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HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso 53-07 Crossroad Trail Mitigated Neg Dec RESOLUTION NO. 53 - 07 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN ********* APPROVING THE MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION FOR THE CROSSRIDGE ROAD TRAIL CONNECTION IMPROVEMENTS WHEREAS, on November 21, 2006, the City Council of the City of Dublin approved the establishment of a new Capital Improvement Project to connect the Alamo Creek Trail in Dublin to the Bent Creek Open Space Trail/Emergency Vehicle Access in San Ramon, near the terminus of Crossridge Road; and WHEREAS, the proposed improvements consist of a pedestrian gate and asphalt paving to provide a connection between the two trails; and WHEREAS, the City Council also directed Staff to prepare the appropriate environmental document and evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the project; and WHEREAS, in cooperation with the City of San Ramon, Staff prepared the environmental document (Document) consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act; and WHEREAS, an Initial Study was completed, and it has been determined that with the proposed mitigation included in the project, it will not have a significant effect on the environment; and WHEREAS, a 20-day public review period for the Mitigated Negative Declaration commenced on March 19, 2007, and is attached hereto as Exhibit lA; and WHEREAS, the 20-day public review period for the Mitigated Negative Declaration has expired, with the City receiving six written comments; and WHEREAS, these comments have been reviewed and responded to, said comments and responses being attached hereto as Exhibit IB; and WHEREAS, the City determined that the comments and responses did not constitute or require substantial revisions to the Document, and no subsequent recirculation of the Document was required; and WHEREAS, the Document, the comments, and the City's responses to the comments, collectively comprise the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Project; and WHEREAS, the City Council did use its independent judgment and considered all of said reports, recommendations, and other evidence in the administrative record, all of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein; and WHEREAS, the City Council reviewed and discussed the Staff Report and the Document at a regular City Council meeting on May 1, 2007, at which time all interested parties were given the opportunity to be heard. Reso No. 53-07, Adopted 5/1/07, Item 6.1 Page 1 of2 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that after reviewing and considering the Mitigated Negative Declaration, the City Council of the City of Dublin does hereby certify the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Crossridge Road Trail Connection Improvements Project. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 1 st day of May, 2007, by the following vote: AYES: Councilmembers Hildenbrand, Oravetz, Sbranti and Scholz, and Mayor Lockhart NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None ATTEST: (Lt'/2w ~p vti City Clerk Reso No. 53-07, Adopted 5/1/07, Item 6.1 Page 2 of2 CITY OF DUBLIN "Celebrating 25 Years Of Cityhood 1982-2007" 100 Civic Plaza, Dublin, California 94568 . Website: http://www.ci.dublin.ca.us Notice of Availabilitv of Environmental Document Crossridae Road Trail Connection Proiect The City of Dublin intends to certify a Mitigated Negative Declaration for the following proposed project: Project: Proposed Crossridge Road Trail Connection Project Construction of a pedestrian gate and asphalt paving at the terminus of Cross ridge Road to provide a connection. between the Alamo Creek Trail in the City of Dublin and the Bent Creek Open Space Trail/Emergency Vehicle Access to the north in the City of San Ramon. Location: North of the cul-de-sac terminus of Crossridge Road in northern Dublin and south of Vista Monte Drive and Beaver Creek Court in the City of San Ramon. Applicant: City of Dublin Public Works Department Comment Period: The close of comment period for the Mitigated Negative Declaration is 5:00 pm. April 9. 2007. Comments should be forwarded to: City of Dublin Public Works Department Attn: Melissa Morton 1 00 Civic Plaza Dublin CA 94568 For Further Information: Contact the City of Dublin Public Works Department at (925) 833 6630 for a copy of the Initial Study and project information. ~.0 . r~ Melts Morton Public Works Director Dated: 3/13/07 Published: 3/19/07 Area Code (925) . City Manager 833-6650 . City Council 833-6650 . Personnel 833-6605 . Economic Development 833-6650 Finance 833-6640 . Public Works/Engineering 833-66:10 . Parks 8, Community Services 833-6645 . Police 833-6670 Pianning/Code Enforcement 8::13-6610 . Building Inspection 833-6620 . Fire Prevention Bureau 833-6606 Printed on Fiecycled Paper ~H6IT I A CITY OF DUBLIN "Celebrating 25 Years Of Cityhood 1.