COMMENTS ON 2011 MND/IS - City of Santa Cruz

COMMENTS ON 2011 MND/IS

17


18


19

From: Vince Cheap [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 11:57 AM To: Mauro Garcia Cc: City Council; [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: CNPS Comments on Popgonip Master Plan Amendment & New East Multi-Use Trail (EMUT) 28 NOV 2011.

November 28, 2011

Mauro Garcia City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Department 323 Church Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060 [email protected]

Project: Popgonip Master Plan Amendment & New East Multi-Use Trail (EMUT)

To Whom It may Concern:

I am commenting on behalf of the over 300 members of the Santa Cruz County chapter of the California Native Plant Society (CNPS).

The Project has identified some CEQA/EIR significant impacts to biological resources within the Pogonip green belt that are of concern to CNPS including but not limited to destruction of 170 linear feet (with total impact to 1000 square feet) of coastal prairie that supports native perennial grasses like California oat grass and purple needle grass. This plant community/ecosystem is given special protection by the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) as a Sensitive Habitat Area. Other areas of concern are that the actual trail alignment is unclear and the nearness of this new Golf Club Drive trail to the main meadow where in 2005 the federally endangered Ohlone Tiger Beetle (“Cicindela ohlone”) was documented. CNPS's concern is that the Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) proposed for this project is really an inadequate level of environmental review to fully take into account the potential significant impacts from such project impacts. Especially troubling are the unknowns like the lack of good data on successful coastal prairie restoration, a trail alignment that remains unclear, and potential impact to Ohlone Tiger Beetle in the main meadow from opening up the nearby proposed Lower Meadow Trail entrance at Golf Club Drive to bicyclists. Because of these unknowns an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is warranted and CNPS requests that the EIR be done for this project.


20

Thanks for your time and consideration.

Vince Cheap, CNPS Conservation Committee

Santa Cruz Chapter

CC: Santa Cruz City Council Lena Chang, USFWS Ventura Office George Isaac, Environmental Specialist, CDFG


21

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Mark Davidson Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 9:08 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Feedback for the Pogonip trail plan Hi Mauro, I have been reviewing the documents off and on over the past month. I don't see any red flags and I would like to applaud your team for producing such a comprehensive set of documents. The Parks and Recreation Department has the full support of the mountain biking community to implement and manage this trail. Thank you for all your great work! --Mark -- President, Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz [email protected] http://mbosc.org


22

From: Debbie Bulger [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2011 11:33 AM To: Mauro Garcia Cc: City Council Subject: comment on Negative Declaration Pogonip RE: Proposed Multi-use trail on Pogonip Soil erosion Many mountain bikers enjoy looping off the trail as shown in this photo taken at Nisene Marks State Park.

The informal trail on the right of this photo provides bicyclists with fun but causes trail erosion and damage and increased stream sedimentation. What measures will the proposed Pogonip trail take to prevent such destructive behavior? There is no acknowledgement or analysis of this problem in the MND. User conflicts on narrow trails In practice narrow, Multi-Use trails do not work for those on foot because of conflicts between multiple user groups. The proposed path would be 3-4 feet in width mostly through the woods. The MND itself notes that "natural forest vegetation and mature trees in some sections may limit visibility in some areas." Bicyclists are supposed to yield to both pedestrians and horseback riders. In reality, however, pedestrians risk being injured if they do not yield, so usually pedestrians yield to faster moving bicyclists.


23

How bicyclists are supposed to safely pass pedestrians on a 3-4 foot wide, wooded, unpaved trail is not clear. Unless the encounter happens at a wider "passing area," it would be comparable to bicyclists attempting to ride past a pedestrian on the trestle bridge. This dangerous situation of pedestrians having to dodge faster moving bikes, some coming from behind, has led to many hikers being displaced from narrow trails at Wilder Ranch State Park. Actual contact or injuries between user groups does not have to occur for conflict to occur. Conflict can be the result of differing speeds of travel and fear of being hurt even if a collision does not occur. For these reasons the Pogonip Master Plan indicates that multi-use trails "should be a minimum of eight feet 'where possible.'" The "where possible" phrase enables user conflicts and compromises safety. Scarce Resources It is not wise for the City of Santa Cruz to expend scarce monetary and staff resources on new infrastructure when it has difficulty maintaining existing recreation resources such as the Harvey West Swimming Pool, the Teen Center, and the Civic Auditorium. Thank you for the opportunity to submit comments, Debbie Bulger


24

From: Gillian Greensite [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 4:52 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Additional comment for Revised Initial Study: Pogonip Multi-use trail Dear Mauro, Please accept the following as an addendum to my initial comments submitted earlier today. The Revised Initial Study states that the project will have no significant impact on wild-life in Pogonip and cites several studies supporting the conclusion that bike riders cause no more impacts on wild-life than walkers. This is contradicted by the Draft Report on Wild-life Monitoring During the Trial Period at Blue Sky Ecological Reserve, February to July 1995 by Robert Patton, Supervising Park Ranger, Blue Sky Ecological Reserve, September 6, 1995. This document, prepared for Dept. Of Fish and Game , County of San Diego Parks and Rec. and others, compared the impact on wildlife of humans without bicycles and humans with the addition of bicycles and concluded that: "Species diversity decreased 22%, abundance 9% and number of sightings by 12% during periods of high bicycle usage." "Elimination of extreme high and low sample values from the dataset yielded even more pronounced results, with species diversity, abundance and the number of sightings decreasing significantly when bicycles were present." "This indicates that the presence of bicycles had a negative impact on the presence, abundance and diversity of vertebrate wild-life viewable from the GVTT ( Green Valley Truck Trail)." It is important to note that the date of the study, 1995, is in the early days of mountain-bike usage and one would expect the impact on wildlife to be far greater under today's conditions of mountain-bike popularity. Thank you for adding this to the comments on the Revised Initial Study. Gillian


25

From: Daniel O Hirsch [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 4:24 PM To: Mauro Garcia Cc: City Council Subject: Pogonip Mountain Bike Neg Dec I strongly oppose the effort by mountain bikers to take over the Pogonip open space. I urge the rejection of the proposal and the negative declaration associated with it. There are almost no places left in Santa Cruz where nature and the quiet associated with it are still preserved. The mountain bikers have taken over almost all open space. They took over Gray Whale Ranch, trying to force a fait accomplit by just riding throughout the place before use was designated. Now a hiker has no quiet place to go there. They have torn to shreds Cowell Redwood Park from Empire Grade down to Highway 9, producing tremendous erosion and adding siltation problems to the sensitive streams and river system. The area back of campus is filled with "thrill hills" and all the erosion that comes with them. Preservation of open space is in order to preserve natural settings from mechanical destruction and to preserve the immensely valuable silence associated with nature. It provides people with that rarity of riches--undamaged nature and the ability to hear oneself think, and where birds and other creatures can exist in peace. Mountain bikers destroy all that. The mountain bikers are very aggressive, both in how they tear up natural habitats and how they lobby for the ever-expanding right to tear up more places. Their current argument is for "multi-use" trails. I have never seen an actual multi-use trail. Whenever mountain bikes are permitted, the trails become mountain bike trails which anyone else uses at her/his own risk. Signs always say that the bikers are to yield to hikers. In several decades of hiking in this area, I have never seen a mountain biker actually do so. Instead, they swoop down, generally in large groups, shouting over the sounds of their machines, and you had better get out of the way or you will get run over. They say this will just be one trail. But that never happens. When they take over one trail, many mountain bikers then start to go on the other trails, always pushing, pushing, pushing to go where they are not permitted. The City has no resources now to enforce the rules. Yesterday I was hiking the Pogonip; there was a group of bicyclists where they were not permitted; bicycle tracks on other trails where bikes are not permitted; and dogs running wild (and barking wildly) on trails dogs were barred from. You have already lost control of the Pogonip; this will only make matters vastly worse. CEQA reviews are to address reasonably foreseeable impacts, even if those are not directly proposed. The famous environmental case on point is one in which a road was proposed to be built into pristine wilderness, and the agency was required to consider the impacts if that road made it more likely that clearcutting would follow, even if that was not presently proposed.


26

Here pushing a major mountain bike path through the Pogonip will end up over time having much if not all of the Pogonip torn up by mountain bikes. The Pognoip is a jewel; people worked very hard to preserve it; the City should defend it. Sincerely, Dan Hirsch


27

From: Ed Jameyson [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 2:09 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Revised Mitigated Negative Declaration Comments:

I am writing to you to state my guarded opposition to the creation of the Eastern Multi-Use Trail that is contemplated for the eastern side of the Pogonip lands on the outskirts of Santa Cruz. I am a 30+ year resident of the city of Santa Cruz. & before that I lived in the county of Santa Cruz, alongside the northern border of the Wilder Ranch/Gray Whale Ranch state park complex. I am intimately familiar with this area, once only given over to the occasional hiker, or horse rider, or occasional bike rider, but now very much taken over by bikes. I am a mountain biker & also a hiker. I have biked extensively, & for many years, throughout the Wilder Ranch/Grey Whale Ranch park & through the UCSC lands that abut both the city & the aforementioned park lands. I discovered Pogonip years ago after a mountain bike injury left me unable to ride a bike for several months. So I first hobbled, then walked , then hiked through the lands where I had previously biked. After several frightening encounters with mountain bikes in Grey Whale & Wilder it became apparent to me that those areas were not for hiking any more, an experience many of the folks opposed to bikes in Pogonip have had. Without a mountain bike one is definitely at risk of bodily injury, especially on the weekends. That is when I discovered Pogonip & it's bike-free-ness. So, I took up hiking in the Pogonip to heal from my injury & to regain my strength & just for an enjoyable hike. It was a joy, an absolute joy to walk this area, & to not be in fear of a mountain bike barreling around a corner at any moment, barely in control, leaving me to jump out of the way in a splint second ---a very frightening experience. I still hike the Pogonip and am very grateful that bikes were, & are, not allowed. I am further chagrined when I realize that my experiences as a hiker in Mountain Bike Land are regarded by the mountain bike lobby as merely 'an anecdotal report of a trail conflict with out supporting documents or scientific studies' and, therefore, dismissed. Or, how about this quote from a member of the mountain bike lobby that I recently read ... 'many peer reviewed studies refute these wild claims'. I assure you, my negative experiences hiking up in Mountain Bike Land were very very real & I encourage you to hike up there some time, to see for yourself. I came to enjoy tremendously the walks through the Pogonip and, despite the occasional mountain biker -- most of whom vocalize an aggressively belligerent sense of entitlement when told bikes are not allowed in the Pogonip, & I still hike there. And, while I have returned to mountain biking in the UCSC/Grey Whale/Wilder mountain bike areas ---- I have come to call this area' Mountain Bike Land' --- I still walk the Pogonip on a regular basis for , what some bikers may derisively call, a 'quiet, reflective nature


28

experience' . & it is wonderful, simply wonderful, to be able to have that experience so close to Santa Cruz & away from the 'high-end mechanized multi-thousands of $$' bicycle reality that has overtaken Mountain Bike Land in the past decade or so. I have read the documents posted on the City's website & while I am not knowledgeable enough to comment on the technical & construction aspects of the study, I do have some comments regarding the narrative portion: First, I am struck by the difference of opinion regarding development of a trail along the railroad corridor just over the eastern border of the Pogonip. The website www.pogonipwatch.com states that developing the rail line, between the city & the area of the U-Con trail, for a combination bike & walking path is 'quite feasible' while the 'Revised Mitigated Declaration Document (RMDD) on the city's web site says that such an alternative is not possible & cites a number of reasons why this is so - - engineering & geological problems, legal & other considerations as well. I have traveled over the rail line to access the Pogonip, as do a lot of people both on foot & by bike and it sure seems like this would be the most logical path to develop, if at all possible, & I urge that the City explore this possibility further before carving up the Pogonip for the EMUT. Such a trail here could & would encourage access for people-both on bike & on foot - to Cowell Park as well as providing the bike access to the U-Conn trail, & to Mountain Bike Land, that the mountain bike lobby is pushing for. I encourage the City to explore this possibility -- that of putting a rail-trail alongside the rail corridor that runs alongside the Pogonip & Highway 9 . However, if a trail along the rail line is really & truly not possible, then I would support the EMUT trail that the RMDD speaks of with a couple of caveats, the first of which is that this is really a bike trail & that calling it a' Multi-Use' trail is disingenuous. I cannot envision horses using it --- where are the horse trailers going to park ... at the Boardwalk? At Costco? At the City's corp.. yard? (I've noticed out of town bikers parking at Costco, then biking up the rail trail to Mountain Bike Land). As for hikers..., no hiker in they're right mind would want to be near bikers, especially in the forest. I know people & bikes co-exist such as on West Cliff Drive, but that co-existence is very fragile & only exists because of the openness of the area. So, as far as the term 'Multi-Use' is concerned, I suggest that it be dropped. Second, some sort of enlarged turn-around area needs to be constructed at the Golf Club Drive entrance. Right now many out-of-town shuttle services, in rather large vans with bikes either in tow or on top, are engaged in bringing mountain bikers, & bikes, over to ride the hills of Mountain Bike Land & will need a place to accommodate they're customers. (There is currently a heated conflict with these shuttle services using private roads to drop off/pick up riders on private land in the Forest Knolls area of Felton. I would anticipate these outfits using the Pogonip access in the future.) Third : I really question the viability of relying on 'a volunteer patrol coordinated with CAState Parks & UCSC' to enforce any regulation or edict or trail use guidelines', as stated in the RMDD. Both UCSC & the Ca State Park seem unable to get a handle on the illegal trail construction & use that is rampant in they're respective lands


29

right now. . UCSC is riddled with these illegal trails, as is Cowell State Park where they're lands abut one another & on steep trails that end up on Highway 9. I do not know what a solution would be, but right now illegal trails are both abundant & well used. And, can P&R staff ' provide a visible presence & enforce trail use regulations", as stated on pg 33? Can the City rangers police the area that well, given all the cuts the Parks & Recreation budget has taken this past decade? The last time I saw a park ranger in Pogonip was about 5 years ago & I think that such trail monitoring would be essential. Finally, while I can appreciate the EMUT goals stated in the RMDD -that ' increasing legitimate use of park facilities can discourage illegal activities', 'the primary objective is increased recreational trail experience on the eastern border' ---- I think these can well be accomplished with the rail-trail alternative, if it is truly an alternative, If not, then I would support the EMUT. And I do loudly urge that bikes continue to be restricted from the other parts of the Pogonip --- the fire roads & smaller trails & such. I know there is, & has been, strong pressure to allow 'multi-use' in the park but, to me, multi-use in this instance is just code for 'bikes everywhere' & they have already taken over Wilder Ranch State Park, Grey Whale State Park, & are soon to be a major stake-holder in the Coast Dairy/BLM lands that should be opening to the public soon. The local mountain bike lobby is very active & very successful in they're advocacy and they do serve a large constituency however, they have very a narrow agenda --- that of getting they're bikes on every trail out there. I just think, considering the vast amount of land in Wilder & Grey Whale & elsewhere in the county, that bikers can & do use, there should be some park land near by that is for hiking & non-mechanized pedestrian use. That is found in the Pogonip. Please don't endanger that. Thank you for taking the time to read this, Ed Jameyson cc: Members of the City Council


30

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Andrea Lee Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 1:11 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Support of Pogonip EMUT trail Thank you and your group for the well thought out, well written mitigated negative declaration for the EMUT. I fully support this trail creation, as written, and have only a few points that I would like to touch on in this communication: - "Install a protective exclusion zone around any woodrat nest found within the project area before initiating tree/vegetation removal and ground disturbing activities." I've only just recently seen a woodrat nest, when I was asked to go off-trail for a UCSC parks&rec class. The impact of trails and human use (authorized or not) on this species should be something that is well communicated to any workgroup before trailwork days on the EMUT. - "Seep areas should be improved by constructing French drains along uphill side of the trail or blanket drains under the trail bed to help keep the trail from becoming saturated and degraded during wet winter months." There was mention of closing the trail in the winter, but no specifics given on how this would be communicated. There will always be a portion of trail users that will ignore trail closures. The trail should be built with the goal being in use year round and limit the amount of 1/2 bench cut to the smallest amount necessary. - "In addition, implementation of the management guidelines, especially those to remove existing informal and unauthorized trails to focus user traffic on maintained trails, would further minimize potential impacts to wildlife." This is the most important fact in the whole MND. We're not dealing with pristine wilderness. Having a well designed, well kept MUT will pull authorized use onto this MUT and off the tracks/unauthorized trails. Hopefully unauthorized use will be deterred with additional presence of police and public, further helping re-habitation of native plants/wildlife in the area. Creating a trail for more user groups can only help Pogonip with communicating trailwork and plant removal days in front of a much larger audience. The Horsemen's Association and MBOSC both have a large group of users who routinely do trail maintenance. Working together with FoP in the dirt and respecting the strengths of individual contributors can only help strengthen the bond of people to the land we inhabit. Thank you, Andrea Lee Felton, CA * I have been a resident of Santa Cruz County for 14 years; 12 of that along El Ranch Dr right outside of city boundaries and now in South Felton. I am a hiker, mountain biker, bicycle commuter (Felton <-> UCSC) and generally try to be a responsible steward of the forest habitat where I spend most of my time. I have educated myself with formal and informal wildlife/plant identification and trail techniques via books, professional organization websites, classes through UCSC/local NPOs, trail work with IMBA/V-O-Cal/Trailworkers.


