HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/17/2017 Item 10, Ashbaugh
Christian, Kevin
From:john@johnashbaugh.com
Sent: 42 PM
To:E-mail Council Website
Cc:Heidi Harmon; Aaron Gomez; Rivoire, Dan; Derek Johnson; Pease, Andy; Christianson,
Carlyn; Hill, Robert; Stanwyck, Shelly; Gallagher, Carrie
Subject:Oppose night hiking and biking on Cerro San Luis Obispoo.
Hon. Mayor and Council
City of San Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
RE: Oppose Night Hiking/biking on Cerro San Luis Obispo Open Space Reserve
Dear Mayor and Council members:
Over the last decade, as a Council member and as a Planning Commissioner, I have had a
unique opportunity to contribute to our City's system of Open Space Reserves. Even earlier, as
the founder of the Land Conservancy of SLO over 30 years ago, I have been an active member
of this community as we acted to protect its greenbelt and to provide daily access for hikers,
trail runners, and (in some areas) bicyclists and equestrians.
There is near unanimous consensus among our community that we have a responsibility to
protect our legacy of open space for future generations. It is a mission that I took very seriously:
I view the successful management of a growing inventory of open space to be a continuing
covenant between the present and the future, between those of us who were fortunate enough to
reside here now, and those who are yet to make San Luis Obispo their home.
I am dismayed, then, to see the recommendation before you to open up the sensitive slopes of
Cerro San Luis Obispo to night hiking and mountain biking. This proposed action is
inconsistent with long-established City policy as clearly stated in the Conservation and Open
Space Element. which gives priority to "Protection of existing wildlife and natural habitat
generally."
This proposed also violates the spirit of the process that our Council initiated in 2016 to
consider some modifications to the night hiking policy. When the Council on which I sat first
considered this issue in August of 2016 following public comment, I made it clear that I would
be open only to a possible relaxation of our night hiking policy for certain open space reserves
OTHER THAN Cerro San Luis, Bishop Peak, or other key open space areas that serve as
important urban wildlife refuges.
Furthermore, when your Council met to deliberate on this issue in March of this year, I spoke
out in opposition generally to any adjustment of hiking or mountain biking in the Open Space
Reserves - however, I did acknowledge the possibility of South Street Hills and possibly
Terrace Hill. I further suggested that the City even consider re-classifying Terrace Hill and part
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of South Street Hills to some classification other than "Open Space Reserve," if warranted,
given the increased intensity of use that would occur with expanded hours of use. Both of these
isolated tracts of open space have far lower significance as natural habitat, and both of these
areas are far more resilient to night hiking or mountain biking.
At no time in this process did I envision that an area as sensitive as Cerro San Luis Obispo
Natural Reserve would be considered, even for a moment, for night hiking and mountain
biking. It should be clear to you as you read the staff report, and particularly the biological
survey, why this Open Space Reserve should continue to be off-limits to night hiking and
mountain biking. The area contains a diverse array of native plants and wildlife habitat,
including species of special status that deserve pro-active management to improve their
conditions. They would suffer serious adverse impacts from night hiking and especially biking,
and the proposed mitigations are wholly inadequate to address these impacts.
The last thing that this vital Open Space Reserve needs is more pressure from more human
users during the hours when wildlife, insects, bats, owls, and other species have become
accustomed at least to some hours of safety from streaking mountain bikes or intrusive hikers
and runners.
The Initial Study states on p. 273 of your Agenda Packet that "the Cerros San Luis Natural
Reserve was selected... because it does not have immediate connectivity other larger, core
habitat areas..." That is true, but only if one considers that Foothill Boulevard cuts off this prime
area of mixed oak woodland, coastal scrub oak, and grassland from the larger habitat areas to
the west - i.e., Bishop Peak. And indeed, Foothill Boulevard DOES act as an often-fatal barrier
to wildlife passage, as evidenced by the almost daily roadkill observed on the stretch of Foothill
leading out from our neighborhood. That is not sufficient reason, however, to permit further
damage to the high-quality habitat that exists on Cerro San Luis - rather, it calls for the City to
work with the County to provide protected wildlife underpasses through expanded culverts
under Foothill Boulevard, large enough for deer and other large mammals to pass without risk
of becoming roadkill.
I also object strongly to the proposed reliance upon the City’s existing Open Space
Ordinance adopted in 1998 to assume that off-hours use of our Open Space Reserves can be
authorized by the City Parks and Recreation Director – an authority that she neither wants nor
SHOULD be able to exercise except for specific organized uses on discrete dates. The Parks
Director’s authority in this area should be sufficient to provide a reasonable but RARE
exception to the overall policy on night use to permit specialized groups that were associated
with early-evening wildlife observation, stargazing, or other specific recreational activities. The
main criterion for approving these exceptions should be to assure that such hikes would
not disturb wildlife resources that need these hours of tranquility to conduct their feeding,
nesting, and other behavior essential to their well-being. The language in the existing Ordinance
is being mis-interpreted; it clearly states that "public access shall be open to the public from
dawn to dusk." The only proper, legal way to initiate such a pilot program would be to initiate
an ordinance amendment - and a general plan amendment, as well.
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I also challenge the conclusion that expanded nighttime use will have no significant impact on
the archaeological sites located on the Reserve. Your staff have apparently NOT engaged in
consultation with the Northern Chumash representatives about this statement. Theft of cultural
resources is far easier to carry out in the dark. It is almost certain that this proposal would open
up these two highly sensitive sites to exploitation and depletion.
It is also completely inaccurate to suggest, as the Initial Study states on p. 283 of your Agenda
Packet, that "The project will not have cumulative effects, as the Cerro San Luis Natural
Reserve is the only City of SLO open space property out of 14 proposed for expanded winter
hours of use." We all know that this is just the FIRST of MANY trail systems that the mountain
bike community will want to open up to expanded nighttime use. This proposed "Pilot
Program" would surely open up a “Pandora’s Box” of demands upon our open space reserves
that this and future Councils will have great difficulty in managing.
I strongly urge you to reject this proposal.
Thank you for considering my views.
John B. Ashbaugh
Council member, 2008-2016
Planning Commissioner, 1996-98, 2006-2008
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