$82-200r 100 Civic Plaza, Dublin, California 94568 Website: http://www.ci.dublin.ca.us MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION Project Title: Crossridge Road Trail Connection Project Description Description of Project: Construction of a pedestrian gate and asphalt paving at the terminus of Crossridge Road to provide a connection between the Alamo Creek Trail in the City of Dublin and the Bent Creek Open Space Trail/Emergency Vehicle Access to the north in the City of San Ramon. Project Location: North of the cul-de-sac terminus of Crossridge Road in northern Dublin and south of Vista Monte Drive and Beaver Creek Court in the City of San Ramon "Name of Proponent: City of Dublin, Public Works Department Determination: I hereby find that although the above project could have a significant effect on the environment, there WILL NOT be a significant effect in this case because revisions in the project have been made and incorporated into the project, and because a Mitigated Negative Declaration will be adopted that mitigates any project-related impacts of this project to a level of insignificance through the adoption of mitigation measures and a Mitigation Monitoring Program. ~:Ub~~/ March 14. 2007 Date Copies of the Initial Study documenting the reasons to support the above finding are available at the City of Dublin, Public Works Department, 100 Civic Plaza, Dublin, CA 94568, or by calling (925) 833-6630. Attachments Date Published: Date Posted: Date Notice Mailed: Considered by: On: N.O.D. filed: Council Resolution No. March 19, 2007 March 19, 2007 March 19, 2007 Area Code (925) . City Manager 833-6650 0 City Council 833-6650 . Personnel 833-6605 . Economic Development 833-6650 Finance 833-6640 . Public Works/Engineering 833-6630 . Parks & Community Services 833-6645 . Police 833-6670 Planning/Code Enforcement 838-6610 . Building Inspection 833-6620 . Fire Prevention Bureau 833-6606 Printed on Recycied Paper April 17. 2007 City of Dublin Crossridge Road Trail Connection Project Response to Environmental Comments Introduction The City of Dublin issued a Mitigated Negative Declaration for this project on March 19,2007 to ensure California Environmental Quality Act compliance. The project includes maintaining the emergency vehicle access (EVA) gate at the terminus of Crossridge Road, which would continue to be closed to general public, but which would allow access by emergency vehicles. A new pedestrian and bicycle gate would be constructed just east of the emergency gate to provide connectivity between the existing Alamo Creek Trail connector to the south in the City of Dublin and the EVA and other local trails to the north in the City of San Ramon. The project would also include asphalt paving of an area of approximately 1,000 square feet in front of the proposed gate to provide improved accessibility between the existing trail in the City of Dublin and the EV A to the north. The gate is proposed to be closed from dusk to dawn. Signage may be included on the fence or gate identifying hours the gate would be opened and closed. The Negative Declaration was published and circulated for a 20-day review ending on April 9, 2007. Changes and Modifications to the Initial Study The following changes to the Initial Study are made by reference and included in the document. 1): Item 7h on page 16 of the checklist is changed to "No Impact" to be consistent with the text on this item on page 27. 2): The last sentence of page 33, Environmental Setting, by changing the "b" to "by" and adding "in San Ramon" to the end of the sentence. 3tExhibit 3 contained in the Initial Study has been modified as shown in Exhibit A to increase the amount of paved area at the terminus of Cross ridge Road. The project modification would allow pedestrians to traverse between the existing EV A trail to the north and Alamo Creek Trail without using the sidewalk along Crossridge Road. The additional paving area would also provide a larger paved area to minimize potential conflicts between individuals exiting parked cars on Crossridge Road and trail users._ fY.t-HBJT IE City of Dublin Response to Comments-Crossridge Rd. Trail Connection Improvements April 2007 Page 2 Exhibit A is hereby incorporated by reference into the Initial Study and replaces Exhibit 3. Comment Letters and Responses Six comment letters and one phone call were received as follows. Letter No. Commenter Local Agenci€~s Date 1 Zone 7 District 4/05/07 Interested Persons 