31


32

From: Drew Perkins [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 5:00 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip Multi-Use Trail Comments Dear Mr. Garcia, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Pogonip Multi-Use Trail. I feel that the environmental review for this proposed trail was extremely thorough and support construction of the trail. However, I do have concerns about one section of the proposed EMUT. My primary concern is the proximity of the Fern Trail and the proposed EMUT in map segment 3. The EMUT in this area must climb a hill with approximately a 30-35% gradient within a relatively narrow corridor between the Big Trees Railroad property line on the east and the existing Fern Trail on the West. Fern Trail in this vicinity generally follows the fall line and exceeds a grade of 25% in several locations. Several ruts and small gullies have formed on the former alignment that follows an old ranch road. A short reroute around the old road to east also follows the fall line and is beginning to erode. In order for the EMUT to climb this hill at a more sustainable trail grade under the identified maximum of 10%, several stacked switchbacks will be needed n this narrow corridor. These switchbacks will have relatively short legs (120-150') and due to the open nature of the forest in this area, cutting of switchback by users, especially hikers, will be a concern. Additionally, the proximity of the EMUT to Fern Trail in this area will be a potential avenue for bicycle use on the pedestrian-only Fern Trail. A solution to all of these issues can be achieved by rerouting the steep, eroding, unsustainable portion of Fern Trail into the forest a few hundred feet farther to the west (see attached map). This segment of trail can be constructed without switchbacks at a grade of approximately 12% and would be less than 1500' long. The forest type and habitat in this area is very similar to the forest on the east side of Fern Trail where the EMUT is proposed and the potential environmental impacts would be similar to those identified in the existing environmental assessment. Rerouting this segment of Fern trail has several benefits. 1) It would the make the Fern trail a much nicer experience by providing a more sustainable alignment at a lower grade through the forest, continuing the character of the lower section of the trail that comes before it. 2) It would provide a greater separation between Fern Trail and the EMUT. 3) It would allow the new EMUT to be designed with less switchbacks, which would help reduce build time, earth movement, and dirt retaining features at switchbacks. It would also provide a bigger visual and physical gap between legs of the EMUT to reduce the potential of user cutting of switchbacks 4) It would eliminate the resource impacts of a very erosive section of trail in the park.


33

5) During scouting of this potential alignment, I encountered some trash and camping evidence in this area. The realignment of Fern Trail would support the mission of displacing illegal uses in Pogonip. This segment of trail could be constructed relatively easily with hand tools and would require minimal removal of vegetation. I encourage the city to investigate the potential of rerouting this section of Fern Trail as part of this project and feel like it is vital to make the EMUT truly success.


34

Potential Fern Trail Realignment

1:2,5000 250 500125 Feet 5' contour interval

Realignment mapped at 12% average grade


35

Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Department 11/27/11 Santa Cruz City Council

Re: Proposed multi-use trail in Pogonip Park at Golf Club Drive entrance

To Whom It May Concern: The proposed multi-use trail into Pogonip, a dusk to dawn city park, is fraught with problems. I would like the city council to address these questions and issues. The trail was proposed as a way to have eyes on illegal behaviors. 1. This proposal was created because 3 years ago. A gang, from

Central America, was dealing heroin along the railroad tracks and made illegal trails from rail tracks into the eastern side of Pogonip. The idea was hatched. Mountain bikers and horse riders would see illegal activity and alert police or rangers to their location. The police or rangers would then use their ATVs and bust the perps. These dealers and drug addicts were using the lower meadow and along the Fern Trail in Pogonip, areas not open to the public. Since then the Santa Cruz Police Dept. along with a gang tack force officials repeatedly busted the dealers and users. This action was highly effective. Do current police statistics support the need for this trail now?

2. The entrance to Pogonip has parking for approximately 8

cars. There is no staging area for horse or bikes. Has there been a study on how many users are estimated to use this entrance? The trailhead at Rincon has room for as many as 30 cars. It is often full. Where are these users going to park? Golf Club Drive is a narrow one-lane road. Has the Santa Cruz Fire Dept. been contacted as to the issue of parking along Golf Club Drive?


36

3. Please city council, have a discussion on how this is to be

funded and maintained. I am very concerned that expanding any park at this time irresponsible. We are financially strained. The Harvey West Pool has been shut for several years. We are a beach town. Our children would benefit greatly if the pool were open for swim lessons. The San Lorenzo River levee is a testament to lack of funding. I have been told the city cannot afford to renovate the bathroom in the San Lorenzo Park, or afford a few more garbage cans along the levee from Water St. bridge to pedestrian bridge at Gateways Shopping complex, and stretched for general maintenance along river because of layoffs and lack of money. Harvey West trails along picnic areas are always trashy. Why are we spending more that we have? And then spend more to maintain and patrol? Could the council please talk about this ongoing financial commitment at their meeting?

4. This is a dusk to dawn public park, has there been

discussion about who else will be using bikes into the park. I have taken a plethora of photos for council to view. Drug dealers use bikes, drug addicts use bikes, bike thieves use bikes, illegal campers use bikes. Currently there is little to no activity by these users in Pogonip. How has the Parks and Recreation Department determined this proposed trail will not benefit illegal activity? Could this trail bring the very problems back to the park the trail was proposed to solve?

Sincerely, Cathy Puccinelli


37

November 28, 2011 Comments on Revised Mitigated Negative Declaration/Initial Study Pogonip Master Plan Amendments and New East Multi-Use Trail To: Mauro Garcia City of Santa Cruz, Parks and Recreation Dept. From: Celia Scott The Project Description Is Incomplete The IS/MND identifies four potentially significant impacts to biological resources, and one potentially significant impact to geology and soils, and proposes six mitigation measures intended to reduce the potential impacts to a level of insignificance. The mitigation measures clearly require preparation of a “final trail plan”, “final trail layout”, “final trail alignment” prior to trail construction. In each case the services of an expert (to be identified) is required prior to preparation of the final trail plan (a “qualified biologist”, a “qualified wildlife biologist”, an expert to conduct a field survey of coastal prairie habitat, a “certified erosion control specialist”, a “qualified contractor” for bridge design, a “project geologist” for cross slopes exceeding 50%) as well as detailed compliance with extensive measures to protect riparian habitat and slope stability. Despite the passage of a year since the first MND/IS on the project was released, and despite comments calling for a final trail plan to be included in the MND, there is still no final trail plan included in the MND, contrary to the requirements of CEQA that a project modification permitting the use of a mitigated negative declaration must be made before (emphasis added) the agency has issued a proposed negative declaration for public review (Public Resources Code Section 221064.5). In other words, the public must have an opportunity to review a negative declaration that describes the complete project, so that comments can be made on the project in its complete form, including recommended mitigation measures. The MND states in various places that the final trail plan “will be submitted to the City Council for approval”. However it is also unclear when that will take place, i.e., before or after the Council reviews the MND. It should be made clear that the final trail plan must be before the City Council prior to project approval, and that the public must have an opportunity to review the final trail plan before the Council takes action. The fact is that there still is not and never has been a genuine trail plan, only a generalized line on a map between an alleged 100 foot corridor through the Pogonip, and a verbal description of seven trail segments, with some accompanying photographs. The Revised MND dismisses the previous requests for more detailed maps by comparison with the U-Con trail construction (p. 6), ignoring the fact that the U-Con trail was included in the 1998 Pogonip Master Plan, for which an EIR was prepared. The Trail Design Guidelines (p. 7-9) are apparently part of the project, though that is not clearly stated. However, without a more detailed “final” plan it is not possible to know the actual impacts, e.g., how many turnouts (where the trail will be twice as wide), how in fact the 75' sightline can be accomplished, how many retaining walls will be needed on cut/fill slopes, whether proposed gradients will be exceeded (which are stated as 10% maximum on p. 8, and 12% maximum on p. 41, “wherever


38

possible”). The proposed Trail Signage Guidelines (p. 9) presume that such “etiquette” signs are successful without any evidence, in affecting user behavior. There is no information provided as to the number and location of such signs. Moreover, the ability of the City to actually carry out a “coordinated trail sign program” is questionable, given that none of the interpretive signs recommended in the natural resource management provisions of the 1998 Pogonip Master Plan have been installed to date. The status of the Trail Design Guidelines, Trail Signage Guidelines, Trail Construction Guidelines, Trail Management and Maintenance Guidelines (for Education, management, Enforcement, and Maintenance) needs clarification. The MND apparently considers them “project elements”, and not mitigation measures, and therefore not included in the Mitigation Monitoring Program. And yet clearly failure to implement these “Guidelines” will potentially allow adverse environmental impacts on the Pogonip to occur as a result of the proposed EMUT. How will they be monitored? The 2011 MND eliminates one “guideline” of the 2010 MND, namely creation of a “volunteer trails committee will be established to include representatives of trail user groups (including hikers, equestrians, and bicyclists) in problem identification, prevention and solutions. This committee should be coordinated by staff of the City's Park and Recreation Department.” (2010 MND, p. 8). Such a committee could provide public oversight and monitoring of Pogonip trail usage. Why was it eliminated in the 2011 MND? Project Need The Revised MND acknowledges that the “primary objective of the proposed EMUT is to increase recreational opportunities for hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers, and inspire current users of the Pogonip trail system to explore an area of Pogonip that has had limited use for decades.” The 2010 MND stressed that public safety issues in the eastern part of Pogonip were the City's main motivation for the proposed new trail. The MND fails, however, to acknowledge that the problems of illegal drug use and sale, and littering in the area, have substantially decreased over the last year due to increased police enforcement and community efforts to clean up degraded areas. According to public records and information from City Park Rangers, there have been no arrests in the area over the last 8 months, and City policing efforts with regard to illegal drug use/sales has shifted to the San Lorenzo River levee. The questionable concept of using the EMUT to reduce illegal activity has been eliminated. It is also clear from the 2011 MND that the principle purpose of the EMUT is to open the eastern part of Pogonip to recreational mountain bike use. The MND admits that “equestrian use of the trail is not expected to be significant as the trail does not link to other trails in the area” (p. 55) and “no horse staging area/trailer parking is proposed at the Golf Club Drive entrance.” (p. 4). The MND claims that the EMUT would increase access for Pogonip hikers, however, no additional parking is to be provided on Golf Club Drive at the entrance to Pogonip, where very limited parking is now available. Since hikers can already access Pogonip at the Golf Club Drive entrance, and since the Fern Trail, which parallels much of the proposed EMUT, is already open to hikers, including a crossing of the Redwood Creek drainage, and since the Lower Meadow Trail is already open to hikers, there is no credible basis for claiming that hiker usage will be increased as a result of the EMUT. The MND also concludes (p. 57), without supporting evidence, that the EMUT “as an alternative


39

transportation route (to UCSC) could aid in reduction in motor vehicle use”, and thus greenhouse gas emissions. Not only is there no quantified estimate in the MND of the potential use of the EMUT in general, or to access the UCSC campus, but the MND completely ignores the existing bicycle transportation routes and facilities to UCSC, including the heavily used paved bike trail from High St. to the campus, the bike shuttle from Mission St., the bike racks on SCMTD buses, and a bike route from the top of Spring St. to Coolidge Drive on the campus. An unpaved trail, indirect, and subject to seasonal closure during the rainy season, for bicyclists to the campus is hardly worth viewing as a serious “alternative transportation route”, and certainly not a basis for project “need”, which is admittedly by the city for recreational, not transportation, purposes. The EMUT is a project that originated with City staff, primarily for public safety reasons initially, and has now persisted in the absence of the public safety rationale, as a recreational priority of the City staff, despite the many other needs in the City that now go unfunded, both bike projects and recreational facilities (most notably the swimming pool in Harvey West). It is not a project “need” that originated with widespread public demand for more access or more bikes on Pogonip, nor a project that received widespread public discussion before it was put forward by the City Parks Dept. in July 2010 (note: the three public meetings in 2010 were in July (two public hearings) and early September (one general public meeting), not June, July and August as stated incorrectly in the MND (p. 5)). Environmental Setting Is Incomplete The MND does not give a complete, current statement of the environmental setting in Pogonip (p. 14-15) in the following respects. It fails to provide any current, quantified data on numbers of various users on existing trails on the Pogonip (bikes, hikers, equestrians, dogs), and fails to acknowledge the community cleanups and police actions that have been successful in substantially reducing illegal drug use/sales and littering on the eastern edge of Pogonip. It fails to acknowledge or quantify the existing illegal bike usage on Pogonip on trails where bikes are prohibited. Most recently I have personally seen bikes (as many as four together) on the Spring Trail, the Pogonip Creek Trail, the Harvey West trail, and coming out of a closed area below the Spring Trail. Illegal bike use is facilitated by the absence of NO BIKES signs in various locations, such as the unauthorized trail originating on Coolidge Drive on the UCSC campus at the parking area, on the unauthorized entrance to the Harvey West Trail from Dubois St., and the removal of the NO BIKES sign near the kiosk at the Spring St. entrance. Many of the existing signs are also faded so that the universal no bikes (circle/slash) is not legible. Has any illegal bike user ever been cited by a Park Ranger? The MND also fails to note that the existing gate at the Pogonip entrance on Golf Club Drive will need to be moved to ensure that bikes do not feel entitled to use the road leading to the Pogonip Club House if the EMUT goes forward. Since the proposed entrance to the EMUT is inside the existing gate, failure to move the gate would encourage bicycle use on the road where it is now prohibited. It is unlikely that a NO BIKES sign would be effective in limiting bicycle use to the EMUT only. The MND does not include any existing current information on trail erosion, trail widening, and other existing impacts from Pogonip use, including the extent and coverage of Park Ranger enforcement, which has declined significantly over the years for a variety of reasons. The MND also does not include any information in the on the actual implementation of the 1998 Pogonip Master Plan, many provisions of which have not been carried out to date, for various reasons,


40

including the restoration of the historic Pogonip Clubhouse. Particularly important is the failure to create a coastal prairie management plan, as the PMP proposed. Providing that information would give the context in which the “need” for the EMUT could be rationally evaluated, and compared with other needs for Pogonip which have been pending since 1998. Mandatory Findings of Significance (p. 65-68) a) Environmental Degradation and Biological and Cultural Resources Impacts There is inadequate evidence provided in the MND to support the claim that there is no basis for a mandatory finding of significance in this category. There has been no survey to determine if bobcats and coyotes den in the proposed project trail area, although known to den in two (not identified in the MND) canyons in Pogonip. The MND claims that “existing high levels of unauthorized trail use” in the area “reduce the likelihood” of den activity by the two species, which is simultaneously an admission of lack of consistent enforcement in the area. However, “reducing” the “likelihood” is not evidence gained from an actual survey; it is purely speculative. There have been “no focused species surveys” in certain trail segments (p. 35, MND), field visits have been conducted “outside the blooming season for many plant species” (p. 37, MND), and surveys of bird nesting of special species were done outside the bird nesting season. (p. 44, MND). Similarly, with respect to impacts on wildlife from dogs, there has been no survey done of the current level of dog presence on Pogonip trails, which certainly has increased substantially from 1998 when the Pogonip Master Plan was adopted. And from direct observation, it is obvious that many dogs are not leashed by their owners, and there is little enforcement of the leash rule. The “strict enforcement” of the leash rule proposed as a “Recommended Trail Design Guideline” will require a significant increase in City supervision of Pogonip users. So the conclusion that it is “not expected” that trail use on the EMUT will “significantly affect wildlife use as human activity....has been occurring in the area” is not credible in the absence of any systematic wildlife surveys and the existing lack of enforcement of leash laws. In the absence of more extensive wildlife surveys, there is a fair argument that wildlife species of all kinds will be adversely affected by increased regular and more intrusive human use in the EMUT trail area, and what is now a relative sanctuary on Pogonip for certain species may no longer exist. That will be a significant loss both for the species and for the humans who value their presence on Pogonip. b) Cumulative Impacts The MND claims that there are no known cumulative projects to which the EMUT would contribute. In the first place, the MND ignores the fact that the Draft 2030 City General Plan EIR, now in process, forecasts that as a result of proposed increased residential density in the Golf Club Drive area in the proposed 2030 General Plan, immediately adjacent to Pogonip and to the entrance to the EMUT, there is the potential for 250 new dwelling units. That level of increase of people, cars, animals and other activities resulting from developing an existing low density area needs to be considered as a potential cumulative impact on the Pogonip to which the EMUT would contribute.


