HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/17/2020 Item 11, O'Hara
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Christie Rose O'Hara <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Support of Agenda Item #11
Dear Mayor and City Council Members,
I am writing today in support for the approval of agenda item #11: To authorize a temporary
extension of the open space evening hours of use pilot program. I am a longtime community member of San
Luis Obispo and teach in the Department of Kinesiology and Public Health at Cal Poly. Heart disease is the
leading cause of death globally, in the US, and in California (CDC, 2018). Exercise and a healthy lifestyle are
the best way to prevent heart disease. Unfortunately, with Covid-19 restrictions there are more closures in place
including gyms, fitness studios, parks, and other public places that result in reduced opportunities for physical
activity. In addition, TV Tower Road is closed to vehicle access through November 3, 2021, reducing the access
to hiking and recreational opportunities. We need more access to outdoor areas and not less for the sake of
mental health and well-being. Having local trails close to home is important for our community and allowing
access for a few more hours in the evening for those that work late seems like an easy ask. Therefore, although I
wish the staff report was ready for full review, I do support extending the pilot program another year.
I appreciate the hard work of city staff for the past 2 years of the pilot program and was excited to see
some of the data in the agenda report. I am glad to see there is active wildlife including barn owl, great-horned
owl, sharp shinned hawk, deer, coyote, woodrats, and mice. So far it looks like there is no negative impacts and
we did not have to scale back the program. I enjoy being out there some nights and having the chance to
observe the owls above. I think everyone will agree that we wish no harm to wildlife. We only hope that we
have one area in the city that we can safely exercise outdoors in the evening after work on the trails. I feel as
though many of the public that oppose the pilot program do not understand that the extended hours are only for
2-3 miles of trails on Cerro San Luis. I am sad to see many of the negative comments from community
members, especially those that stereotype mountain bikers and hikers and think we all cause mayhem on the
trails. Most of us volunteer in the community, clean up the trails, and help maintain them for all to enjoy.
I did want to comment on one other point I read in the report- “It should also be noted that Ranger
Service staff resources would continue to be burdened by the additional oversight, patrol, and monitoring efforts
necessary to conduct the Pilot Program. As a result, available Ranger Service staff hours and availability for
other purposes will be limited.” If city budget is of concern related to this topic, I would like to suggest a
volunteer docent/ranger program for the pilot program and potentially beyond. I am a volunteer with the Land
Conservancy at the Pismo Preserve and their program has been very successful. When the Preserve was closed,
volunteer rangers were there to help patrol, and when its open, volunteers are there to educate community
members. All volunteers are also CPR and First Aid certified. I live at the base of Cerro San Luis and would
happily be a part of a community program such as this to help educate community members and keep everyone
safe. This may help reduce overtime hours for our city Ranger staff.
Thank you for taking the time to read my comments and others, and I hope that with the extension of the pilot
program another year that we can all take the time to get outside and just be a little bit happier.
Sincerely,
Christie O’Hara
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