2 3 4 5 6 7 Joyce Hayes Tina Bennett Maria Theren & Thomas Vandegriff Richard Guarienti Edwin Osada Linda Foresti (Phone call) 3/19/07 3/21/07 3/27/07 4/02/07 4/09/07 Copies of these letters are attached. Each response corresponds numerically to the number of responses. City of Dublin Response to Comments-Crossridge Rd. Trail Connection Improvements April 2007 Page 3 Annotated Comment Letters City of Dublin Response to Comments-Crossridge Rd. Trail Connection Improvements April 2007 Page 4 The following are responses to each of the comments. Letter 1) Zone 7 District Comment: The District supports the proposed project. The District's Board of Directors approved a resolution supporting the proposed project at its March 21,2007 meeting and is attached to the comment letter. Response: The Zone 7 District support of the project is noted and no further response is needed. Letter 2) Joyce Hayes Comment: The commenter asks when the Crossridge Trail Road and Vista Monte Trail will be constructed, specifically the gate portion of the project. Response: Based on information provided by the Dublin Public Works Department, the gate is anticipated to be constructed in early June, 2007. However, this date assumes that the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration will be certified by the City of Dublin before June. Letter 3) Tina Bennett Comment: The commenter notes that the gate at the terminus of Crossridge Trail has been opened since at least 2001, when the commenter moved to the neighborhood. Recently, the gate was locked and prevented the commenter from easily returning to her home. The commenter's husband has experienced the same thing. The commenter supports the proposed project to include a pedestrian gate that would accommodate bicycles and jogging strollers. . Response: This commenter's support of the proposed project is noted and no further response is needed. Letter 4) Maria Theren & Thomas Vandegriff Comment 4.1: The commenters hope that the proposed gate will be sufficiently strong to slow down speeding bicycles coming from down the hill towards the sidewalk. Response: According to the Dublin Public Works Department, the proposed gate would be anchored in concrete and will be of sufficient strength so as resist bicycles traveling down the hill at speed. City af Dublin Respanse to. Camments-Crossridge Rd. Trail Cannectian Impravements April 2007 Page 5 The City o.f San Ramon proposes to install a cautio.n-slo.w sign for cyclists along portion of trail in San Ramon Bent Creek open space. Comment 4.2: In additio.n to moto.rized scooters, the commenters believe that skatebo.ards should be prohibited on the path due to noise considerations. It is likely that local po.lice cannot respond to. a call in time to skateboarders on the trail. Response: Use of skatebo.ards and motorized scooters is presently not allowed on the trail. The commenters note that signs to this effect have also been posted along the trail. The Dublin Police Department should be contacted on these issues when they are occurring at (925) 462-1212 (Dispatch). Although patrol may respond after the violators have left the area, it would be helpful for residents to. obtain a description in order to assist the patrol officer when possible. Comment 4.3: The commenters believe that locking the proposed gate from dusk to dawn is an excellent plan. Response: The co.mmenters' opinion regarding locking of the gate is noted and no further response is needed. Comment 4.4: The commenters state that although the City of Dublin manages to. cut weeds near culverts that could cause fIres, there are so.me places in San Ramen with high weeds. Will the City of San Ramon be vigilant in keeping weeds cleaned like Dublin? Will there be a cleaning and maintenance schedule between the two. cities? Respo.nse: The City of San Ramen maintains weed abatement practices on all o.pen space areas including the Bent Creek open space acco.rding to the requirements of the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District. This is done each year in May/June. Comment 4.5: The co.mmenters believe that the existing trails and asso.ciated park facilities in Dublin will experience more use than similar facilities in San Ramon, since Dublin facilities are larger. Therefore, the City of San Ramon should pay for at least half of maintenance costs since much of the demand for increased maintenance wi11likely come from San Ramen. . Response: The commenters' opinion regarding sharing of maintenance costs between the two. cities is noted; however, the two cities will likely continue to maintain public facilities within their respective jurisdiction. Co.mment 4.6: Will the City of San Ramon be installing