41

Secondly, the cumulative impacts of the EMUT combined with existing illegal bike usage on the Pogonip does need to be analyzed. The proximity of the EMUT to the existing Fern Trail, which is limited to pedestrian usage will provide an easy route for bike users who would like to explore other Pogonip trails to cross into the remainder of Pogonip. The measures cited in the MND to prevent such behavior have not been shown to work on Pogonip to date, as discussed above. The cumulative impact analysis on the MND needs to be revised in light of the factors just mentioned. In conclusion, there is insufficient evidence in the MND to support a claim that there are no mandatory findings of significance that would require preparation of an EIR for the EMUT project. Pogonip Master Plan Amendments The PMP Amendments have been expanded in the Revised 2011 MND to clarify various concerns previously raised by commenters on the 2010 MND. The claim that the proposed EMUT trail width, at 3-4 feet for a multi-use trail, is consistent with the Pogonip Master Plan is questionable. The PMP states (p. 3-8) that multi-use trails should be constructed with a “minimum of eight feet where possible. In some areas, where multi-use trail connections are needed between existing service and fire roads, single-track trails, approximately three to four feet in width, may be utilized as connector routes to minimize impacts to sensitive environmental resources and site conditions.” The proposed EMUT is not a “needed” connection existing service and fire roads”. It is the creation of a new single-track trail with the admitted primary objective of increasing recreational use for mountain bikers, primarily, on the Pogonip. In the absence of a Final Trail Plan it is impossible to know if in some areas, the EMUT may exceed even eight feet (e.g., where turnouts are needed, or to achieve the 75' sight distance). Exceeding eight feet may be safer, but means more environmental impacts, while three to four feet in the terrain crossed by the EMUT may not be wide enough for safety reasons with multiple users. Either way, the proposed EMUT does not appear consistent with the quoted provision of the PMP, and another PMP Amendment is needed. This demonstrates the slippery slope that this project creates for the integrity of the Pogonip Master Plan and for the character of Pogonip as a designated natural area in our General Plan and a unique area within the City of Santa Cruz Greenbelt. Alternative Trail Route Alignments The MND states that CEQA Guidelines do not require an analysis of alternatives as part of a Negative Declaration, which is correct. The MND then proceeds to do a superficial analysis of the proposal to develop a legal bike/pedestrian trail along the Big Trees rail line which passes, in part, through Pogonip, in an effort to discredit the whole idea. The fact that the route is already used by both cyclists and pedestrians on a regular basis is ignored as well. The MND misunderstands that the proposed alternative was only for the portion of the rail line from the City of Santa Cruz to the existing trail up to the Rincon Road, which avoids use of the rail trestle, and provides a direct connection to the UCON trail. The MND repeats the outdated information in the 2010 MND, which has been followed by ongoing citizen conversations with members of the Board of Supervisors who support exploring the concept. Since City staff does not wish to explore this


42

alternative, it will be up to the City Council to direct attention to that possibility, which many citizens support. In summary, the revised MND/IS is incomplete and inadequate for the reasons stated above, and should not be certified, nor the project approved, until the deficiences are remedied, and either an EIR required or the IS/MND recirculated with a final trail plan that is subject to full public review. Thank you for consideration of these comments. Sincerely, Celia Scott 1520 Escalona Drive Santa Cruz, CA 95060


43

From: Peter Scott [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 5:01 PM To: Mauro Garcia Cc: City Council; Celia Scott Subject: comments on the MND for the proposed trail on the Pogonip Mauro Garcia Parks Superintendent Parks and Recreation Department City of Santa Cruz 323 Church Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Re: Comments on the 2011 Mitigated Negative Declaration Dear Mr. Garcia, The numbered sections that follow comprise a few comments on the Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the proposed "Multi-Use-Trail" on the Pogonip. Overall, I believe that the Pogonip, which is a natural area and home to wildlife for many species, is remarkable for its unusual botanical, geological and topographic features. It is also especially remarkable for its easy access so close to our urbanized built environment. It has been a place for spirit renewal and is particularly treasured by many for its beauty and quiet. I also believe that we are heading in an ill-adivsed direction if we introduce additional mountain-biking as proposed by the trail project as currently envisioned. ----------------------------------------------------------- 1. The Project's Name is at least disingenuous. The name "Multi-Use-Trail" (or "East Multi-Use-Trail") is not descriptive of the project, since contrary to the assertion under "PROJECT NEED" on page 3 of the MND, it is not likely to be used either by equestrians or hikers. It should be titled a "Mountain Bike Trail", since mountain bikers will be the primary beneficiaries of the trail, and are the ones most interested in its construction. As is admitted in the MND, there is no access for equestrians from the southern end of the proposed trail, and the likelihood that equestrians will actually start from the northern end to ride down and back on the proposed trail appears slim. Furthermore, the Fern Trail---an existing hiker-only trail---parallels the proposed route for approximately half its length, and seems likely to be preferred by hikers over the proposed trail. In addition, there is very limited parking for hikers at the southern end. Apparently, no estimates have been made of the number or types of users of any kind. Such estimates should be made prior to further consideration of the proposed project.


44

2. The proposed project is not mentioned in the long list of desired projects in the City's "Bicycle Transportation Plan". Other bike projects that are listed in the Bike Plan, especially those considered "High" or "Very High" priority, should be considered and implemented before a bike trail project on the Pogonip is considered. For example, a connection from the upper end of Spring Street to Coolidge Drive on the UCSC campus ("very high priority") should be implemented first, since such a connector would actually serve as an additional commute route to UCSC, unlike the proposed project. (Among the earlier cited goals of the proposed project is that it would serve as a commute route to UCSC, which is ridiculous, since it is much longer than existing routes, and would not be used by road bikes in any case.) Another "very high priority" project listed in the City's Bike Plan is the "Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail Network" (the proposed "Rail Trail"), which is in need of funds and strongly supported by the bicycle community. Attention should be given to the planning and engineering of the City's segment of the MBSST prior to any consideration of the proposed trail through the Pogonip. 3. The information provided in the MND regarding the alternative of a rail trail along the Big Trees railroad tracks (pages 12-14) is misleading and inaccurate. In our comments on last year's MND, we urged consideration of the alternative of a rail trail along the section of the rail line from Encinal Street northward for approximately 1.5 miles to the southern end of the trestle just prior to the crossing of Highway 9 by the rail line, as is noted in the last paragraph on page 13. This alternative would both serve a larger group of users and enable an excellent connection to the "U-CON" trail at the northern end. However, the main justification (outlined in the preceding paragraphs on page 13) for not considering such an alternative describes various problems associated with the entire rail route from Santa Cruz to Felton, as evaluated in the cited "San Lorenzo Valley Trail Feasibility Study" completed in 2006. We are not proposing a rail trail along the entire route---just the 1.5-mile southern segment. It is not appropriate to critique this alternative as if it were proposing a rail trail along the entire route. Furthermore, our evaluation of the 1.5-mile length of the rail-trail alternative shows that a rail-trail next to the tracks on the west side of the tracks may indeed be feasible. It is true that the trestle over Golf Club Drive (the primary "choke point") is narrow, but those familiar with both rail technology and Big Trees RR have told us that a solution to this problem is possible. Our conversations with those associated with Big Trees RR have indicated a willingness to at least have a meeting to discuss the various issues. Approximately fifty bicyclists per day currently ride along an ad-hoc path on the east side of the tracks, which presents a liability to Big Trees RR---a liability that would be eliminated by appropriate design of


45

our recommended alternative. There is currently no enforcement by Big Trees RR as far as we have been able to determine. There is also insufficient signage that might discourage the current use by either bicyclists or pedestrians. We believe that consideration of this alternative, which has the support of at least three of our County Supervisors, should be pursued. Over 150 "rails-with-trails" projects now exist in the U.S., and are universally popular and very safe. Pursuit of this alternative could constitute a "win-win" solution for both hikers and bicyclists, and would serve a broader set of users. 4. The suggested "Trail Signage Guidelines" (page 9), especially those in the "cause and effect" category, are likely to be ineffective. In other locations in the county where trails are used by mountain-bikers, such signs are routinely ignored and constitute sign clutter. Signs or brochures that direct trail users to "slow down and be courteous" are routinely ignored by many mountain-bikers. Furthermore, past experience with both sign maintenance and enforcement of regulations on the Pogonip leads us to question whether the proposed sign guidelines, along with enforcement, will actually be implemented, given the limited funds available. There are currently many places on the Pogonip where signs are either misleading or vandalized or completely lacking, and have not been either corrected or maintained. 5. The project, as described in the MND, is insufficiently defined, with the actual location of the trail on the maps being indicated only as lying within a 100-foot corridor. It is not possible to judge details of trail design, such as gradients, curve radii, erosion control ditches and drain dips and vegetation removal without a more precise description of the project. 6. It is not at all clear in the MND how mountain-bikers will be discouraged from veering onto "hiker only" trails, such as the Fern Trail in the northern portion and Golf Club Drive and other trails in the southern portion. My personal experience indicates that mountain-bikers are frequently encountered on "hiker only" Pogonip trails, and essentially nothing is done to discourage such violations. My feeling is that upon approval and construction of the proposed trail, the word will spread that "Pogonip is now open to mountain-biking" and we'll see nothing but increased use of mountain-bicycles on every Pogonip trail. I walk along the Spring Trail frequently, and other Pogonip trails on occasion, and there is rarely a time when I don't see an illegal mountain-biker, especially in recent months. Just how, exactly, will such behavior be prevented? Sincerely, Peter Scott, co-founder, Friends of the Pogonip.


46

From: Rich Seiter [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 3:53 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip Proposed Multi Use Trail IS/MND Hello Mauro, I support the Pogonip Proposed Multi Use trail and am writing in support of the IS/MND. I appreciate the thorough and detailed analysis of the proposed trail. One thing I was wondering about is that (almost?) all references to bike use in the document refer to mountain bikes. The trail as designed should provide access to commuter style (i.e. not ultra narrow tires, etc.) road bikes and commuters on mountain/hybrid bikes. Is there a reason for not mentioning this form of use? I think the convenient connection to the San Lorenzo River pathway is a significant motivator for commuter use of the proposed multi use trail. Thank you for your work on this. Richard Seiter 216 San Jose Ave. Santa Cruz, CA 95060 P.S. One minor note, I think there is a typo on page 14: “John Bush, Big Trees/Rolling Camp Railroad” (should be Roaring Camp I believe) Another typo on page 66: “bicyclist sand equestrians”


47

From: Mike Vandeman [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2011 1:41 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Mountain Biking & the Pogonip 1.5 mile multi-use trail Please share with all appropriate and interested parties. Please restrict bicycles and other vehicles to pavement! Bicycles should not be allowed in any natural area. They are inanimate objects and have no rights. There is also no right to mountain bike. That was settled in federal court in 1994: http://mjvande.nfshost.com/mtb10.htm . It's dishonest of mountain bikers to say that they don't have access to trails closed to bikes. They have EXACTLY the same access as everyone else -- ON FOOT! Why isn't that good enough for mountain bikers? They are all capable of walking.... A favorite myth of mountain bikers is that mountain biking is no more harmful to wildlife, people, and the environment than hiking, and that science supports that view. Of course, it's not true. To settle the matter once and for all, I read all of the research they cited, and wrote a review of the research on mountain biking impacts (see http://mjvande.nfshost.com/scb7.htm ). I found that of the seven studies they cited, (1) all were written by mountain bikers, and (2) in every case, the authors misinterpreted their own data, in order to come to the conclusion that they favored. They also studiously avoided mentioning another scientific study (Wisdom et al) which did not favor mountain biking, and came to the opposite conclusions. Those were all experimental studies. Two other studies (by White et al and by Jeff Marion) used a survey design, which is inherently incapable of answering that question (comparing hiking with mountain biking). I only mention them because mountain bikers often cite them, but scientifically, they are worthless. Mountain biking accelerates erosion, creates V-shaped ruts, kills small animals and plants on and next to the trail, drives wildlife and other trail users out of the area, and, worst of all, teaches kids that the rough treatment of nature is okay (it's NOT!). What's good about THAT? For more information: http://mjvande.nfshost.com/mtbfaq.htm . -- I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8 years fighting auto dependence and road construction.) Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of! http://mjvande.nfshost.com


48

From: zephyr [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2011 10:06 AM To: Mauro Garcia Cc: 'Celia Scott' Subject: Comment on Revised Initial Study and MND

Ellen Zeff

250 Sheldon Avenue Santa Cruz, CA 95060

(831) 471-9197

November 25, 2011

Mauro Garcia Parks Superintendent City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Department 323 Church Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Re: Comments on Revised Initial Study and Proposed MND Mr. Garcia: I write to comment on the revised initial study and the proposed mitigated negative declaration (MND), which purport to find that the City’s proposed new multi-use trail in Pogonip would have no significant unmitigated environmental impacts. In my view, the revised study is misleading, incomplete, and based on inadequate information. Therefore, the revised study reaches insupportable conclusions. In fact, there is a wealth of evidence that the proposed trail will have significant unmitigated environmental impacts. I believe that, if the City wishes to proceed with this project, it must prepare an environmental impact report (EIR).

Revised Study Fails to Adequately Define The Parameters of the Project Even though the revised initial study claims that the project will have no significant unmitigated environmental impacts, it makes this claim without ever admitting exactly how big of an area will have to be cleared to create this new multi-use trail. The study states that the trail itself will be 3 to 4 feet wide. However, the study also says that there will be an additional 2 feet of “side clearance” on each side of the trail. The study also


49

states that there will be wider turnouts and passing lanes that would be “twice the tread,” which would mean another 6 to 8 feet of width in addition to the 3 to 4 feet of tread plus 4 feet of side clearance. In other words, the construction of this trail will require the clearance of a path that is 7 to 8 feet wide and even larger, 13 to 16 feet wide, where there are passing lanes or turnouts. In addition, the precise location of the trail is not specified in the revised initial study. Instead, the study merely identifies a 100-foot wide “corridor” within which the trail may be built. It is inconceivable that there will be no significant environmental impacts from clearing a 7 to 16-foot wide area through a portion of Pogonip that the study acknowledges is “heavily wooded,” occupied by numerous nesting species and providing important habitat for hawks, owls, and deer. The width of this cleared area make it difficult to accept the study’s assertion at various points that there will be no tree removal whatsoever (see Mitigation Measure 4). As the study acknowledges that the trail will traverse a heavily wooded area containing second growth redwoods, there is a fair argument that this wide swath will encounter at least some substantial trees, which would necessarily be destroyed by the construction of this wide trail. Because the revised initial study does not clarify the precise scope or location of the project, its determination that the potentially significant impacts can be reduced to insignificance cannot be credited.

Revised Study Relies on Nonexistent Mitigation Measures The study premises its conclusion that there will be no significant unmitigated impacts in part on its assertion that trail maintenance to remove obstructions will prevent informal bypasses which degrade the natural area by causing erosion and other environmental impacts. However, regular trail maintenance has not been done on U-Con, Pogonip’s existing multi-use trail, to remove such obstructions. I have personally observed, during my more-than-a-decade of daily usage of Pogonip, that many obstructions appear on U-Con (and elsewhere) each winter, and they are not readily removed, with the result that bikers construct bypasses around them. There does not appear to be adequate Parks staffing to ensure regular trail maintenance, and that seems unlikely to change in the foreseeable future due to the City’s limited funds. Even obstructions on Spring Trail, the most heavily used trail in Pogonip for pedestrians, are often not removed for significant periods of time, thereby obstructing all access or requiring pedestrians, including myself, to find ways to detour around or over these obstructions. Indeed, this fall a large tree fell onto Spring Trail, and the trail remained completely blocked for a week despite the fact that the City was informed of the blockage and warned that it blocked access to the park during fire season. A few years ago, a large tree fell on U-Con, completely blocking the trail. It remained there for several weeks, and a substantial detour into the off-trail area developed before the City finally cleared the trail. Yesterday, I observed that a small tree had fallen across Fern Trail. I doubt it


50

will be removed soon. The results of the lack of trail maintenance prove that the City cannot rely on regular trail maintenance to reduce to insignificance the environmental impacts that the new multi-use trail will create. While the initial study discounts any significant impacts from bicycle usage, the 1998 EIR for the Pogonip Master Plan required mitigation measures to combat the significant impacts that bike usage would have on wildlife and on water quality due to erosion. This mitigation measure required: “Ranger staff should routinely patrol Pogonip trails and cite illegal bicycle and equestrian users . . . maintain a log of citations and monitor trails for evidence of unauthorized use.” The study makes no mention of this log. I have used Pogonip on a daily basis for more than a decade, and illegal bicycle usage is rampant. Yet I have never seen a bicyclist cited by a ranger. Furthermore, the ruts and tracks on Pogonip trails where bikes are prohibited plainly demonstrate that illegal bike usage is out of control. Clearly this mitigation measure, which was warranted to combat these environmental impacts, has been ineffective. This demonstrates that the City cannot rely on such measures to prevent impacts from the proposed project. The revised initial study also relies on “etiquette signage” to prevent usage conflicts and problems from off-trail usage. Such signage on U-Con has been spectacularly unsuccessful. Bikers often fail to yield to pedestrians, and instead proceed down the trail at high speed around blind curves. This is obviously dangerous to pedestrian safety and very scary to experience, and it also impacts the environment as pedestrians are forced to leap off of the trail to avoid an imminent collision. In addition, this signage has not prevented bikers from creating many side trails. Thus, signage is not going to prevent or mitigate the off-trail impacts of bike usage because bikers ignore signage. Such off-trail usage harms the environment, yet the revised initial study ignores this impact.

