STT/Luge Access. OC Board of Supervsors meeting results. (UPDATE 10-4-11)

This is a followup thread to this: http://www.socaltrailriders.org/for...eded-protect-access-santiago-truck-trail.html

I spoke with Chris Vargas of the Warrior's Society tonight and he will be attending the meeting on Tuesday. I know many of you have already sent emails and letters to them, but once again we need to let them know how important access to this trail is for all users.

Time is short and we must act now! Thanks all.

Gene

Here is the email I received from another WS member with all the info and how each member of the board can be contacted.


Santiago Truck Trail Access Alert:

The Orange County Board of Supervisors will be voting on this Tuesday, August 23rd, to purchase land for a parking lot at the trail head of the Santiago Truck Trail as well as other improvements.

The votes needed to pass this are in doubt so here's the scoop:

The county plans to build a parking area near the top of Modjeska Grade Road for Santiago Truck Trail by acquiring 100 acres from a private landowner at a below-market cost. This purchase of land is designed to:

1. Ensure public access to this trail is locked up permanently.
2. Provide a parking area at the top of Modjeska Grade Road.
3. The additional 100 acres will open the County to future recreational improvements beyond just a parking area.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors is meeting this Tuesday, August 23rd at 9:30am to vote on this issue. It is ITEM #44 on the agenda. If you want to help ensure your access to this trail forever; email, phone or fax the supervisors listed below and voice your opinion now.

When emailing Supervisor Campbell thank him for his support of this proposal and his continued support or our access.

Your messages to the Supervisors could help shove Item #44 over the edge and pass it but the vote is this Tuesday.

If you are free this Tuesday you may go down and show up in person to the Board Meeting. More info on Item #44 and the staff report on this issue and meeting place is available at: http://www.ocsd.org/ocgov/Info%20OC/Departments%20&%20Agencies/Clerk%20of%20the%20Board/Board%20of%20Supervisors/Board%20Agendas%20&%20Minutes



Messages to the supervisors could mention Santiago Truck Trail as:
1. "Item 44" on the agenda to help the Supervisors recognize it easily.

2. The most popular trail based on overall usage of any trail in Orange County and important to all user groups

3. It would protect the safety of recreationist who now have to ride up narrow Modjeska Grade Road to access the trail. The new parking lot would create a more accessible environment for trail runners and Bikers with parking at the trailhead. An equestrian loading and unloading zone is also in the plans. So this isn't just limited to Mountain Bikers. Pass the word.


John M.W. Moorlach, Vice Chairman
email: [email protected]
Second District
714.834.3220

Janet Nguyen
[email protected]
First District
714.834.3110
Fax: 714.834.5754

Shawn Nelson
[email protected]
Fourth District
714.834.3440

Patricia C. Bates
[email protected]
Fifth District
714.834.3550

Bill Campbell, Chairman
[email protected]
Third District
714.834.3330

 

Thanks for the info. I'll make sure to contact Bates as I am in her district.
I wonder what her objection would be?
This would be Measure M funds, right?

 

Ya most of us in South County are in her district as the 5th district is Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, community of Newport Coast, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano.

From my conversation with Chris tonight is that a purchase of the property is too costly for the county. I can only assume this is from Measure M funds, I will post here as I get more info from Chris. Thanks

 

I seem to remember this being M funds, whic are already set aside and this could be some of the mitigation required.
Perhaps Bates prefers TIC "giving away" 20 k acres so they can build 5k homes?

 

Ya, but in no way it was a guarantee to purchase the land that is private property leading up STT which is why we need this effort to raise support once again to let the Board of Supervisor know how important this is to our community.

I get off work from LAX at 7:15am and plan on heading straight there to attend this meeting.

 

Emails sent and calls will be Monday morning. Thanks Gene!

? do they have to purchase a full 100 acres? Just for parking? I'll do some digging around with questions.

 

Not 100 acres for just a lot, but is the area as a whole. Here is a link to the Agenda: http://cams.ocgov.com/Web_Publisher/agenda08_23_2011.htm

Scroll down to item #44. You can click on the links here for the maps and purchase agreement: http://cams.ocgov.com/Web_Publisher...etdate=08_23_2011&pagendatypeid=1&pisagenda=1

 

I plan on heading down there as well... see you there.

BTW: that's a nice tax break for the seller if the IRS buys the seller's market value of the parcel... over $2M.

