HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.2 Supplement #10 Supplemental No. 10
ITEM#3.2
Harold V. Feeney Distributed 10/25/16
Mary Jo Feeney
11030 Mora Drive, Los Altos Hills CA 94024
650.941.6085 Tel•650.391.7207 Mobile
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October 24,2016
To: Members of the Los Altos Hills Planning Commission
• Kavita Tanka,Chair
• Richard Partridge,Vice Chair
• Jamshid/Jim Basiji
• Jitze Couperus
• Susan Mandle
cc: Deborah Padovan,City Clerk
John Radford,Council Liaison
Suzanne Avila,Planning/Building Director
RE: Pathway Proposal on Lower Mora Drive
Dear Members of the Los Altos Hills Planning Commission:
We respectfully oppose the inclusion of Mora Dr.on the Master Path Map and request that the Town
conduct further study and carefully evaluate the proposed Trail People pathway report for lower Mora
Drive.This letter first briefly lists and then further describes the many issues that need to be considered:
• Evaluating the report by Public Works staff regarding the safety of a south side path on Mora
Drive and integrating it with the existing County walkway across I-280.
• Reviewing the existing culvert drainage on the south side of Mora Drive and possible conflict
with the proposed pathway alignment
• Using/restoring the existing shoulder walkway on the north side of Mom Drive as a paved
walkway.
• Extending the roadway pavement by only 1'to 2'in the area of the metal barrier to widen the
existing walkway
• Scheduling meetings with the neighborhood(both Town and Unincorporated residents)to
explore options for a walkway on Mom Drive that provides both safety for pedestrians and
respects the privacy(as well as the rural character)of the neighborhood.
•
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Lower Mora Drive, Circa 1937
Although newly annexed to the Town,the development of Mora Dr.predates both the Town's incorporation
(1956)and the adoption of the Town's First Master Map Plan(1961
RE: Pathway Proposal on Lower Mora Drive Page 2
http://www.losaltoshills.ca.gov/DocumentCenterNiew/677). Created in 1932 from the ranch property of
California artist,writer and sculptor Jo Mora,Mom Dr.was developed and maintained over the years,to
County standards.
When the token annexation of 5 homes on Mora Dr.was in process in 2016,Town staff acknowledged the
rural character of the area. The proposed inclusion of Mora Dr.on the Master Path Map risks turning a
rural road into a perceived trail head for the Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve and would ignore
the request of the 80%of Mora Drive residents who signed a petition opposing the imposition of LAH
pathway standards on Mora Drive.
Objections to the Master Path Map are not driven by the proposed cost of the project,but by considering
the objectives,benefits,and activities often presented by the Pathways Committee:
• Designed to complement our roads
• Intended primarily for residents
• Provide safe routes to schools
• Offer a means of outdoor recreation
• Contribute to the open,rural character of our Town
• Adding paths incrementally as parcels are developed or redeveloped
• Town is responsible for maintenance
• Full PWC heard public comment,discussed and voted on draft maps at a public meeting
(4/25/16)
Each of these bulleted items will be discussed in context with the Trail People report that proposes a
pathway alignment on the south side of Mora Dr.and that proposes adding Mora Dr,to the LAH Master
Path Map.This proposal is not only undesirable,but should be rejected because it fails to consider the
following:
• The safety of pedestrians
o Vehicles and bicycles traveling downhill(south side)provide a dangerous conflict with
pedestrians on an adjacent pathway
o Severe visual limitation along the Trail People proposed pathway when walking south
side up Mom Dr.from Eastbrook
o Increasing greater risk to children of Waldorf school(frequent visitors to the Open Space
Preserve)by requiring them to cross the intersection at Mora and Eastbrook twice when
on organized walks to Rancho San Antonio Open Space
o The existing shoulder on the north side of Mora Drive already provides almost 3x more
space for walking,a shoulder that averages 3.5 feet in width,a shoulder walking area that
dates back to 1965
• The rural history of the road
• How current RESIDENTS use the walkway on the north side of the road
• The disruption of terrain among many Mora Drive properties developed prior to the Town's
incorporation
• Resolving the perceived obstacle of the guardrail above Terry Way,identified as the primary
reason for the Trail People proposal to install pathways on the south side of Mora Dr.contrary
to its current daily use by RESIDENTS and visitors to the Open Space Preserve.