Revised Study Disregards The Impact of Bicycle Usage The revised study insists that bicycle usage of the trails is no more damaging than pedestrian usage of trails. This refusal to acknowledge evidence that mountain bike usage causes significant environmental impacts is troubling. After all, the 1998 EIR for the Pogonip Master Plan contained a lengthy scholarly study which provided detailed data demonstrating that mountain bikes cause significant environmental impacts to wildlife. The study’s decision to ignore this substantial evidence of significant environmental impacts is concerning. It should be fairly obvious that pedestrian usage is far less likely than mountain bike usage to cause erosion and to diminish the attractiveness of the area to wildlife, and the scholarly study in the 1998 EIR confirmed the truth of this proposition. The 1998 EIR also contains many comment letters attesting to the environmental degradation


51

caused by bicycle usage of Pogonip and Wilder Ranch, including increased erosion and interference with wildlife. Indeed, in response to comments, the 1998 EIR conceded that trails in Wilder Ranch had “increased in width and loss of vegetative cover under increases in mountain bike usage.” It also conceded that “greater levels of use by mountain bikes . . . will lead to greater levels of impacts.” These findings rebut the revised initial study’s conclusion that bike usage will have no significant environmental impacts. In addition, I have personally observed the destructive environmental impacts of bike usage of the U-Con trail. Bicycle usage of the U-Con trail in wet weather causes ruts in the trail. Each year when the rainy season begins, runoff that would normally flow across the trail is instead diverted by these ruts down the trail. This causes a constant stream of water down the trail. The erosion caused by these ruts far exceeds the environmental impact of pedestrian usage of the trail. To suggest otherwise is to ignore reality.

Revised Study’s Findings Are Inconsistent With 1998 Pogonip Master Plan EIR The revised initial study’s determination regarding “prairie habitat” conflicts with evidence in the EIR for the 1998 Pogonip Master Plan. The 1998 EIR identified as significant the impact on “prairie habitat,” and it set forth as a mitigation measure that no trail improvements would be permitted “near these areas” before a “prairie management plan” had been developed. The study determines that the new trail through precisely this area will have no significant unmitigated environmental impacts on the protected prairie habitat even though the trail seems to pass directly through that habitat. The mitigation measure is plainly inadequate. It provides that the prairie habitat should be avoided; if it cannot be avoided, impact should be minimized; if it cannot be minimized, then, okay destroy it. (See Mitigation Measure 3.) There is a fair argument, based on the 1998 EIR, that the City’s determination that there will be no unmitigated impact on prairie habitat is incorrect.

Conclusion In sum, the revised initial study fails to adequately define the project, relies on non-existent mitigation measures and insupportable assumptions, disregards the obvious detrimental environmental impact of bike usage of trails, and is inconsistent with the 1998 EIR. Because of these failings, the revised initial study is inadequate to support a mitigated negative declaration, and the City must prepare an EIR if it intends to proceed with this project.

Thank you for your consideration of my comments,


52

Ellen Zeff Daily User of Pogonip


53

From: Randall R. H. Adams [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, November 12, 2011 12:08 PM To: City Council Cc: Dannettee Shoemaker; Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip East Multi-Use Trail Dear Council Members, I am writing in support of the proposed new East Multi-Use Trail in the Pogonip open space. This new 1.5 mile trail will provide a much needed connection between Santa Cruz and the U-con trail leading to regional trail connections in UCSC, Wilder Ranch, and Henry Cowell Redwoods. The new trail will replace a commonly used (but unauthorized) connection for mountain bikes along the railroad tracks and the proposed new trail alignment is well through out and designed. The overall effect of the new multiple use trail will be to encourage recreational use and economic activity while also decreasing crime and illegal camping in the Pogonip open space. The proposed trail has many advocates, especially within the mountain biking community. I am a member of the Sierra Club, the Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz, and the International Mountain Bicycling Association, and I am both an avid mountain biker and a hiker. I am not in agreement with some other members of the Sierra Club who are leading a campaign against this proposed trail. I offer my full support for this trail and encourage that your Council approve the environmental review documents and the amendment to the Pogonip Master Plan. The Pogonip open space is a jewel of Santa Cruz, and mountain biking is a large part of the city's identity. To ban mountain bikes from the Pogonip open space (when the area in question is commonly used for drug dealing/use and camping) is unwise and does not preserve the open space for use by city residents. The Pogonip Master Plan can be amended to allow multiple use trails and it should be amended to allow these uses where environmental concerns can be mitigated. The increase in recreational traffic resulting from the new multiple-use trail will help to police the area and reduce illegal activity while preserving natural resources and providing a regional trail connection. The Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration prepared by city staff adequately address all environmental concerns along all proposed trail segments, and I wholeheartedly support the amendment to the Pogonip Master Plan to allow the new multiple use trail to be constructed. Please provide your support by approving the new East Multi-Use Trail in the Pogonip open space when it comes before your Council for review. Thank you, Randall Adams Santa Cruz

SUPPORT PROJECT & 2011 MND/IS FINDINGS

54

From: Matt Ammann [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2011 3:13 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Proposed Pogonip Multi Use trail Hello Mauro, I have reviewed the Environmental Study and planning documents pertaining to the proposed new Pogonip multi use trail. The proposed trail alignment seems ideal for enhancing legitimate use of the Pogonip. The identified potential impacts seem reasonable, and the proposed mitigation should be effective. I believe that the proposed trail will help to build a strong committed constituency for the Pogonip which will help keep the open space reserve viable into the future, while also discouraging the current inappropriate, ecologically degrading and socially and physically dangerous activities which are currently taking place in that area of the preserve. I am a strong supporter of the multi use trail thanks very much for the conscientious work on behalf of Pogonip, Matt Ammann 504 Dufour Street Santa Cruz


55

From: Erik Borrowman [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, November 04, 2011 5:38 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip multi-use trail Hello Mauro I'd like to add my voice in support of the multi-use trail. I've looked over all the documents on the web site and approve of the study, I do indeed agree with the findings, and the maps look great! From what I can see there will be nothing but good thing to come from opening this new trail. happy Friday Erik


56

From: Paul Coenen [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 10:27 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip Multi-Use Trail Dear Mr. Garcia, I have reviewed the MND Initial Study for the proposed Pogonip Multi-Use Trail, and I approve of the study and agree with the findings. I am a hiker and a mountain biker, and I highly support the Pogonip Multi-Use Trail and feel like it is a win-win for the community. It will help to mitigate some of the damage that has been caused by illicit activity in the area, and create a safe way to access legal trails from the downtown and eastside of the city. I live on River Street, and currently can only access the U-Conn trail either via the railroad tracks, which is illegal and unsafe because of who tends to be present there, or via Highway 9 which is not pleasant, and is possibly less safe because of the automobile traffic. When I ride my bike, I go back and forth between Highway 9 and the railroad tracks. I ride Highway 9 until I get run off the road (or at the very least honked and yelled at) by an impatient driver, and then I ride the tracks until I run into people that, quite frankly, scare me - at which point I go back to riding up Highway 9. I have prevented one robbery on the tracks just by coming around the corner at the right time, and a friend of mine out-rode someone with a knife who was trying to steal his bike. I have had one friend crash on Highway 9 and end up in the hospital while trying to stay on the edge of the road and out of the way of a car. Neither is a good option for a cyclist, and I would love to see another option. The Pogonip Multi-Use Trail would provide that. Thank you for your time and consideration. Regards, Paul Coenen 308 River Street Santa Cruz, Ca 95060 831.420.1908


57

From: Dermott F Corr [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 2:00 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip Mulit-use trail Dear Mauro: I have reviewed the environmental review of the proposed multi-use trail and find it quite stunning. This will be a wonderful addition to recreation in Santa Cruz and I strongly support going forward with this project. Sincerely Dermott Corr


58

From: Lindsay Beth Currier [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 3:01 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip MUT I am writing in regards to the environmental review that was released for the Pogonip multi-use trail. I would like to say that as an active hiker and mountain biker of the Santa Cruz community, that I agree with the findings of the study. I really look forward to the MUT being available as soon as possible. Outdoor recreation has an amazingly positive impact on individual and community health and well being. Thanks! Lindsay


59

From: Josh Defosset [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2011 12:33 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: New Pogonip Multi Use Trail Study Hello Ms. Garcia: I read with enthusiam the new report released on the City of Santa Cruz website regarding the initial finidngs for the study on the new 1.5 mile mulit-use trail connecting eastern Pogonip with Golf Club Drive. I approve of the study and agree with the findings. I support a new mulit-use trail and the restoration of habit where illegal trails currently lie. Thank you, -- Josh Defosset, CTO and Mechanical Engineer Smart Products and Inventions, Inc. This communication may contain information that is PRIVILEGED and CONFIDENTIAL. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited.


60

From: Kim Delkener [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 2:24 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Support of Pogonip Master Plan Amendment & New East Multi-Use Trail (EMUT) To Mauro Garcia, I am writing to voice my strong support of the Pogonip Multi-Use Trail. I have reviewed the Mitigated negative declaration for the MUT and I both approve and agree with it's findings. As a local veterinarian, community active board member, and sierra club member I am most interested in protecting the wildlife habitat in the Eastern portion of Pogonip while providing improved access. I am comfortable the mitigated plan addresses all of my concerns and is extremely comprehensive. I additionally have multiple other important reasons to support the MUT. I am a Santa Cruz homeowner and a long time associate at a local professional business. It is obvious to me that we need to address the increase in traffic in Santa Cruz associated with UCSC and commuters/shoppers driving less then a 5 mile radius. I believe the MUT will be an essential connector of students and faculty to the UCSC campus in the future and help diminish the negative effects of car traffic in Santa Cruz. More importantly our contribution should have a global impact. The 1.5 mile multi use trail will provide a sustainable way for walkers/hikers and commute bikers/mountain bikers/recreational bikers to connect the downtown/levee to UCSC. It will also allow access to local and state parks like Pogonip and Henry Cowell encouraging tourists to come to Santa Cruz and choose alternative modes of transportation while site seeing. This trail will also enable those who live in Felton and off Hwy 9 a safe alternative to walking and biking into downtown. We as a community need to take a different approach to getting around our small city/county and set a good example. We can not continue to always travel by car. Thank you for your consideration, Sincerely, Kim Delkener, DVM


61

From: Larry Duimstra [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2011 1:44 PM To: Mauro Garcia Cc: Pete Scontriano; Bryan Loehr; chuck giubbini Subject: Pogonip multi use trail I am a 64 year old life-long resident of Santa Cruz. My wife and I hike at Wilder Ranch once or twice a week; I also ride my mountain bike there and in UCSC, but not in Pogonip since the trails are closed to bikes. I have read and agree with the negative declaration re the proposed Pogonip multi- use trail. This is a trail that has broad support. The opponents' arguments against the trail are without merit and should not prevent the building of this trail. It is time to allow the public (Hikers, biker riders, and equestrians) the opportunity to enjoy Pogonip, especially since such use will not adversely impact Pogonip. I fully support the building of the trail. Larry E. Duimstra


62

From: Sergey Frolov [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 21, 2011 10:37 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Support for Pogonip MUT Dear Mr. Garcia, I have reviewed the findings of the MND study and the Notice of Intent for the new multi-use trail through Pogonip. I fully support the findings and the construction of the trail. Sincerely, Sergey Frolov 2724 Hampton Ln. Santa Cruz, CA 831.600.8912


63

From: Allen Goldberg [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Allen Goldberg Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 3:35 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip plan Hi, I'm writing in favor of creating the multi-use trail in Pogonip. As the environmental report shows there are no insurmountable environmental obstacles, and the approach of "taking back" public spaces for the betterment of the community from illegal activities is a win-win approach. Thank you, Allen Goldberg, a 31 year resident of Santa Cruz


64

From: Mark Howland [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2011 8:06 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Proposed Pogonip multi-use trail study Mauro, I just wanted to let you know that after reviewing the study of the proposed multi-use trail in Pogonip, I support the findings, and approve of going forward with the trail plan. Best, Mark Howland


65

From: brian huebner [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2011 8:43 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: I am a member of Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz and frequently cycle and hike on many of the local trails in and around the city. I believe that a new multi-use trail linking the River Levy to U-Con Trail would be a great asset for many trail users. I am writing to show my support for the Park and Recreation Departments proposal for a new multi-use trail in Pogonip. I have read the Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration and stongly agree with the findings. Thank You Brian Huebner


66

From: Jennifer Karno [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 1:58 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Response to Pogonip env. report Hello Mr. Garcia, I work for the City of Santa Cruz and have been active in helping promote and generate eco-tourism/outdoor recreation activities and events in Santa Cruz. I am very much in favor and support the Pogonip multi-use trail. I agree with the findings of the environmental review study and believe more recreation access to our outdoor spaces will benefit the community in a multitude of various ways. As things stand now, I can't take my child on walks in the Pogonip area or promote the region to out of town visitors. This is a shame. I look forward to access to more trails which can be open to all outdoor recreation seeking residents and tourists. Thank you for your time, Jennifer Karno

Jennifer Karno Special Projects [email protected] (831) 428-3498


67

From: Kern, Roger [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 4:39 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip Multi-use Trail Based on all the information in the plans for the trail I support the Pogonip multi-use trail. The documents are very extensive and conclusive. The concept of adding this trail in the Pogonip addresses very adequately both the need for recreation for both the residents and visitors of the Santa Cruz area. As an added bonus the use of the trail by law abiding citizens will expose the illegal activities and assist the Rangers and Police Dept in their attemps to prevent such activities. Please approve this long needed beneficial establishment of a multi-use trail. Respectfully, Roger Kern


68

From: Janel Lodge [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2011 4:22 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip MUT trail design After reading through the environmental review and notice of intent, I agree with the findings, approve the study, and support the Pogonip multi-use trail!!!! Thanks for your effort on the behalf of those that know the value of this trail getting approved. Janel K. Lodge


69

From: The Loehr's [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2011 3:32 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Agreement With the Notice of Intent: Pogonip Multiuse Trail Mr. Garcia, I have read the Notice of Intent for the Pogonip Multiuse Trail and am in full agreement with it. I completely support the development of this trail as proposed. Bryan Loehr 117 Pennsylvania Ave. Santa Cruz, CA 95062


70

From: Paul Miller [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2011 12:30 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip 1.5 mile MUT Regarding the Pogonip 1.5 mile multi use trail, I approve of the study, agree with the findings and support the Pogonip multi-use trail. Thank you, Paul Miller Felton 831 334 4138 cell 831 335 4138 home


71

From: Tim Park [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2011 5:31 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip multi-use trail Hi Mauro, I was able to read through the environmental review of the Pogonip 1.5 mile multi-use trail tonight. I am so glad the study has been completed, I agree with the findings, and I support the multiuse trail. Thank you for spearheading this important process and let's get this onto the council's agenda as soon as possible for a vote! Tim


72

From: emily radetsky [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2011 7:19 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip Good morning, I approve of the study, agree with the findings and support the Pogonip multi-use trail. I'm an avid runner, hiker AND mountain biker. A multi-use trail in this area makes sense and overwhelmingly benefits the community. Thank you, Emily Radetsky Santa Cruz City Resident.


