PROS Commission Meeting Agenda Item 4d April 5, 2021 ...

PROS Commission Meeting Agenda Item 4d April 5, 2021

Walnut Creek Trail Committee Update

A request to hear the presentation and provide feedback on Walnut Creek Trail Committee recommendations on new signage,

trail restoration projects, trail closures, 2021 weed-abatement season, and the status of the proposed flow trail within southern

Lime Ridge Open Space.

• Public Comment Received Prior to PROS Commission Meeting (before 4:00pm)

-----Original Message----- From: Humphrey, David (GE Digital) <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, February 4, 2021 3:11 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: MTB trail access Warning: this message is from an external user and should be treated with caution. Closing frequently used trails prior to opening others is a recipe for people building bootleg trails. Build new fun trails first, then close others is the best way to get the MTB community on board with the preservation efforts. Also, consider making multi-use trail one way. It’s a lot less likely to cause conflict if hikers understand than bikes will be coming on the trail at speed if it is downhill only Sent from my iPhone [email protected] (925)683-7262

mailto:[email protected]



From: jeff lyon <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, February 8, 2021 8:23 AM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: Comment in favor of biking trails

Warning: this message is from an external user and should be treated with caution.

Hi!

I might be a little late with this input, but I just wanted to add my voice to the chorus calling for a better mountain bike trail network (more miles of trail, more access to single track). I saw that a meeting agenda called for time to "discuss further action on the trails subcommittee recommendations regarding trail access for mountain bikes." Clearly the number of people riding has taken off in the past year, so extra trail miles will reduce crowding and conflict. With more users being cyclists, more trails that are more fun will increase usage too. It’s such healthy recreation that it should be promoted! Having local trails increases the opportunity to get out and probably cuts traffic by keeping people from having to drive far afield to get access. Thank you, Jeff Lyon



From: Anne Gartner <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 9, 2021 5:12 AM To: Mike Vickers <[email protected]> Subject: Flow Trail


Dear Mr Vickers- I am a current resident of Timberleaf Court. I have a great number of concerns for the proposed Flow Trail for mountain biking. The area behind our homes is a very high fire danger and in the peak mountain biking times our homes would be a risk. Increasing the number of people traveling behind here creates an increased risk for flames. Mountain bikers have created an illegal jump and damned the creek behind our homes. It only takes one spark from someone taking a cigarette break to destroy hundreds of homes and possible loss of life. It was pointed out in the meeting last week that Timberleaf Court is too narrow for a firetruck to get in and out of easily. There are also limited exit points for residents in the event of a fire. This concern for the lives and property of every Walnut Creek resident should be considered before putting a Flow Trial anywhere in Walnut Creek. The Flow Trail idea will create an increase in the number of people who will be coming to Walnut Creek to use our trail. We will be servicing not the residents of Walnut Creek but the greater Bay Area mountain biking community. Because there is not another flow trail locally, we will be attracting people from all over the East Bay to increase the impact on our hills. This will create an increased stress on the environment and not a decrease in the use of the currently impacted area. The Flow trail is proposed to be less than a 1 1/2 long. A typical mountain bike ride is 8-10 miles long. People will come for the Flow Trail and then continue their ride in the only direction that is available to them which is back towards the environmentally sensitive areas. This proposed trail will not only create environmental concerns for behind Arbolado Dr. but it will also increase the stress on the areas of concern by driving more mountain bikes onto this hillside. They have already impacted our area with a damn on our stream and an illegal jump in our gully. I believe you have been sent pictures from other neighbors showing this. In the meeting it was noted that there are only four rangers to patrol the hills. There is not enough staff to monitor speed on the trail, motorized dirt bikes using the trail, illegal trails being created off the main trail, jumps being built creating trash, debris and fire risk. I have been running and hiking in these hills for nearly 20 years. I have never seen a ranger in the hills on the trail. I run with pepper spray for both safety from wildlife and from other people on the trail. Relying on volunteers to patrol the trail is not a reliable plan. If there are not enough rangers to patrol the existing trails, how will they manage a huge influx of additional riders? Parking will be an issue and the proposed parking plans are not reliable. On a busy Saturday morning Arbolado park is heavily used for soccer parking and overflows onto Arbolado. This area will be completely full and will not allow for extra mountain bike parking. Similar with



Boundary Oaks trailhead, on a busy Saturday the golf course will fill their parking lot and overflow into the trail parking and on the street. This again will allow for limited parking for mountain biking. Mountain bikers will take the path of least resistance and knowing they can cut off part of their climb on the ride, they will start driving up and parking on Arbolado Dr. and Timberleaf Ct. The current trial creates an increased environmental impact on the proposed hillside and the areas in which you are trying to protect. It creates an increased fire risk in an area that is already a very high fire zone. It creates parking problems and access issues for the residents of walnut creek. It creates safety issues by increasing the number of people coming into Walnut Creek to use our trails. I am opposed to the Flow Trial for the above listed reasons. It has long been the case that mountain bikers need a place to ride. A flow trail behind homes is not a feasible plan for Walnut Creek. It should not be in the proposed location or near any homes of Walnut Creek. Placing a flow trail in a more open space such as Borges Ranch and "flowing" into Castle Rock park would keep people away from homes for riding. It would also provide a large access parking lot at the base of Caste Rock. An alternate plan could also be a bike park off Ygnacio or Treat Blvd. It is clear that mountain bikers want jumps as indicated by all the illegal jumps created already. Why not create a bike park with varied levels of jumps and ride to centralize bikers and not increase traffic on the trails. Please consider the environmental impact and the safety of Walnut Creek residents and move this proposed trail to another location. Sincerely, Annie Gartner 620 Timberleaf Ct Walnut Creek CA 94598 -- Anne Gartner, D.O. President 360 Medical Weight Specialists, Inc. 2255 Ygnacio Valley Rd. Suite N Walnut Creek, CA 94598 925-944-5678

From: Valerie <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2021 12:43 PM To: Mike Vickers <[email protected]> Cc: Heather Ballenger <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Lime Ridge Open Space proposed Flow/bike trail


So George Astin was lying when he said he saw your response to our HOA letter? It seems strange he would reference you and say he felt you addressed our concerns if he never saw it. How would he know that we sent you a letter if he was not privy to it? And how exactly will we get our concerns addressed at the upcoming PROS meeting when it is not interactive? The commissioners do not address public comments, as far as I am aware no one addresses the direct questionss asked during the public comments. Valerie On Tuesday, February 23, 2021, 11:44:50 AM PST, Mike Vickers <[email protected]> wrote:

Good morning,

As I shared in my previous email, I have not shared any of the correspondence between the City/Public Works and you, the neighbors or the RP HOA. We will be happy to address any other questions regarding this project at the April 5th PROS meeting.

Regards,

Mike

From: Valerie <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, February 19, 2021 2:06 PM To: Mike Vickers <[email protected]> Cc: Heather Ballenger <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Lime Ridge Open Space proposed Flow/bike trail


Mike,

I am specifically replying to your response to the HOA board's question regarding sharing communications with the community. You said it was not shared with the general public. You shared our email with George Astin. I would like to know why? I would like to know who else you shared our correspondence with. Their question was in response to learning that George Astin was privy to our communications. He is a member of the general public but more specifically is an avid mountain biker and a vocal supporter of the proposed new bike trails.





thank you,

Valerie

On Sunday, February 14, 2021, 12:59:09 PM PST, Valerie <[email protected]> wrote:

Mike,

I would like to understand how your response to our board was shared with people in the community not involved in this conversation. George Astin seems to be intimately involved in the conversations regarding the Open Space trails. He is not listed on the Open Space committee nor is he a city employee that is a part of this conversation, nor was he an addressee of this communication. Why would he be privy to our letter? Why would he have seen your response? It was not a public document.

George Astin

•

Scottsdale - Walnut Creek

I refute that illicit trails are solely the creation of cyclists as hikers have crested many illicit shortcut trails in both lime and shell(including the one off Timberleaf. ) Finally I have read Mike Vickers response to the RPHOA. Im confident the city and Pros is moving in the right direction with regards to trail creation and maintenance. I feel he addresses the concerns in an appropriate manner especially the location of the trail allowing for responsible use, sustainability and management. Therefore Ill support those efforts to the best of my abilities.

On Thursday, February 11, 2021, 02:54:50 PM PST, Mike Vickers <[email protected]> wrote:

Good afternoon and thank you for sharing your comments. As I have shared with you and other neighbors of Rancho Paraiso we are working to address your concerns. Finding a balance between the environment and recreational use is one of the Walnut Creek Open Space Committee’s (Committee) top priorities. The following information is being provided to share more insight on the topics listed below. Environmental Many of the trails created in Central Lime Ridge were not authorized and therefore are unsafe and have created an impact on the surrounding environment. The purpose of the new flow trail is to have a sustainable and safe trail for both users and the environment; reduce conflict between users; reduce damage to habitat and the impact to environment and wildlife; all while increasing user satisfaction. It should be noted that issues such as erosion will be addressed during the design and construction of the flow trail. Fire The City of Walnut Creek has a thorough weed abatement program throughout the open space that not only meets, but exceeds, guidelines of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection Agency with expanded weed abatement lines that are 25-30% wider than required. Staff recognized that there are some areas that could use some additional attention. For example, the thinning of coyote brush adjacent to residential areas and staff has it in their plan to begin this work. Visitors Use


https://nextdoor.com/profile/8991716/


Over this past year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, people were looking for healthy outlets that met state and county guidelines. Since it provided the ability to safely maintain social distancing in a beautiful outdoor environment, Walnut Creek Open Space experienced a drastic increase in visitor user rates. Although we do not expect this trend to continue, we recognized that people had the opportunity to enjoy new experiences in the open space and will surely continue to visit. We believe that visitor use numbers will be higher than they were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic since this public space is open for enjoyment and recreation by the greater community. Parking As shared during the Feb 1, 2021 PROS Meeting. There are two recommended points of access, or trail heads, to the flow trail. The first is at the east end of Valley Vista, adjacent to Boundary Oak Golf Course. This area provides adequate parking and other amenities such as public restrooms. The second location is at Arbolado Park, which also provides restrooms and allows flow trail access from the northeast corner of the park. Trail Access from Timberleaf Court As was previously shared, there are a number of options to restrict access from Timberleaf Court. These may include installing obstructions to prevent bike users from accessing the trail while continuing to allow pedestrian access. All options are being considered. Security and Privacy The openness of the area, unlike the more secluded Central Lime Ridge, allows for quick identification of issues before they become problems. Additionally, part of the new process, will allow Open Space Rangers the tools to address negative impacts to the area in a timely manner. The current design of the flow trail keeps the users over 600 feet (2 football fields) away from the closest residence. Process The Walnut Creek Open Space Committee was formed in 2019 to address the current and future use of the open space. The Committee included a broad range of users and environmental representatives. The Committee developed a Trails Report and presented it to the Park, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Commission on December 7, 2020. The public meeting was advertised on Twitter, Facebook, all trail head kiosks and shared with approximately 39,000 Nextdoor subscribers within the City of Walnut Creek. The meeting was well attended with over 100 participants, 30 plus public speakers and dozens of emails and letters. At the February 1, 2021 PROS meeting, staff provided an update on the Committee recommended Flow Trail. During the public comment portion of the presentation, the Commissioners heard a number of concerns expressed by the speakers. The staff noted the concerns and have been working to address them. Next Steps The Committee and staff will continue with the trail design and all details regarding the project are being assessed. We anticipate a further update of the flow trail and other trail improvements will be on the April 5th PROS agenda. Regards, Mike Vickers Public Works Manager City of Walnut Creek 925-256-3538 From: Valerie <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, February 07, 2021 10:23 AM To: Heather Ballenger <[email protected]>; Public Comments <[email protected]>; Cyndi Hashimoto <[email protected]>; Contact Us <[email protected]>; Recreation <[email protected]>; Mayor - City Council <[email protected]>; Dan Buckshi <[email protected]>; [email protected]; Teri Killgore <[email protected]> Cc: Charles Hicklin <[email protected]>; Behrouzi <[email protected]>; Kathleen Flynn <[email protected]>; Peter Jordan <[email protected]> Subject: Lime Ridge Open Space proposed Flow/bike trail
















February 7, 2021

TO: Walnut Creek City Council; Parks, Recreation & Open Space Commission

We, the board of Directors of the Rancho Paraiso Homeowners Association, have recently discovered that the PROS commission is considering a proposal to make significant changes to the Lime Ridge Open space that surrounds the Rancho Paraiso community. We represent over 200 families that reside in our community. We are greatly disappointed to find out that a committee has been working on proposals regarding this area without any input from our community. It would certainly appear that this was a purposeful decision to exclude us. It would appear that the mountain biking community was included in the process but we, your neighbors, were not. Like a good neighbor, we would have hoped that the city would engage with us when entertaining changes to the open space behind our homes.