garbage cans and dog waste /scooper stations facilities in the upper park and on the Bent Creek path? Will each jurisdiction continue checking the status of scooper stations to ensure that supplies are refilled as necessary? The commenter believes that construction ofthe trail connection City of Dublin Response to Comments-Crossridge Rd. Trail Connection Improvements April 2007 Page 6 will increase do g use of the area with the opening of a new dog park on Amador Valley Boulevard. The path should be kept clean and safe for all to use. Response: The maintenance division ofthe Dublin Public Works Department will continue to provide maintenance for the Alamo Creek Trail as well as the proposed trail connection. If, based on increased use of the trail due to dog walkers and/or other users, increased levels of maintenance will be provided. The City of San Ramon will install and maintain one garbage can and one clog scoop dispenser along the San Ramon section of the trail. Comment 4.7: The commenters ask ifthere will be enough barriers or fences to discourage people from going down to the river and disturbing wildlife. The commenters have noticed more garbage along the trail when the San Ramon side was open and believe the green fencing should go further than it does to discourage wildlife disturbances. There should also be posting of more signs to discourage contact with wildlife. The commenters would like to see the green metal fencing continued in lieu of the standard chain link fence on the San Ramon side of the trail. Response: The commenters' opinion regarding providing additional protection to plant and wildlife species in Alamo Creek is noted, however, as documented in the 2003 Initial Study for the construction of Alamo Creek Trail south ofthe current project, no special-status plant or animal species were found in this portion of Alamo Creek. Therefore, although the two cities may wish to consider such a fence, it would not be a required mitigation measure under CEQA. San Ramon would not replace the existing chain link fence with green metal fence. The chain link fence is consistent with the City's fencing around the entire Bent Creek open space area. Comment 4.8: The commenters have submitted a revised plan for the proposed trail connection that would supplement the proposed trail connection with an additional paved path from the Emergency Vehicle Access in San Ramon to the existing Alamo Creek Trail within Dublin. This would have the benefit of allowing trail users to travel directly from the existing trail segment to the north with the Alamo Creek Trail without having to use a portion of the existing sidewalk in Dublin. Response: The commenters' suggestion is noted. Based 011 this suggestion, the proposed trail improvement plan has been modified as shown on Exhibit A to provide a wider paved area at the terminus of Crossridge Road. See the Clarifications and Modifications section of the Response to Comments for more discussion of the proposed design change. City of Dublin Response to Comments-Crossridge Rd. Trail Connection Improvements April 2007 Page 7 Letter 5) Richard Guarienti_ Comment 5.1: The commenter asks why the proposed pedestrian gate would be closed from dusk to dawn? Why is this detail included as part ofthe environmental review document? What ifthe trail users and neighbors would like the gate to remain open and not locked? It would seem it best to have trail users and neighbors decide this and not have it as a requirement of the environmental document. Would not locking the gate have any significant impacts on the project analysis? Locking the gate during the evening is like lifting the drawbridge at the end of the day so that neither Dublin nor San Ramon residents can access the path. This does not appear to be a good neighbor policy. Response: The proposal to close the gate from dusk to dawn is included as part of the project by the Cities of Dublin and San Ramon and was not included as an environmental requirement. It was intended to provide a higher level of safety and security for nearby residents to minimize travel during nighttime hours. Locking the gate would also eliminate noise for adjacent residents during nighttime hours. The City of Dublin currently closes similar gates at the crossing of the Alamo Creek Trail at the crossing ofthe trail at Amador Valley Boulevard, Alamo Creek Park, Willow Creek Drive and Crossridge Road from one hour after dusk to dawn as identified in the 2003 Initial Study for the Alamo Creek Trail. Closing of the proposed gate as part of the Crossridge Road trail connection project would be consistent with this practice. Comment 5.2: The commenter suggests showing the existing gate on Exhibit 