73

From: Pete Redlien [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2011 4:00 PM To: City Council Subject: I Approve the Multi-Use Trail at the Pogonip Hi City Council: I have read the "Notice of Intent" regarding the proposed multi-use trail at the Pogonip. I approve of its findings. Hopefully this trail will be built! Regards, Pete Redlien 906 Escalona Drive


74

From: Allie Scrivener [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2011 10:09 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip Mitigated Negative Declaration Dear Mr. Garcia, I am a recent UC Davis graduate in Environmental Policy and Planning (with heavy emphasis on NEPA/CEQA compliance), an avid mountain bicyclist, and a supporter of the proposed Pogonip Plan. I am writing to let you know that I have reviewed the Mitigated Negative Declaration and believe that it adequately addresses potential impacts; I agree that an Environmental Impact Report is not required. Further, and contrary to the beliefs of some in opposition to the Pogonip project, mountain bicyclists are generally responsible individuals - and trails inclusive of mountain biking tend to cultivate responsible and courteous behavior in mountain bikers. Thank you for your time, and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Sincerely, Allie Scrivener (408) 307-1795


75

From: Peter Scontriano [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2011 3:41 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip multi-use Trail I approve of the study, agree with the findings and support the Pogonip multi-use trail. Pete Scontriano Life long resident of Santa Cruz.


76

From: Jim Spring [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2011 4:15 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Supporting the Proposed Pogonip Multi-Use Trail Mauro - As a 21 year resident, member of the Sierra Club, a mountain biker, and a hiker, I am writing you in support of the proposed Pogonip Multi-Use Trail. While the idea of the trail originated with the Santa Cruz City Police and other first responders to address health & safety as well as criminal activity in a little used portion of the park, this trail will be a great benefit to the community as a whole. In addition to supporting the trail, I've read through the Mitigated Negative Declaration Study and agree with and support the findings. On another note, one argument that has been constantly made throughout the discussion of this trail is the issue of sharing a trail between hikers and bikers. I would like to mention another city park that gets significant use by both bikers, hikers, and dog walkers -- De Laveaga. The trails are twisty and don't always have clear sight lines, yet in the 15 years I have been riding there, I've never heard of (or personally had) a problem. At one meeting discussing the proposed trail, I asked the City Parks and Rec Rangers if they knew of any problems, they replied they had not heard of any. Thank you for your time, -jim spring 330 San Juan Ave Santa Cruz, CA 95062 408-930-5695


77

From: Chris Wagner-Jauregg [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 8:05 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip MUT Mauro--I'm writing you in support of the city's findings concerning the Pogonip MUT. I agree with the findings and support the Pogonip multi-use trail. Thank you--Chris Wagner-Jauregg Owner--Another Bike Shop, Santa Cruz Chris Wagner-Jauregg anotherbikeshop.com


78

From: Keith White [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 7:28 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip multi-use trail Hi Mauro, The trail plan and environmental review documents for the Pogonip multi-use trail are very well written and thorough. I fully support the Pogonip multi-use trail. Thanks, Keith


79

From: Adams, Tom [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2011 1:20 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: My three bike-riding partners and I all support the MUT at Pogonip for bikers--and we vote! Tom Adams Director & Principal Analyst, US Media IHS Screen Digest 2511 Garden Rd. B-250 Monterey, CA 93940 Office: 831-658-0303 Cell: 831-601-3922 [email protected] www.screendigest.com/intelligence/us

Screen Digest has been acquired by IHS. For more information visit www.ihs.com

This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. Thank you.

SUPPORT PROJECT - 2011

80

From: David Allen [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 13, 2011 11:37 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip multi use trail Hi, I’m a resident and tax payer in Santa Cruz and I support the Pogonip proposed multi use trail. Sincerely, David Allen


81

From: Matt Atwood [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 11:55 AM To: Mauro Garcia; City Council Subject: Pogonip Multi use trail Dear City of SC, It is a major mistake if you do not grant this trail a multi use designation. By showing equality for all people in SC you would be working in the right direction for the future. Mountain biking is going to stay in SC for a long time and by neglecting them this multi use trail you are just pushing back the issue of biking and hiker conflict. Address it now and set forth a better plan for the future. Matt Atwood


82

From: Mikko Biffle [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 11:32 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip Multi-Use Trail SUPPORT for building . . .

Dear Mr. Garcia,

I support a multi-use connector in Pogonip which would allow passage to the isolated U-Conn trail. Right now it’s too dangerous to ride up hwy 9 with auto traffic and I don’t like my son (or myself) riding up the illegal railway passage as so many do to get to U-Conn without dealing with automobiles.

Please allow the majority of people who want this including Parks and Rec, The S.C. Police, and the many others who have waited years for a rational solution to the problem of connecting the many disparate trails in our area, into a system that works for everyone.

Hikers will still have their many single-use trails throughout Pogonip and mountain bikers will be more likely to stay on the SINGLE, legal trail, built and maintained by our local MTB community and the Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz. Please don’t disenfranchise a diverse, hard-working, contributing majority of the trail users in this community.

Sincerely,

Mikko Biffle


83

From: Miko Biffle [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2011 2:35 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip Multi-Use Trail Support I support a multi-use connector in Pogonip which would allow passage to the isolated U-Conn trail. Right now it’s too dangerous to ride up hwy 9 with auto traffic and I don’t like my son (or myself) riding up the illegal railway passage as so many do to get to U-Conn without dealing with automobiles. Please allow the majority of people who want this including Parks and Rec, The S.C. Police and the many others who have waited years for a rational solution to the problem of connecting many disparate trails in our area into a system that works for everyone. Hikers will still have their many single-use trails throughout Pogonip and mountain bikers will be more likely to stay on the legal trail provided, built and mainted by our local MTB community and the Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz. Please don’t disenfranchise a diverse, hard-working, contributing majority of the trail users in this community. Sincerely, Miko Biffle Powered Vehicle Division Fox Racing Shox [email protected] Main: 831-274-6547 Cell: 831-588-8162


84

From: Daryl Breuninger [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 9:28 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: City of Santa Cruz: Pogonip Proposed Multi Use Trail You have received this link to the City of Santa Cruz from: Daryl Breuninger <[email protected]> http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/index.aspx?page=1543 To: Mauro Garcia and members of the Santa Cruz City Council I have looked at and reviewed the plan for a multi-use trail in the Pogonip. I fully support this trail as multi-use. Thank you for your consideration of this matter. Best Regards, Daryl Breuninger 1605 Eureka Canyon Road Corralitos, CA 95076 Daryl Breuninger


85

From: Kenneth Chrisman [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 4:26 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip MUT I approve of the plan and support the new trail Pogonip MUT. Ken Chrisman Kenneth Chrisman Construction 831.238.2783 www.KennethChrismanConstruction.com


86

From: Lynne Christianson [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 2:11 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: support for the Pogonig multi-use trail Dear Mauro, I am writing in support of the proposed multi-use trail in Pogonip. I'm a hiker in Pogonip, I walk my dog there, and I ride a bike. As someone who would be experiencing the new trail as a hiker, a dog walker and a cyclist, I think the trail has tremendous value for everyone and, quite frankly, can't believe it hasn't been done already! Thanks for your work in this area, Lynne Christianson Santa Cruz, CA 95060 831-970-8439


87

From: Melissa Cline [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2011 5:05 PM To: Mauro Garcia; City Council Subject: Support for the Pogonip multi-use trail Dear Mauro Garcia and City Council members, I am writing with my enthusiastic support for the proposed Pogonip multi-use trail. I believe this trail would be a valuable asset to our community for two main reasons. - It would return "heroin hill" to the people of Santa Cruz! This is an area that's been closed to the public, and police officers don't go into alone. The support for this trail by the Santa Cruz city and county officers and park rangers makes a strong statement to me. In clearing out heroin hill (which the just the construction of the trail would do), we would also reduce the environmental degradation and risk of forest fire that results from the drug trafficking in this area. - The trail would be an outstanding asset for our community, by providing a route between downtown and the highly popular U-Conn trail, and beyond to the fire roads of UCSC and trails of Henry Cowell. I respect that that there is an outspoken segment of this community that opposes this trail, and virtually any other development in the Pogonip. While I respect the work over the years by Friends of the Pogonip, it seems to me that they do not represent the majority of this community. Please give your full support to construction of the Pogonip multi-use trail! Sincerely, Melissa Cline 160 Belmont St, Unit D Santa Cruz, CA, 95060


88

From: Robert Cooper [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2011 4:55 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Multiuse trail proposal for Pogonip I am writing in support of the Multiuse trail proposal for the Pogonip. There is no good (safe) bicycle route from Santa Cruz to Felton, and there is a particularly dangerous section of Hwy 9 in the section that the multiuse trail would bypass. The death rate per mile is about 8 times greater for bicycles than cars. Many places in the world have developed a network of bicycle trails that make the bicycle an effective alternative form of transportation, and Santa Cruz is behind many cities in this country and in Europe in this trend. I know the local Sierra Club has come out as opposed to this project. I have been a Sierra Club member since 1973, but I disagree with them on this proposal. They propose a bike trail along the Big Trees Railroad right of way, but I have been unable to find any information that suggests this is a viable alternative. I have been a member of Rails-to-trails for over twenty years, and if I am wrong about the viability (e.g., there is interest from Big Trees Railway, regulations from the Federal agency overseeing railways can be met, it is financially viable), my opinion could be changed. Such a bike trail could provide a safe route all the way to Felton, but if it is just a pipe dream (as I suspect), it would just maintain the unsafe status quo. Thank you for your attention to my input, Robert Cooper 308 Dickens Way Santa Cruz, CA 95064 831-425-5532


89

From: David Crane [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 13, 2011 9:53 AM To: Mauro Garcia; City Council Subject: I support bike access on the new Pogonip trail. Please allow bike access on the new trail in Pogonip that will connect downtown Santa Cruz to the U-Con trail. Since this trail will be built using modern techniques it will be well suited for multi-use including bikes. Thank you, Dave Crane


90

From: Pecos "John" Davis [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, November 12, 2011 4:11 PM To: Mauro Garcia; City Council Subject: Pogonip Muli-Use Trail Advocacy To Whom it May Concern, I'm writing this email in support of building the multi-use trail in Pogonip. This project would benefit everyone, not just cyclists. The path on West Cliff is a perfect example of a multi-use trail that works. Yes, there are incidents here and there but this shouldn't won't ruin everyone's experience. There is a good chance that increased pedestrian and bicycle traffic in this area would help to significantly curtail the current and most prevalent drug trade there which is wreaking havoc on this area and tied into much of the theft, especially bicycle thefts Downtown and West Side. Tax dollars are being wasted on ineffectively trying to police this area and would be much better spent on on a multi-use trail allowing and encouraging public traffic in this most beautiful area. I would also much rather see my tax dollars go to environmental preservation instead of law enforcement which has been completely ineffective in this area. Thank you for reading and for your consideration on this matter. Sincerely, John Davis Felton, CA Courteous Mountain Biker


91

From: Peter Davis [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 5:21 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Bike trail I support the new Pogonip Multi-use Trail proposal. I walk around up there quite often. I think that Pogonip could Benefit from the use of law abiding citizens as I noted many drug users find the place isolated because of under use, and so fill the gap by making it a haven for themselves and there activity. Sent from my iPhone


92

From: City Council Sent: Friday, November 18, 2011 6:47 AM To: Ryan Coonerty; Katherine Beiers; Tony Madrigal Cc: Dannettee Shoemaker Subject: Fwd: Pogonip Multi-use Trail FYI Sent from my iPad. Begin forwarded message:

From: Ron Davis <[email protected]> Date: November 17, 2011 1:35:39 PM PST To: City Council <[email protected]> Subject: Pogonip Multi-use Trail

Dear City Council, I'm writing to let you know that I am a Santa Cruz resident (and UCSC employee) that fully supports the opening of the proposed multi-use trail in Pogonip. My kids (3) and I enjoy both hiking and cycling, so this new trail would be a great asset. It would also provide a much needed access to the current U-Con trail. Thank you, Ron Davis


93

From: William Deich [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, November 11, 2011 8:50 AM To: Mauro Garcia; City Council Subject: Pogonip Multi Use Trail Hello, I am a 15-year resident of Santa Cruz and employee at UCSC, and I *strongly* support the proposed Pogonip Multi Use Trail. I commute to work on my bicycle nearly every day. If the multi-use trail existed, it would easily be my preferred travel route: along the San Lorenzo bike path, up Golf Club Dr to the multi-use trail, to the U-Con trail to campus. What a terrific and sensible design! This is exactly the kind of trail we should be creating in Santa Cruz. It's good for the commuter, as it reduces car/bike interactions. It's good for the Pogonip, as it can help to make more of the park a desirable place for regular folk, and less of a Heroin Hill. It would be a 100% positive addition to this community, as Mike Ferrentino expressed it. Regards, William Deich -- William Deich UCO / Lick Observatory | E-mail: [email protected] University of California | Phone: (831) 459-3913 Santa Cruz, CA 95064 | Fax: (831) 459-2298


94

From: dennis (once) the mailman [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2011 11:16 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip Just chiming in on the proposed Pogonip multi-use trail...i vote a resounding YES!! Not only will it allow bikers to climb to the UConn safely, but i feel it will help with the homeless camps along that area...thanks for listening -- Be yourself...everyone else is already taken...Oscar Wilde


95

From: Mark DePonzi [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, November 11, 2011 2:21 PM To: Mauro Garcia; City Council Subject: Pogonip Trail Dear M Garcia and City Council I am in favor and support the Pogonip Multi Use Trail !!! Thanks Mark DePonzi Hiker and Mt biker


96

From: denver drake <[email protected]> Subject: Pogonip Trail: Please build it soon! To: [email protected] Date: Monday, October 31, 2011, 10:14 AM

Hello, My name is Denver and I have been a mountain biker since I was twelve years old. In those early days (around 1988) mountain bikes were new to the outdoor scene. Being young and full of daring, I rode a BMX bike all around the hills in Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley. Until Gary Fisher and his buddies in Marin started bombing fire-roads in the mid to late '80's, the only people who went on trails were hikers or equestrians. As soon as i started seeing mountain bikes around town and in bike shops, I immediately admired and fell in love with the idea of having gears and bigger wheels to get me into areas in a few hours that hiking to would take all day. The Sierra Club is not officially against mountain bikes, but their members are. And they have been around a lot longer than mountain bikes. It seems to me that a lot of them are really just selfish and are against any new group that wants to use "their" land. Why else would they hate a youth oriented sport under the guise of environmental degredation, when horses DESTROY trails and poop all over them, and they get a pass?! Obviously the Sierra Club has a lot of money and can tap into huge legal resources ( Celia and Peter Scott are very effective at what they do) and the mountain bike industry is nowhere near as cohesive. But there are several bike industry related companies in the central coast area. These companies exist because people are buying their products and bikes. All these people are enjoying a sport that allows them to go out to the hills and have a good time, but things are getting crowded and the old guard doesn't want to share. It is my opinion, and one that is shared by many riders that since mountain bikes are becoming so popular that we need more trails. We have been promised legal access to trails for years, and then the carpet is yanked out from under us (Gray Whale). It encourages people to ride where they really shouldn't- like fall creek, and ignore ALL the no bike signs. We love riding on dirt, but fire-roads like Nisene and Wilder Ranch aren't going to offer what a sweet ribbon of single track can. These are some of the things that I talk about with my customers at Santa Cruz Imported Truck Service, when I explain the "bikes. worse than heroin" shirts and stickers we had made up. Mike Farrentino sums up most the way most locals feel best in this article. I know this was a long email and I sincerely thank you for taking the time to read it, as I am sure you are a busy person. Also, thanks for supporting the teen center, my sister Shannon appreciates it! Sincerely, Denver Drake


97

From: Marty Drake [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, October 28, 2011 1:17 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip Trail Please count me in as a supporter for the new trail. I don't understand the objections to the trail not allowing bikes other than for purely a selfish reasons on their part. The area has been clearcut and mined. It's not some pristine Yosemite meadow. It's an urban park. I have a business in town. I want my tax dollars to open the closed part of the park. I want to take back my park from the drug dealers and squatters. Bikers are not worse than heroin and that's the impression the Sierra Club is presenting. It's time to just say no the Sierra Club.


