Friends of Santa Teresa Park Meeting, 11/3/16

 


  • Attendees: Mike Boulland, Kitty Monahan, Sam Drake, Woody Collins, Greg & Roxanne Koopman, Ron Horii.
  • Frank Weiland will start as senior ranger for Santa Teresa/Hellyer on January 1. Frank was senior ranger at Vasona and has been interim manager of the volunteer program.
  • The positions of volunteer coordinator and manager of the volunteer program are still open.
  • There are bike demo days in Santa Teresa Park on 11/4 and 5.
  • There is also a Bay Area Ridge Trail work day on the Stile Ranch Trail on 11/5. It will meet at the Fortini/Stile Ranch trailhead.
  • The Oak Grove School District did not hold their cross-country race at Santa Teresa Park this year because of the cost of park usage fees. In previous years, when Roxanne organized it, they were able to work off the fees. This year, they went to Alum Rock Park, which was free, though Bernal School had to rent a bus.
  • Ron showed pictures: the park turning green after the rains, coyote on Bernal Hill, tarantulas, Outer Limits Night at the Bernal Ranch, views from the Joice and Bernal Hill trails, the Norred Trail, cattle on Coyote Peak and the Rocky Ridge Trail, conditions on the Stile Ranch Trail, construction on the ranch next to the Fortini Road entrance, repair of the roads in the Pueblo Area, vine growth at Santa Teresa Spring, graffiti on signs on the Mine Trail, construction at Rancho San Vicente, poster for Ron's photo class, the condition of the Coyote Peak sign (looks clean), storm and sunset views.
  • From 10/5 to 11/5, the Hwy 85 underpass behind the Santa Teresa Light Rail station was closed, which chased out people living in RV's there. They likely moved to other places in the area. There's also been a homeless encampment near Hwy 85 by the dog park in the Raleigh Linear Green Park.
  • There is a housing development proposed for the end of the Santa Teresa Hills above Almaden Lake at 6100 Winfield Road. This is General Plan Amendment (GP16-003). The property was owned by Valley Christian and set aside for mitigation when they built their campus on the hill. The project will be reviewed by the planning commission on 11/16, and there will be a city council hearing on 12/13. The Santa Teresa Foothills Neighborhood Association has been working with the developers, who agreed to set aside land for open space and a future trail connection to Santa Teresa Park. The property is adjacent to the hillside land that the Open Space Authority recently purchased. The planning commission hearing will just address the housing development and not trail or open space set-asides.
  • There is a seismic sensor on the Fortini Trail.  The wire to it has been exposed.
  • The San Jose Water Company is putting in a water tank in Rancho San Vicente. A staging area is being built, with the entrace at Fortini Road and McKean. The Water District is re-doing the ponds. The trail crew has been building new trails, but they need CEQA approval for the trail to Cherry Cove, as they changed the original route.
  • Our account balance is $488.14.
  • Reimbursements for CAP 29: $178.93 to Ron Horii and $76.43 and $75.00 to Mike Boulland for meeting, newsletter, and publication expenses.
  • Mike paid $100 for event insurance for his ghost tours.
  • We're planning the Santa Teresa Spring to Manila Way Trail project. Woody took a look at it. Andrew Yanogacio from Boy Scout Troop 227 will take on the project. Eric McKinley will lead the project. It needs a date.
  • Kim is working on biographies for our board. Mike and Ron need to update their biographies.
  • We'll have a cleanup project for Santa Teresa Spring in the spring.
  • Our next meeting will be a dinner at Mike's house on Dec. 1 at 6:00.. 
  • Greg still wants to work on rocking the Stile Ranch Trail. The problem is how to bring in rocks. There is no gate on the IBM side.
  • There was party for those who worked on preserving the tower on Mt. Umunhum. 170 people came.
  • There will be a walk-through for Fantasy of Lights on December 3 and 4. Volunteers are needed.
  • Ron went to the meeting about the High-Speed Rail. The project has been funded from Merced to San Jose. It will eventually connect to Sacramento, LA, and San Francisco. The route from the Central Valley to Gilroy will go through Pacheco Pass via tunnels. It will then follow existing train tracks until the Coyote Valley. Then it will either follow Monterey Road or Hwy 101. It will then follow Monterey Road, either on an elevated railway or at grade level next to existing Union Pacific train tracks. If it follows the at-grade route, Branham Lane and Skyway Drive will go under the tracks. Monterey Road will be lowered on approach. It will then go to Diridon Station downtown.
  • 11/12 is Ron's photography class at the Bernal Ranch from 10 am to 1 pm.
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   Created 10/6/16  by Ronald Horii, secretary of the Friends of Santa Teresa Park