• Past and current efforts initiated by RESIDENTS of Mora Dr.with Santa Clara County to
improve the safety and walkability of the road NOW rather than waiting decades for
piecemeal paths-installed as the existing homes are rebuilt and come under the requirements of
the Town's pathway ordinance.
• Ignoring the placement of existing culvert pipes and drainage swales that are on the south side
of the street—there are neither culvert pipes nor drainage swales on the north side of the
street—the shoulder on the north side of the streets provides a berm to protect properties from
incursion of water during heavy rainfalls.
11030 Mora Drive•Los Altos Hills,CA•94024
History
As the accompanying photo above shows,Mom Drive provided vital residential access to the area dating
back to the 1930s. At that time,there was a large cattle ranch at the top of the hill.
In 1965,in response to the request of residents,the County extended the shoulder on the north side of Mora
Drive(from the curve to the intersection with Eastbrook)to about 4 feet(average)to permit safer walking
access along lower Mora Drive. Asphalt berms were added to this shoulder to prevent water runoff on the
north side of the roadway. In some cases,the berms were placed in the middle of the walkway. Today,the
asphalt shoulder remains,but the addition of the berms makes walking difficult in about 50%of the
walkway. In April,2016,several residents including ourselves contacted Santa Clara County with a request
to repair the walkway shoulder on lower Mora Drive—unfortunately,that request was derailed by the
Town's annexation of 5 homes on Mora Drive in September. Some of the documentation from that request
to Supervisor Simitian is attached.
This ranch at the end of Mora Drive became part of the Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve in the
1970s. From the time of the initial plan for Rancho San Antonio,Mom Drive was never planned as a public
access for the preserve. Mom Drive has typically been used for Ranger access and for an alternative public
safety/fire access.
Even though public parking is not available,hundreds visit Rancho San Antonio on a weekly basis via the
Mom Drive gate. Our concern is that any further development or upgrade of the existing walkway along
Mom Drive will not be serving Los Altos Hills residents(an objective of the pathway program),but will be
encouraging higher usage of the Mora Drive walkway by those living outside of the area. Mom Drive
already is highlighted on a number of Websites as an alternative entrance to Rancho San Antonio.
Recently,parking was restricted on the upper part of Mom Drive—although not yet 100%successful,the
new"No Parking Except by Permit"signs have noticeably reduced the automobile traffic on Mora Drive.
The reduction in parking on Mom Drive helps improve pedestrian safety.
Safety
Safety should be one of the primary objectives on any plan for a walking path. In the report compiled by
Trail People,the existence of a metal barrier on a curve was the deciding factor for the proposed location of
the pathway:"Since both sides of the road had their challenges—narrow space between the road and
private landscaping, curbs, trees,steep slopes, etc.—the guardrail was the deciding factor in the decision
to focus the path study on the south side of Mora Drive."
This metal barrier represents only 190 feet of 2800 foot proposed pathway. It does not seem wise to force a
location of a walkway when only 7%of the walkway is constrained.
In fact,instead of forcing the construction of a 3 foot or 5 foot pathway across from the metal barrier,the
roadway could be widened by 2 feet,the marking on the pavement could be moved by the same 2 feet,and
a 4 foot walkway would be available on the barrier side(north side)of the street. This approach should also
substantially reduce the cost estimates for a trail installation.
In discussions with a paving contractor,he pointed out that installing a pedestrian walkway on the south
side of Mom Drive increases the danger to pedestrians because vehicles and bicycles are traveling much
faster in the downhill(south)lane than in the uphill(north)lane. In addition,the visibility of vehicles
traveling on Mom Drive is much better from the north side than from the south side. Historically,most of
the accidents(rollovers,utility pole crashes,mail box damage,and rock wall crashes)have occurred on the
south side of Mom Drive.
The children of Waldorf School(under adult supervision)regularly use Mom Drive as an access to Rancho
San Antonio. Locating a pathway on the south side of Mom Drive would force the children to cross two
streets at the intersection of Eastbrook and Mom Drive instead of a single street.