To be clear we are adamantly opposed to any changes being made to the area above our homes. The proposal includes the addition of a new bike path/Flow trial that would have an access point off of Timberleaf Court which is within our residential neighborhood. Timberleaf Court is a cul-de-sac that would be severely impacted by any changes to the hillside above it. Our concerns are as follows:

1. The committee is proposing closing the current Lime Ridge bike trails due to misuse, erosion, and damage to native plans. They acknowledge the use of E-bikes, lack of enforcement of guidelines, additional fire hazards, as problems that continue to cause issues with the current trails. So, their answer is to move the trail to the area of Lime Ridge that is behind our homes which only relocates the issues and does not solve any of them. This "kick the can down the road" strategy is unacceptable to us. 2. The proposed new trail is A FLOW trail, for mountain bikes only. Therefore the trail that currently starts in our community would now intersect with a trail that is for Bikes Only. The trail is currently designated for hikers and equestrians only. No hikers would be allowed on the trail, thus our deep concern about the access point on Timberleaf Ct. This would be one of a few legal flow trails in the area, thus bringing even more bikers into our open space. The definition of a flow trail: Built specifically for mountain bikes, a flow trail emphasizes speed and rhythm, featuring berms, rollers, jumps and other features that are designed in a way that uses the rider's momentum to minimize pedaling and braking (think downhill pump track). How is this type of trail in keeping with the preservation of our open space? How much damage to our hills would occur to create this flow trail? How much damage will be done to the hills when the bikers go off the trails as they have done in their current area of Lime Ridge? Why would we want to attract more mountain bikers to this area? Why would you agree to expose more of the Lime Ridge Open Space to damage? 3. There have been no reports of any kind for this very impactful proposed Flow bike-only trail. The trail crosses a natural stream and water sources in the area will be damaged. Has any evaluation of the impact on the plants, animals, trees in the area of the proposed bike path been done? Have all state and local agencies involved given their approval? 4. Have there been any environmental, safety, traffic, geotechnical studies done to evaluate the viability of this new trail and/or the risk to our community? 5. Changes to the hillside would increase the potential fire danger to our community, homeowners on Timberleaf Ct have already had their homeowner’s insurance canceled due to the fire risk in the area. This trail would increase the risk to the entire community. Has that been factored into this proposal? 6. Increased use of the trails above our homes would impact our privacy, safety, and traffic. Has that been considered as part of this proposal? 7. Has the Walnut Creek Risk management team been involved in this process, given the increased risk to our community? Will the city be assuming liability for issues created for our community such as fires or landslides? 8. No community representation was included in developing this proposal.

The Lime Ridge Open space is an area we all enjoy. The vision of open space is the preservation of the area. The city has demonstrated its desire to protect the Lime Ridge environment. The open space has been acquired to ensure that the area is never developed. Therefore, building a Flow trail is clearly not in keeping with this concept. The trail would be cut into the hills and would put more people into an area that

is currently undisturbed. The area is currently limited to hikers and equestrians. How would cutting pathways to accommodate mountain bikers serve the purpose of protecting the environment? Especially when the city has already identified the egregious use of E-bikes and the out of bounds bike riding that is already happening in Lime Ridge. Why would you support creating a new area for the very people that ruined the current area? There are numerous other options for mountain bikers throughout the East Bay.

We do not support any changes to the Lime Ridge area adjacent to our homes. We were assured by the city years ago that the area would not be developed and we would like that to remain the city’s commitment to our community. The inherent risks to our community are too great. We will be working as a community to stop any development of the Lime Ridge Open space that borders our homes. We believe more than one resident is likely to bring legal cases against the city due to the detrimental impact the implementation of this proposal would have on our homes. Loss of insurance due to increased fire danger is a clear concern for our community should this proposal be implemented. The ongoing drought is a concern for our community, which all backs up to Lime Ridge.

We do not believe developing this area is in the best interest of our community nor it is in the best interest of the City of Walnut Creek. We would have hoped the city would have included us in the discussion about the Open Space. Many of us in this community have lived here for over 20 years. We would like the area we share to be protected and maintained as it has been since the beginning of our community. We hope the city will consider the very real concerns of our community. We would also request that any further conversations regarding the open space that adjoins our community include representation from our Home Owner’s Association. Like a good neighbor, it would only seem reasonable to do so. We are gathering the sentiments of our entire community and will be sharing them with the city as soon as possible.

We ask that the proposed new bike path be removed from the Open Space plan. We ask that the PROS commission take our concerns seriously and that no new bike paths be added to the Lime Ridge Open Space near Rancho Paraiso. We ask that the area surrounding our homes remain unchanged and undeveloped. We ask the city to respect our community by protecting it from any development that creates risks to our neighborhood. If any new trails are still proposed, 1) they be located sufficiently far away from our community to avoid adverse impacts and 2) they meet all applicable environmental protection requirements of the City, County, and State. We would like a response from the PROS commission and the City Council to address our questions, listed above, and provide the requested details, as well as addressing the rest of our community's concerns. We would also like to request that any decisions regarding the bike trail be tabled until such time as these items are addressed. Furthermore, we would like to set up a meeting with the PROS commission and the Walnut Creek Trail committee so that our community may now be a part of the process going forward. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

The Board of the Rancho Paraiso Homeowners Association

Charles Hicklin, Peter Jordan, Valerie Gardner, Kathleen Flynn, Ben Behrouzi

This picture demonstrates what exists in central lime ridge. We do not want to see this expanded to other areas of Lime Ridge.

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, February 15, 2021 8:33 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]>; [email protected] Subject: New Proposed Flow Trail in Lime Ridge Open Space


Hi Everyone, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the new proposed mountain bike flow trail in Lime Ridge Open Space. I am a 30 year resident and homeowner in Walnut Creek that mountain bikes and hikes in the Lime Ridge open space on a daily basis. The City of Walnut Creek has been documenting the conflict between hikers, horseback riders & mountain bikers in the Lime Ridge Open Space for the last 20 years. To my surprise the City appears to be moving forward with a new mountain bike flow trail without the proper process and prospective needed to create safe balance in the open space for all user groups. On the December 7th, 2020 PROS Commission meeting, Ranger Corri Frazer describes the new mountain bike flow trail location as an open grassland. Ranger Frazer fails to provide the proper perspective to anyone watching the commission meeting or anyone having to vote on the new proposed trail location. A better description is as follows: The new proposed trail starts in open grasslands and finishes in an environmentally sensitive wildlife area with downhill streams. The water runoff from this area ends up at the bottom of the Timberleaf Ct. trailhead in the Rancho Paraiso Neighborhood. This area was designed as a water flow catch basin before the Rancho Paraiso homes were built. DCM/Joyal Engineering has done several civil and geotechnical reports on this area. This area is a wildlife habitat. The City of Walnut Creek has notes back to Council Meetings on July 16th, 1996. The active users in this area are horseback riders, hikers and dog walkers. The illegal users in this area are kids in golf carts, BMX bikes, ATV's and gas powered motorcycles. The active wildlife in this area are cattle, coyote, deer, bobcat, turkey, red tail hawk, quail, and jack rabbits just to name a few.





The ranger fails to mention the City of Walnut Creek has an active cattle grazing lease in this area for fire mitigation which has been the PROS Commission Open Space policy for about 20 years. Adding a mountain bike trail into this area would create a unsafe hazard between cattle and mountain bikers. If the Cities plan is to change this policy, please provide me with a written document of the new fire mitigation plan. I am one of several homeowners who lost fire insurance without warning last year in Walnut Creek. The proposed flow trail site has had several fires in the last 20 years. Over the last 8 years the BMX bike community has been building illegal trails in this area. Attached are pictures of an active BMX jump, and dam created by the bike group with trees to prevent the stream from flowing downhill. The new proposed bike trail will also be crossing this stream which is full of protected wildlife, native vegetation and trees. It is clear the PROS Commission is not using their own change in use evaluation/procedure guidelines in this site selection. The City has failed to close down the illegal bike activity when the Ranger and City staff placed the new green flag markers right next to the dam and bike jump. Bike speeds on the new trail and most southern part of the Paraiso Trail fire road will exceed 35 mph and the City/Ranger staff will not be able to enforce a reasonable speed for safety for the current users groups in this area. If a mountain biker gets hurt due to high speeds, a helicopter will be the only way out of the area. The fire/rescue trucks from Contra Costa Fire station 7 will not provide timely rescue service into this proposed location. I believe the City of Walnut Creek and PROS commission have failed to use the proper process in notifying the land and homeowners affected by this proposed flow trail. These groups should have been included once a location was suggested: Mangini Ranch/Save Mount Diablo, John Ginochio and homeowners of Rancho Paraiso. The City could have easily sent an email or made a phone call to all three groups. In the end, this proposed flow trail site will cause more conflict and continue to promote the current conflict between all user groups. This area should be protected because of the wildlife, streams, native vegetation and trees.

I am opposed to the current site location. Please provide me with any environmental impact reports or engineering site/evaluation studies the City of Walnut Creek or PROS commission have done at this point in the project.

The only viable long term solution the PROS commission should be looking at is a Flow Trail Bike Park along the North and South side of Ygnacio Valley Road. I will be sending a second email with my proposed solution for the City of Walnut Creek to consider.

Please call me if you have any questions. My telephone number is 510-610-0263.

I look forward to being part of the solution.

Sincerely,

John Hajny

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, February 26, 2021 12:43 PM To: Dan Buckshi <[email protected]>; Heather Ballenger <[email protected]>; Mike Vickers <[email protected]>; Public Comments <[email protected]>; Contact Us <[email protected]>; Mayor - City Council <[email protected]> Subject: Grave Concerns - Proposed Bike/Flow Trail in Open Space Reserve Surrounding Rancho Paraiso


To the Addressed Walnut Creek Elected Officials and Employees, We have reviewed the draft City of Walnut Creek Open Space Trail Committee Recommendations for Managing Trails and we are writing to express our grave concerns about the Proposed Bike/Flow Trail in Open Space Reserve Surrounding Rancho Paraiso. We have been residents of Walnut Creek since 1970 and have lived in Rancho Paraiso at 84 Meadow Walk Place since 1996. When we bought our house from the Smith Company, we were told in writing that the open space area surrounding Rancho Paraiso was designated an open space reserve and would remain that way forever. When the City of Walnut Creek annexed the Rancho Paraiso area, we were again assured by Walnut Creek City representatives that the area would remain an open space reserve and that further there would be cattle grazing there to mitigate the fire risk danger. We have the following concerns about the proposed Bike/Flow Trail in Open Space Reserve Surrounding Rancho Paraiso:

1. First and foremost is the obvious increased risk of fire and erosion and hill slippage that would result from a mountain bike type trail since it is hard to understand how fire mitigation can happen with cattle grazing if you have a bike trail. Also, it seems obvious that a downhill bike trail would lead to trail erosion and possible mudslide and hill slippage when heavy rains occur. We have already had one major hill landslide several years ago in Rancho Paraiso. As a Rancho Paraiso homeowner we are very concerned about the fire risk here since there have been 3 fires over the past several years in the Lime Ridge area adjacent to Rancho Paraiso. It seems to me that if the City of Walnut Creek approves this bike/flow trail, there will be increased liability from lawsuits that may result due to fires and or hillside erosion and landslides.

2. We want the hills surrounding us to remain protected as was promised by Smith Company and the City of Walnut Creek, since they are the home for wildlife and natural habit plants. It is clear that the current bike trail on Lime Ridge (as noted in the “Observations” section of the aforementioned report) has caused damage to the environment from bikers use, so why on earth would you move the problem to another area to have it happen all over again.

3. It appears that the proposed biking path would eliminate a good portion of the current “Single-track” hiking and horse trail thus limiting enjoyment of the open space to a privileged group of bikers. How does that benefit the majority? Even if the current trail is widened there is a real safety factor for horse riders and hikers when you have bikers coming downhill at you.

4. This new proposed bike path also brings a direct impact to our neighborhood from increased traffic and congestion since there is only one road in and out – Arbolado Blvd. With that come the increased risk of theft and vandalism and increased noise and decreased privacy for residents.

5. Where was the public notice sent to all of us Rancho Paraiso residents or the Rancho Paraiso Homeowners Association to give us a chance to understand the proposed changes and comment on them. As long time Walnut Creek residents, we are very disappointed at this lack of outreach to make sure ALL stakeholders can provide their input!

We hope you will take these concerns and comment into account. We will be taking the opportunity at future public hearings like the PROS and City Council meetings to expres our views. Frederick W. Schaub and Mary E. Schaub 84 Meadow Walk Place Walnut Creek, CA 94598

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, February 27, 2021 3:48 PM To: Heather Ballenger <[email protected]>; Mike Vickers <[email protected]>; Corri Frazier <[email protected]>; Dan Buckshi <[email protected]>; Mayor - City Council <[email protected]>; [email protected] Subject: Lime Ridge Open Space Flow Trail Proposal


Hi Everyone, As promised, from my opposition to the PROS Commission email that was sent on February 15th 2021 enclosed are my recommendations/solutions to the open space conflict in Lime Ridge Open Space. My goal is to eliminate the conflict between the hiking, mountain biking and equestrian users that have been documented by the City of Walnut Creek for the last 20 years. My approach to solving this issue as a 30 year resident of Walnut Creek and daily user of the Lime Ridge Open Space was to look at the following items: 1. Lime Ridge Masterplan dated October 1985 for the City of Walnut Creek & Concord- see attached pictures 2. Environmental impact to nature 3. Ranger/City of Walnut Creek Enforcement issues 4. EMS rescue & Fire issues 5. Walnut Creek Open Space Trail Committee Concerns-Finding a balance between recreation & preservation 6. PROS Committee Recommendations 7. User Groups- Equestrians, Hikers and Mountain Bikers 8. Homeowners of Walnut Creek & Concord 9. Public comments from Dec 2020, Jan 2021 & Feb 2021 PROS Meetings. I have come to the conclusion the best idea would be to build three new mountain bike only flow trails along the North and South Side of Ygnacio Valley Rd. Attached is a sample design on a Google Earth and a Lime Ride Open Space map. Dark blue lines are existing downhill trails, red lines are existing fire roads and black lines are new flow trails.

