HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 10032000 - D1 DA
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF
CONTRA COSTA COUNT`', CALIFORNIA
Date: October 3, 2000 Matter of Record
Subject: PUBLIC COMMENT
On this date the Board of Supervisors heard comments from the following person:
Maria Lawrence, 138 Virginia Court, Alam, on Green Valley Road, North of Stone
Valley.
THIS IS A MATTER FOR RECORD PURPOSES ONLY
NO BOARD ACTION WAS TAKEN
TO CONTRA COSTA BOARD OF SUPERVISORS . 1
FROM MARIA LAWRENCE Tel. 925.820.3400 fax 925.820.3570
The area I am speaking about is Green Valley Road, North of Stene Valley. Specifically, a section
about 'l4 of a mile in the middle, and part of the development plan 6188. Monte Vista High School
is approximately f2 mile south. Green Valley road ends at Mt. Diablo State Park..
Topography—
This section of Green Valley Road has a creek running parallel to the road. The creek bed is
approximately 30 feet lower than the road. The shoulder width varies with a narrow section of
about 3 feet behind the guardrail, and a sharp drop to the creek bed. This is a"woodsy"area with
many oak trees that are 200-300 years old. Erosion and traffic off the road have caused massive
amounts of dirt to wash away exposing large roots of the oak trees.
The dividing point is a fire road that leads into Bryan Ranch.
North-of this point the street improvements include sidewalk on the West Side, curb on the East
Side, streetlights and no parking signs.
South-of this section there is a white fence and footpath on the East Side of the road..
NO improvements were made in this section. The fence that existed before the road was paved
was not replaced.
Lots 501 and 502 have not yet been developed. These are very steep lots that will be accessed
from Careen Valley Road. Directly opposite these lots,on the East Side there is a distance of 9 V2
feet from the white stripe on the street to the first buckle. The total distance from the white stripe
before you go down the cliff is 14 feet.
Lots 503, 504, 505, 506 and 508 are accessed from Green Valley road. There is constant flooding
of Green Valley road from runoff of irrigation and rainfall.
Public safety—
People walking behind the guardrail because the sidewalk was not continued.
Motorcycle riding,horseback and bicycle riding on the shoulder of the road are a daily occurrence.
Teenagers bathing in pond 7127/00. Using the area to drink alcohol and smoke without being seen.
Fire-
On 12/30/99(response#099006497)there was a small fire started by a smoker parked on the
should of the road. The county responded by widening the shoulder of the road. This provided
greater accessibility for all type of traffic and increased erosion. Some of the oak trees are
immediately adjacent to the road so the leaves will continue to accumulate in the Fall.
Public safety and preserving the environment MUST be the major focus of the board and where
our tax dollars are to be spent. This area was part of the development plan approved by the county.
My recommendations:
1. Duplicate the existing improvements north of the fire road. Put in sidewalk on the West Side
of the road;curb on the East Side of the road and streetlights.
2. Put a barrier on the East Side of the road that would minimize the fire danger. Oak trees loose
their leaves and combined with the dry grass it creates an extremely flammable condition that
is less than 40 feet from the homes backing up to the creek.
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Maria Lawrence
138 Virginia Court
Alamo, Ca 94507
`fel. 925.820.3400 Fax 925.830.3570
August 24, 2000
Ms. Donna Gerber
Contra Costa County Supervisor
.bear Donna:
Thank you for meeting with me on August 14t` and the opportunity to express
my concerns about this section of Green"Valley Road,the area south of the fire road to
the end of the development.
The issues are erosion, public safety, fire danger and environmental.
1. Most of the oak trees along this area have exposed roots.
2. The creek is about 20 feet from the top of the bank and in some areas it is
immediately adjacent to the shoulder of the street.
3. The combination on dead weeds from the rains, and the fallen leaves of all these
oak trees, provide the combustible matter that would readily feed a fire.
4. The preservation of the creek and oak trees that are hundreds of years old.
Since our meeting someone has been widening the path behind the guard rail by
cutting the dead weeds.
I am anxious to resolve this matter as soon as possible. Please let me knew if I
can provide any additional information.
Yours ly,
aha V. Lawre c
�e�"�
cc: Heather Ballenger
309 Diablo road
Danville, California 94526 r"f Contra Costa County
(925)820-86M r;
Board of Supervisors
(925)820-3627 FAX a ,
Email: -dlet3gbos.co.contra-costa.ca.us
DONNA GERBER
27 September 2000 District 111 Supervisor
Maria Lawrence .
138 Virginia Court
Alamo, CA 94507
Dear Maria,
Please accept my apologies for not getting back to you sooner. My son was in the
Olympics and I have just returned from Sydney. I visited your area of Green Valley Road
and made my own observations about your issues. I did not take your concerns lightly
and I wanted to be sure that all options were properly explored.
You posed some questions at our meeting in August that needed to be researched. You
asked about the road right of way for Green Valley Load, it is 60 feet and the road width
varies but it is generally 28 feet. You wanted to know who put in the white picket fence;
it was put in by the developer of subdivision 7109 as a condition of approval. The
homeowners of that subdivision are to maintain the fence. The footpath was also put in as
a condition of approval; it was designed to cross Green Valley Road and continue on the
east side of the road
The issue of creek erosion seems to be the one that is of great concern to you. The creek
is unimproved and it is natural for it to erode over time. Given the fact that you and your
homeowners' association own the property encumbering the creek, if you want to take
measures to eliminate or reduce the amount of erosion that is up to you. However, if you
want to do work within the creek, you need to contact the proper authorities and get all
the necessary permits.
County Public Works has addressed your anxiety about weeds along the road posing a
fire hazard and they have been treated with a herbicide and I believe that the weeds have
subsided. If they continue to be of concern, please let us know.
You have also mentioned garbage in the creek. Because the County does not own the
creek, it is not a proper use of public funds for Public Works to maintain it. I know of
several neighborhoods, in which homeowners get together on an annual basis for creek
clean-up. Other homeowners' associations sometimes contract with a maintenance
company to pay for creek clean-up.
The county traffic engineer has also observed the parking along Green Valley Road and
determined that No Parking signs are not warranted. It is a public road and it is safe to
pull over and park alongside it.
I realize I do not have all the answers that you wanted to hear when you came to see me,
but I hope that I have clarified some issues for you. I truly appreciate your concern for
your neighborhood and I wish you well.
Sincerely,
Ronna Ge
Supervisor,District III