HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-19-2013 PEBTAC MinutesCITY OF SARATOGA
PEDESTRIAN, EQUESTRIAN & BICYCLE TRAILS
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Meeting Minutes
DATE: Tuesday, March 19, 2013
TIME: 4:00 pm
LOCATION: City of Saratoga Administrative Conference Room, 13777 Fruitvale Avenue,
Saratoga, CA 95070
1. Call to Order: Meeting called to order by the Chair at 4: 06pm
2. Roll Call: Present: Stallman, Cosyn, Swan, Waltonsmith; City liaison Harvancik
3. Report on Posting of the Agenda: So done
4. Accept Agenda Items and Order: Accepted
5. Approval of Minutes: January meeting minutes approved
6. Oral and Written Communication: Written submittal identifying "Adopt a Trail " signage
found at a park not in Saratoga was submitted by a Saratoga resident for consideration by
the committee as a possible idea to incorporate here. Discussion ensued and the item was
proposed to be a future meeting agenda item.
7. Old Business:
• Blue Hills School Crossing update and grand opening event for the Fredericksburg
connection
- Staff provided a verbal update on the project.
- VTA funds have been applied for.
- VTA has the project on its current roster of projects for Saratoga.
- Path will be upgraded to ADA by the project.
- Train does one round trip at most once a week — on Fridays.
- The Cox crossing upgrade took 10 years and UP (Union Pacific Railroad) did the
work per their own schedule — which delayed it for years.
- Residents in attendance said that they have had to replace walking/biking trips
with auto trips to reach schools and now feel isolated.
- The project has also been named Reconnect Saratoga by the neighborhood which
got cut off from all their schools by the crossing closure and the school side
neighborhood residents who got cut off from their friends.
- It was reported that the bicycle trips have had to use Cox including crossing it
twice in order to get to the other side. Cox is heavily traveled and has difficult
intersections to navigate safely.
- The Council will take up the roster of Capital Improvement Projects in the
April /May timeframe to decide what projects to fund — in this case —providing the
local match component to combine with the VTA funds.
- A ribbon cutting event will be planned for the reopened Fredericksburg pathway.
• Quarry Property update (RFP; Guided walk Saturday, May 18th at 9 am)
- The Request for Proposal to develop the Park Plan is issued. Property preparations
are completed to facilitate the upcoming walk.
• Capital Improvement Projects related to trails
- In progress: Village Creek Trail, Village Creek Overlook, Quarry Master Plan
• VTA BPAC representative
- Rick Waltsonsmith is the new rep and he attended the March VTA BPAC meeting.
8. Staff Report:
• Commissioner Recognition Dinner — Thursday, May 30th at 6:00pm, location TBD
• The Saratoga sponsored Arbor Day is 3:00 pm April 24th at the Saratoga Library.
• Saratoga Historical Foundation's Blossom Festival is March 23rd at the Civic Center
and adjoining Heritage Orchard - info at www. SaratogaHistory .com/BlossomFestival/
9. New Business:
• Gardiner Park easement sale will go before a public hearing on April 18th. The
property will be sold for a minimum of $80k.
- Committee comments suggested that Blue Hills Crossing Reconnect Saratoga
advocates attend the hearing to show support - including requesting that the money
provide the city match for this trail /BPAC project
10. Reports:
• Pending trails updates — Work at Mendelsohn Lane along HWY 9 was noted as part of
the current phase constructing pedestrian paths the length of Saratoga —Los Gatos Rd.
• Member reports — Photos of the new steps constructed for the school trail connecting
to the library and the upgraded Fredericksburg access to Joe's Trail reopened March
18th were presented.
11. Action Items Summary:
• Ann and Iveta are planning the Fredericksburg access to Joe's Trail ribbon cutting
• Ann is a member of anew Mid -Pen Open Space Vision planning committee
• Watch for the upcoming Council CIP agenda item in April or May
• Attend the Gardiner Park easement sale Public Hearing April 18th
12. Adjournment was at 5:30 with the next scheduled meeting date being April 16, 2013.