RE: Pathway Proposal on Lower Mora Drive Page 4
Pedestrians on Mora Drive do vote with their feet—the majority of pedestrians utilize the north side of
Mora Drive because the visibility is better,the shoulder walkway is present,and the adjacent traffic flow is
at a slower speed.
Note that if the current walkway on Mora Drive is further developed and significantly improved above the
level of how it exists today,it may become an attractive nuisance,increasing the pedestrian traffic and
decreasing pedestrian safety on the street. Most of the people using Mora Drive are not Los Altos Hills
residents—development of the Master Path Map is intended for the benefit of Town residents.
Opportunity to use existing resources
The Mora Drive Bridge crossing I-280 only has a walkway on the north side and the crosswalk at Eastbrook
is on the north side. Connect to existing infrastructure.
The lower portion of Mora Drive is in excess of 20%slope in several areas. Slopes this steep are not
appropriate for a crushed granite surface unless water bars are spaced close together—in such a situation,
the surface would be difficult for walking. The north side of lower Mora Drive already has an asphalt
shoulder averaging 4 feet wide in the LAH segment and 2.5 feet in the County segment. Since any walkway
planning must include both Town and County segments,it would be wise planning to utilize as much
existing infrastructure as possible. Although this shoulder walkway width does not meet current Town
specifications,it does allow pedestrians to move through the neighborhood to reach Rancho San Antonio.
The existing infrastructure on the north side allows residents to use the shoulder walkway today given that
the shoulder was repaired. Over the coming decades,as residential development triggers the
addition/upgrade of pathway segments meeting LAH specifications,those upgrades could easily integrate
with an existing asphalt walkway.
This north side asphalt walkway would provide a relatively maintenance free surface. Since the Town has
the responsibility for all pathways after installation,there would be significant ongoing costs for annual
maintenance if a crushed granite walkway were installed.
If the pathway were located on the south side of the roadway,individual and relatively useless segments
would be built over the coming decades,and may never be fully connected and useful for either Town
residents or others.
Even from an economic perspective,it makes sense to utilize the existing shoulder walkway—it will be a
relatively lower cost"bridge"to the future.
Protection of existing infrastructure
Considering maintaining the rural character of the neighborhood,protecting existing infrastructure
including mature landscape materials meets objectives of the pathway program.
As part of the existing infrastructure on lower Mora Drive,some homes on the south side of Mora Drive
have culvert pipes(9 currently exist)under their driveways for the control of storm water. In addition,
some swales are also present.
On the north side of the street,there are no culvert pipes or swales. An asphalt berm is installed as part of
the shoulder configuration.
The Trail People report catalogs numerous landscape elements,fences,rock walls,trees,and mailboxes that
interfere with the proposed trail(often pinched to 3'to avoid interfering objects)that must be dealt with for
a proposed south side pathway. The existing north side shoulder walkway averages 4' in width with/few
obstacles compared with those cataloged for a south side pathway.
There is no need to change the metal barrier at the curve.There is already 2'of walkway adjacent to the
barrier.With a minor addition of pavement to the other side of the street and a restriping of the road
surface,the shoulder walkway at the barrier could be widened.
11030 Mora Drive•Los Altos Hills,CA•94024
Need for inclusion of current residents in the development
process
The recent annexation of 5 homes on Mora Drive split up the governing jurisdiction in the neighborhood-
5 homes on lower Mora Drive are part of the Town and 10 homes remain in the County. None of the
County residents on lower Mora Drive have been part of the planning for the location(for Master Pathway
Mapping purposes)of a pathway.
We participated in one of the meetings with the Pathway Subcommittee and raised our concerns relative to
the pathway proposal being a nuisance in terms of attracting pedestrian traffic for Rancho San Antonio. No
pathway configuration for lower Mora Drive was ever discussed.
Later,when the Pathway Committee considered the additions to the Master Pathway Map,there was
considerable public input opposing the plan—the Pathway Committee did not acknowledge this
considerable opposition to the plan.
All of the residents of lower Mora Drive should have the opportunity to participate in this planning process.