Phase #1 would focus on the South side of Lime Ridge and allow the Ridge Trail highlighted in dark blue to become a legal mountain bike single track downhill trail. Bikes would then head West to connect to the newly designed flow trail that would end at the tunnel entrance that goes under Ygnacio Valley Rd. Bikes could then head up the trail and connect to the Quarry trail highlighted in dark blue that the PROS Commission has recommended for legal mountain bike use. This trail design would allow three different types of trails to be used together one after the other or used independently because each trail would have their own returns trail highlighted in red which are legal fire roads for mountain bike use already. This design also allows for EMS and or fire trucks to enter from Ygnacio Valley Rd to aid in an injured mountain biker or fire that might break out. There was a recent fire in this area from a car on Ygnacio Valley Rd. I would recommend a better gate entry off Ygnacio Valley Rd that the current one. Walnut Creek rangers will be able to focus on enforcement in one area along the Ohlone Trail which is the major connection trail for all three areas. Everything East of the Ridge trail would be off limits to mountain bikes, the Paradise Valley trail & Lime Ridge trail. The only other trails available to mountain bikes would be the fire road trail system which is legal for mountain bikes today. Phase #2 would include two downhill flow trails for mountain bike use. Once that is completed the City would have the ability to shut down any one area for trail maintenance. The City could give back the Ridge trail to the walking/hiking user group. Mountain bikes would still have an enjoyable area to use if they lost the Ridge trail. Over the last 7 weeks on random dates and times I have asked user groups in the Lime Ridge Open Space to comment on my plan. Everyone has told me they like and understand the plan to separate user groups into different zones: mountain bikes by Ygnacio Valley Rd., hikers on Paradise Valley Trail and central part of Lime Ridge and equestrians in the most Southern part of Lime Ridge. The breakdown of user groups polled are as follows: 74 dog walkers/hikers

68 mountain bikers 23 equestrian riders One of the questions I asked everyone is: "What entry point do you use for the park"? The response from the hiker & mountain bikers were: 1. Montecito/Ygnacio Valley parking lot 2. Ygnacio Valley / Canal Trail behind the golf course 3. Ohlone link off the gravel parking lot/behind golf course 4. Ohlone Trail off Valley Vista parking lot The response from equestrian riders were: 1. DeVito Ranch/ Rancho Paraiso entry points 2. Crystal Ranch entry points 3. Stables off North Gate Road/ North Gate Mt. Diablo entry points I have called four trail design groups to review my idea: Kevin Smallmen Casa Di Terra Action Sports Construction Trailscape Inc. All of these firms are highly regarded in the mountain bike community and part of the Professional Trail Builder Association. All of these builders have expressed interest in building my plan. It appears Kevin Smallmen had already been contacted by the City of Walnut Creek Open Space Trail Committee. He was already aware of PROS Commission/Open Space plan. All four builders have told me what the cost would be for my plan. Funds for the project will come from the homeowners of Walnut Creek & Concord. At this point I am not sure what the City will allow for trail design. I would encourage all decision makers to look at: www.blm.gov for a 98-page guide to mountain bike flow trails.

http://www.blm.gov/

In conclusion, I have not found any conflicts with the City Master Plan, user groups or City of Walnut Creek Open Space concerns. I believe my plan is a better alternative than the current flow trail proposal. I respectfully request the City of Walnut Creek and the PROS Commission to consider my plan. Please call me if you need any additional information or have any questions. My telephone number is: 925-935-2701. I look forward to your response. Sincerely, John Hajny

From: Richard Skow <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, March 1, 2021 10:15 AM To: Dan Buckshi <[email protected]>; Mayor - City Council <[email protected]>; [email protected]; Mike Vickers <[email protected]> Cc: [email protected]; Contact Us <[email protected]> Subject: Strongly Object to Proposed Mountain Bike Trail on Lime Ridge Open Space


As an owner in Rancho Pariso since 1998 we strongly object to the proposed Mountain Bike trailhead off of Timberleaf Court. Our home is on the north side of Arbolado Drive at 3960 which is right next to the fire trail right-of-way, so we back up directly to the open space. We have had three fires behind our home in the open space since moving here; with the first fire being a pretty major fire. Television crews were in our backyard broadcasting the event to the Bay area; it is concerning to us about the possibility of a future fire(s). With electric bikes on the trails and riders who smoke or are not as careful as they should be we are concerned about our home. Each year we are asked by our homeowners insurance company to complete a survey for our homeowners insurance and this year they increased our premium by $1000 because of higher fire risk. We don’t want to face such an increase each year or even worse cancellation as we are on a fixed income, as are many of the older residents of Ranch Pariso. We are particularly concerned thats we were not notified by the City of any discussion about making changes which would effect our community and property values. When we moved here we were told that the open space was dedicated to the beautification and preservation of the area. The plans we have seen to make a flow trail for mountain biking would certainly change the original commitment made to the owners of the community. The plan, based on the information we have seen on the City website, is to close the mountain biking area near Cowell Road and Ygnacio Valley Road and move those riders to our area. This is being done because the riders have destroyed the natural habitat and vegetation in the area around Cowell Rd and Ygnacio Velley Rd.. This is not a solution to the current problem it is just moving the problem to a new area. We are strongly opposed to any such action. We absolutely love the open space behind our home and seeing the wildlife and domesticated animals in the area and find it offensive that the City is considering to make changes; and doing this without contacting the Rancho Pariso community seems like a very underhanded tactic and I believe we are owed more from the City. We hope you will look more closely at the proposal before making any decision. Richard and Bonnie Skow 3960 Arbolado Drive Walnut Creek, CA 925-285-0201

-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, March 2, 2021 7:25 PM To: Dan Buckshi <[email protected]>; Mayor - City Council <[email protected]>; Heather Ballenger <[email protected]>; Mike Vickers <[email protected]>; Public Comments <[email protected]>; Contact Us <[email protected]> Subject: Proposed bike trails to southern Lime Ridge Warning: this message is from an external user and should be treated with caution. We are writing to express our opposition to the proposed bike/flow trail that will be above our neighborhood in Rancho Paraiso. John and I are original homeowners in Rancho Paraiso since 1998. There are many reasons why this is a bad idea. 1. There will be increased traffic in the neighborhood and parking in front of our houses. The mountain bikers will not be parking at Arbolado Park. If anyone has ever been there on the weekends, it is packed with soccer players and birthday parties. The parking lot is full. 2. Increase in trash left on the streets and on the trails. 3. Destruction of the natural habitat of native plant species and wildlife. 4. Increased risk of fire. Some residents on Timberleaf Ct. have already had their homeowners insurance canceled. 5. Mountain bikes mixed with cows is not safe. It is important to keep the cows on the hill to graze and decrease the fire danger. 6. Not enough Park rangers to enforce the rules. 7. Decreased privacy for residents who back up to the hill. 8. The parking lot at Ygnacio Valley Rd and Cowell Rd. is a mess on the weekends. There is trash everywhere. There are cars and trucks parked in unpaved areas on the side of the hill and in the dirt. Why would it be a good idea to move the problem to Rancho Paraiso? 9. When we bought homes in Rancho Paraiso we were told the hillside would remain as open space and there would be no development of any kind in the hills. There are already enough places for mountain bikers to ride in this area. John is a mountain biker and he goes over to Old Borges Ranch area to access miles of trails. There are no houses there and it does not impact homeowners. Why were the homeowners never told about this project when it has been in the planning stages for at least 18 months? We adamantly reject the Trail Committee recommendation of adding new Bike trails to southern Lime Ridge. Sincerely, John and Brenda Leatham

From: chris marcovici <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, March 8, 2021 12:00 PM To: leslie grundler <[email protected]> Cc: [email protected]; Dan Buckshi <[email protected]>; Public Comments <[email protected]>; Mike Vickers <[email protected]>; Contact Us Miscellaneous <[email protected]>; Heather Ballenger <[email protected]>; [email protected]; Mayor - City Council <[email protected]>; Liz Nomura <[email protected]>; John <[email protected]>; Valerie <[email protected]>; John Sbarro <[email protected]>; David Marcovici <[email protected]>; [email protected] Subject: Re: Proposed Bike Flow Trail in southern Lime Ridge Open Space


Thank you Leslie for the very thoughtful and well detailed email highlighting the risks involved with this proposal. And thank you for your many years as a CCC firefighter. I would like to add that I was on the City of WC Zoom meeting last week and the counsel members that spoke about this issue made it seem that there was no real opposition to it. One member saying that they only had about 10-15 complaints. I have spoken to many of my neighbors in Rancho Paraiso and every one of them is extremely concerned and very much AGAINST this proposal. Here is a link to a petition to stop this proposal that as of today has 203 signatures - https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/reject-lime-ridge-open-space-trail-expansion. It was also brought to my attention that a resident from Rancho Paraiso who is the only resident for this proposal, may have misrepresented being on the HOA board. The actual board was never made aware of this proposal until recently. Which brings up another issue. In the meeting it was said that this proposal has been in the works for almost 2 years. If that were true, why weren’t the residents or the HOA board of Rancho Paraiso notified in the early stages of the proposal so we could have worked with the PROS Commission? We only found out by chance last month. With the already dangerous fire hazards, speeding on Arbolado Dr and potentially unlawful use of the proposed land, I would hope the city counsel would take another look a this proposal and give everyone involved the opportunity to work together to come up with a better plan. I’m sure we all have more important issues to deal with at this time. Put this on hold until we can work together to come up with a better solution. Sincerely, Chris Marcovici Rancho Paraiso resident

https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/reject-lime-ridge-open-space-trail-expansion

On Mar 5, 2021, at 11:33 AM, leslie grundler <[email protected]> wrote: Hello all, My name is Leslie Grundler and I reside at 605 Timberleaf Ct. I am writing to voice my concern over the proposed flow trail behind Rancho Paraiso. I will say my concerns mirror those of my neighbors who have written so I will try not to rewrite the many well composed letters. My biggest concern with this proposal is the increased fire risk which is very real. I say this not as an insult to mountain bikers at all but with intimate knowledge of where there is an increase in people to an area there is an increase of all dangers with fire being a top concern. Having our home owners insurance cancelled last year due to the increased fire risk in our area speaks loudly to the fact that we should not be doing anything to increase that danger. I am actually appalled at the lack of forethought given Californias last 10+ years of extreme wildland fires with loss of life and property. I speak to this topic as a veteran firefighter for CCC for 25 years and Tracy FD for 6 years….so I have seen my share of wildfires. Most fires in our county are due to human error. I have seen fires started by weed whackers pitching a hot rock into dry grass (this too can happen with a bike), numerous grass fires started by warming fires, (I have also seen homeless in the open space), a bee keeper started a fire with his hot smoker he set on the grassy hill, oily rags left under the deck of a house in the Lafayette hills and numerous fires started by cigarettes. I bring all this up to point out that these fires begin in a multitude of ways by humans. To that point just 3 days ago someone cut multiple holes in the ranchers fencing around the Rancho Paraiso open space and built a camp fire on the hillside (see pic below). This proposal has put us on the map and people are coming to check it out, the good and the bad. Having worked at all the fire stations in the surrounding area I can tell you that the first in company Eng 7 on Walnut Blvd will take approx 8 minutes to get to this area for a grass fire, that is if they are in the station. This factors in putting on wildland gear and changing from a type1 to a type 3 (grass rig) engine. This gets 3 personnel to the scene; 2 to access the fire while the third gets a water supply (hopefully there is one near the fire road access) and works the pump. Second due to this area is Eng 10 on Treat Blvd so add an additional 3-4 minutes access time with 3 more personnel for a total of 6. If Cal Fire is notified they will be coming from Morgan Territory Rd which is the closest station. None of this time table takes into account the time it will take to get water on the fire given where it may be on the large


steep expanse and the high probability of erratic winds pushing the fire in multiple directions. Not sure that all of this area is accessible by engine so it will mean firefighters climbing the steep terrain with hoses and hose packs. This is all to paint a picture of how rapidly fires with difficult access get out of control. I also know that our hydrant pressures have been called into question given the steep terrain. The pressure at the hydrant may be fine but once you begin pumping multiple hose lines and extending them to reach up to a 1000’ length and with the incline you won’t have enough significant water pressure at the end of the hose line. Pressure is lost at 15psi (pounds per sq inch) per 100’ of hose on flat ground so add an additional 5-10 psi for incline. Our hydrant on Timberleaf is 70psi (I checked records) I think everyone can figure out the math. Also hydrant pressure will be less at the top of Arbalado because it is at the top of the hill. I worked out of St 2 on Geary rd for 12 years and fought many a fire off of Reliez Valley. I always admired the beautiful homes in their remote locations backing up to open space and thought ‘I would never live out here, because in an emergency you can’t get in and you can’t get out.’ Now I am feeling like that’s what could happen here with more people and cars parked all up and down Arbalado and in the nearby courts. I have also seen an increase in people coming to our court to access the “new” Timberleaf Ct entrance. This was never on a map before as an open space gate. I watched 2 cars Sat park across the street and let there 3 dogs hop out of the cars and race up the court sans leashes and the owner couldn’t recall them. Not acceptable! First Timberleaf should not be shown as an entrance on any maps, second there should be signs on Timberleaf Ct saying ’No trail parking violators will be towed’ and third we should have a real locking gate with code access for residents and a high gate so bikes cannot be thrown over the top. Thank you for your time and consideration, Leslie Grundler<IMG_2415.jpg> Chris Marcovici Jack’s Restaurant and Bar

From: Vivek Puppala <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, March 8, 2021 8:18 PM To: Dan Buckshi <[email protected]>; Mayor - City Council <[email protected]>; Heather Ballenger <[email protected]>; Mike Vickers <[email protected]> Subject: Regarding proposed bike/flow trails behind Rancho Paraiso


To Whom It May Concern, As a resident of the Rancho Paraiso neighborhood in Walnut Creek, I want to voice my strong objection to the proposed bike/flow trails that would adversely affect our neighborhood. These trails will increase traffic and parking congestion, add fire and environmental risk, create noise disturbances, and decreased residential privacy while adding to potential crime. Given how much we pay in property taxes, this would be highly inappropriate and detrimental to our property values. I can't imagine you would do the same in your own neighborhood. Please put an end to this proposal. Thanks for your consideration, Vivek Puppala