98

From: reed [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2011 8:17 AM To: City Council Subject: MUT support This email is to relay my overwhelming support for the proposed MUT in Pogonip. -- REED DUFFUS Purchasing Manager Coast Paper& Supply Inc. www.coastpapersupplyinc.com


99

From: Bob Estes [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 1:09 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: City of Santa Cruz: Pogonip Proposed Multi Use Trail You have received this link to the City of Santa Cruz from: Bob Estes <[email protected]> http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/index.aspx?page=1543 Hi, I'm a long time user of the trail system in Santa Cruz, mainly as a mountain biker, but also as a hiker. The trail system in Pogonip is one of my favorite places to be and I think making a new trail into the park accessible to all is a great idea, for many reasons: having more traffic in that area will reduce it's use as "Heroine Hill"; it sill will reduce the traffic along Hwy. 9 which for bikes is a fairly unsafe riding situation, given the vnarrow roads and level of vehicle traffic on that road; and, in general, is a great connector form town town to a great trail system. In my years biking and hiking there, I've never seen and had any conflicts with other users. I really like that fact that people just get along out there. It seems like 80% of the users out there are bikers ... and Santa Cruz is a great biking destination, in a large part due to the riding in the Pogonip area. Please do everything you can to promote biking and, in particular, multi-use access for the new connector trail. Thanks, Bob Estes Bob Estes


100

From: Katherine Frank [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 9:43 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Re: Pogonip Multi-Use Trail Dear Mauro, The proposed multi-use trail through Pogonip would be a fantastic addition to our wonderful open space. I am nearly 64, a local RN, and have lived close to the east side of Pogonip for 3 years. I am an avid mountain bike rider, a runner, and a dog walker. Having a connection to the U-Conn trail would be great. I am especially excited about the prospect of utilizing the area of the Pogonip which has been monopolized by the heroin culture. I am very much in support of this project! Kathy Frank


101

From: Jim Fruitt [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 11:06 AM To: Mauro Garcia; City Council Subject: I support the Pogonip Multi Use Trail Hello Decision Makers, I would encourage you to move forward with Pogonip Multi Use trail as a levy connector to UConn Multi Use trail in Pogonip. Your law enforcement, fire dept, park rangers, and recreation department all support this trail. I hope you agree with these wise and informed officials versus the selfish, ill-informed opposition. Park Rangers and volunteers will enforce the no bike rules on the other trails. Has the UConn trail increased illegal trail use in the Park? No. Has the Uconn trail moved out the druggies in that area? Yes. Please vote YES on the trail. Regards, Jim Fruitt


102

From: John Fuchs [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2011 1:19 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip muliti-use trail Mr. Garcia, I am writing in support of the Pogonip multi-use trail. As a hiker (member of the Sierra Club), as a cyclist (member of mbosc), and one who has showed up to do clean-up in this "heroin hill" area of the park, my family and I are strongly in favor of approval for this project. It's the right project at the right time. It seems like a win-win for all concerned parties. Sincerely & Happy Thanksgiving, John, Robin & Taylor Jean Fuchs


103

From: Dale/Jea [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, November 11, 2011 10:08 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Multi use Pogonip trail Please support the Pogonip Multi use Trail. The trail will provide a safe off road bike route into UCSC for commuters.And the increased useage will help keep the drug dealing down.(I would hope)Thank you Dale G


104

From: Giberson [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 5:07 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Open Up Pogonip to Multi-Use To Whom This May Concern: My family and several relatives all reside in the City of Santa Cruz. We all hike, road and mountain bike, and several of us surf, along with other sports. WE ALL STRONGLY SUPPORT THE MULTI-USE PLAN FOR POGONIP. Once the local group MBOSC started cleaning up the area and making a presence in the area, you saw the drug use in that area and problems disappear. The neighbors, who selfishly want the park for their own use only, refuses to admit the truth that until more use occurred in Pogonip it was a drug use area that people did not want to go and did not want their kids going. Clearly more use, multi-use, and bike use will keep the park in a better state and reduce the need for our public services (i.e., police, fire, medical, etc.) to patrol the area and be called out for problem situations. I also coach a high school cross country mountain biking team (www.santacruzjcc.com) and having this area open for mountain bikers to stay off the roads and gain access to the trails we ride most often benefits all of these families and kids. Santa Cruz is a city with lots of outdoor activities, and we should support more users being active in their daily lives. Thanks for your consideration of this matter and presumed passage of the plan. We are active, we are voters, we volunteer lots for kids, and we all strongly support passage of the plan which benefits everyone. Thanks, Kevin Giberson (and family and relatives and friends)

Cell (831) 419-7551


105

From: Nicole Goebel [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2011 11:04 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: In support of Multi Use Trail in Pogonip Dear Mauro Garcia, I am writing in support of the Multi Use Trail in Pogonip. As an avid commuter who works as a researcher in the Ocean Sciences department on UCSC campus, I see this trail as a safe pathway for walkers and cyclists to travel up to UCSC campus (up Ucon trail for bikes or through Pogonip for walkers, of course) with very little exposure to traffic. For pedestrians coming from the East side of town, it is particularly appealing since this path would virtually connect with the levy bike path. Riding up Route 9 is simply not an option due to lack of a safe bike path, winding roads, and cars that do not obey speed limits nor look out for walkers and cyclists. This forces pedestrians to travel (illegally?) along the train tracks. Encounters with homeless people, some of which are not "in their right minds" (I have been "roared at" like a lion), make this a potentially dangerous route. Trains traveling along the tracks also make this a dangerous place to be. Having been hit by cars (including a city bus!!), I am always looking for paths with the least amount of traffic and cars. A sustainably built multi-use trail along the outskirts of Pogonip would provide a safe avenue for walkers and cyclists to travel between downtown and campus, and minimally impact the hiker activities that occur deeper within the park. Thank you for considering the proposed Multi Use Trail in Pogonip. Sincerely, Nicole -- Nicole Goebel, PhD Ocean Sciences Department University of California Santa Cruz [email protected]


106

From: Eliad Goldwasser [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2011 8:25 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip Multi Use Trail Support Hello, I write you in support of a multi use trail in Pogonip. This is the right thing to do for the WHOLE community. Excluding anyone would be a shame on this beautiful stretch of Santa Cruz mountain trails... Best Regards, Eliad Goldwasser


107

From: WeatherCat [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 9:48 PM To: City Council Subject: Pogonip multi-use trail Hi City Council, I was reading the updated Pogonip multi-use trail study and plan and I'd like to let you know I'm in favor of this new multi-use trail going into Pogonip. I believe this will improve Pogonip and Santa Cruz in many ways, please let me know if there is any way I can support this project. Sincerely, Timothy Grimes www.weathercat.net


108

From: Scott Guillaudeu [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, November 24, 2011 7:01 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip trail Hello, I'm writing to voice my support for making the Pogonip trail a multi-use trail. I personally think mountain biking is the best way to enjoy the outdoors and I support allowing access to more trails. Opening trails to mountain bikers brings millions of hours of volunteer trail work each year, money to the local shops and restaurants, and helps discourage unwanted illegal activity in the area (see the Paradise Royale trail in northern California for example). Please vote in favor of making the Pogonip trail a multi-use trail. Sincerely, Scott Guillaudeu Santa Clara, CA


109

From: Hil [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2011 10:02 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Supporting Pogonip multi-use trail Dear Mauro, I support the Pogonip Multi Use Trail. I've lived in Santa Cruz since 1985, and this is such an exciting opportunity! The Pogonip is a community resource that we pay for with tax dollars, and now we have the chance to add a trail that will benefit all of us in an excellent way. I recently volunteered to help with clean-up around the proposed trail, and it was disturbing to find so much buried trash and debris in our park and how it is being used in this detrimental way. Seeing this neglected part of the park, and how abused and vulnerable it is, I am committed to help in any way to build and maintain the proposed trail. The trail would stop allowing this part of our park to be used only by illegal campers and drug dealers! This new trial will allow locals and visitors alike to enjoy a ''circle trail' ...Pogonip-UConn-UCSC-Wilder Ranch-West Cliff-San Lo River... that can be a focal point of local health and fitness and a boon to tourism! I urge you to support this trail for the good of our great city! Thanks, Hilary Hamm ============================================== Read the 99% Declaration https://sites.google.com/site/the99percentdeclaration/


110

From: John Hauer [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 2:25 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip MUT Mauro, I would like to introduce myself. My name is John Hauer and I’m the Marketing Manager for a local bicycle suspension company. Our new offices are nestled right at the base of Pogonip at 155 DuBois St. Being a cycling company we are all big here on enjoying the outdoors and treating our surroundings with respect. This is why we are so in favor of the Pogonip multi-use trail. Obviously the #1 reason is because we love to ride our bikes and if there was a trail right here it would be great for myself and the other employees to safely be able to reach the legal cycling trails. As of now we either have to ride the train tracks the parallel highway 9 or take the bike path to High street and ride roads up to campus around vehicles. NOT A SAFE FEELING AT ALL. The second reason is because of what we are seeing on a daily basis. We have a hiking trail that leads right upside our building and into Pogonip. We truly wish we could say it was being used for good, but 90% of the trails users are transients with camps hidden in the hillside. We are definitely seeing more being lugged in than out! You should see what happens when it rains! When it rains it looks like a zombie movie as they come out of the hills and try to find cover. Hopefully a multi use trail will increase traffic just enough to discourage the wrong types of trail users. We live in a beautiful area and we should be able to take advantage of it without worrying about our safety or seeing it disrespected by trash and the evidence of drug use. Hopefully the city rally’s behind this project and it can be completed. I truly feel it will improve our community surroundings while creating a safer area for Cyclist and trail users alike. If such a project can be complete we will gladly volunteer man hours and any other resources we can supply to be of help. cheers -- JOHN HAUER US MARKETING MANAGER X-FUSION SHOX 155 DuBois St. Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Direct:(831)531-4119 Fax:(831)240-0555 SKYPE- hauermtb http://www.facebook.com/pages/X-Fusion-Shox/116798535018965 http://twitter.com/#!/xfusionshox


111

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Hans Heim Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 1:51 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: I support the Pogonip multi-use trail Hello, Hans Heim, owner of Ibis Cycles emailing you today. I am confident that the Pogonip multi use trail could work well for all users, simply based on the success of other nearby trails that have the same situation, namely Yukon trail and a great number of trails in Wilder Ranch. It seems that the worries are often greater than the reality and people do usually manage to work things out in a pretty reasonable manner. I would love to take my 11 year old twins riding on that trail and further. The railroad tracks are too scary with the cliff edges and drug addicts, so it's not practical really. I frequently come up on horses while running and riding and have never had a problem. Hikers as well. The vast majority of users are respectful of each other and those that aren't usually won't be put off from a trail because it's illegal. Sometimes what ends up happening is the rules are made for the worst offenders and the general populace suffers as the worst offenders go about their business as usual. Thanks for reading and please let me know if you have any comments or questions, Hans Heim


112

From: Eliece Horton [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 07, 2011 10:47 PM To: Mauro Garcia Cc: City Council Subject: I SUPPORT the MULTI-USE trail in POGONIP I support the new 1.5 mile long multi-use trail in Pogonip that would parallel the eastern boundary of the open space connecting Golf Club Drive with the U-Con Trail and the Rincon Trail.

R E C Y C L E: Ride your Bike again Today! Pea's, Eliece Horton


113

From: Colin Hughes [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 1:30 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Hello Mauro, I'm just writing to show my support for the Pogonip multi use trail. I think it's great that the city of Santa Cruz is perusing an innovative solution to this problem and I can't wait to help work on the trail. Colin Hughes


114

From: Dan King [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 9:35 AM To: Mauro Garcia; City Council Subject: New multi-use trail in Pogonip area Dear Mauro and City Council, I find it kind of ridiculous that letters need to be written to SUPPORT the building of a multi-use trail. This is something that can benefit all Santa Cruz residents. Restricting access to specific user types isn’t a reasonable solution. Please keep this project going and let the trail be open to users of all types. Dan King


115

From: biz ark [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 12:16 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Support for the pogonip multi use trail Dear Superintendant Garcia, I recently moved to Pasture Road in Santa Cruz after living up in the Santa Cruz mountains. As someone who hikes regularly in Pogonip with my wife and daughter I would be much more concerned about off leash dogs (a common occurrence) than the new multi use trail proposed through the unused section of Pogonip. I say unused, but we all know that that section is a haven for the homeless and drug users of Santa Cruz. The multi use trail would be a superb connector from the city to the university and get moer people out enjoying nature and our parks rather than clogging the already busy west side. I see it as reducing bike use in the Pogonip as it provides a legal (fun) way to get up to campus. Please do move forward with the multi use trail through Pogonip. Many thanks for all your hard work, Alex Knowles.


116

From: Jeff K [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 11:24 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: EMUT comment To Mauro Garcia Parks and Recreation Department, The detailed plans for the Eastern Multiuse Trail are very thorough and look great. I am excited about the new trail and look forward to letting the public in Santa Cruz have improved access to their park. It will be nice to have the Pogonip resource become available to more people. This north-south path will also provide a safer option for people wanting to make it from the City of Santa Cruz up to the Ucon Trail, or Henry Cowell Park, and keep them safer off of Highway 9. Biking and Equestrian trails are a typical use of green belt open space, and this plan adds accommodation in a park that is intended to be shared by all. The EMUT planning to minimize the environmental impacts looks well thought out, and the attention to safety details seems to be addressed well. I enjoyed the description of the Multistem Coast Redwood. I had not heard of it before and am looking forward to seeing it! Thank you for your efforts on helping to make this trail a reality. Jeffrey Koopman 269 Spreading Oak Drive Santa Cruz, CA 15 Year Member of The Santa Cruz Chapter of the Sierra Club


117

From: Connie L [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, November 04, 2011 8:14 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip Multi Use support Hello Mr. Garcia, Thank you for the wonderful job you are doing. Just wanted to let you know I am excited about the work that has been done to clean-up and reclaim the Pogonip trail. I support the design to make this a multi-use trail. ~ Connie


118

From: Patrick Costa Leal [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 9:06 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip Multi-Use Please build the proposed multi-use trail through Pogonip. Regards, Patrick Santa Cruz, CA


119

From: Mike Lefrancois [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2011 8:27 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip Proposed Multi Use Trail Mr. Garcia, I am a former resident of the area and remain a frequent local trail user (hike, bike) and support the proposal to expand multi-use trail opportunities in the region. It is trails like this that encourage me to return to the area on leisure time and be a part of the tourist economy. Please approve this project. Michael Lefrancois Kings Beach, CA


120

From: Paul Liebenberg [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 14, 2011 7:42 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip Bike Access Dear Mr. Garcia, I happen to be an avid mountain biker and also a Sierra Club member; the Ventana Chapter is totally wrong in their opposition to the proposed multi-use trail in Pogonip Park. This proposed trail is a very important recreational connection from the City of Santa Cruz to all points beyond. To deny bicycle access would be a travesty. There is a certain irony about the Sierra Club; they whole-heartedly promote bicycling on pavement, when the surface turns to soil bicycles become verboten. A properly designed multi-use trail (which it appears the case with the aforementioned multi-use trail) has little environmental impact and allows enjoyment of parkland by many more users than an exclusively hiking-only trail. Thank you for considering my opinion. Sincerely, Paul Liebenberg 96 Pan Tempo Way Hollister, CA 95023 Cell 831-970-3732


121

From: Niall Macken [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 12:44 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip Hi there, I speak for myself and my wife, and although I don't want to put words in the mouths of my friends and business colleagues and partners, I am 100% sure they would also agree. We support the multi-use trail in the Pogonip as being described by Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz. In no way do I support the so called "Friends of Pogonip" Regards, Niall Macken 207 Younglove Ave


122

From: Corey Martin [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, November 12, 2011 9:27 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: I am in support of the new Pogonip Multi Use Trail! Please follow through with the approval of the Pogonip Trail. As an avid cyclist and hiker I know this trail will offer access for all to key trails in the area and insert a potential burst of life into an area that is currently frequented by illegal activity. Best, Corey Martin

corey v. martin

p a t h a r c h i t e c t u r e direct 971.219.8189 www.architecturepath.com


123

From: Ed Martini [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 2:27 PM To: Mauro Garcia Cc: City Council Subject: U-conn Multi Use trail I wanted to write in support of your proposed Pogonip multi-use trail. While I an hour away in Morgan Hill and would only rarely use the trail, I am familiar with the area and have many friends who live nearby. I would especially caution against a letter-writing campaign by the so-called "Friends of Pogonip" and their use of the Sierra Club mailing list to flood your offices with anti-bicycle propaganda. Cycling is a huge part of the Santa Cruz culture, gives kids a productive outlet for their energies and needs to be a growing part of our society. Please don't let these letter-writers who will never use the trail influence your good work. Thanks. Sincerely, Ed Martini Morgan Hill, CA


124

From: steve [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2011 12:23 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip Trail I am in favor of the proposed multi-use trail through Pogonip. I think it would not only benefit hikers and bikers but would also hopefully cut down on crime in the area. Sincerely, Steve McDonald


125

From: Greg McPheeters [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 3:40 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip MUT trail design study comments Mauro - I just wanted to put my note of support in for the Pogonip Multi Use Trail. I hope it gets built. I am a hiker and a cyclist. I am also an environmentalist and a business owner. This project seems like an all around win to me. We hikers get to keep all of "our" trails but worry less about drug activity, and mountain bikers can connect to UCON without having to ride on Highway 9 (sketchy) or the train tracks (illegal, and sketchy). From an environmental perspective, we address the trash and litter of the drug activity, and reduce car trips to the trail head of UCON on Highway 9. From a business perspective, we improve our local trail network which is an important part of our local tourism industry. Greg McPheeters


126

From: Meyner, Gus [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2011 1:11 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Approval: Project Location: City-owned and managed Pogonip greenbelt property I have ridden Pogonip many times, and find it a beautiful place. Bicycles should not be disallowed because of the irresponsibility of some and the selfishness of others. We all need to look out for and police our peers so groups can get along. Thank you. Gus Meyner 927 MacDuff Ct San Jose 95127 this: CITY OF SANTA CRUZ Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration The Administrator of Environmental Quality of the City of Santa Cruz is preparing to issue a Mitigated Negative Declaration of environmental impact for the following proposed project:

ject: Pogonip Master Plan Amendment & New East Multi-Use Trail (EMUT) Project Location: City-owned and managed Pogonip greenbelt property Project Applicant: City of Santa Cruz Project Description: The project consists of amendment of the Pogonip Master Plan to identify and describe a new multi-use trail, and construction of a new multi-use trail. The proposed 1.5-mile long, unpaved trail is situated along the eastern boundary of Pogonip and will provide a connection between the Golf Club Drive entrance at the southern end of Pogonip and existing multi-use trails located within the northernmost portion of Pogonip that connect to UCSC and Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. Trail use would be open to hikers, mountain bikers, dogs-on-leash, and equestrians. In addition to construction of a new multi-use trail route, numerous existing unauthorized informal trails will be closed and restored. Significant Effects on the Environment: Potential significant impacts were identified related to biological resources and geology and soils, which can be mitigated to a less-than-significant level with mitigation measures included in the Mitigated Negative Declaration. Gus Meyner Service Sales Engineer/ Account Manager Pacific Coast Trane Service San Francisco Area office office 408-481-3746 cel 408-857-9168

The information contained in this message is privileged and intended only for the recipients named. If the reader is not a representative of the intended recipient, any review, dissemination or copying of this message or the information it contains is


127

prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please immediately notify the sender, and delete the original message and attachments.