Hiring a consulting firm from outside of the area to develop a report provides a structure for future
discussion,but utilizing the expertise of residents,many of whom have lived on Mora Drive for decades
may provide very useful input for developing a walkway plan that will either be an asset or burden for the
Town for decades to come.
Sincerely,
Harold V.Feeney Mary Jo Feeney
Hal & Jo Feeney
Chuck & Eloise Bodine
May 1, 2016
Kris Zanardi, Policy Aide
Office of Supervisor S. Joseph Simitian, District Five
County of Santa Clara
70 West Hedding Street, 10`h Floor
San Jose, CA 95110
RE: Mora Drive Safety Request
Dear Ms. Zanardi,
Thank you for your response to Hal & Jo on behalf of Supervisor Simitian with the
detailed review of the current situation for a walkway on the County segment of
Mora Drive. Please note that while County Roads has done a good job in
maintaining the roadway driving surface, we are clarifying the initial inquiry
regarding the restoration of a safer asphalt walkway shoulder surface that is not part
of the roadway driving surface.
We strongly agree with County Roads that physical limitations of the Mora Drive
roadway can make a roadside "pathway" not feasible. Improvements of this type
could be viewed as urbanization of a rural road/area. We have talked with a
number of our neighbors in the County segment of Mora Drive who want to keep
the rural road environment. They would be interested in having the "existing"
walkway shoulder on the north side of Mora Drive repaired. The Roads
Department may not have understood the intended simplicity of our suggestion for
Mora Drive in the earlier letter. The constraints on any solution are summarized
below.
Constraints:
• Mora Drive must retain its rural roadway configuration
• Any walkway changes must not impact or change the adjacent properties
• Any walkway changes must be simple and low cost
• Walkway changes must not resemble LAH pathways in any way
• Existing roadway does not need to be widened or re-stripped
• Any solution must be simple
Background:
In 1965, Eloise Bodine worked with the County Roads Department to improve the
shoulder on the north side of Mora Drive so it could be used as a walkway for both
residents and children attending the Eastbrook School. While the roadway has been
well-maintained over the years, the walkway shoulder has degraded in some areas.
RE: Mora Drive Safety Request Page 2
The north side of Mora Drive was chosen for the walkway shoulder because there
are no culverts or swales on that side of the road.
Current Situation:
Mora Drive is used by residents, Rancho San Antonio hikers, runners, and bicyclists.
We are not aware of any pedestrian accidents on the street over the past 50 years.
Most pedestrians walk in the street and step back to the roadway edge when cars
approach. Repairing the walkway shoulder on the north side of the roadway could
help provide this space. Some parts of this walkway may only accommodate
pedestrians in single file. Directing pedestrians via a sign at the bottom and top of
the hill to walk only on one side, the north side walkway shoulder, could help keep
pedestrian traffic on one side of the street—the higher visibility side of the street.
Data:
The attached "Mora Drive Analysis of Existing Asphalt Shoulder Width Mora Drive
Analysis of Existing Asphalt Shoulder Width," provides data regarding walkway
shoulder width at each property along the road. Accompanying photos also show
the current condition of the underlying asphalt.
Beyond Terry Way is the guardrail protected blind curve that is now part of LAH.
We also took measurements and provided photos from this area. The width of the
walkway shoulder is 24 inches, similar to other parts of the walkway shoulder on
Mora Drive.
When County Roads reviews the current situation and can suggest a simple way to
repair the walkway shoulder area on the north side of Mora Drive, we will be happy
to demonstrate the support of the neighbors.
We are aware of Susan Chappell's petition—that petition is what prompted the
original letter. Our homes along the County section of Mora Drive are under the
sphere of influence of Los Altos Hills—we are opposing the inclusion of Mora Drive
in the LAH Pathways Master Plan.
Susan is very energetic in her pursuit of an LAH quality pathway (5' gravel path in a
10' off-road area), but there is no near-term benefit available from this effort. Even
the LAH Pathways Committee has stated that it may take several generations for any
of the newly proposed pathways to be completed and useful. Susan's petition does
not represent the sentiment of Mora Drive—only two of those signing her petition (2
of 95) live on the public part of Mora Drive (LAH plus County). Many of the
petition signatures are users of the open space including those from Los Altos,
Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Woodside, Los Gatos, and Boulder Creek.