From: Behrouzi <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, March 9, 2021 12:36 PM To: Mike Vickers <[email protected]> Cc: Cyndi Hashimoto <[email protected]>; Heather Ballenger <[email protected]>; Recreation <[email protected]>; Contact Us Miscellaneous <[email protected]>; Public Comments <[email protected]>; Valerie <[email protected]>; Peter Jordan <[email protected]>; Charles Hicklin <[email protected]>; Kathleen Flynn <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Lime Ridge Open Space proposed Flow/bike trail


Thanks for responding, selectively. Note there are questions you did not respond to. The standard procedure we are aware of with your committee calls does not provide adequate capacity to hear/see/learn of the detail for the variety of issues and concerns the Homeowners and RP HOA have with the proposal. You are aware of this and yet forcing us into a small few minute unilateral communication under the guise of "procedure" while the committee has intentionally worked to advance this proposal without adequate involvement from RP... This is why in our previous email we asked for a venue where important detail could be provided to the committee and/or to receive the email addresses of all committee members so that such detail could be conveyed. Should we have one hundred of the 200+ families on that call each with their own increment of time? I can assure you, RP and the RP Homeowners will not be held at bay under the guise of a procedure that is being worked to push through a change benefiting only a small group of bikers who do not care what happens to RP, RP Homeowners or the Open Space. The average citizen would wonder how come the residential community immediately adjacent to your newly proposed trails, which has an HOA, was never engaged well in advance of where the proposal is now in progress? How come there were no Fire Response studies or Environmental Studies or Open Space Policy Adherement Reviews? The answer is simple, a group of bikers wanted to bike up there and so they worked to avoid RP as a body because they knew RP would have an opinion that would oppose the proposal. The petition I sent you is the sentiment your committee should have captured far earlier in this process had it been done correctly. Now you want to hold us to procedure, conveniently. If you will limit RP to the standard procedure, having intentionally left us out entirely previously, we will proceed with our next course of action in parallel. Thank you, Ben On Tue, Mar 9, 2021 at 11:36 AM Mike Vickers <[email protected]> wrote:

Good morning and thank you for your email.


The comments and list of concerns from members of the Rancho Paraiso neighborhood have been heard. As I shared in the email thread below, we will be presenting an Open Space update to the PROS Commission on April 5th. The update will include the trail being proposed in southern Lime Ridge. At that meeting there will be an opportunity for the Public to provide additional comments. To help the HOA better understand the agenda of the open space presentation on the 5th, I will be sending an email to Ms. Gardner explaining the process at the meeting.

Thank you,

Mike

From: Behrouzi <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, March 9, 2021 7:57 AM To: Mike Vickers <[email protected]>; Cyndi Hashimoto <[email protected]>; Heather Ballenger <[email protected]>; Recreation <[email protected]>; Contact Us Miscellaneous <[email protected]>; Public Comments <[email protected]> Cc: Valerie <[email protected]>; Peter Jordan <[email protected]>; Charles Hicklin <[email protected]>; Kathleen Flynn <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Lime Ridge Open Space proposed Flow/bike trail


Mr. Vickers,

It has been two weeks since we sent you the below email, to which you have not replied. Let the record show that we requested clarity on several items in that email including a mechanism by which the RP HOA could meet with the committee and/or communicate in detail with the committee members. We have been effectively denied. The lack of response is indicative of the very nature in which this "Trail Expansion Proposal" has been so subversively advanced through your "process" to which over 200+ previously unaware RP residents have voiced disdain. I've copied other members of the city as we begin to escalate this matter through the city and press since we are being effectively blocked at your level.

Here is a link to the Petition that captures the community's position on your proposal and reflects for you the effectiveness of your committee's process thus far.


Best regards,

Ben

On Tue, Feb 23, 2021 at 10:06 AM Behrouzi <[email protected]> wrote:

Good Morning Mr. Vickers,














It would be an understatement to say that the RP HOA and the 200+ homes of RP are concerned with both the proposed additions/expansions as well as the manner in which the process has been handled thus far. This is not a project we take lightly. We intend to work diligently to make sure this project is not just to the benefit of a small group of bikers, of which two coincidentally live on Timber Leaf while the vast majority live outside of RP. The project must consider the rights of all stakeholders. Thus far it has fallen short in ways we have documented in prior emails. We expect nothing short of transparency, due diligence, neighborly consideration, and policy adherement from any body/committee working for the tax payers of the City of Walnut Creek. We are prepared to bring the matter to the highest level necessary to ensure that. 1) We do not believe that having just the public meeting will be enough for the committee to adequately understand the concerns of 200+ impacted RP Homeowners. Are you saying there is no other capacity present within your committee to meet with the RP HOA board or that you will not meet with the RP HOA, outside of the general public meeting? We’ve made our request clear, we would like to meet with your committee given the greatest impact by the proposal would be borne by the 200+ RP homeowners. If in fact you do not have any other capacity, other than a public meeting, to meet with the RP HOA regarding this matter please provide us the email addresses of each member of this committee so that our concerns can be adequately conveyed. 2) You mentioned you have not shared our emails with anyone in the general public. Below is an excerpt from a member of the general public, George Astin, posted on NextDoor. Mr Astin has since deleted this remark. Please advise. “Finally I have read Mike Vickers response to the RPHOA. Im confident the city and Pros is moving in the right direction with regards to trail creation and maintenance. I feel he addresses the concerns in an appropriate manner especially the location of the trail allowing for responsible use, sustainability and management.” 3) As a first action on this matter, we have garnered near 200 signatures from almost entirely RP Homeowners, who all reject the proposed project at its core. Several will file suits against the city should the proposal proceed in any recognizable form and many others will take this matter to the court of public opinion as well as to the mayor should the committee fail to adequately engage the biggest stakeholders impacted by the proposal. Please see additional remarks further below in Green. We look forward to your response. Ben On behalf of the RP HOA Board

On Fri, Feb 19, 2021 at 1:36 PM Mike Vickers <[email protected]> wrote:

Good afternoon,

Sorry for the delayed response. We fully understand your list of concerns and we are working to address them. As I shared in my previous email, the staff will be providing an update on the Flow Trail project at the April 5th PROS Commission meeting. As part of the presentation, we will reference your concerns and the list of questions you have shared. Discussing this project further is best suited in a public setting, so that all of the stakeholders, neighbors and Commissioners have a full understanding of the scope of work, questions/answers and next steps.


Thank you,

Mike

P.S. I have additional responses below.

From: Valerie <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2021 8:56 AM To: Mike Vickers <[email protected]> Cc: Peter Jordan <[email protected]>; Behrouzi <[email protected]>; Charles Hicklin <[email protected]>; Kathleen Flynn <[email protected]>; Heather Ballenger <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Lime Ridge Open Space proposed Flow/bike trail


Mike,

Please see our questions below in Red. We would like specific answers, please. See my responses below in blue, thanks Mike.

thank you,

Rancho Paraiso Homeowners Association board of directors

On Thursday, February 11, 2021, 02:54:50 PM PST, Mike Vickers <[email protected]> wrote:

Good afternoon and thank you for sharing your comments.

As I have shared with you and other neighbors of Rancho Paraiso we are working to address your concerns. Finding a balance between the environment and recreational use is one of the Walnut Creek Open Space Committee’s (Committee) top priorities. The following information is being provided to share more insight on the topics listed below.

Would you please clarify the city's position on Open Space Reserve versus a Recreation area? By definition:

An open space reserve is an area of protected or conserved land

Recreational areas would include land that is designed, constructed, designated, or used for recreational activities

What is Lime Ridge supposed to be? An Open Space designed to Protect/conserve land and the environment? Would that not, therefore, preclude the development of Flow trails with berms, jumps, switchbacks, etc which are designed to attract mountain bikers for recreational use?

Your answers can be found in the 2025 General Plan – City’s website









Environmental

Many of the trails created in Central Lime Ridge were not authorized and therefore are unsafe and have created an impact on the surrounding environment.

The purpose of the new flow trail is to have a sustainable and safe trail for both users and the environment; reduce conflict between users; reduce damage to habitat and the impact to environment and wildlife; all while increasing user satisfaction.

It should be noted that issues such as erosion will be addressed during the design and construction of the flow trail.

Have there been any environmental studies or reports by an independent environmental engineer or engineering firm of any kind what-so-ever on South Lime Ridge for the proposed new bike trail?

Environmental assessment is in progress

Fire

The City of Walnut Creek has a thorough weed abatement program throughout the open space that not only meets, but exceeds, guidelines of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection Agency with expanded weed abatement lines that are 25-30% wider than required. Staff recognized that there are some areas that could use some additional attention. For example, the thinning of coyote brush adjacent to residential areas and staff has it in their plan to begin this work.

Has County Fire weighed in on the risk to the community? Has the emergency response impact to Timberleaf CT been evaluated if cars are parked fully along the court?

I suggest you contact them directly. This is not our responsiblity, but rather the responsblity of the body that is proposing expansion/changes to a space that is governed by rules that protect the space and surrounding area. It appears you may have begun on this today on Timberleaf.

Visitors Use

Over this past year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, people were looking for healthy outlets that met state and county guidelines. Since it provided the ability to safely maintain social distancing in a beautiful outdoor environment, Walnut Creek Open Space experienced a drastic increase in visitor user rates. Although we do not expect this trend to continue, we recognized that people had the opportunity to enjoy new experiences in the open space and will surely continue to visit. We believe that visitor use numbers will be higher than they were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic since this public space is open for enjoyment and recreation by the greater community.

Yes, more visitors are enjoying the open space, why would an area that hikers and equestrians enjoy be "reallocated" to mountain bikers? Given no one in our community was surveyed about our use of the space, how was it determined that this area was not being fully used?

Your proposal says:

"Trail usage for certain user groups has changed. For example, Committee members have noted that the number of bike users on trails has increased, while equestrian use appears to have decreased"

New trails are being proposed based on "observations" from committee members? Members, that include representation from the mountain biking community itself? Were equestrians and hikers also equally represented in offering these "observations"? Were the observations done in the proposed area of Southern Lime Ridge? Or in the current " mountain biking" area?

All user groups were evenly represented, all areas in central and southern LR were observed by the committee and have been closely monitored by the Foundation, staff and users for many years.

Parking

As shared during the Feb 1, 2021 PROS Meeting. There are two recommended points of access, or trail heads, to the flow trail. The first is at the east end of Valley Vista, adjacent to Boundary Oak Golf Course. This area provides adequate parking and other amenities such as public restrooms. The second location is at Arbolado Park, which also provides restrooms and allows flow trail access from the northeast corner of the park.

Has a traffic study been done? Arbolado Park, during non-covid times, is full as is Arbolado Drive in the area near the soccer fields. This is especially challenging when there are soccer tournaments. You seem to believe that there is adequate parking, however, has a traffic study been done relative to the increase of vehicles from bikers and the limited parking at Arbolado and Valley Vista?

A traffic study is not currently required. It is required by virtue of the rules that govern changes to the space including but not limited to traffic impact on fire response capacity perserving the space.

Trail Access from Timberleaf Court

As was previously shared, there are a number of options to restrict access from Timberleaf Court. These may include installing obstructions to prevent bike users from accessing the trail while continuing to allow pedestrian access. All options are being considered.

You indicated during your visit to Timberleaf Ct that the proposed Flow trail would be for bikes only, therefore the trail access from Timberleaf would lead to a point where hikers would be prohibited. Therefore the access point clearly would be relevant only to bikers going forward, per your conversation with us. Is that accurate?

The flow trail designation has not yet been determined. That is in conflict to what we know and understand from the committee, the community and from individuals such as Georg Astin that seem to have access/influece to inner committee consideration. We look forward to receiving clarity on the proposed designation.

Security and Privacy

The openness of the area, unlike the more secluded Central Lime Ridge, allows for quick identification of issues before they become problems. Additionally, part of the new process, will allow Open Space Rangers the tools to address negative impacts to the area in a timely manner. The current design of the flow trail keeps the users over 600 feet (2 football fields) away from the closest residence.

Given you have acknowledged the Open Space Rangers limited numbers, and their inability to control the mountain biker issues in the current area of Lime Ridge, how do you imagine them managing the issues in the "new " area? What exactly would be different? How would they be able

to ensure that bikers stay on the trail versus going into non-approved areas? How will the hills be protected from the type of damage seen in the current area of Lime Ridge used by mountain bikers?

The Rangers and staff will monitor the area. This not viewed as a realistic solution since time/resource constraints would not permit adequate monitoring and enforcement of the elements noted above in red.

Process

The Walnut Creek Open Space Committee was formed in 2019 to address the current and future use of the open space. The Committee included a broad range of users and environmental representatives. The Committee developed a Trails Report and presented it to the Park, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Commission on December 7, 2020. The public meeting was advertised on Twitter, Facebook, all trail head kiosks and shared with approximately 39,000 Nextdoor subscribers within the City of Walnut Creek. The meeting was well attended with over 100 participants, 30 plus public speakers and dozens of emails and letters. At the February 1, 2021 PROS meeting, staff provided an update on the Committee recommended Flow Trail. During the public comment portion of the presentation, the Commissioners heard a number of concerns expressed by the speakers. The staff noted the concerns and have been working to address them.

Might you please advise where exactly this information is being shared on social media? The specifics are in the paragraph above. It appears that the mountain biking community was fully informed since they were part of the committee however we have found no reference on Next Door nor Facebook. Please provide specifics as to when and where it was posted. Was there a posting at the Timberleaf trail access? Would you also please advise the exact makeup of the committee by user group? Foundation, hikers, bikers, equestrians, staff, PROS Commissioners

Would you also please clarify to us if you plan to continue to share our communications with other members of the Walnut Creek community?