128

From: Ryan Moffatt [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 07, 2011 10:16 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip MUT Dear Mauro, Thank you for your contribution to this project! As a member of MBOSC and resident of Santa Cruz County I support the proposed the MUT. I see it as a positive move for the city to embrace an option that can affect the well being and safety of the residents of the county. Utilizing the newest in "green" trail building I hope we can set a standard for trails not only in the county but also in the state. Once again I appreciate the time and consideration you put into this project, Thanks! Sincerely, Ryan Moffatt


129

From: Beth Moorehead [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2011 12:01 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip Hi I think I've met you before, at the Grant Park neighborhood meeting a couple months ago. Thanks for being such an active part of Santa Cruz and the P&R department. I wholly support the Pogonip Multiuse Trail & Plan. In fact, I'm downright excited. I have lived in Santa Cruz for 42 years, grew up next to Nisene Marks Park and currently live on Plymouth St. I own my house, I work locally, and my two kids attend Delaveaga Elementary. I am in biking distance of so many great trails to ride. Opening this particular trail to my routes would get me off roadways and get me to my favorite cycling grounds in a scenic way. I love to ride with my 8 yr old son, but as a bike commuter, I know the dangers of street riding. The less my son and I are on car roads, the better. I am also a hiker, and have spent years hiking each and every trail in Santa Cruz County, from Fall Creek to Big Basin to Nisene Marks' Ridge Trail. I also used to enjoy horseback riding, until I could no longer afford it. I am the Multiuse Citizen of Santa Cruz County! I understand the need for trails to be open to many, and for all to share the road. MBOSC has been very good at educating cyclists, and are the only group I have ever done trail maintenance with - they put their words into action, certainly. Please add my name to those that support this multiuse trail. -- Thank you, Beth Moorehead


130

From: Hilgard Muller [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 2:12 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip Multi Use-trail Mauro, I am writing to show my support for the Pogonip Multi-use Trail. There are a lot of valid reasons that the trail should exist, but perhaps one that not completely addressed is the strong economic presence that exists in the Santa Cruz County area. Santa Cruz county has companies such as Bell Helmets, Giro Sport Design, Ibis, Santa Cruz Bikes, Blackburn, Easton, Fox Shox, Rock Lobster and many more. All these businesses are local to this area and the Pogonip MUT trail would benefit from the care and support that these companies have for the sport of cycling. These companies employ hundreds of local Santa Cruz county residents and contribute to the local economic well being. There is no arguing that the Santa Cruz area is a cycling destination so I feel strongly that this MUT should exist. Regards, Hilgard Hilgard Muller Industrial Design Director Easton Bell Sports 5550 Scotts Valley Drive Scotts Valley, CA 95066-3438 Email: [email protected] Phone: 831-461-7642


131

From: Charlotte Multer [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2011 4:23 PM To: City Council Subject: Support Multi Use trail in Pogonip Hi, I would like to encourage you to go forward with the multi use trail in Pogonip. As a hiker, I would feel much safer sharing the trail with bikers instead of drug addicts. These days I don't feel safe, at all, in the eastern (lower) portion of Pogonip. If it was a multi use trail I would go back to it. I spend a lot of time in the woods of UCSC and Henry Cowell, but stay away from that part. Thank you for looking into this option. Regards, Charlotte Multer Avid Hiker


132

From: Kaoru Otaki [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 14, 2011 10:51 AM To: Mauro Garcia; City Council Subject: I support bike access on the new Pogonip trail. I support the mountain bike access on the new Pogonip Trail! Thank you, Kaoru Otaki


133

From: Ott, Stephen [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 11:25 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Full support of multi-use pogonip trail Hello Mauro, I am in full support of the new multi-use trail that will connect the city of Santa Cruz to the wonderful fire-roads and trails behind UC Santa Cruz and Wilder Ranch. As a former member of the UCSC running club I frequented the pogonip park and witnessed the trash left behind by drug users and transients. As a mountain biker I am forced to ride my bike on highway 9 which, as you are probably aware, does not have a bike lane to access the U-conn trail. A multi-use trail allowing hikers, runners, equestrians and mountain bikers is a win-win solution for all. It will provide a safe bike route into UCSC for commuters, provides additional recreation, and more economic opportunity for downtown businesses. Regards, Stephen Ott Marketing Manager Simple Switcher Product Line 408-220-4271


134

From: Lindsay A Overton [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2011 1:11 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: support of Multi Use Trail (MUT) in Pogonip Hello, I have just read the information on the proposed new MUT in Pogonip and I am very excited that this project is moving forward! I look forward to enjoying this trail as a hiker, biker and equestrian (I belong to all user groups!). Thank you for your support of this project! This communication is for use by the intended recipient and contains information that may be Privileged, confidential or copyrighted under applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby formally notified that any use, copying or distribution of this e-mail, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. Please notify the sender by return e-mail and delete this e-mail from your system. Unless explicitly and conspicuously designated as "E-Contract Intended", this e-mail does not constitute a contract offer, a contract amendment, or an acceptance of a contract offer. This e-mail does not constitute a consent to the use of sender's contact information for direct marketing purposes or for transfers of data to third parties. Francais Deutsch Italiano Espanol Portugues Japanese Chinese Korean http://www.DuPont.com/corp/email_disclaimer.html


135

From: Natasha Perry [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 1:55 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip: Support of the Multi-use Trail Hi, I would like to let you know that I approve of the study and fully support the proposed multi-use trail in Pogonip. I think it's so important to show that we can take care of our shared resources, and allow for diverse use on our trails. In conjunction, I would really like to see the drug addicts moved out of areas that should be safe for public use. Thank you for your time. Natasha Perry Santa Cruz, CA


136

From: Paul [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 14, 2011 12:47 PM To: Mauro Garcia; City Council Subject: Pogonip multi-use trail I support opening this trail to mountain bikers. As an avid cyclist and long time resident I think it would be great to FINALLY SEE A NEW TRIAL OPENED FOR MOUNTAIN BIKERS. In the 12 years I've been riding here I can't name 1 new trail that has opened up even though the cycling scene has exploded. I've once thought that it was the city council's duty do what's best for the community but realized fairly quickly that that is not the case. Prove me wrong. - paul pietryka


137

From: Zorglub [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 10:07 AM To: Mauro Garcia Cc: City Council Subject: Support for making a multi use trail in Pogonip Hello, I'm a cyclist from the east bay. I very rarely go to Santa Cruz to ride my bike, but I have done it on occasions. Nevertheless, I support the initiative to create a multi use trail in Pogonip so that the city can reclaim the hill from heroin users and satisfy the needs of all outdoor enthusiasts. A progressive city like Santa Cruz should take the lead when it comes to including all users in outdoor recreation, and this is the perfect opportunity to do so. Cyclists should not be discriminated against, especially when they are trying to offer a solution. Regards, J-C Poussin


138

From: Joh Rathbun [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 3:29 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: In support of the MUT at Pogonip Hi Mr. Garcia-- I am e-mailing you to tell you I support the MUT at Pogonip and I believe that the MUT is an appropriate use of Pogonip and would be an important recreational resource. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to your feedback. -- Humbly, Joh Rathbun Freelance Sport and Travel Journalist https://twitter.com/#!/johrathbun 831.428.1288 Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving. ~Albert Einstein


139

From: Donna Riggs [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2011 8:58 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip MUT: YES! Hello I support the Pogonip Multi-Use Trail! Thank you, Donna Riggs Mtn Biker and City of SC resident 127 1/2 Peyton St Santa Cruz, CA 95060


140

From: Charles Rogerson [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 9:48 PM To: Mauro Garcia; City Council Subject: Pogonip Trail Dear Santa Cruz Representatives, I would like to voice my support for the proposed multi-use Pogonip trail. The current, drug filled state of the area is disgraceful and an embarrassment to the community. As I understand it, local mountain bike groups have been instrumental in preparation for this trail. I believe it would be unfair to alienate this group at this time in the process. Also, we must remember that the more trail "users" in this area, the better chance of driving out the "drug" users. Thank you for your support so far in this process, Charles Rogerson


141

From: sweaklan [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 3:53 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: I support Pogonip MUT trail and I live in Santa Cruz Thanks. Scott


142

From: Ed [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 10:10 PM To: Mauro Garcia; City Council Cc: Edward William Scott IV Subject: Comments in Support of New Trail in the Pogonip That Allows Cycling Sirs: I write in support of the new proposed trail in the Pogonip. I am a frequent cyclist at Wilder Ranch. I often ride up on the UConn trail in the Pogonip from Highway 9 and the Chinquapin trail on the UCSC property to access the Wilder trails. The city council has a simple and stark choice - heroin or bikes. The problems of drug users in the Pogonip has been forestalled only for the moment. Once the enforcement efforts subside there due to attention elsewhere, or further budget cutbacks, the problems of drug dealing, drug using and illegal camping (and attendant fire and crime dangers therefrom) will return. Such activities only thrive in the dark remote places in the forest. The City Council should not fool itself, the days of the Pogonip being an unspoiled wilderness are long gone. It has now become a haven for the homeless, the mentally ill, the drug and alcohol dependents, and such problems will surely return once attention is directed elsewhere. The simplest and most cost-effective solution to keep the illegal camps and drug dens is to build trails that allow bikes and other trail users. The presence of cyclists and other trail users in the area will create enough traffic to discourage such activities. It will act as an unofficial police force which will deny the solitude that such activities require for sustenance. Deprive those activities their essential lifeblood, they it will die or move elsewhere. Deny legal access to the Pogonip, and illegal activities will return. Some can live in the past and yearn for unspoiled wilderness. This is unrealistic. The chances for such an idyllic wilderness in the urban interface are slim and chances are that it will not return without a huge ongoing enforcement investment. When the enforcement expenses dry up, the drugs will return. Left unchecked, the drug and public safety problems will only increase. The ultimate result of this will, if we are unlucky, is a major tragedy such as a wildfire in the dense forest (and attendant lost of life and property), violence in the drug dens or other major public safety problem which we can only now speculate about. Santa Cruz must now make the choice now - drugs or bikes. Please choose wisely. -Ed Scott Los Gatos


143

From: Joel Shrock [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2011 10:25 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip proposal. Please keep pushing for mountain bike access! Hello Mauro, Please do what you can to ensure mountain bike access in the Pogonip project as it goes forward. There’s such an abundance of trails for hiking and other activities around, but so few places to ride.. it’s critically important to keep and develop trails to ride.. It’s healthy, safe and brings people into the area to boost the local economy. Santa Cruz is known for the amazing biking in the area, and should remain that way.. There are many examples of how communities are using mountain biking to bring in revenue to their local economy and increase physical fitness of their residents. In many cases, they are able to do this at little cost because many of the trails are built and maintained by volunteer labor from the mountain bike community.. Downieville CA – stimulating their local economy by creating a haven for mountain bikers.. while using volunteer labor. http://sierratrails.org/ Duthie Hill in Seattle- built by volunteers.. a huge success. http://evergreenmtb.org/wiki/index.php?title=Trail:Duthie_Hill Colonnade in Seattle http://evergreenmtb.org/wiki/index.php?title=Trail:I-5_Colonnade Galbraith Mountain in Bellingham http://www.ridegalbraith.com/Index.cfm Valmont in Colorado http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2410&Itemid=4890 Whales UK – government sponsored bike parks and riding centers.. http://www.forestry.gov.uk/mtbwales Trail centers across the UK http://www.ukmountainbiker.com/view/Information/Trail_Centres/ as you can see in the UK links, we are a little behind in the broad support of mountain biking that some other countries have, but with your help we will get there. It’s a continually growing sport with industries in the town of Santa Cruz that are dependent on the growth and support of the industry. It’s a much healthier activity for the participants and the environment than riding Motorcycles, but it seems that Mountain bikers are unfairly pushed into the same group as them.


144

It’s puzzling to me to see the environmental impact it takes to create and maintain a golf course, with all of the land and water usage, but yet a simple mountain bike trail can seem so difficult to put into place.. Trails don’t take up much space, the sensitive plants and trees can be preserved by going around them, the trails can be build so erosion is not an issue, and it’s an activity that’s much more accessible to the public than sports that require a lot of wealth (Golf, Skiing, Horseback riding, Moto cross, etc).. It’s known that we have an obesity problem in the US and mountain biking is a great way to help kids stay fit, particularly that ones that may not fit the mold for typical “team sports”.. I was one of those kids.. too small for basket ball and football, yet none of that matters when I’m riding my bike.. it’s much more accessible to the broader community than traditional team sports.. It’s time we give land access back to the people and support the local businesses and economy in the process. Please do what you can, for the physical and financial health of Santa Cruz. Please let me know what I can do to help your efforts. Joel Shrock ____________________ Joel Shrock [email protected] www.Shrockie.com

Confidentiality Notice - This e-mail transmission, and any documents, files or previous e-mail messages attached to it are for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain information that is confidential or legally privileged. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message. Thank you.


145

From: Ace Sievert [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2011 4:42 PM To: Mauro Garcia; City Council Subject: Pogonip Multi Use Trail To Whom It May Concern, As a lifelong resident of Santa Cruz county I wanted to express my support for the new multi use trail proposed for Pogonip. We need this trail so that mt. bikers will not have to either ride up Highway 9(which is dangerous) or the railroad tracks(which is technically illegal) to access the Ucon trail and UCSC. Many local riders like to ride from town and this trail would be great both for user enjoyment and safety. Opponents to this trail love to portray us as rogue speed demons mowing down every elderly and disabled person in sight but the facts are that everywhere mt. bikes are allowed here there has been ZERO collisions between bikes and hikers. Bikes also have about the same environmental impact as hikers and far less than horses. Numerous studies by the USFS and NPS have proven this. Since I started mt. biking here in the early 90's the amount of riders(and users of all kinds ) has increased fivefold and we actually have less trails to ride than we did then. So please for the sake of our community build this trail! Thank you. Sincerely, Ace Sievert


146

From: Matthew Oliver Sloan [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 13, 2011 7:56 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Proposed Pogonip Bike Trail Dear Mauro, I think it is a great idea to have a bike trail on the area of Pogonip. Mountain biking brings a lot of visitors to Santa Cruz to enjoy some of the greatest trails, not only in America, but the world. Having more legal trails can only lead to more mountain bike visitors and more income for the city. Everyone's a winner! Plus, my friends and I love to mountain bike in Santa Cruz. We always respect the hikers, bikers, runners, and horses. As do all the mountain bike people I see riding the trails. As a resident and house owner in Santa Cruz, I heartily support the proposed trail. Sincerely, Matthew Sloan


147

From: crescent smith [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 13, 2011 8:29 PM To: Mauro Garcia; City Council Subject: pogonip trail Hello! I am a 40+ mother of one five year old and I love to ride my mountain bike. I ride the Pogonip area regularly with friends and family. All the bikers, hikers and runners I have encountered have been exceptionally friendly and respectful of one another. Pogonip is a special area that all deserve to use legally in respectful and healthy ways. Please help pass the proposal for a multi-use trail in Pogonip. Thank you, Crescent Smith


148

From: Geoffrey Smith [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2011 6:30 PM To: Mauro Garcia; City Council Cc: mbosc Subject: My support for the Pogonip multi-use tril. To: Mauro Garcia and members of the SC City Council,

As a resident of Santa Cruz City and County for the past forty four years I am writing to state my extremely strong support for the development and opening of the Pogonip multi-use trail which is under consideration by the City Council in the next few months. I believe this trail can be designed in an environmentally benign way and will benefit the citizens of Santa Cruz and many visitors to our area far into the future. Additionally, this trail can do nothing but have a positive economic impact to the City of Santa Cruz and our downtown merchants by becoming a destination attraction for our area to mountain bikers and equestrians alike. Imagine the pleasure of riding your bike (or horse) from the Boardwalk beach, along the river path to the Pogonip multi-use trail all the way to the redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains, to Henry Cowell and the San Lorenzo River for swimming or picnicking, or through UCSC then down through Wilder Ranch and back along West Cliff Drive! This is an amazing opportunity to have a Circle Trail that everyone could enjoy.

