Portola Road, Willowbrook Drive and Alpine Road, which apparently represent Windy Hill Open Space Preserve (Windy Hill) visitors that cannot be accommodated in the Windy Hill parking lot. The Subcommittee developed the BPTS Recommendations that supported past activities regarding parking in the area and generally defined concerns and related proposed parking restrictions on the subject streets.
The BPTS Recommendations addressed parking restrictions at certain roadside areas on the subject streets under the overarching goal of increasing safety for all Town streets and trails.
The BPTS Recommendations noted that the actual placement of respective traffic control devices, such as signs and curb markings, would likely require engineering design to determine specific implementation requirements.
KRUPKA CONSULTING
431 Yale Drive | San Mateo, CA | 94402
650.504.2299 | [email protected] | pkrupkaconsulting.com Attachment 1- Krupka Consulting Study
Mr. Howard Young, December 9, 2021, Page 2
The BPTS approved a motion to recommend that the Town Council direct staff to engage Krupka Consulting to study the BPTS parking recommendations. The Town Council considered this item during its September 8, 2021 and approved a motion to ask staff to prepare a proposal for an engineering study and subsequently a design and implementation plan related to the BPTS recommendations.This report documents the engineering study element only, and generally describes the design and implementation aspects required.
Scope of Work
The study addressed the BPTS recommendations paraphrased below. • Alpine Road and Willowbrook Drive Intersection
• Prohibit parking by painting curbs red at the west curb returns, to enhance sight lines • Repaint red curb on the east side of Willowbrook Drive to highlight existing parking restrictions
• Willowbrook Drive Divided Road Area
• Prohibit parking by installing red curb and appropriate signage to maintain full roadway width for vehicle and active use
• Portola Road (East Side)
• Bridge to Willowbrook Drive
• Prohibit parking by installing appropriate signage to avoid vehicle conflicts with users of adjacent trail and bicyclists using roadway shoulder
• Willowbrook Drive to Windy Hill Parking Ahead sign
• Prohibit parking by installing appropriate signage to avoid vehicle conflicts with bicyclists and pedestrians and enhance sight lines
• Parking Along Road (north of Windy Hill Parking Ahead sign) • Allow parking in this segment, and extend northerly limit of the existing parking area; this would include appropriate signage advising drivers to park off pavement • Near Stonegate
• Allow parking south of Stonegate Road; this would include appropriate signage advising drivers to park off pavement
It is important to reiterate that the study was limited to specific BPTS Recommendations noted above as they related to Windy Hill visitors parking cars on Town streets. The study was not intended to address other parking or traffic issues that may exist. In this light, the study may very likely stimulate other parking, traffic and circulation concerns, ideas and improvement requests, which would need to be considered by staff and the BPTS per current practice.
Consultant’s work involved the following activities.
• Assessed physical and traffic factors to determine whether there are conditions not readily apparent to drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians that may indicate a need. These include stopping sight distance, roadway and shoulder width, adjacent topography, pedestrian paths, parked vehicles, driveways and intersections. The following specific efforts were involved. • Informal driving tours of the study area in June 2021 on two weekend days during the midday (Saturday, June 12 and Sunday, June 13).
• Formal driving and walking tours of the study area on Saturday, October 30, 2021. • Reviews of BPTS Subcommittee recommendations and video log by BPTS member Angela Hey.
Mr. Howard Young, December 9, 2021, Page 3
• Review of parking count log prepared by Gary Nielsen, and meeting with Gary on November 5, 2021.
• Reviews of California Highway Patrol collision data for years 2019, 2020 and 2021 (through September 2021).
• Discussion about visitor activity and parking at Windy Hill with Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) staff Alex Casbara, Tina Hugg and Chris Barresi (November 23, 2021).
• Discussion about on-street parking and enforcement near Windy Hill with Sergeant Andy Hui of the Sheriff’s Office(November 23, 2021).
• Defined potential “early improvements” using engineering judgment, including improvements relating to the first two BPTS recommendations at the Alpine Road and Willowbrook Drive intersection and the Willowbrook Drive Divided Road Area (November 9, 2021) • Collected data during the October 30 field tours, including the following. • Parked cars on Portola Road, Willowbrook Drive and Alpine Road (east and west of Willowbrook Drive)
• Conducted short counts of vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles on Willowbrook Drive, Alpine Road and Portola Road.
• Viewed sight lines and dimensions on study streets.
• Reviewed and evaluated information collected.
• Prepared draft report.
Findings
There is substantial weekend midday parking demand on Portola Road, Willowbrook Drive and Alpine Road that is primarily attributed to visitors at Windy Hill Open Space Preserve. Based on Gary Nielsen’s observations, peak parking conditions typically occurred in the 10:00 hour and indicated 30 to 60 parked cars on Portola Road north of Willowbrook Drive and 60 to 90 parked cars in the Willowbrook Drive/Alpine Road area south of the Willowbrook Drive divided road area. Consultant’s observations indicated similar parking locations and quantities. Neither Gary Nielsen nor Consultant observed related parking demand on Portola Road south of Willowbrook Drive.
