HomeMy WebLinkAbout3/16/2021 Item 12, O'Hara, C.
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Christie Rose O'Hara <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Item 12: Support for Extended Hours on Cerro San Luis
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Dear Mayor and City Council Members,
I am writing today in support for extended hours on Cerro San Luis, agenda item #12. Although I
have submitted a letter on behalf of CCCMB, I did want to provide some personal comments and other
thoughts. 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 (part of Los Padres
NF) 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. The Los Padres National Forest and Montana de
Oro were mentioned in the staff report as other places to go for evening access, however that is not an option for
many without transportation and those worried about safety on less populated trails. Having a place with access
within SLO City limits that is more accessible makes more sense and is more environmentally friendly than
driving far to other places to recreate.
I would also like to provide some history on the program for those on council that were not part of initial
discussions 3+ years ago. When I first moved to San Lis Obispo 10+ years ago, I joined up with a community
group that did an after-work evening ride in Irish Hills. Although access was not allowed an hour after sunset,
none of us were aware of that rule. There were no signs stating open hours and no rangers patrolling to let us
know. Many friends and groups would ride in the evenings without any issues, no 911 calls and no issues with
wildlife. It was not until more rangers were hired, more patrols started, signs were put up, and $561 tickets were
given out, that we stopped our evening rides and social time 4-5 years ago. I was glad to hear when several
older ladies that just liked to hike with their friends approached city council on the restrictions and the tickets.
Several groups had hoped to change the hours of all SLO Open Space trails but compromised on the pilot
program that allowed access to just one area- Cerro San Luis and the 4 miles of trails there that belong to the
city. The rest of the mountain is private property, and the Madonna family allows access to recreational users.
John Madonna was at one of the city council meetings (on an unrelated issue) and spoke in favor of allowing
evening access. If users are allowed on their property, it only makes sense to allow access at the other trailheads
that lead to their trails. The SLO City trailheads provide much SAFER access because they are not as steep or
eroded.
I appreciate the hard work of city staff for the past 3 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. 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
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that we have ONE area in the city that we can safely exercise outdoors in the evening after work on the trails
and not have to pay to go to a gym or drive to a place that allows evening acess. I feel as though many of the
public that oppose the pilot program do not understand that the extended hours are only for 3-4 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.
Thank you for taking the time to read my comments and others, and I hope that we can move forward with
extended hours on Cerro San Luis during the winter months so 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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