I haven’t shared any emails with the general public. Please see the excerpt, provided above.

Next Steps

The Committee and staff will continue with the trail design and all details regarding the project are being assessed. We anticipate a further update of the flow trail and other trail improvements will be on the April 5th PROS agenda.

Per Heather, "The trail is currently in design and all the details regarding the trail are being assessed. The trail approval does not require approval from City Council or PROS." Would you please explain how the Public Works dept can move forward with the project, and spend city money, without the oversite of PROS or the City Council?

We are once again asking for a meeting with the decision makers involved in this process. We would like to set up a meeting with the PROS commission and the Walnut Creek Trail committee so that our community may now be a part of the process going forward. We will be revisiting this topic at the April 5th PROS meeting

Regards,

Mike Vickers

Public Works Manager

City of Walnut Creek

925-256-3538

From: Valerie <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, February 07, 2021 10:23 AM To: Heather Ballenger <[email protected]>; Public Comments <[email protected]>; Cyndi Hashimoto <[email protected]>; Contact Us <[email protected]>; Recreation <[email protected]>; Mayor - City Council <[email protected]>; Dan Buckshi <[email protected]>; [email protected]; Teri Killgore <[email protected]> Cc: Charles Hicklin <[email protected]>; Behrouzi <[email protected]>; Kathleen Flynn <[email protected]>; Peter Jordan <[email protected]> Subject: Lime Ridge Open Space proposed Flow/bike trail


February 7, 2021

TO: Walnut Creek City Council; Parks, Recreation & Open Space Commission

We, the board of Directors of the Rancho Paraiso Homeowners Association, have recently discovered that the PROS commission is considering a proposal to make significant changes to the Lime Ridge Open space that surrounds the Rancho Paraiso community. We represent over 200 families that reside in our community. We are greatly disappointed to find out that a committee has been working on proposals regarding this area without any input from our community. It would certainly appear that this was a purposeful decision to exclude us. It would appear that the mountain biking community was included in the process but we, your neighbors, were not. Like a good neighbor, we would have hoped that the city would engage with us when entertaining changes to the open space behind our homes.

To be clear we are adamantly opposed to any changes being made to the area above our homes. The proposal includes the addition of a new bike path/Flow trial that would have an access point off of Timberleaf Court which is within our residential neighborhood. Timberleaf Court is a cul-de-sac that would be severely impacted by any changes to the hillside above it. Our concerns are as follows:

1. The committee is proposing closing the current Lime Ridge bike trails due to misuse, erosion, and damage to native plans. They acknowledge the use of E-bikes, lack of enforcement of guidelines, additional fire hazards, as problems that continue to cause issues with the current trails. So, their answer is to move the trail to the area of Lime Ridge that is behind our homes which only relocates the issues and does not solve any of them. This "kick the can down the road" strategy is unacceptable to us.

2. The proposed new trail is A FLOW trail, for mountain bikes only. Therefore the trail that currently starts in our community would now intersect with a trail that is for Bikes Only. The trail is currently designated for hikers and equestrians only. No hikers would be allowed on the trail, thus our deep concern about the access point on Timberleaf Ct. This would be one of a few legal flow trails in the area, thus bringing even more bikers into our open space. The definition of a flow trail: Built specifically for mountain bikes, a flow trail emphasizes speed and rhythm, featuring berms, rollers, jumps and other features that are designed in a way that uses the rider's momentum to minimize pedaling and braking (think downhill pump track).
















How is this type of trail in keeping with the preservation of our open space? How much damage to our hills would occur to create this flow trail? How much damage will be done to the hills when the bikers go off the trails as they have done in their current area of Lime Ridge? Why would we want to attract more mountain bikers to this area? Why would you agree to expose more of the Lime Ridge Open Space to damage?

3. There have been no reports of any kind for this very impactful proposed Flow bike-only trail. The trail crosses a natural stream and water sources in the area will be damaged. Has any evaluation of the impact on the plants, animals, trees in the area of the proposed bike path been done? Have all state and local agencies involved given their approval?

4. Have there been any environmental, safety, traffic, geotechnical studies done to evaluate the viability of this new trail and/or the risk to our community?

5. Changes to the hillside would increase the potential fire danger to our community, homeowners on Timberleaf Ct have already had their homeowner’s insurance canceled due to the fire risk in the area. This trail would increase the risk to the entire community. Has that been factored into this proposal?

6. Increased use of the trails above our homes would impact our privacy, safety, and traffic. Has that been considered as part of this proposal?

7. Has the Walnut Creek Risk management team been involved in this process, given the increased risk to our community? Will the city be assuming liability for issues created for our community such as fires or landslides?

8. No community representation was included in developing this proposal.

The Lime Ridge Open space is an area we all enjoy. The vision of open space is the preservation of the area. The city has demonstrated its desire to protect the Lime Ridge environment. The open space has been acquired to ensure that the area is never developed. Therefore, building a Flow trail is clearly not in keeping with this concept. The trail would be cut into the hills and would put more people into an area that is currently undisturbed. The area is currently limited to hikers and equestrians. How would cutting pathways to accommodate mountain bikers serve the purpose of protecting the environment? Especially when the city has already identified the egregious use of E-bikes and the out of bounds bike riding that is already happening in Lime Ridge. Why would you support creating a new area for the very people that ruined the current area? There are numerous other options for mountain bikers throughout the East Bay.

We do not support any changes to the Lime Ridge area adjacent to our homes. We were assured by the city years ago that the area would not be developed and we would like that to remain the city’s commitment to our community. The inherent risks to our community are too great. We will be working as a community to stop any development of the Lime Ridge Open space that borders our homes. We believe more than one resident is likely to bring legal cases against the city due to the detrimental impact the implementation of this proposal would have on our homes. Loss of insurance due to increased fire danger is a clear concern for our community should this proposal be implemented. The ongoing drought is a concern for our community, which all backs up to Lime Ridge.

We do not believe developing this area is in the best interest of our community nor it is in the best interest of the City of Walnut Creek. We would have hoped the city would have included us in the discussion about the Open Space. Many of us in this community have lived here for over 20 years. We would like the area we share to be protected and maintained as it has been since the beginning of our community. We hope the city will consider the very real concerns of our community. We would also request that any further conversations regarding the open space that adjoins our community include representation from our Home Owner’s Association. Like a good neighbor, it would only seem reasonable to do so. We are

gathering the sentiments of our entire community and will be sharing them with the city as soon as possible.

We ask that the proposed new bike path be removed from the Open Space plan. We ask that the PROS commission take our concerns seriously and that no new bike paths be added to the Lime Ridge Open Space near Rancho Paraiso. We ask that the area surrounding our homes remain unchanged and undeveloped. We ask the city to respect our community by protecting it from any development that creates risks to our neighborhood. If any new trails are still proposed, 1) they be located sufficiently far away from our community to avoid adverse impacts and 2) they meet all applicable environmental protection requirements of the City, County, and State.

We would like a response from the PROS commission and the City Council to address our questions, listed above, and provide the requested details, as well as addressing the rest of our community's concerns. We would also like to request that any decisions regarding the bike trail be tabled until such time as these items are addressed. Furthermore, we would like to set up a meeting with the PROS commission and the Walnut Creek Trail committee so that our community may now be a part of the process going forward. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

The Board of the Rancho Paraiso Homeowners Association

Charles Hicklin, Peter Jordan, Valerie Gardner, Kathleen Flynn, Ben Behrouzi

This picture demonstrates what exists in central lime ridge. We do not want to see this expanded to other areas of Lime Ridge.

-----Original Message----- From: Susan Miller <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, March 21, 2021 2:30 PM To: Mayor - City Council <[email protected]>; Dan Buckshi <[email protected]>; Heather Ballenger <[email protected]>; Mike Vickers <[email protected]>; Rancho Paraiso <[email protected]> Subject: Lime Ridge Open Space Proposed Flow Trail Warning: this message is from an external user and should be treated with caution. Please confirm receipt of attached letter. Please also confirm forwarding of letter to Mayor and Council Members. Thank you, Susan Miller







-----Original Message----- From: Bill Hunt <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2021 8:08 AM To: Mike Vickers <[email protected]>; Corri Frazier <[email protected]> Subject: WCOSF supports consideration of temporary closure of Timberleaf Court entrance Warning: this message is from an external user and should be treated with caution. The Board of the Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation is hopeful that the proposed flow trail will draw mount bike traffic away from the single track trails near the summit of Lime Ridge. We hope that the concerns about the effect of the proposed trail this neighborhood can be addressed by OS Staff. The board supports consideration of a temporary closure of the Timberleaf Court entrance to Lime Ridge Open Space by Open Space Staff when the flow trail is opened as one possible measure to reduce concerns about increased use of the Timberleaf Court entrance and the trail leading uphill from that entrance. Bill Hunt President, Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation




From: Franklin <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, March 27, 2021 10:19 PM To: Dan Buckshi <[email protected]> Cc: Mayor - City Council <[email protected]>; Heather Ballenger <[email protected]>; Mike Vickers <[email protected]>; Public Comments <[email protected]>; Contact Us Miscellaneous <[email protected]> Subject:


To Whom It May Concern: I am a concerned homeowner who lives in the Rancho Paraiso neighborhood of Walnut Creek. It has come to our attention that the city council is considering a proposal to add a new bike trail (flow trail) that will exit into our neighborhood on Timberline Court. We are adamantly opposed to that idea for the following reasons. 1. That is currently a multi use trail that our family walks on, that will now be restricted to us even though it is in our backyard. 2.The damage that is done to trails by mountain bikes especially e-bikes will cause erosion and impact the beauty of the open area. 3. The potential increased parking on Timberline Ct., as well as bikes riding through the neighborhood detracts rom the residents privacy and also adds to the risk of crimes and vandalism. 4. E-bikes which will ride this trail (even if e-bikes were prohibited you will not be able to monitor) will increase the fire risk which we all know is a real danger (secondary to batteries) to neighborhoods bordering the open space. For all of the above reasons, please vote down any propositions that would alter the current open space balance. Sincerely, Franklin and Jennell Dill








From: [email protected] <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, March 29, 2021 9:30 AM To: Mike Vickers <[email protected]> Subject: Fwd: Bike/Flow Trail in Rancho Pariso


Dear Mr. Vickers - Public Works Manager My name is Peter Mazzetti and my wife and I reside at 701 Quail Crest Drive, Walnut Creek in the Rancho Pariso development. The purpose of my email is to express my concern regarding the "Bike/Flow Trail" that would be positioned above our community. When Smith Builders built our home and we picked out our lot, it was with the understanding that surrounding Rancho Pariso would be "Open Reserve". This appealed to us since our views and situated lot was exactly what we were looking for. We were told that because of soil erosion, the increased risk of fire and the natural habitat to many animals native to California, that our hills could not be touched or built upon. I am now concerned that the initiative to put a Bike Trail in our Open Reserve will reverse the reasons why we built in Rancho Pariso. The increased traffic a Bike Trail would create, the parking in our area, the increased risk of crime and vandalism not to mention the noise and disturbance this trail would bring necessitates me to take issue with any decision to proceed forward. We want the hills around us protected in the natural beauty and I implore you to stop any development which would jeopardize this. I would ask that this project be stopped and let natures' beauty be kept intact. Sincerely, Peter P. Mazzetti 510-719-8129




From: Gordon and Michelle Reese <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, April 3, 2021 9:37 AM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: PUBLIC COMMENT - for OPEN SPACE COMMISSION


Dear City of Walnut Creek Park, Recreation, and Open Space Commission, Thank you for your time. As 8+ year members of the Rancho Paraiso (RP) community, almost 20 year Walnut Creek residents, and avid road/MTB cyclists and hikers, we are excited to hear that you are planning another trail in the open space adjacent to Rancho Paraiso. It is important that we all have convenient and frequent access to the nature around us. We appreciate your efforts towards creating this convenience. As you plan the new trail, please keep a couple things in mind: TRAIL ACCESS

• Entry/exit to/from the trail from Timberleaf Court in RP would not work well:

o We recommend trail access from Timberleaf be restricted to Rancho Paraiso residents and their guests..

o There is no parking available to the public on Timberleaf. o If this looks like it could be an issue, consider putting a keyless

lock for RP residents. There could be an additional gate installed at the intersection of the Timberleaf access trail to the flow trail to discourage/prevent riders from coming into the RP community.

FIRE MITIGATION

• In providing access to nature, continue to mitigate for the upcoming fire season.

o Thank you for clearing the brush immediately behind the development; we appreciated your quick response after the last meeting.

o We appreciated hearing that PG&E will be undergrounding the electrical wires in the hills this year.

o There are abundant areas of dead branches, leaves and other natural debris that would serve as magnificent kindling, which will (obviously) be a direct threat to RP and a huge cost to the City.

o A couple of RP residents have been practicing fire mitigation by clearing paths and collecting branches; it is far from enough for what lies out there.

o Consider developing a Bay Area fire mitigation plan (like the one Lake Tahoe did) and make it available to the public.

WILDLIFE

• Coyotes, bobcats, birds, squirrels, badgers, racoons, skunks, and deer (to name the ones we’ve seen) live in the trail area.

o Please develop the area in ways that minimally disrupt their natural habitat.

o Consider how to deal with garbage. We often (sadly) pick up garbage when we bike and hike.

Consider organizing volunteer trail maintenance like they do for Mt. Diablo.

The more people can care for the land, the less likely they are to damage it or leave garbage.