I also believe that the new trail will minimize, but not necessarily eliminate, the undesirable activities that have taken over a large area of our “crown jewel” Pogonip Park. As President of the Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz I was intimately involved as part of a very small crew working for several months alongside Bud and Emma McCrary during the trail construction and paid the price with months of sore muscles along with poison oak exposure and much itching. But this was a small price to pay for working with such incredible individuals as the McCrarys to build this wonderful trail and this is one of my most treasured memories in life. During construction we came upon several encampments and off trail vagrants (and trail runners) who eventually moved on after seeing so much activity in the area. There are no illegal encampments currently within sight of the trail and I consider this one of the benefits of the UConn Trail in addition to the increased multi-use access to Henry Cowell and UCSC. The proposed multi-use trail will most likely have the same positive result in the surrounding area if it is developed. As you know by recent observations in the Heroin Hill area, these illegal encampments can be extremely damaging to the surrounding environment due to trash dumping, clearing of native vegetation and fecal coliform contamination of nearby streams from human waste. Additionally, the increased fire danger from illegal campfires is a frightening risk to surrounding neighborhoods and woodlands with minimal or impossible access for firefighting personnel.

During the many discussions and community meetings before the UConn Trail was approved in 1998 the opponents to multi-use in Pogonip used obfuscation and mistruths to support their arguments. They spoke of environmental damage and trail conflicts without any supporting documents or scientifically based studies choosing only to use anecdotal reports from their friends who shared the same bias that only hikers had the right to use the trails in the Santa Cruz


149

greenbelt properties among many others. They continue to use these same scare tactics to oppose the proposed multi-use trail and ignore the fact that many peer reviewed studies refute these wild claims. In fact, improper trail design is the major contributor to trail erosion which can be seen in Pogonip and other parklands where only hikers are allowed. Have you visited any of Yosemite’s meadows or hiked the Pacific Crest Trail recently? On a per user basis, hikers and mountain bikers have been shown to have similar quantitative but different qualitative impact with equestrians having a greater impact that isn’t significant in most areas considering their lower numbers. Also, if trail conflicts were causing as many problems as claimed then we would be hearing of many injuries every week in areas where multi-use is allowed. Just ask the rangers in Wilder Ranch and they’ll tell you that hiker/biker collisions are extremely rare with most injuries inflicted by bikers to themselves. If anyone does not want to share trails with mountain bikers there are many City and State Parks in Santa Cruz County where they can go to avoid them. Fall Creek and most of Henry Cowell and Nisene Marks State Parks and Meder Street Park are just a few within a very short distance from Pogonip where anyone can go with little time and effort to have their “quiet, reflective nature experience”.

Ironically, many of the opponents to multi-use in the greenbelt properties and Pogonip were instrumental in the efforts to prevent these lands from being filled with McMansions which would have been an eyesore for all in Santa Cruz. I thank them for their vision but I also think they have lost touch with the changing community needs and are living in the past. They’ve lost sight of what most in our community wanted in the first place and now consider the greenbelt to be a “nature preserve” where no development or change at all should take place. This mindset includes not preserving historic resources such as the Pogonip Clubhouse and some of the old kilns from the early 1900’s. Past City Councils chose not to allow private interests to restore and develop the Clubhouse and to allow second and third growth redwoods to remain growing in the walls of the kilns which destabilize them and are also destroying some of Santa Cruz’s important historic landmarks. Pogonip is not a nature preserve and has suffered, and recovered from, many insults including clear cutting and burning of its Redwoods for lime production, cattle grazing and recreational uses such as a polo field and golf course in the lower meadow.

Pogonip and the other Santa Cruz greenbelt properties were promoted to the public as including multi-use to garner wider support to use our tax monies for their purchase to protect them from development. This is supported in the public records by the handouts prepared by the City in 1994 to promote development of the greenbelt. Thankfully they were protected from the developers’ bulldozers but only approximately the one mile UConn Trail was subsequently opened in Pogonip for equestrian and mountain biking use. The City Council at that time chose to ignore two community interest groups who met between 1991 and 1993 and again in 1997 over many months of meetings (which I attended) and who ultimately recommended with a greater than 70% majority for multi-use on fire roads only among other improvements which also have not been implemented.

This was an insult to the community and to the process of citizen’s involvement to choose how they wanted our greenbelt to be used. I believe that certain members of the City Council used undue influence to get their selfish way to the detriment of Pogonip which is evidenced by just looking at the old Clubhouse and


150

Heroin Hill. They also never seemed to mind that hikers in Pogonip Park often go off trail and dogs are frequently allowed to run off-leash, both of which disturbs the wildlife in ways that have not been studied for potential environmental impacts.

The UConn Trail was a well chewed bone that was thrown to the multi-use supporters in the hope that we would just go away. But we haven’t gone away. We have been patiently waiting for reason to return to the City Council so that they would finally understand how important it is to have more than just a select few in the upper Westside neighborhoods enjoy this wonderful property. Pogonip should be more than just a glorified dog park for those who live nearby. It is time for the downtown residents to have convenient and safe access to the largest parkland in our greenbelt without needing to drive to and park along Spring Street. Those opposed to the new trail should understand this and shame on them if they abuse the legal process and initiate frivolous lawsuits to block any progress again.

Respectively,

Geoffrey J. Smith

Northrop Place

Santa Cruz, CA 95060


151

From: grinell smith [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 13, 2011 6:30 PM To: City Council Subject: We Support Opening of Pogonip to Multi-use Hi. My family and I are hikers, mountain bikers, and Santa Cruz residents, and this is just a quick note to say that we fully support the effort to open the Pogonip trail to multi-use. The proposed plan seems reasonable, the mitigation plan seems sound, and despite much propaganda to the contrary, we can't see how the use of that trail by horses and bikers would put hikers in danger. On the contrary, we think it would make the place safer by a mile by encouraging law-abiding community members to take back the trail from the sketchy heroin-addled folks one usually sees up there. As it is, my wife and daughter refuse to use that stretch of trail because of the sketch-factor. So we're hoping the plan will proceed and the trail will once again become a safe and peaceful area of natural beauty for hikers, bikers, and horse-riders! Thanks for your consideration. -- Grinell Smith, PhD Assistant Professor Connie L. Lurie College of Education San José State University


152

From: Becky Sox [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, November 25, 2011 7:27 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip To whom it may concern- I am a resident of the west side of Santa Cruz. I am writing to inform you I am in favor of the multi-use trail at Pogonip. It would create a safe beautiful route to campus. That area should be available for recreation and for all to enjoy. Thank you. Rebecca Sox


153

From: Valerie Spier [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 1:40 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: I support the Pogonip Multiuse Trail Valerie Spier Fremont, CA


154

From: Keith Tschudi [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2011 5:38 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogo nip path I am writing in support of the proposed threw pogonip.


155

From: Kimberly Tsiaras [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 12:56 PM To: City Council Subject: Pogonip Multi-Use Trail Dear Santa Cruz City Council Members, As a resident of Santa Cruz and an avid mountain biker, I am writing to request your support for the proposed mutli-use trail in Pogonip. For me, mountain biking is a healthy, environmentally friendly way to enjoy nature - and a safer way of biking - off the road and away from cars. The multi-use trail will provide opportunity for commuting to work - specifically for my husband - which is not only healthy personally, but encourages less traffic on the roads. Mountain biking is an activity that we do on a weekly basis with friends and family. I took up mountain biking after sustaining long-term injuries from years running. It is not a reckless or dangerous sport; simply an alternative way to be outdoors as compared to hiking, horseback riding, surfing or rock climbing. As a city that is known for it's recreational activities I believe we should be encouraging all forms of recreation and not just choosing ones that appear to be more conventional. If anything Santa Cruz is not conventional. Mountain Bikers are also strong supporters of trail maintenance and cleanup, often providing much of the manpower and coordination behind many of these efforts. Limiting access to this area will alienate an important constituency and create a hostile environment between hikers and bikers. I want to be part of a community that truly supports all forms of recreation and I hope that as representatives of our city you will support the multi-use trail in Pogonip. Sincerely, Kimberly Tsiaras


156

From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Sent: Fri, Nov 11, 2011 7:43 AM PST Subject: pogonip support To whom it may concern; I am a 50 year old female local who loves Santa Cruz and the activity of mountain biking on our local trails. I am writing because I am in great support of having the Pogonip connector trail to the ucon to be open and legal to mountain biking. For the record, there are many recreational mountain riders in our community who are not racers, nor fast riders who really enjoy traveling by bicycle to enjoy the beauty of our great little town at slow and courteous paces. Thank You. Sharron Turner


157

From: Karl Volk [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2011 11:36 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: EMUT comment from our website Dear Sir or Madam, I support the Pogonip Multiuse Trail. My name is Karl R. Volk, and I reside at 261 Spreading Oak Drive, Santa Cruz, CA 95066. As a former homeowner's association president for Hidden Glen, I realize you constantly receive passionate arguments from polar opposite ends on every issue. This is of course because the most opinionated individuals reside at both ends of the spectrum. But if you take a survey, as we often did in Hidden Glen, you usually find that the vast majority of your constituents are quite moderate. On this issue, I suggest that allowing multiuse in parks, at minimum on a limited basis, is a moderate position and is what most of your public would consider a reasonable compromise. I hope you are able to see past the strong objectors and make a wise decision. Best regards, Karl Sent from my iPhone


158

From: Josh Walters [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 13, 2011 9:37 AM To: Mauro Garcia Cc: City Council Subject: Pogonip connector trail To whom it may concern, I'm writing in support of the plan for a multi-use connector trail through Pogonip. I'm not really sure why I need to write this, as the concept seems to me a no brainer. If you ask any mountain biker in the world what are some cool mountain biking towns, Santa Cruz will be somewhere on the list, and yet half of our trails are illegal and most of them require riding on dangerous roads, or illegal railroad tracks, to get to them. This Pogonip trail is the obvious solution. I understand that the Sierra Club, which I used to be a member of, opposes the plan because they think we mountain bikers will be running over mothers with strollers and spooking horses. (Everyone I ride with knows the rules of the trail and yield to others.) But the proposed new trail is just not that kind of trail. To my understanding, the proposed trail will be largely flat and not that fast. Those kinds of fun trails, on which we rarely see hikers on and almost never see horses on, are where the proposed Pogonip trail is meant to take us. It is the means, not the end. Also, the heroin problem in the area is getting way out of control. The local authorities may be cracking down on the "Heroin Hill" area, but the users are not going away. They're just moving up the hill deeper into the trail system, and onto Campus lands. The last time that I rode in the area, I saw easily a dozen new trails branching of into the woods. Instead of new bike trails, they were all foot paths leading to heroin camps. You're not getting rid of the junkies, just making them fitter. The proposed Pogonip Trail would bring more trail users into the area, hopefully scaring away the junkies. This may sound for fetched, but I don't see the Police doing it. Santa Cruz is a bike town, with an amazing reputation for good trails and a local bike economy that generates millions of dollars. It could be a mecca for bike tourism like Moab, Utah, if only these tourists could safely get to the trails. Thank you for your time, Josh Walters


159

From: Brian Weigel [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 9:07 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: I support the pogonip multi use trail Thank you for helping us to make this a reality ;) Brian Weigel


160

From: keith wells [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 14, 2011 3:40 PM To: Mauro Garcia Cc: City Council Subject: I support the Pogonip MUT As a mountain biker, hiker and father I would like to express my support for the Pogonip Proposed Mulit Use Trail. The positives associated with this trail appear endless... It's a potential crime deterrent. It could give business's along River St. a nice boost from increased foot and bike traffic. It provides an "approachable" recreation option for those who either lack the fitness or the dexterity to enjoy some of the other off road trail options in Santa Cruz County. I see no reason why this trail should not be approved and built immediately. Keith Wells Aptos


161

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 4:48 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip multi-use trail Mauro Garcia, I live in the Felton area and I support the new Pogonip trail. I often ride my mountain bike in a loop from Felton up UCON trail to Wilder and back via Santa Cruz. The most dangerous part of the ride is Hwy 9 from the Tannery to Rincon parking lot. This will provide a safe way through this area. Thank You A. J. Winkler, Jr.


162

From: Mark Woodhead [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 5:31 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Pogonip MUT I wanted to voice my approval for this trail. Historically, this trail route was promised to be looked at within two years back when the U-Conn trail was opened. That never happened, and since it took 9 years just to get the U-Conn connector, I was beginning to think it never would happen. This trail is also on the edge of the park, and clearly will not lead to a large influx of riders on other trails as opponents have claimed. They said the same thing when U-Conn went in, but the influx of illegal riders never happened. If anything, trail use of the other trails my mtn bikers decreased after it went in. But far more important was the breakup of a location that has become synonymous with black tar heroin sales across the entire bay area. The drug dealers and users will now most likely choose places closer to town to do their transactions, and Pogonip will be a far safer area, without the massive environmental damage that was occurring in that area. This trail is a win-win for everyone but those who don't want to share. And I thank you for finally making it happen. Mark Woodhead 831-818-4776


163

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 9:47 PM To: City Council Subject: Hello. I am a 50 year old female local who loves beautiful Santa Cruz and loves and supports the activity of mountain bik -- ================================================================== This mobile text message is brought to you by AT&T


164

From: Thorne [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 14, 2011 8:43 AM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: Protect the Pogonip Hello Mauro Garcia, I am a regular user walker, dog leashed walker of the Pogonip. Bikes are too frequently using the trail as it is. Dangerous I am hearing impaired so walking on west cliff is too risky for my dog and I. The Pogonip is presently the safest place. Please protect the Pogonip from the bikers on adjacent trails from accessing the Pogonip. Thank you Karen L. Binnings

OPPOSE PROJECT - 2011

165

From: Jerry Falek [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2011 2:56 PM To: Mauro Garcia Subject: pogonip I just read the notice about the proposed new trail. I'm very supportive of bicyclists and horseback riders having more places to go, but I'm strongly against opening up the Pogonip to them. I know that the proposal is for them to only use certain parts, but it's my experience that a portion of them will not restrict themselves to the permitted trails. Witness Nisene Marks which tried a restricted use plan. I used to go there often, but after watching the trails get dangerously eroded and degraded, and having been almost run down numerous times, I stopped going there. Nearby Wilder Ranch already offers a place for bikers and riders. I'm strongly opposed to this change. Will there be a public forum for this issue? Jerry Falek Santa Cruz PS. I speak English very adequately. The opening sentence of the notice is entirely unintelligible. If lawyers want to talk that way, fine, but spare the rest of us.


166

From: Michael Wahlers [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 10:19 PM To: Mauro Garcia Cc: City Council Subject: Comments on the Pogonip MND Mauro, I wanted to chime in as this is the last day comments are being accepted on the MND. After considering both sides, I am firmly against the proposed trail. I continue to be opposed to bicycles within Pogonip for the same reasons that I have outlined in my previous letters as well as vocalized during earlier meetings with you and several council members. I will emphasize that Pogonip is the last bike-free natural space in the Santa Cruz area and I am convinced that the introduction of mountain bikes (all bikes) will have a very negative impact. In addition, as an active mountain biker myself, I can nearly guarantee that bikers will illegally use the trails all over the Pogonip if this proposed trail is developed. It is also concerning that the rail-trail idea has not been fully explored. The fiscal expenditure for the trail also seems misguided at this time of budget austerity. The effect of the economic downturn is being felt by many of our community services, including the public libraries. Thank you for considering my comments. I do hope that we can preserve Pogonip in its current state as it invites all denizens of Santa Cruz to enjoy a peaceful visit in a serene and biologically diverse setting. Avid bikers like myself are welcome too; just at this one location, we can leave our bikes at the gate. Take care, Michael -- Michael Wahlers, M.D.


167

COMMENTS ON 2011 MND/IS - City of Santa Cruz

Documents

Transcript of COMMENTS ON 2011 MND/IS - City of Santa Cruz