MR: Santiago Oaks Meeting Report 9/17

[OMR]

Good attendance (40+) at the Trails Advisory Board Meeting at the Santiago Oaks Community Center. Mountain biking was well represented by STR, Warriors, Trail Angels & SHARE groups as well as the horse set and hikers. The meeting started off with an opening statment by Jim Meyers & Jeff Dickman. They tried to define what the purpose of the meeting was about and add a bit of history for the large gathering of the public.

Adam (Jam_R) commented on the lack of a trails benchmark and that there was a real
need to have a starting point to talk from. Adam is a great resource that we have on our board.

Sherry from Switchback nailed the bottom line with comments and pictures of the developing situation in the park:
1. She had been told all work was suspended until the studies had been completed. This is not true as there is major work being done in the park at this time.
2. She continually gets different stories from the park rangers.
3. There has been dumping of contaminated earth in the park along with excessive grading.
4. There is a real lack of communication between the park rangers and the public and believes the rangers there are out of control and not accountable to anyone.
5. Use of the ATV through our the park was not the original intent and has caused the widening of trials.

This seemed to set the tone of the public's main question as to why are trails being closed without any reason? There was an atmosphere of frustration that the public (who the park is for) was not consulted or involved in any of the actions that the rangers are seemingly arbitrarily taking.

The up side of the meeting was the board passing a resolution to generate a letter to supervisors informing them of the public's displeasure in how the park is operating at the present time... and that the public was pleased prior to the fire on the trail management but not now. The board also requested that people write their supervisors explaining their feelings about the park and try to make some positive suggestions as well.

Jim Meyer suggested that he welcomed all emails through the Trails4All web site. He would forward any and all comments to the proper people:

http://www.trails4all.org/default.asp

The plan is to hold open public meetings to ask which trails are the rider's favorite and if any proposed changes would be tolerated. You will have more chances to voice opinions prior to the board sending their recommendations on to the county supervisors.

Remember, you need to get involved and stay involved in order to protect what we have.

[26'er Zen Master]

I was at the meeting and have to Thank Sherry for her presence she was a voice for all of us who love the oaks and want to ride there. I want to thank Schecky and Gene and all the others that were out tonight. Even Gabe and Letty showed up for a minute but left to go cuddle somewhere in the bushes. I learned not to go to these meetings expecting answers, rather to go to show support and help in the progress of our parks. I was expecting more of an anti bike squad but it seemed as if we were somewhat represented on the board and with more than 60% of the audience. Please follow the link in OMR's post and email Jim the more response the better for us. This park has done alot for me in the past year and I want to see it get better. Again thanks to everyone who came out as it wasnt the most exciting place to be but definatly had a purpose.

[Cyran]

I'm glad that the mountain biking community was well represented. I would have attended if I didn't have work until 9 last night, but I'm especially grateful to all who made it because Oaks is so close to me I go all the time.

[Schecky]

Nice to see so many bikers out.
Adam, Gene, Gregg, Sherry, Toby, Dave, Lauren, Gabe, Lety, and the others I'm forgetting - Thanks for showing.
It was a good meeting over all. OMR covered things very well.
Sherry talked about the contents of the fill dirt that was dumped - asphalt, caution tape, fast food cups. Nasty.
She, and Mark from SHARE did a great job, as did many others who spoke.
Oh yeah - there was cake too.

Towards the end, they mentioned an issue on the Fully Loop. I perked up a little bit, thinking that we were going to hear about the Laguna Lake trail nazi.
Instead I hear - 'We've gotten complaints about MTBers going down too fast on a narrow section of trail that approaches Euclid.' Groan.
They said that they'll be looking into it with a 'Friends of Coyote Hills' person.

[genusmtbkr5]

It was a great turnout by mtbers. Thanks to those who showed. OMR, Adam(JamR), Chris(Schecky), Diamond Dave, Sherry, Jerry(WS member), John(Wreckers man), mtnbikej and Mrs J, Trail Angels Cathy(JustSpin) and Vicki, Gabe and Lety. OMR pretty much summed it up. I think the meeting went well. It made the committee realize what is happening at the Oaks. Hopefully, they are true to their word and get something done to stop the re-routes and closures there.

Sherry will email me with her comments and I will post it. There is also another meeting on Oct 2 that will affect all of the Harbor, Beaches and Park systems in OC. I will get that info and post it as well. These meetings happen every other month. Hope to see a bigger showing of mtbrs in the Nov meeting.

[granny ring]

Definitely a good turnout. Expected more equestrians but I don't think the current issue affect them as much as the MB community. Was interesting to see the workings of the group and I hope their input to the supervisors carries some weight. We need to follow-up on our end and write to our supervisors and the park director to keep the topic on the front line.
Peter

[ODB]

The board certainly was impressed with the standing-room-only turnout last night, so hopefully that counts for something. A lot of good points were made, and the sense of frustration among the MTB community really came through without resorting to hyperbole or overly emotional arguments. The right tone was struck. The question that remains, as others have pointed out in this thread, is how much weight the board carries with those making the decisions at Oaks. I can't help but be skeptical given one exchange at the meeting:

A very well-spoken audience member called into question the ranger's authority to unilaterally close trails. He cited chapter and verse, basically saying that such decisions have to go higher up the chain of command in the parks department before those snazzy green signs can be trotted out--and that process clearly is not being followed. One board member responded, "Well, the rangers have been given a great deal of latitude," with a whatchagonnado gesture. This does not instill a great deal of confidence.

[Letyrides]

Sorry we couldn't stay. Gabe had to pick up a frig before the store closed THEN cuddle time. We will try to cuddle before the next meeting so its out of our system.
Definately interesting to see how the system does or does not work. I hope our support and efforts don't go to waste.