Attachment 1, EXHIBIT D – Supplemental Findings Regarding Fire Safety Issues The findings in the Resolution shall be amended to incorporate this Exhibit D, Supplemental findings:
On March 29, 2023, the Town Council adopted of Resolution No. 2922-2023 adopting the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND), including the Updated Response to Comments and Text Changes, and the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (as updated at the March 22 and 29, 2023 public hearings), all for the Portola Valley Housing and Safety Elements Update and Conforming General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments (collectively, the “Project”).
Following that action, the Town has received questions from some members of the public regarding a prior unsigned draft letter dated January 4, 2022, that Town staff had received from Don Bullard, Fire Marshall for the Woodside Fire Protection District (the “District”).
The Town Council finds that this draft letter is not properly part of the administrative record for the Project, for the following reasons:
First, Mr. Bullard subsequently withdrew the draft letter and requested that it not be considered part of the record. He and other representatives of the District have since repeatedly reaffirmed since then to Town staff both orally and in writing that the draft letter does not accurately reflect the views of either Mr. Bullard or the District. And neither Mr. Bullard nor any other District representative have since made any further effort to submit this letter into the record.
Second, the language and style of the draft letter has the appearance of having been cut and pasted from language drafted by other members of the public who have been opposed to the Project and do not appear to have been originally drafted by Mr.
Bullard himself.
Third, the Town and the District have since reached agreement on proposed mitigations relating to fire safety issues, which measures were included as Exhibit A to Resolution No. 2922-2023.
Fourth, the items contained in the draft letter have either been addressed in the IS/MND, are outside the purview of the Town and/or are more appropriately handled in the Safety Element or other Town/WFPD legislative act.
The Town Council further finds that, even if the draft letter were deemed to be part of the administrative record, the contents of that letter do not constitute credible evidence of any fire-related issues, for each of the reasons set forth above.