3. Response: Exhibit 3 shows the "Existing Gate to Remain." Therefore, the commenter's request has been complied with. Comment 5.3: The commenter suggests adding the following wording on page 8, first sentence: "but has been determined to be less than significant with mitigation." This will better reflect the checklist on page 14. Response: The checklist on page 8 is a standard matrix appearing in the CEQA Guidelines. The purpose of the matrix is to identify all potentially significant impacts of the proposed project. Later in the checklist those impacts that can be mitigated to a less-than-significant level are so identified. Therefore, no change is recommended to the matrix on page 8. Comment 5.4: The commenter requests that item 7h on page 16 be identified as "No Impact" to be consistent with the text on this item on page 27. Response: The commenter is correct. Checklist item 7h is changed to reflect "No Impact." This will be consistent with the text on page 27, which is the correct City of Dublin Response to Comments-Crossridge Rd. Trail Connection Improvements April 2007 Page 8 conclusion of the Initial Study. This change is hereby incorporated by reference into the Initial Study. Comment 5.5: The commenter recommends correcting the last sentence of page 33, Environmental Setting, by changing the "b" to "by" and adding "in San Ramon" to the end of the sentence. Response: This change is hereby made and incorporated by reference into the Initial Study document. Comment 5.6: The commenter notes that on page 34 under parking impacts, people driving to the site would more likely park at Alamo Creek Park in Dublin rather than park on neighborhood streets. Response: The commenter may be correct in this assessment, however, Alamo Creek Park is a number of blocks to the south of the project site and the City of Dublin believes that there could be limited vehicle parking near the Crossridge Road trail connection site. Letter 6) Edwin Os ada_ Comment: The commenter asks that the trail gate not be closed at night. This connection is the only alternative other than Dougherty Road, for pedestrians, bicyclists and neighbors to traverse between services located in Dublin and retail stores and restaurants in San Ramon. Although the trail is more convoluted, local residents in both cities can use this connection to travel a more peaceful route. Closing the trail at night forces people to use Dougherty Road ifthey need to cross city boundaries. Response: Refer to the response to Comment 1.1. The City of Dublin currently closes gates at Alamo Creek Trail crossings from dusk to dawn south ofthe proposed project site. Comment 7) Linda Foresti_ Comment: The commenter expressed an opinion against the proposed project. Response: The commenter's opinion is noted and no further discussion is required. ALAMEDA COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT 100 NORTH CANYONS PARKWAY, LIVERMORE, CA.94551-9486 ~ PHONE (925) 454-5000 April 5, 2007 Ms. Melissa Morton City ofDubIin Public Works Department 100Civic Plaza Dublin,CA 94568 Letter 1 \i'lECE"-'EU APR. I) H 20m PU~UC WORKS Re: Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Cro!isridge Road Trail Connection Improvements Dear Ms. Morton: Zone 7 appreciates the opportunity to comment on the subj ect document within the context of Zone 7' s mission to provide drinking water, non-potable water for agriculture and irrigated turf, flood protection, and groundwater and stream management within the Livermore-Amador Valley. Zone 7 extends its support for the City's Crossridge Road Trail Connection Improvements. The Zone 7 Board of Directors approved a resolution supporting the City's proposed project at its March 21,2007 meeting. Please find the attached resolution for your information and use. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience at 925- 454-5036 or via e-mail atmlim@zone7water.com. S)f1j,~y, / 2lL~ ~ ~viro~:::e 1 Services Program Manager Attachment cc: Karla Nemeth, Environmental & Public Affairs Manager, Zone 7 Joe Seto, Principal Engineer, Zone 7 Jeff Tang, Associate Civil Engineer, Zone 7 ZONE 7 ALAMEDA COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL AND WATER CONSER V A TION DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS RESOLUTION NO. 07-2990 INTRODUCED BY DIRECTOR KOHNEN SECONDED BY DIRECTOR PALMER WHEREAS, Zone 7 owns and maintllins the portion of Alamo Creek in Dublin from the Alameda County line to the Interstate 580 freeway; and WHEREAS, the City of Dublin has entered into a license agreement with Zone 7 to operate the creek right-of-way for park and recreational uses; and WHEREAS, under the agreement, the City of Dublin operates the flood control maintenance road along the west top of the bank of Alamo Creek as a recreation trail facility; and WHEREAS, the City of Dublin has undertaken a project to connect the Alamo Creek Trail with the Bent Creek Open Space Trail in the City of San Ramon; and WHEREAS, the proposed trail connection would allow users to have trail connectivity between the two cities; BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Directors of Zone 7 of Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District does view the proposed project in connecting the two aforementioned trails to be beneficial to the Valley residents and hereby supports the proposed project by the City of Dublin. ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE: AYES: DIRECTORS CONCANNON, GRECr, KALTHOFF, KOHNEN, PALMER, QUIGLEY, STEVENS NOES: NONE ABSENT: NONE ABSTAIN: NONE I certify that the foregoing is a correct copy of a resolution Adopted by the Board of Directors of Zone 7 of Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District on March 2 L 2007 BY~ C ~ Presid . &ard of Directors Ferd Del Rosario From: Sent: To: Subject: Ferd Del Rosario . Monday, March 19. 2007 5:22 PM 'cjakhayes@yahoo.com' RE: Crossridge Road Trail Connection Letter 2 To Ms. Joyce Hayes, The construction of the gate is being proposed by the City of Dublin in cooperation with the City of San Ramon. However, prior to construction of the gate, we are required by state law to prepare an environmental document to review potential impacts to the environment and inform the public. The Notice you received is to inform the availability of the environmental document and to provide the public an opportunity to make comment. The environmental document (including any public comments) will be brought to the Dublin City Council for approval on May 1st (tentative approval date) . If approved, construction could start in early June. It should not take more than a week to construct the gate and pave the adjacent area. You may call me at 925 833-6637 if you have other questions. Thanks, Ferd Del Rosario Senior Civil Engineer Ci ty of Dublin -----Original Message----- From: Joyce Hayes [mailto:cjakhayes@yahoo.com] Sent: Monday, March 19, 2007 12:41 PM To: public works Subject: Crossridge Road Trail Connection We received your letter concerning the Crossridge Road - Vista Monte Drive trail connection. Unfortunately, the legal wording in the letter is completely confusing to me! Is the construction of the gate going ahead as outlined in the October 2006 meeting? If so, when do we expect to see it installed? Yours, Joyce Hayes 1030 Vista Morite Drive San Ramon Be a PS3 game guru. Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at Yahoo! Games. http://videogames.yahoo.com/platform?platform=120121 1 Tina Bennett 7810 Crossridge Rd. Dublin, CA. 94568 , RE{;~JVr:U MAR '2. 2 7.007 PU8UC \piO~KS March 21, 2007 Letter 3 To whom it may concern, I am a resident of Dublin and have lived on Crossridge Rd. since June of 200 1. The gate at the end of the road in question was open ALL the time until recently. I'll never forget the day I came back from my run ending up at the fence, tired, and it was locked!!! I tried to climb over it but punctured my hand, then proceeded up the hill through the barbed wire down the hill and home. What a dangerous hassle!!! The next day my husband did the same thing. We've now learned and take a new running route, but how sad, my husband calls it the Berlin Wall. So, if we could get a pedestrian pathway, wide enough for bikes and a jogging stroller that would be absolutely fantastic. I sure hope you can make it work. If you need to reach me I can be reached by phone or email. Best regards, Tina Bennett 833-6989 The4Bennetts@hotmail.com J-27-07 RE: The Alamo Creek Trail ftIlell;SOL To:I~Morton 100 Civic Plaza Dublin, CA, 94568 Letter 4 qecE'VEO MAR :1 0 Z007 PuaLlC WOHKs cc: Ferdinand Del Rosario Dear Ms Morton, I am writing this in response to the Mitigated Negative Declaration we received dated March 19,2007. After speaking with Mr Ferdinand Del Rosario and reviewing the trail drawing he sent me, I would like to make some comments. First, I am glad to see that the Cities of Dublin and San Ramon are not just going to "open the gate" as some San Ramon residents suggested. In my opinion, that was a short-sighted and selfish suggestion on their part and I'm glad both cities showed more sense with regards to that. As I stated to Mr. Del Rosario, my main concerns are as follows: 1. The safety of the path for all residents and pets. I'm hoping that the gate will be sufficient enough to slow 4. down any speeding bicycles travelling from the top of the hill down toward the sidewalk. It is steeper than it looks and, even with