At the LAH Pathways Committee meeting on April 25, Susan Chappell was the only
person speaking in favor of off-road or roadside pathways. All other speakers
including the 62 out of 63 or 98% of the private property owners [via submitted
petition] in the West Loyola Annexation area, the Ravensbury Annexation area
speakers and the Mora Drive Annexation speakers favored on-road (over the road)
11030& 11055 Mora Drive•Los Altos,CA•94024
pathways. Similarly, property owners in the County portion of Mora Drive favor on-
road walkways.
Eloise & Chuck Bodine originally signed Susan Chappell's petition and then
modified and limited their approval with the accompanying letter sent to LAH.
While they use the word, "pathway" in their letter, they are referring to the walkway
shoulder area on their side (north side) of Mora Drive.
While you note that the LAH Master Path Plan recommendations must be approved
by the Planning Commission and the Town Council, the West Loyola Drive
neighborhood objects to the plan and it is likely that Ravensbury and Mora will
continue to object to the Master Plan amendments, too. With respect to formal
pathways in the LAH portion of our neighborhood, it is clear that nothing will
happen soon.
Some of the enhancements already provided by County Roads such as the
installation of a "pedestrian / bicycle share the road" sign at Mora Dr. and Eastbrook
is certainly helpful. Also, the installation of an additional "bicycle share the road"
sign in the eastbound direction as well as speed limit signs and "25" marked on the
pavement are helpful.
Please maintain the rural feel of Mora Drive. We will be happy to meet with any
County representatives to review the roadway condition and safety options.
Sincerely,
Hal Feeney Jo Feeney
11030 Mora Drive, Los Altos, CA 94024
Chuck Bodine Eloise Bodine
11055 Mora Drive, Los Altos, CA 94024
•
Mora Drive Walkway (North Shoulder) Current Condition
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At the "Share the Road"sign at the downhill entry to Mora Dr. There is 17"to 26"of space available for single file walking
there is almost 33"walking space available from the line along the rock wall at 11185
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Mora Drive Walkway (North Shoulder) Current Condition
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At 11185, there is 30"to 36"of walking space available on the Another view of asphalt shoulder surface available at 11185
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The walkway shoulder is canted at 11111 making it difficult for walking. Shoulder width is about 50"
Mora Drive Walkway (North Shoulder) Current Condition
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At 11091, the width of the shoulder is reduced near the water Further uphill at 11091, the shoulder width is about 36
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11055 is an example of generous shoulder width at 64"to 66"—this is an illustration of a berm to deflect the rain water and a
sufficiently wide walkway shoulder
Mora Drive Walkway (North Shoulder) Current Condition
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Nearing Terry Way, 11001 has a wide shoulder interrupted by a Another example at 11001 is a berm in the center of a wide
berm to deflect rainwater walkway space
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Mora Drive Walkway (North Shoulder) Current Condition
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Along the guard rail curve, the asphalt surface at least 24"and it The walkway shoulder accommodates pedestrians in single file.
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At 10931 where the roadway continues uphill into Los Altos Hills, there is a wide shoulder interrupted by a curb
1Los Altos Hills Portion of Lower Mora Drive
Address Width—South Width— Address Length
South Side Side North Side North Side
10970 7 24 10931 1741
10970 13 23 Terry Way 1641
10970 12 48 11001 105
11000 20 45 11001 1091
11030 24 64 11001 6611
11030 18 66 11055 581
11060 12 64 11055 1551
11090 26 36 142
Average Width 17 46 Average Width Subtotal 9731
Minimum 7 23 Minimum Percent 62%
Maximum 26 66 Maximum j
County Portion of Lower Mora Drive
I Address Width Width Address Length
11120 14 50 11111 125]
11140 16 30 11151 2211
11170 18 17 11185 179
11170 36 33 11185 82
Average Width 21 33 Average Width Subtotal 6071
Minimum 14 17 Minimum Percent 38%1
Maximum 36 _ 50 Maximum 1
Total 1580;
Updated for new Town boundaries