Thank you for your time. Michelle & Gordon Reese 3885 Arbolado Drive Walnut Creek, CA 94598

From: Bruce Bilodeau <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 4, 2021 11:01 AM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: Lime Ridge Mountain Bike Trails


Walnut Creek Parks Recreation Open Space Commission, I am writing to express my support for the Open Space Trail Committee recommendations on agenda item 4d for your meeting on 5 Apr 2021: Walnut Creek Trail Committee Update: A request to hear the presentation and provide feedback on the Open Space improvements and provide feedback on the proposed trail in southern Lime Ridge. Mountain biking as a sport has been growing quickly in the last 10 years, and the pressure on existing trails in the Bay Area has been significant. Trails have been eroded, modified, or built by mountain bikers in an uncontrolled, haphazard, and unsustainable manner. The Trail Committee is recommending a deliberate response to this pressure in order to reduce environmental degradation while managing and accommodating the needs of mountain bikers. It is a brilliant way improve the experience for all trail users, as well as build respect for adjacent landowners and residents. I am the team director of the San Ramon Valley Mountain Bike Club, a youth sports 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on teaching and training middle and high school students mountain bike skills, fitness, and trail etiquette (www.srvmtb.org). We are affiliated with the NorCal High School Cycling League (www.norcalmtb.org), under the auspices of NICA (www.nationalmtb.org). Our club's mission is "The positive development and mentoring of young men and women through Mountain Biking with a focus on Health, Fitness, Leadership and Active Community Service." Our club has about 100 middle and high school students and 50 volunteer coaches from around the Danville area. We hold three rides per week from January through May, usually riding the trails around Mount Diablo. Due to the limited number of trails open to bicycles near Danville, our club spreads our ride groups out over a large area to keep from overwhelming the trails and minimize the potential for trail conflicts. Lime Ridge offers one of the best nearby riding opportunities, especially because it has some narrow, relatively technical trails. We look forward to the opportunity to not only ride trails in Walnut Creek Open Space, but also help support trail maintenance with organized volunteer work days as a community service activity for our club members. Please accept the Trail Committee's recommendations. The Committee is a great start as a collaborative effort to accommodate the users and neighbors of Walnut Creek's Open Spaces. Thanks. Bruce J. Bilodeau Team Director, San Ramon Valley Mountain Bike Club 231 Scotts Mill Ct Danville, CA 94526 (925) 838-2154 h [email protected]

https://www.srvmtb.org/

http://www.nationalmtb.org/

http://www.nationalmtb.org/


From: Robert Cooper <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 4, 2021 8:36 AM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: WCOS - Bikes & Dogs - 4/5/21 PROS Meeting


From: Christopher Cox <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 4, 2021 12:36 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Cc: Amanda Cox <[email protected]>; Nathan Hart <[email protected]> Subject: MTB Singletrack Warning: this message is from an external user and should be treated with caution. I fail to understand the restrictive trail policies in place in the east bay. In my decades of mountain biking around the country and world, we somehow seem to have the most restrictive policies toward mountain biking anywhere in the world (tied with Alameda and Marin Counties). As a physician and public health researcher I find this very troublesome. In this area, we struggle to get our teenagers and children outside, off screens and engaged with the physical world despite a plethora of space, good weather and suitable terrain. It is unfortunate that our trail policies cater to comparably tiny and privileged groups of equestrians and cattle ranchers at the expense of our youth. In an area where teen depression and obesity are rampant, mountain biking helps kids learn confidence, interact with peers and set themselves up for a lifetime of physical fitness and respect for nature. Our restrictive trail policies hurt in many ways, but there are a few of the high points: *forcing climbs on steep fire roads that are cut without respect to grade and are punishingly difficult for beginners *forcing descents on steep fire roads where speeds can be excessive *these are avoided with flowing singletrack trails that meander *teaching kids to break rules Many of us recognize the draconian and non-sensical nature of our current regulations. I am normally a law abiding citizen and a rule follower and I hope to instill this in my children. Painfully, I’ve had to teach them to ignore the “no bike” signs so that we can get some pleasant exercise and teach them to enjoy nature. For our family, the benefits of this outweigh the downsides, but it seems silly that we can’t do these harmless things legally. I don’t even understand the arguments against mountain biking. They all seem easily shot down: *erosion— >these are cattle ranches that also allow horses that do far more trail damage. Bikes tend to compact dirt and smooth *hikers—>most are petrified of snakes and stick to fire roads. There is seldomly traffic on single track and it is easy for bikes to yield to hikers or horses. Most issues occur on fire roads due to high traffic and high speed from their steep nature. *horses—>see above. They stick to fire roads with few exceptions. *danger—>overshadowed by the dangers of inactivity and depression in our children. Mountain biking has a very low rate of injury relative to other sports (see data from high school sports injuries; i can provide upon request) Let’s teach our teens to respect nature, stay physically fit and follow the laws. To do this we need sensible governance. I thank you for looking into this issue and I hope that common sense and shared usage will prevail. If allowed, we can also tap into the extensive financial resources in the biking industry to build new trails and bike parks in our area. I respectfully suggest that you will serve the public better by extending access to mountain bikes in place of the current, excessively draconian and restrictive policies

in place. Sincerely, Christopher Cox, MD Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Sent from my iPad

-----Original Message----- From: Shams Deitrick <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 4, 2021 11:38 AM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: 4d Walnut Creek Trail Committee Update Warning: this message is from an external user and should be treated with caution. Dear committee, Thank you for considering increasing mountain bike trail access. I believe mountain biking is a great activity that we should support and encourage. It is healthy, outdoors and adds to a vibrant community. Mt. bikers are happy to volunteer and do trail maintenance. They can be taught thru education what habitats need to be protected. The lime ridge areas has some natural technical challenges that bikers find attractive. Thank you for considering. Cheers, Shams Deitrick

From: adam fuchs <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 4, 2021 11:09 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: Bike Access at Lime RIdge


To whom it may concern, Thank you for considering adding more mountain bike access to this shared public space. The plan should improve access and experiences for many trail users, including the large constituency of Mountain bikers. I am a coach for the Oakland DEVO middle school bike team and Lime Rige has provided welcome alternatives to the over-crowded East Bay parks during the COVID Pandemic. Our kids have had a positve experience and Lime Ridge and it has become a nice destination for local riders. It is so important to provide varied terrain for the next generation of outdoor stewards, like our middle school riders. The bike community at large is a tremendous resource to the East Bay Parks in general , providing advocacy, donations, and free labor to build and maintain trails. Mountain bikers have put countless hours of work at Joaquin Miller Park ( City park in Oakland ) and Crockett Hills ( EBRPD ). Increasing access to Lime RIdge will potentially benefit the park and the current user base. Please consider increased biking access at Lime RIdge, so that more kids can benefit from more places to get outside and get exercise! Thank you for your support, Adam Fuchs Berkeley NICA Coach Oakland DEVO NICA Coach EL Cerrito Junior MTB Team

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 4, 2021 1:13 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: Shell Ridge Damage by Mountain Bikes


Dear Committee Members, For the last decade, a friend and I have walked in Shell Ridge 2 or 3 times a week, year-round. We mostly walk on the trails that take off from Hannah Lane, towards Borges Ranch, Flat Top, and the Costanoan Trail. There has been a very noticeable increase in damage from off-trail mountain bike riding in the area over the past few years. The damage is greatest in the Winter and Spring months, when the ground is soft and the plants are new. We frequently see bikers entering the park, but rarely see them on the trails. Mostly they leave the trails and ride over natural open space areas. They seem to look for unspoiled hillsides and valleys as presenting the most challenge for their sport. In March, along one section of the Costanoan Trail, which used to be lined with banks of varied wildflowers in Spring, there is now bare patch after bare patch of rutted illegal bike trails. In early March I noticed that one big patch of hillside formed by mountain bike riding had been closed off with a wooden fence and sign reading “Not a Trail”, but about 15 feet away, within a few days, the bikers had already rutted a new “trail” parallel to the old one down the same hillside. This is the second time within two years I’ve seen that happen. It is clear that some mountain bikers have no appreciation for the beauty and fragility of the open space as access to the natural world. They consider it only as a sports arena, to be torn up for their pleasure. They clearly do not think about the impact they are having on wildlife habitat and vegetation. I have no objection to mixed use trails, but I strongly object to users whose use involves destruction of the precious asset we share. I would like to suggest banning mountain bikes from the Open Space during the months when the ground is soft from rains, say from December until May. Such a policy would be relatively easy to enforce. It wouldn’t stop the damage the mountain bikers do to wildlife and vegetation during the rest of the year, but it would stop the deep ruts they form in Winter and Spring when the ground is soft. Sincerely, Jennifer Rice

From: Michael Speltz <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 4, 2021 11:10 AM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: Lime Ridge Mountain Bike Access


Dear Walnut Creek Parks Recreation Open Space Commission: I am writing in support of improved mountain bike access at Lime Ridge. Thank you for considering, recommending, and working to add more mountain bike access to this shared public space. I live in San Ramon and I am a coach with the San Ramon Valley High School Mountain Bike Club. Mountain bikers make up a large share of the users of park lands of greater Mt. Diablo and our community is growing. It is a fantastic way for youth to experience beauty of Mt Diablo while maintaining physical and mental health. They can also learn to care for the land. The plan being considered by the commision should improve experiences overall for the varied trail users at Lime Ridge. The mountain bike community is ready and willing to help with trail maintenance. We understand that their are sensitive habitats and we appreciate an education first approach to enforcement of park rules. We appreciate the residents around Lime Ridge and will treat their neighborhood with respect. Finally, the terrain at Lime Ridge provides opportunities for technical challenges that we would like to be able to experience. Thanks for the opportunity to comment. Sincerely, Michael Speltz San Ramon, CA

From: Jared Willbergh <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 4, 2021 4:04 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: Comment for Item 4d Walnut Creek Trail Committee Update: A request to hear the presentation and provide feedback on the Open Space improvements and provide feedback on the proposed trail in southern Lime Ridge


Good Evening! I would like to provide a comment for item 4d Walnut Creek Trail Committee Update: A request to hear the presentation and provide feedback on the Open Space improvements and provide feedback on the proposed trail in southern Lime Ridge. I am a local trail user and would like to thank you for considering, recommending, and working to add more mountain bike access to this shared public space. This plan should improve experiences overall for the varied trail users at Lime Ridge and the mountain bike community is ready and willing to help with trail maintenance. Thank you! Jared Willbergh Team Director East County Shred

From: Marcy Golden <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 8:05 AM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: Lime Ridge Bike Trails


Dear Walnut Creek Parks Recreation Open Space Commission, I am writing to let you know of my and my families support for the Open Space Trail Committee recommendations on agenda item 4d for your meeting on 5 Apr 2021: Walnut Creek Trail Committee Update: A request to hear the presentation and provide feedback on the Open Space improvements and provide feedback on the proposed trail in southern Lime Ridge. Our entire family enjoys mountain biking as a sport and it has provided our children with a wonderful outlet to socialize with friends, well being outside in nature and getting some exercise. Both of our sons are part of the SRVMTB club, which promotes responsible trail riding and maintenance. Our kids have learned how lucky we are to live near such beautiful trails and how important it is to take care of them. We feel that Lime Ridge would be a great addition to the current trails, especially as the growth of mtn biking has increased in recent years, it would give everyone additional trails that are nearby and accessible. Please accept the committee’s recommendations and know that many of us are ready to help and support whatever is needed to make this a successful endeavor. Sincerely, Marcy Golden

-----Original Message----- From: kevin Cabral <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 9:45 AM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: 4d Walnut Creek trail update Warning: this message is from an external user and should be treated with caution. Hello, I wanted to send an email as I will not be in attendance for tonights meeting. I am a 55yr resident of Concord, CA I am in support for the trail install in Lime Ridge open space. Thanks for the consideration and the fact this committee has taken the time to listen and see the need for additional biking trails in Lime Ridge. Lastly, this can be a benefit to all users of the trail system in terms of access and safety. Thank you, Kevin Cabral

From: Matt Lasky <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 9:57 AM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: 4d Walnut Creek Trail Committee Update


Hello Committee, Thank you for considering more trails for bike access in Walnut Creek open space. The plan before you will improve experiences for hikers and bikers alike in Lime Ridge and I urge you to support it. As a nearby resident, I look forward to helping develop new trail experiences as well as helping to maintain trails. Natural spaces should be shared by all. Thank you, Matt Lasky 601 Wintergreen Lane Walnut Creek, CA 94598

-----Original Message----- From: Peter Short <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 10:01 AM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: MTB Lime Ridge Warning: this message is from an external user and should be treated with caution. Hi, I have been a long term mountain biker & have been a coach for the past 6 years in the area. Getting the duds out to the wildernesses to experience the outdoors in a new way with respect and curiosity is keen to the development of our youth. Opening up new trails will be a huge step for them to experiences. Please approve. Thank you, Peter Sent from my iPhone

From: Ken Mozek <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 10:23 AM To: Cyndi Hashimoto <[email protected]> Cc: Heather Ballenger <[email protected]>; Mike Vickers <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Advocacy for safe and shared use of trails by the Mt Bike Community


Dear Cyndi, Thank you for the follow-up. I have attached a photo of our students and coaches from our 2019 season when we had 115 registered students and 35 volunteer coaches . Our Mt Bike club has had a positive impact on the lives of so many students, families and coaches. We look forward to assisting towards equal access to trail use and respectfully working with all users. Great examples of where this has been successfully accomplished are areas like Tahoe, Donner, Santa Cruz and Bend Oregon. I know it is possible and we look forward to the opportunity to participate in the process Sincerely Coach Ken Mozek Head Coach San Ramon Valley Mt Bike Club (925)989-2892 OUR MISSION: The positive development and mentoring of young men and women through Mt Biking with a focus on health, fitness, leadership and activity community service

On Mon, Apr 5, 2021 at 9:52 AM Cyndi Hashimoto <[email protected]> wrote:

Thank you for your comments. They will be forwarded to the Park, Recreation & Open Space Commission prior to their meeting tonight.