Vehicle parking and loading/unloading activities result in typical conflicts with adjacent roadway users, including vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists. On Willowbrook Drive and Alpine Road, pedestrians use available off-street paths and share the street with cars and bicyclists where no off-street paths exist. This generates typical conflicts, which slow traffic and impede residential driveway access. On Portola Road, pedestrians use the roadway shoulder and adjacent offpavement area to travel to and from Windy Hill, and generally cross Portola Road as gaps in vehicle and bicycle traffic allow. Conflicts typically occur between bicyclists and pedestrians when both occupy the shoulder, and between cars executing parking maneuvers and adjacent bicyclists and vehicular traffic.
Substantial weekend midday bicycle and pedestrian traffic was noted during Consultant’s driving and walking tours. Consultant’s sample counts indicated 120 to 150 bicycles and 50 to 60 pedestrians per hour in both directions on Portola Road, and 10 to 20 bicycles and 20 to 30 pedestrians per hour in both directions on Willowbrook Drive.
Consultant reviewed collision records from the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), maintained by the California Highway Patrol, for years 2019 and 2020 complete and
Mr. Howard Young, December 9, 2021, Page 4
year 2021 through September. No collisions were reported on the study area streets in 2019 and 2020. Two collisions were reported on study area streets in partial year 2021, one solo bicycle collision on Portola Road near Stonegate Road (unsafe speed) and one solo vehicle collision on Portola Road at Willowbrook Drive(hit fixed object).
Consultant observed driver sight lines in the field on Willowbrook Drive, Alpine Road (near Willowbrook Drive) and Portola Road. In the office, Consultant reviewed sight lines using Google Earth. The reviews indicated generally adequate sight lines compared to stopping distance standards of 150 feet and 250 feet for Willowbrook Drive/Alpine Road and Portola Road, respectively. However, stopping sight distance did not meet standard on Portola Road between Willowbrook Drive and the Windy Hill Parking Ahead sign.
These findings indicated there are certain needs related to the BPTS Recommendations. The following section summarizes Consultant’s recommended conceptual solutions.
Conceptual Solutions
Based on Consultant’s engineering judgment, the following improvements were completed by Public Works November 30, 2021.
• Alpine Road and Willowbrook Drive Intersection
• West corner — paint curb red, from extension of STOP bar to 20 feet north • East side — repaint curb red where it presently exists • East corner — paint curb red from south end of existing limit around corner on Alpine Road, to bollards protecting utility box
• Willowbrook Drive Divided Road Segment
• Paint east and west curbs red, approximately 40 feet north and south of respective ends of center island
Based on Consultant’s engineering study, the following improvements should be implemented on Portola Road.
• On east side, prohibit parking between Willowbrook Drive and the Windy Hill Parking Ahead sign; this improvement would include roadside signs (no parking, park off pavement) in a quantity sufficient to inform drivers
• On east side, install park off pavement signs between the Windy Hill Parking Ahead sign and the existing parking area opposite the Windy Hill driveway • On east side opposite the Windy Hill driveway, where parking is permitted, confirm lateral off pavement dimensions are adequate and, if so, relocate no parking sign approximately 50 feet north of the current northerly limit to allow additional room for parking; modify park off pavement signs to indicate park parallel (illegal diagonal back in parking observed by Consultant)
• On east side south of Stonegate Road, confirm horizontal dimensions are adequate and, if so, add park off pavement signs to designate limits of allowed parking, and install no parking sign (arrow right) at south limit
Consultant found no evidence of related parking on the segment of Portola Road between bridge and Willowbrook Drive and therefore does not recommend any parking restrictions there.
Mr. Howard Young, December 9, 2021, Page 5
Estimated costs and implementation considerations for these improvements are summarized below.
Costs and Implementation
The approximate probable costs to install the Portola Road improvements include design, construction and administration as summarized below.
• Design $3,000
• Fieldwork to define features and dimensions
• Layout of devices
• Construction - $10,000
• Roadside signs (conservative allowance of 10)
• Sign panels (conservative allowance of 10)
• Administration $2,500
• Advertising and Award
• Management and Documentation
• TOTAL $15,500
Implementation will require the following steps as well as design and construction. • According to the Town Attorney, Town authority to implement parking restrictions needs to be clarified and, if necessary, codified by Town Council resolution or ordinance • Review and feedback by BPTS
• Potential consideration by ASCC
• Authorization by Town Council
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I appreciate the opportunity to support you and the Town. Please call me if you have any questions or other requests.
Sincerely,
KRUPKA CONSULTING
Paul J. Krupka, P.E.
Sole Proprietor
Registered California Professional Engineer (Traffic TR1574, Civil C47497)