HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 01161990 - WC.1 t 9'
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WC . 1
TO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
FROM: Water Committee n,,.,♦
Supervisor Sunne Wright McPeak VIJI "
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Supervisor Tom Torlakson Costa
DATE'. January 16, 1990 County
SUBJECT: Water-Related Issues ' „7
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATIONS) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1 . Direct County Counsel to prepare the draft water conserva-
tion landscape ordinance in final ordinance form and submit
it to the Board.
2 . Direct the Fish and Wildlife Committee to visit the site at
Big Break as final verification of wetland restoration
measures.
3 . Direct the Fish and Wildlife Committee. to submit the wet-
lands definition and inventory to the Water Committee at the
next scheduled meeting.
4. Direct the Community Development Department and the Fish and
Wildlife Committee to explore State funding opportunities
for wetlands enhancement, and consider recommendation of
projects using the above-mentioned wetlands inventory when
complete.
5. Direct the County Administrator' s Office to consider feas-
ible avenues of financial assistance for wetlands enhance-
ment of the United Towing area.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
None.
REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION/BACKGROUND
1. On July 24 and October 24, 1989 , the Board directed the
Community Development Department to work with County Counsel
on preparation of a Water Conservation Landscape Ordinance
based upon revised landscape guidelines. The draft ordi-
nance was prepared, comments were solicited, revisions were
made. during Water Committee meetings, and the draft ordi-
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OT74 �-- -�
SIGNATURE s : Su ervisor Sunne Wright McPeak Supervisor Tom Torlakson
ACTION OF BOARD ON Ja nl i n ry 1 6 , 1990 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED
T-- .X OTHER _
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
1 HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT IV AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
CC: (Community Development. Department ATTESTED Janllary 16., 1990
County Counsel PHIL BATCHELOR, CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
Fish and Wildlife Committee via CDD SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
County Administrator' s Office
M382/7-53 BY " -J 6r/1t DEPUTY
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a.
2.
nance was reviewed by County Counsel. At this time, the
Water Committee wishes to release this document to County
Counsel ,for final preparation prior to consideration by the
Board.
2 . On November 28 , 1989 , the Board directed the Community
Development Department to arrange a meeting with other
agencies in order to verify compliance with revegetation of
wetlands and the protection of open space areas in the Big
Break area. This meeting took place on December 13 , . 1989,
and methods of compliance seemed acceptable to the parties
attending. As a final measure, the Water Committee recom-
mends a site visit by members of the Fish and Wildlife
Committee for visual confirmation.
3 . The Board had requested, on October 24, 1989, that the Fish
and Wildlife Committee provide to the Water Committee a
working definition of a wetland and an inventory of existing
wetland areas to be preserved. The Fish and Wildlife
Committee reported on the status of these items at the Water
Committee meeting of January 8 , 1989 . The - Water Committee
requests a final written definition and evaluation to be
submitted at the next scheduled Water Committee meeting.
4. It has come to the attention of the Water Committee that
State funds may be available for wetlands enhancement
projects, through the State Wildlife Conservation Board.
Other sources of funding, such as the Coastal Conservancy
and the San Francisco Estuary Project are also being
examined.
When the Fish and Wildlife Committee wetlands inventory has
been completed, it will be possible to recommend specific
projects for wetlands enhancement funding.
5 . On November 28, 1989, the Community Development Department
and the Fish and Wildlife Committee were directed to monitor
the United Towing wetlands issue and report back to the
Water Committee.
The area commonly known as the United Towing property is
located west of the Avon Refinery, to the west of and adja-
cent to Pacheco Creek, and immediately north of Waterfront
Road. The area is presently unincorporated. The Praxis
Development Group owns the area, and has applied to the City
of Martinez for annexation, a General Plan -Amendment, rezon-
ing, and has provided a development plan for industrial use.
An initial study has recently been circulated for prepara-
tion of an Environmental Impact Report. This site may
contain endangered species, and a portion of the site is
comprised of wetlands areas. Some grading of this site has
occurred by the applicant for the alleged purpose of weed
abatement. On November 14 , 1989, the County issued a Cease
and Desist Order to stop grading operations.
On December 21, 1989, the Department of Fish and Game
formally requested the Army Corps of Engineers to reevaluate
their determination of this site. Originally, in October of
1988 , the Corps had determined the Contra Costa Sanitary
Easement portion of the site as wetlands, but excluding the
remainder of the area.
The Water Committee recognizes that a portion of this site
contains wetland areas, and the entire site was a historic
wetland area.
In addition, the site may contain any one of three endan-
gered species, identified through County records.
As a result, the Water Committee recommends that the poten-
tial for wetlands enhancement of this area and feasible
financial assistance be identified *an evaluated for this
site.
, RG/jn/179:water.brd