the speed bumps, some inexperienced cyclists will come careening down the path. I hope this gate helps alleviate that potential problem and encourages cyclists to slow down. While my main concern is that people with motorized scooters, despite the signs already posted, will try to use the path, I also feel that 4.: skateboards should be prohibited on the path due to noise considerations. Sure, the neighbors can call the police, but I would feel a little self-conscious calling 911 on a Sunday afternoon to report a motorized scooter or skate- board on the trail. Plus, by the time the cops arrive, the scooter rider will be long gone. Will police even want to respond to minor but very annoying incidents like this? 2. Lock both Gates at dusk and open them at dawn like the Dublin gate (I understand from Mr. Del Rosario 4.: that this will already be done). Excellent plan. 3. Fire Safety. As I'm sure you know, we have had more than one fire on the hills in the Alamo Creek area in 4.4 the past years. Having experienced my own parent's home destroyed in the Oakland Hills fire in 1991, I am hyper-aware of this danger. In Dublin, the city keeps our hills trimmed up to the culverts. However, I have noticed that on the San Ramon side the weeds in some places are as tall as my shoulder and unkempt. One time I even saw a rotting deer carcass on the San Ramon side, which stayed there for days. Will San Ramon be vigi- lant in keeping the weeds trimmed and the area cleaned like we do here in Dublin? Will there be soine sort of cleaning/maintenance schedule coordinated between the two cities? .4. Maipfenance. My impression was .that the majority of people who want the path opened are from San Ra- 4.: mono To me that means that the majority of traffic will be coming down from San Ramon to use the Dublin path. Mr. Del Rosario assured me that the two cities will be splitting the cost. While the park on the San Ramon side is nice (but smaller), the Dublin side most likely will bear the brunt of the traffic, as our trail is more scenic, longer, and has a new dog park at the end. Therefore, there is more area for Dublin to maintain than San Ramon. The path has been much cleaner since it's been closed to San Ramon so I feel it is imperative that they should pay for at least half, or preferably more in my opinion, of all the maintenance involved with the increased traffic from their area. Will San Ramon install garbage cans and dog scoopers in the upper park and on the Bent Creek path also? Will 4. the Dublin and San Ramon Parks Department be checking that our scooper stations are stocked more often with the increased traffic? Since the scooper stations encourage pet clean up, the Dublin Parks Department should be sure to keep those filled regularly as I have noticed that: more often than not, they run out quickly. With the new dog park on Amador Valley, you can bet that dog walking along the path will increase, along with dog feces. Most dog owners are responsible and clean up after their pets, but, unfortunately some are not. They let them run free to do their "business" and then claim ignorance. A sign stating that dog owners need to clean up after their dogs and that they should be on leashes would be a step in the right direction. Again, most owners can con- trol their dogs, or think they can, but some cannot and don't realize it until it's too late. The path should be kept clean and safe for everyone to use. 5. Wildlife Protection and Aesthetics: Will there be enough barriers/fencing to discourage people from going 4.~ down to the river and disturbing the wild life? I've seen people, whether in ignorance or not, walking along the river like it was part of the trail. I also noticed more garbage and litter on the trail when the San Ramon side was open. I've always felt the green fencing should go further than it does to discourage wildlife disturbance, and more signs should be posted along the trail that both prohibit and discourage wildlife contact. I would love to see the green metal fencing that is on the Dublin Alamo Creek trail continue. The chain link fence is unsightly and it would be nice to have something more attractive and permanent. Ifwe are going ahead with this trail, I feel it should mirror the fencing on the Dublin side making the entire trail look like it is part of a City park system(s) and therefore maintained and monitored by both cities. You will also notice that I have .enclosed a diagram offering another suggestion for the direction of the path that 4. would put people directly onto the Dublin side's path and not into the street and then back onto the path as it seems in the current diagram. I felt that there would be more continuity with this direction. I wasn't sure where the two metal covers fell in' this drawing so I had to approximate where I thought they would go. Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope the extended path will be safe, quiet, clean and maintained for everyone's (responsible) enjoyment. Maria Theren and Thomas Vandegriff . 8080 Crossridge Rd Dublin, CA 94568 e-mail: maria.theren@ucop.edu overgrown weeds and potential fire danger suggested grate cover placement of em /aspha#t jL pavement " ...-. (.o\.l{\t.:.- . ..- sU99<;sted. tfo(.osto ...-' ~ pOSItiOn or new (.0\'1...-,-;- (.o\.ll"t pedestrian ..-...- p-\afl'le ..-' ,..-' ,..- ."- ."- San Ramon ..-' ..-' ..-' ...-' ,..- ,..- ..- ..-" ..-' l)ubHn DIAGRAM ENCLOSED WITH COMMENT LETTER DATED MARCH 27, 2007, FROM MARIA THEREN AND THOMAS VANDERGRIFF ~~~t~4~ t!.n'flr~~] April 2, 2007 [\' I\rl ,; .; ) nrl'.l '." ". "'f' " ..11.... Melissa Morton Public Works Director City of Dublin 100 Civic Plaza Dublin, CA 94568 ...,'".. ,,;.. f".'" .~.r~.:..f'ii;;;:iJK'U::~ :J-~ t\.,~H;;.: ::f.!ti; :~:.\ "jt If ~~..1 ~"!i6 t~~ Letter 5 Re: Review of Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Crossridge Road Trail Connection Dear Ms. Morton I have reviewed the March 2007 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Cro$sridge Road Trail Connection Project. I find that the document provides a good analysis of the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project and I have only one major question and comment. I also have a few suggested editorial changes for clarification or correction. My main question and concern is in regards to the statement in the project description 5.1 that the new pedestrian gate would be closed from dawn to dusk. I know that the Alamo Creek Trail gates get closed at that time, but why does this environmental review need to have this requirement? What if the trail users and neighbors would like to have access to the area and not have the gate locked each day? It seems it would be best to let them decide and not have it a requirement of this document. Would excluding the locking of the gate have any significant impacts on the project analysis? Locking the gate at night is like lifting the drawbridge at the end of the day, so that neither Dublin nor San Ramon residents can access the other city on this path. Would we block a sidewalk this way? This doesn't appear to be a good neighbor policy. Now on to my editorial comments: Exhibit 3, Page 6: Suggest showing the existing gate location on the Alamo Canal Trail 5.2 .< Page 8, first sentence: Suggest adding the words "but has been determined to be less than significant with mitigation" after the words "potentially significant impact". This will better reflect the checklist headings on page 14. ;; 5.3 Page 16, Item 7h: This item should be checked as "No Impact" to be consistent with the text on this item on page 27. 5.4 Page 33, Section 15, Environmental Setting; Correct the last sentence of the first paragraph by changing the "b~ to "by" and adding "in San Ramon" to end the sentence. 5.5 Page 34, Section 15, Project Impacts, item f, inadequate parking capacity Comment: People driving to the site would more likely park at Alamo Creek Park in Dublin rather than park on the neighborhood streets. 5.6 Thanks for the opportunity to comment. 4?LJJi~ Richard Guarienti 8279 Rhoda Ave. Dublin, CA 94568 City of Dublin Public Works Department Attn: Melissa Morton 100 Civic Plaza Dublin, CA 9458 Letter 6 Concerning: Crossridge Road Trail Connection Improvements Dear Ms. Morton, I am writing in favor of opening the connection at the terminus of Crossridge Road and the Bent Creek Open Space Trail to the City of San Ramon. I would like to see that the connection not be closed at night. This connection is the only alternative (other than the busy Dougherty Road) for pedestrians, bicyclists, and neighbors for Dougherty Valley Residents to traverse between services located in Dublin such as Bart and retail stores and restaurants and the Dougherty Valley located in Contra Costa county. While the path is a bit convoluted, "locals" in both cities and beyond could use this connection to travel on a more peaceful route. Closing this connection at night forces people to use Dougherty Road at night if they need to cross city boundaries in the evenings. Thank you, Edwin Osada 7710 Squirrel Creek Circle Dublin, CA 94568 RECEIVED APR (l !; Z007 PUBLIC WORKS Existing EVA gate to remain - .- - .- -- ~ g ~ g .~ g 15 u " ~ $ " & i .a ~ ..( Cj ~ ~ III - :---- cotJl'<~-- cosr.. - - . orJTf'''_-::-;:QvNi'' 9 >;;;.W,<O" v -- - - -- PROPOSED TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS CITY OF DUBLIN CROSSRIDGE ROAD TRAIL CONNECTION IMPROVEMENTS County Line