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Published on 02/17/1997 All articles from this issue

LAH residents object to overflow parking for San Antonio Open Space Preserve

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By Clyde Noel

Town Crier Staff Writer

Los Altos Hills residents who live on Rhus Ridge Road are not happy with Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District plans to offer "overflow" parking spaces where the road dead-ends to visitors at nearby Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve.

The district board approved the use of seven-to-nine overflow spaces at its Jan. 22 meeting over the objections of Rhus Ridge neighbors. District officials said visitation at San Antonio has significantly increased over the past few years and the no-parking sign along Rhus Ridge Road has not been effective. The district also cited a lack of alternative parking locations.

Ronald Alepin, a Rhus Ridge Road resident, said the district encourages increased use without any consideration of the impact on the neighborhood, and now it is encouraging more use. Alepin was concerned about traffic, especially in the case of a fire or a medical emergency.

"We have periodic discussions of the problem with their staff, but the Los Altos Hills council has not discussed it," said Los Altos Hills planning director Curtis Williams. "We have told the district if they wanted to put in a (permanent) parking lot, it would require a conditional use permit and that requires a public hearing before the planning commission and the city council."

Los Altos Hills staffers suggested the district try to work out disagreements with the residents or establish a carpool program with Foothill College.

Residents felt a parking lot would attract more visitors and increase the traffic problem. A minority of neighbors felt the district should close the existing parking lot and close the trail access to the Windmill Pasture area.

In December, district staff recommended: installing more signs and a physical barrier to keep vehicles from parking alongside of the road; delineate the existing lot for more efficient parking; encourage all participants to organize group hikes and park at Foothill College and carpool; and create an overflow parking area to accommodate visitors on days when it is needed.

The board approved all recommendations on a 5-1 vote, which included opening the overflow area by mowing and installing log barriers on one side of the clearing for use in the spring.

At the same time, the board voted to remove the Rhus Ridge Road parking area from a Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve locator map on its brochure to discourage use.