Cyndi Hashimoto City of Walnut Creek | Public Works 1666 N. Main Street Walnut Creek, CA 94596 Tel. 925.256.3586

-----Original Message----- From: Ken Mozek <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 4, 2021 6:52 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: Advocacy for safe and shared use of trails by the Mt Bike Community


Dear Open Space & Parks Commission

I’m the head coach of the San Ramon Mt Bike Club. Our mission is “ The positive development and mentoring of young men and women thru Mt Biking with a focus on health, fitness, leadership and active community service”

I started the club 14 years ago with (11) HS students, to date we have had over 1,000 students ( HS & Middle school ) go thru our program. This year we had 100 registered middle & high school students and over 40 parent volunteers coaches .

We teach students how to respect other trail users, the love for the outdoors and build community thru Mt Biking. We represent one of the largest and fastest growing trail users in the park system. To our disappointment very little has been done to proactively support the mt Bike community . We look for the opportunity to work with other trail users for equal and safe access to trailers Please let use know how we can best participate.

Sincerely

Ken Mozek

Head Coach

San Ramon Mt Bike Club

(925)989-2892

Sent from my iPhone




From: Mike Anciaux <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 10:23 AM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: Item 4d Walnut Creek Trail Committee Update


I support the recommendations for increased mountain bike access to the Lime Ridge Open Space. Thank you Mike Anciaux

From: phorest bateson <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 11:06 AM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: Comment for item 4d – Walnut Creek Trail Committee Update


Thank you for considering, recommending, and working to add more mountain bike access to shared public spaces. I encourage you to implement the plan!

• This plan should improve enjoyment for all the varied trail users at Lime Ridge. • The mountain bike community is ready and willing to help with trail maintenance • We understand that there are sensitive habitats and will treat them as such. • We appreciate an education before enforcement approach • We appreciate that people live around Lime Ridge and will treat the neighbors with

respect • The Lime Ridge terrain provides opportunities for technically challenging trails that we

would like to see considered.

Thank you! -- --- - - -- ---- - ----- - - - - Phorest Bateson

From: William Holzapfel <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 11:07 AM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: Comment on Agenda item 4d


Thanks for recommending the expansion of mountain bike access for Lime Ridge. I believe that the proposed plan will improve the experience of all trail users at Lime Ridge. Please engage the community of mountain bikers in trail construction and maintenance. We will be happy to contribute our labor in exchange for access to trails. Regards, -WLH

From: Derek Cross <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 11:32 AM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: 4d Walnut Creek Trail Committee Update


Greetings to the Commission, I am fairly new to the mountain biking sport, as I have been riding for roughly two years now. Having grown up in the East Bay, I am well aware of the scenic beauty and strong natural ties we have to these surroundings. From hiking around Mt. Diablo and the Las Trampas hills, to walking the shoreline of Alameda and Hayward, I have always enjoyed my time outdoors and have been thankful for the management and maintenance of our wonderful trail systems. I am currently exploring employment and volunteer opportunities within the Bay Area Parks and Land system as a way to give back to my community and aid in the continued support of my outdoor lifestyle. I spent the last few years down at the Port of Los Angeles as the Operations Project Lead restoring and transforming the ex-USS IOWA BB-61 battleship (from Suisun Bay) into an interactive STEM museum, ranked in the top 15 attractions in the lower half of the state. Unfortunately, during those years I injured both knees while working aboard the vessel. My ability to hike has been compromised. During physical therapy sessions, the one thing that brought the most healing was stationary cycling. After surgery and therapy, I purchased a mountain bike. Relocating home in 2018 saw me trying to find and ride trails available to cyclists. It can prove difficult at times. Riding (albeit quite slow and deliberate on my part) out on scenic nature trails has provided me needed rehabilitation, physical exercise, and, most importantly, a much improved emotional attitude as the injuries had been quite depressing. Through discussion with fellow riders and trails users of all types, I know that I am certainly not alone in this matter. Add to this the Pandemic that the world has faced this last year, open and well managed trail systems for ALL users are continually needed. I implore the Commission to continue to actively evaluate and realign current and future trail systems for the physical, and most importantly, emotional well being of this community. Thank you all for your continued devotion to our Bay Area land, and thank you for granting me time to share my story. Sincerely and respectfully, Derek Cross

From: Christopher Jones <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 11:35 AM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Cc: The Bears <[email protected]> Subject: Support for multi-use single track - Item 4d - April 5, 2021


As a 50 year resident, scientist, educator and avid cyclist I support multi-use single track designations in the Walnut Creek open space. The “social” trails in the Indian Creek area of Shell Ridge were connected by those of us from India Valley and Walnut Heights schools with shovels and bmx bikes in the mid-late 70’s. Those were different times, and Walnut Creek is a different city now. However, there are well reasoned approaches to manage trail access, ecological stewardship, and user safety that have been time tested in other communities. One direction travel, bells, and involving youth in trail maintainance have all been used successfully in other communities. Mr. Caedmon Bear is well versed in these, and I ask you to use his expertise. The ecological impact of cyclists is minimal. There are minor erosion concerns, but compared to any other human impact on these chaparral hillsides - be it equestrian, cattle grazing, domestic dogs, whatever - either on a per user basis or "en masse” cyclist impact is negligible in comparison. The advent of E-bikes is going to complicate this issue, and I beg you to develop a policy that looks to the future as a plan to adapt to the new population size and use demands instead of trying to protect historic access limited to those few with monthly stabling fees. The preference given equestrian use over the past 20 years is obvious. I am not advocating limiting horse access, simply that all users have a fundamental right to access all spaces if they can do so safely. Having zero restrictions on a near 1000 lb animal’s access to fragile trails cut into clay soils is absurd. The inequity of such policy is rooted in our culture, but deserves scrutiny like so many other norms of our privileged East Bay lifestyles. My father rode his motorcycle and hunted Quail on Lime Ridge in the late 60’s and early 70’s. That had to change. Why? For the same reasons we need to change access rules now - new uses for a larger segment of a growing population made his use (despite the history) unsafe and/or unfair. As a high school teacher for more than 20 years, I would pose another question. While we may not want to have groups of 14 year old boys building big jumps in the open space, should we not be doing everything we can to encourage them to be out in the hills riding bikes? San Ramon and Monte Vista High Schools have successful Mountain Bike race teams that compete in regional races through NICA. These programs not only provide a healthy, non-traditional sport for over a hundred kids, but also have a very large portion of young women out racing up hills with the boys. We all know kids who may not excel in team sports or simply are iconoclastic teens who would benefit greatly from a healthy activity such as cycling. As a community, we should be encouraging such and including them in trail building, not citing them with fines. Take a step back. Look at open space with the eyes of a child. It should welcome people to access it’s beauty and respect it’s wildness. That means picnic tables and garbage cans a few

hundred yards from trail heads. It means kiosks just like what you have included in the draft plan to help educate and encourage responsible use. It certainly should not be a place where half of the trails are set aside for the benefit of wealthy white folks to exercise their Arabians. Sincerely, Chris Jones 960 Jeffrey Ln

From: Greg Fogg <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 12:03 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: Comment for item 4d. In support of mountain bike trails in lime ridge


I am writing today to comment on item 4d for the zoom meeting tonight. I strongly support a plan to help bring a flow trail for mountain bikes in Lime Ridge Open Space. Thank you for putting the time and effort into this to even talk about and have the discussion about creating a trail for mountain bikes. As an east bay mountain biker, options for riding singletrack trails are extremely limited. Riding 8 foot wide fire roads do not provide the same intimate riding experience with the landscape as a singletrack trail does. In many mountain bikers eyes, riding on fire roads is not really mountain biking at all. Most east bay mountain bikers (especially those who are advanced riders seeking to ride advanced trails / features) are set with a dilemma when choosing where to enjoy mountain biking. Ride the same few limited parks over and over that have legal singletrack, (joaquin miller in oakland, crockett hills in crockett, rockville hills) or do one of two things: Drive upwards of an hour to ride somewhere else that is more mountain bike friendly (Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, Tahoe, Angwin, etc.) or ride trails that are unsanctioned, or only allowed for hikers and equestrians. Compound this with the fact that many riders' prime time to ride during the week is after work, (when they don't have time to drive upwards of an hour through traffic to a friendly mountain bike trail system) and it becomes easier to see why many mountain bikers are left with the choice of having to ride trails they are not supposed to be on. I believe that mountain biking is not a crime. I believe that mountain bikers, hikers, and equestrians should all be able to share trails harmoniously. A lot of mountain bikers have buying timber bells to put on their bikes, so that when they are riding a trail that a hiker may be on, they simply turn the bell on when riding, and it alerts hikers that they are coming down the trail. This is a simple improvement to hikers and bikers spooking each other on trails. Of course when bikes and hikers meet each other, the bikes should slow down, or stop to let the hikers hike by. It's the same as when hikers going different directions on a narrow trail stop for each other and make room to pass. I fully support creating a flow trail in Lime Ridge Open Space. The great thing about mountain bikers is, if you grant us some access to trails, we will show up in droves for trail maintenance and build days. If a trail route was approved, you could even have the trail hand cut by volunteers too. Having a bike approved trail would be huge. It would be amazing not having to feel like a criminal while enjoying riding bikes.

That being said, Lime Ridge already has an excellent existing trail system that is used by mountain bikers regularly. Kids are out there with their families, 70 year olds are out there trying mountain biking, and everyone in between. I would suggest that in addition to a new trail, some or all of the existing trails at Lime Ridge be adopted into the mountain bike approved riding system. Thanks for your time. Greg Fogg (925)925-826-8222

From: Yvette Skinner <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 12:36 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: Comment for Walnut Creek PROS Comission


Tonight I am unable to attend the teleconference due to a time conflict so I am sharing my input in this email. Thank you for your willingness to increase mountain bike access to the WCOS. I believe the plan under discussion will improve trail user experiences at Lime Ridge for all user types by having more trails to share. I also believe that the local neighbors at Lime Ridge will benefit from increased trail access. As a member of the mountain biking community, I can say confidently that mountain bikers are ready, willing, and able to help WCOS with trail maintenance. I have already participated in a work day on the trails at Lime Ridge. I understand that WCOS is home to many unique flora and fauna and some areas should be avoided due to the sensitive habitat. However, the open space also has many areas of open grass pasture. In the discussions I have heard so far I am grateful to hear that the WCOS staff seem to be favoring an "education first" approach to enforcement. Thank you for considering these points. I look forward to the next steps in the trail building process. Respectfully, Yvette Skinner

From: Alex Stevenson <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 12:38 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: 4d Walnut Creek Trail Committee Update: A request to hear the presentation and provide feedback on the Open Space improvements and provide feedback on the proposed trail in southern Lime Ridge


To whom it may concern, I am in support of creating better access to maintain bike trails in southern Lime Ridge. As an alumni and coach with the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, I have seen first-hand the positive impact that mountain biking has on youth and the communities they are a part of. With proper management and education, trail users can share these precious natural spaces to achieve a greater sense of environmentalism and stewartship. Trail access will need to be expanded to accomodate this rapidly growing sport. Please consider the many positive impacts that more bike- trail access can have.

Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Alex Stevenson.

-----Original Message----- From: Bradley Hubbard <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 12:54 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: Limeridge open space for mountain bikers Warning: this message is from an external user and should be treated with caution. Hello, My teenage sons, 18 and 13, and I, spend a lot of time at lime Ridge riding up and enjoying the down In this great area of trails, at least 1-2 times per week. It has definitely become more popular over the last year and I am always thinking about the balance of use of the trails. Here are some things I have been thinking about, and thought I would share: We ride all over the Bay Area and access to some of the trails costs us money. We go to Rockville in Salano County, Skyline in Napa and Tamarancho in Marin. Each of those parks cost $3-$5 to get up the mountain. It may be beneficial, if it an expense thing, to charge a small access fee. The city can also require users to have training on what trails to ride or park etiquette. A small video that certifies the rider to ride the correct trails. In this way, we can learn flow direction and trail maintenance. It would inter-connect riders, hikers and the city. At Limeridge, my boys and I are hoping for more access and less regulation. But we also want to be respectful to the land and the hikers also using the open space. Thank you for making this wonderful open space available. We love it! We are hopeful for the future of the space and look forward to years of collaboration. Brad Hubbard Sent from my phone Pardon any typos

From: Scott Bartlebaugh <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 1:11 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: Public comment on 4/5/21 PROS Commission Agenda item 4d - Walnut Creek Trail Committee Update: A request to hear the presentation and provide feedback on the Open Space improvements and provide feedback on the proposed trail in southern Lime Ridge.


Mr. Art Oller, Chair City of Walnut Creek Park, Recreation, and Open Space Commission Submitted via email: [email protected] Re: Agenda Item #4d: Walnut Creek Trail Committee Recommendations Update: A request to hear a presentation and provide feedback on the Open Space Enforcement Guidelines and status of the proposed flow trail within southern Lime Ridge Open Space

Dear Chairman Oller and Commissioners, On behalf of the Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay (BTCEB) and our membership, we are writing to express our strong support for the Walnut Creek Open Space Trail Committee Recommendations. We are very pleased that the commission chose to adopt the Trail Committee recommendations and is supporting staff to move forward with the recommendations including the flow trail in the southern Lime Ridge Open Space. Implementation of the recommendations should result in improved trail experiences for all park users and stakeholders. The parking and access considerations presented at the February PROS Commission meeting provide a reasonable plan to minimize impact on the adjacent neighbors. The existing parking lots at the Boundary Oaks golf course can provide good access to the proposed trail in the south portion of the Lime Ridge and minimize street parking impacts. We strongly support the addition of the bike optimized flow trail and the further evaluation of trails in the Lime Ridge and Shell Ridge for appropriateness for bike use. In cases where a significant portion of a trail is deemed adequate for bike use we ask that you consider options for re-routing or modifying inadequate sections of trail to allow more appropriate bike accessed trails to be included in the trail system. Barry Mendelson and Caedmon Bear are keeping the mountain bike community engaged and mountain bikers are ready to help with maintenance and construction opportunities when they become available. They are in contact with the Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay and ready to draw on our membership for trail work volunteers.


Thank you for your leadership and forward-thinking approach to public lands management. We stand ready to assist in anyway. Sincerely, Scott Bartlebaugh Advocacy Director, Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay

-----Original Message----- From: Joseph Allnutt <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 1:27 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: Lime Ridge Open Space Warning: this message is from an external user and should be treated with caution. Hello, My name is Joseph Allnutt and I am a local Concord resident who avidly uses our lime ridge open space for mountain bike riding. Due to the substantial amount of bikers who want to enjoy the open space, and the lack of trails available for us to use (single track), our current situation does not work. The few trails available to us are being over used and congested with too many people. I understand there is a push for a new mountain bike “flow trail” too be made which is great, but the reality of it is that adding only one more mountain bike trail is not enough. We need multiple new single track mountain bike trails to handle the large amount of local mountain bike riders who go to lime ridge, as well as preventing the overuse of trails. Thank you for considering, recommending, and working to add more mountain bike access to this shared public space. We all want to enjoy our small area of open space together, including all forms of space usage. Thank you, Joseph Allnutt

-----Original Message----- From: Sean Pollock <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 2:03 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: More Mountain Bike Access/ single track please! Warning: this message is from an external user and should be treated with caution. Hello! I am a 3rd year Coach for Berkeley High School Mountain Bike Team and I actively ride out at Mount Diablo. I try and take advantage off all the offerings out there and will regularly ride from South Gate to Morgan Territory via Oyster Point, among others. I would love to see more trail access for Mountain Bikes, as the more access the more we can get out kids involved in helping out and being great stewards of our land. Thank you for considering, as without mountain biking, I wouldn’t be nearly involved in outdoor leadership and participating in trail building etc. All my best, Sean, Leah and baby Ida Pollock

-----Original Message----- From: alice philipson <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 2:43 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Cc: Janet Shaw <[email protected]>; Cherie <[email protected]>; Linda Wuy <[email protected]> Subject: Tonight’s Meeting Warning: this message is from an external user and should be treated with caution. Dear Officers I plan to sign on to the Meeting tonight for Public Comments. While I will be speaking on my behalf, I will also be representing the 30 trail riders at Summit Ranch in Alamo which joins the Open Space at the Borges Ranch gate and along the ridge. I have also trailered in, with 6-10 others, to the trail that opens by the Fire Station. And we join with friends from other riding clubs that trailer into Macado Gate. Equestrians have NOT abandoned Walnut Creek Open Space. We are threatened with and by bicycles. So we hide. And many of us do not ride on weekends out of fear. Our horses are well under control, but are live animals, not machines. They Will react if threaten by perceived threats. They are, even after all these years of domestication, prey animals. When they react, we can be seriously injured or even die. And while most bicycles are ridden by nice people out for fun and exercise, there are a large number of thrill riders. Who do not follow any rules, and certainly do not stay off “No Bike” trails. The trail damage from bicycles is easy to see, the illegal trails, the slopes where the bikes have rounded curves, the ruts where bikes have skipped switchbacks. Please do not confuse the fact you don’t see many of us with horses not being on your trails! People and bikes avoid Hazard Hill, so that’s a good place to find us climbing up and riding on the Foothills Trail. From Summit Ranch, we constantly ride the Twin Ponds Loop Trail, and the Sugarloaf-Shell Ridge Trail. So look for us there. Hope to see some of you out riding or hiking soon. Thank you. Alice Philipson Summit Ranch Alamo The task of preserving democracy falls to all of us. We must become United again.

From: Janet Shaw <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 2:49 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: WC Park, Recreation, and Open Space Commission- Public comment regarding 4/5 meeting agenda item 4(d)


As a member of the equestrian and mountain biking community, I would like to comment on the City of Walnut Creek Open Space Trail recommendations for managing trails. I support the recommendations made by the committee. Safety for all user groups and individuals on the open space trails is my primary concern. I believe signage in the parks needs to be improved greatly. Educating the public about the rules and need for safety is vitally important. I believe in being courteous and friendly and always stopping and asking if it is safe to proceed. I believe all trail users are all out there for health and enjoyment, but when the safety and life of an individual or animal is in danger, it ruins the experience for all of us. I support designating trails for specific users. Trails can be evaluated to safety standards, with reminder signage in dangerous areas. For example, on trails where there are drop offs on either side, and blind corners with no visibility, there needs to be signs at these pinch points; to watch for users, slow and call out. The “Surprise Factor” is where many incidents occur. Trail users need to learn to constantly be aware of who and what they may be approaching and how to avoid surprising and scaring and spooking them. We can all learn to share the trails and use them together in a safe way, respecting the needs and limitations of each other. Outreach and Community engagement is a great idea. Priorities and Recommendations of the committee are well thought out and articulated. Following these will greatly help in making the trails safe for all. With the huge increase in trail usage during the pandemic and going forward, it is my experience that some form of enforcement power must be given back to the rangers and volunteer trail safety patrols. People need to report incidents and help keep the parks safe. There needs to be a visual presence of patrol and rule enforcers for people to abide by the safety rules and save lives.

I hope the PROS Commission will endorse the recommendations of the Open Space Trails Committee. Thank you all very much for hearing our concerns and helping make the trails safe. These are concerns shared by all park systems in various regions everywhere. There is room for us all with compromises for safety. Janet Shaw Danville, CA

-----Original Message----- From: Mr Powers <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 2:57 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: Lime Ridge trails. Warning: this message is from an external user and should be treated with caution. Hello I just want to send a note and say that myself and my two son’s Jake and Logan (15 and 14) would love to have some new trails at lime ridge. My sons were born in Walnut Creek and currently attend St.Mary’s in Walnut Creek and De La Salle. We love riding our bikes up there and it is great for health and community. It’s a way to bond with my boys and friends since we all like to ride. We are always respectful to the trails and hikers. We ride with a bell so hikers know we are coming. Especially around any blind corners. You see, if we had our own trails it would be helpful with the crowds. It would be nice if you could just take down the no bike signs then everyone in the community would get along. Thank you, Joe

From: Linda Wuy <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 3:21 PM To: alice philipson <[email protected]> Cc: Cherie <[email protected]>; Janet Shaw <[email protected]>; Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Tonight’s Meeting


I wholeheartedly agree with Ms Philipson. Horses are not giving up riding we just try to avoid the heaviest bike time like weekends but those of us that work don’t have that luxury. Most cyclists are polite and cautious but I’ve had several experiences where bikers curse us and flip us off and tell us to get off the trails! There is room for everyone’s mode of exercise we all just need to be civil and use common sense and be courteous Respectfully Linda Wuy Summit ranch boarder On Mon, Apr 5, 2021 at 2:43 PM alice philipson <[email protected]> wrote: Dear Officers I plan to sign on to the Meeting tonight for Public Comments. While I will be speaking on my behalf, I will also be representing the 30 trail riders at Summit Ranch in Alamo which joins the Open Space at the Borges Ranch gate and along the ridge. I have also trailered in, with 6-10 others, to the trail that opens by the Fire Station. And we join with friends from other riding clubs that trailer into Macado Gate. Equestrians have NOT abandoned Walnut Creek Open Space. We are threatened with and by bicycles. So we hide. And many of us do not ride on weekends out of fear. Our horses are well under control, but are live animals, not machines. They Will react if threaten by perceived threats. They are, even after all these years of domestication, prey animals. When they react, we can be seriously injured or even die. And while most bicycles are ridden by nice people out for fun and exercise, there are a large number of thrill riders. Who do not follow any rules, and certainly do not stay off “No Bike” trails. The trail damage from bicycles is easy to see, the illegal trails, the slopes where the bikes have rounded curves, the ruts where bikes have skipped switchbacks. Please do not confuse the fact you don’t see many of us with horses not being on your trails! People and bikes avoid Hazard Hill, so that’s a good place to find us climbing up and riding on the Foothills Trail. From Summit Ranch, we constantly ride the Twin Ponds Loop Trail, and the Sugarloaf-Shell Ridge Trail. So look for us there. Hope to see some of you out riding or hiking soon.


Thank you. Alice Philipson Summit Ranch Alamo The task of preserving democracy falls to all of us. We must become United again. -- Linda Wuy 510-710-3050 cell

-----Original Message----- From: Jan Lindsay-Milos <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 3:31 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: #4d Walnut Creek Trail Committee Update Warning: this message is from an external user and should be treated with caution. Hi I am a member of many equine East Bay horse clubs including Heather Park , Icelandic, and SRHA. I use many of these trails with many other equine friendly users. The concern of over use of bicycles and horses at the same time has become a big concern. Both to the riders and the impact on the trails. So why not make it so certain trails on certain days of the week be allotted to bikers and a 1 weekend day. And the other days and 1 weekend day to horses. Also make everyone start having to buy a yearly ticket like the big parks do to pay for personal and upkeep of trails! That would be dividing the week up between the bikers and the equine community? Seems fair to me! Sincerely, One Smart 🐎🐎 Sent from my iPhone

From: Pam Roberts <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 3:35 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: WC Open Space Trails Use Mtg 4-5-21


Gentlemen – Please be sure to continue to ban bikes from single-track trails … bikes on these trails are dangerous to walkers and horse-back-riders and horses. Please be sure to ban any and all motorized devices from ALL trails … fire roads, single track trails, etc. With regards, Pam Roberts Danville, CA 94526 Cell 925-286-9128 [email protected]


From: Joel Shrock <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 3:38 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: Mountain bike trails at Lime Ridge


We so desperately need approved places to ride mountain bikes on trails in our community. Narrow, fun, trails, not fire roads. Bikes can climb with other users without issue, as everyone is going about the same speed, but bikes do an amazing job of going down hills, and it's really fun! But if we are on the same trails as everyone else, it's not fun or safe for everyone.. Bikes just need a couple tails that flow down a hill where they don't have to mix with other riders. Just a couple bike specific downhill trails make the whole experience a lot safer, and more fun, for everyone. Please, help us get some trails to ride. Thanks Joel

-----Original Message----- From: James Hurley personal <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 3:40 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: support mountain bike access on Lime Ridge Warning: this message is from an external user and should be treated with caution. Hello, Thanks for the opportunity to comment. There are far too few trails in the east bay/Mt. Diablo region that permit mountain biking, a wholesome, healthy, eco-friendly sport. Please consider expanding access in this case at Lime Ridge. Yours, Jim Hurley Berkeley, CA

From: John Dube <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 3:45 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Cc: Bruce Bilodeau <[email protected]>; Ken Mozek <[email protected]> Subject: Comment for today's commission meeting: MTB access at Lime Ridge


Thank you for this effort to increase mountain bike access to this public space! I have been riding in Lime Ridge and vicinity for 15+ years, and for the last decade have been volunteering a coach for the San Ramon Valley Mountain Bike Club (part of the NorCal league of NICA). Our club has 90+ middle- and high school student participants each year and 30+ trained adult coaches. Our mission is the positive development and mentoring of young men and women through mountain biking with a focus on health, fitness, leadership and active community service. Our program emphasizes education, respect for other trail users, and community service such as participating in trail maintenance. I believe that efforts like those described in the proposed plan will reduce impact on sensitive areas and promote all trail users' enjoyment of the park. In addition, Lime Ridge presents opportunities for more technically challenging trails that may enhance Lime Ridge's reputation as a destination for fun and safe mountain biking, while further reducing user conflict. Sincerely, John Dube Coach, San Ramon Valley Mountain Bike Club

https://www.srvmtb.org/

https://www.norcalmtb.org/

https://www.norcalmtb.org/

https://www.nationalmtb.org/

-----Original Message----- From: BARBARA DONOVAN <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 3:50 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Subject: Open space trails... Warning: this message is from an external user and should be treated with caution. Please support the recommendations of the Walnut Creek Open Space Trail Committee. There is plenty of mileage available to cyclists on our roads throughout Contra Costa County. Hikers, nature and animal lovers need our access to the trails to be safe. Too many “ fast moving “ vehicles are a danger to all. Thank-you.

From: Ira Weiny <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 3:51 PM To: Public Comments <[email protected]> Cc: Lorrie Weiny <[email protected]> Subject: Support Mountain Biking in Lime Ridge


Both my Wife and I Mountain bike regularly in the east bay area. We prefer access to 'single track' trails which are more challenging in nature than a normal fire road trail. We also want to respect other trail users because we hike as well. Safety is paramount in any recreation activity and we would prefer to see more single track trails designated 'bike only'. While more access via multi-use is valuable; having access limited to bikes only can solve a lot of the conflicts on the trails. But this only works if bikes get legal access to various levels of trails designated for bikes only. Because if you only designate 1 trail for bikes that will not be enough with the increased use by bikers. An increase in total miles of trails, more multi-use trails, and some bike only trails is ideal. Obviously this would have to be done over time so what is currently proposed is at least a step in the right direction and is appreciated that the Commission is considering it. Finally, we would like to see access for Electric MTBs as well. My wife, as well as a friend of hers, have Electric mountain bikes mainly so they can keep up with myself and others on our regular bikes. I feel like the electric mountain bike debate often overlooks this class of eMTB user. Thank you, Ira and Lorrie Weiny Livermore Ca.

PROS Commission Meeting Agenda Item 4d April 5, 2021 ...

Documents

Transcript of PROS Commission Meeting Agenda Item 4d April 5, 2021 ...