 

Thanks to those who've sent in emails already. For those who haven't, just a reminder to please contact the Board of Supervisors before tomorrow's vote. Here is the letter I sent. Feel free to cut and paste and put your personal touches on it. Thanks.

Dear Orange County Supervisors,

Thank you Supervisor Campbell for proposing this Item.

Please add my name to the list of supporters for purchasing 100 acres of land to acquire access and a parking area for the Santiago Truck trail on Modjeska Grade Road listed as item #44 on this Tuesday's agenda.

The #1 thing about this trail is that it is by far THE most used recreational trail in all of Orange County. Any Mountain Biker or Trail Runner will know this trail by name.

Orange County is a great place to live, work and recreate. I've been an Adopt-A-Park Volunteer for about 4 years now as well as a volunteer for Crystal Cove State Park El Moro back country and the Cleveland National Forest/Trabuco District and it is great news when the public officials makes a commitment to purchase land for recreational & Open Space purposes which adds to the quality of life here. While our police, fire and education systems are under pressure it is important to keep the Open Space issue on the radar and not loose site of the fact amid the current financial pressures. We need to be committed now to keep Orange County a great place to work AND live/recreate for future generations. Thank you for your time.


Sincerely,
Gene Frial
Mission Viejo

 

thanks gene. i tweaked your note a bit & sent my own…

 

I'll be there today...

 

email sent. Let us know what happens!

 

I just got home. I went straight to the County Supervisor's Board meeting this morning after work. After hearing several other items on the agenda, it was announced that item #44 was not going to be voted on today pending a risk management assessment. Chairman Campbell knew that we took time off to be there so he agreed to hear the discussions by the public to be heard around 2:30 because that's how long it would take to hear the other discussions on the other items of the agenda.

Chris Vargas of the Warrior's Society, OMR, Jim aka kioti, Kevin aka xhuskr, Denny Bean also a volunteer, owners of the property and his representatives, county officials including Mark Denny OC Parks Superintendent were also there this morning, but most of them left after hearing they won't be heard till 2:30 as they had other schedules to keep. Chris, Jim, Denny and I returned at 2:30 and finally discussed around 3pm. After hearing Chris, Jim and Denny speak, the members voted to continue discussion on a later date, but before Oct when the purchase could be made. Mark Denny did not speak. Judging by body language of the board members, I would say this vote could go either way. Right now that date would be Sept 6.

Here are the names of the Supervisors and their districts:

Janet Nguyen
[email protected]
First District: Garden Grove (Portions of), Santa Ana, Westminster
714.834.3110
Fax: 714.834.5754

John M.W. Moorlach, Vice Chairman
email: [email protected]
Second District: Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove (Portions of), Huntington Beach, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Seal Beach, Stanton
714.834.3220

Bill Campbell, Chairman
[email protected]
Third District: Anaheim (Portions of), Brea, Irvine, Orange, Tustin, Villa Park, Yorba Linda
714.834.3330

Shawn Nelson
[email protected]
Fourth District: Anaheim (Portions of), Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, Placentia
714.834.3440

Patricia C. Bates
[email protected]
Fifth District: Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, community of Newport Coast, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano
714.834.3550

I listed the cities in which these Supervisors represent. Please spread the word to have friends email there district supervisor in favor of the purchase so we can provide a better staging area and have permanent easement to this very popular trail. Thanks.

 

thnx Gene for staying/returning and keeping us informed.

**this means time for more emails**

get your ideas, thoughts, opinions heard. Just think..parking for STT-Luge, STT-Old Camp, Harding...but only if we speak and act...type, type, click...make a difference today!

 

Yeap sent mine too!

 

Emails sent on Monday.

 

Thanks Gene. I agree it's important for the Supervisors to know that we come from all over the County to use this trail. That's why riders from all Districts need to contact their respective Supervisors and help them understand the importance of this trail.

Protecting our right to access the National Forest across this stretch of land is vital no matter who owns it. That's the first priority. I pointed out to the Supervisors that the STT has been in constant recreational use for at least 35 years, which is when a description of it was published in a guidebook for the Santa Ana Mountain's by Ken Croker. It was described again for mountain bikers in Vogel and Kuechlin's guidebook to mountain biking in Orange County, from 1996.

The second issue is whether or not the County should provide a parking area for trail users. I looked at the site map and property boundaries yesterday and feel the best place for a parking lot would be on the lower part of the property, and not on the existing trail. We would access the lot by taking a dirt road from the bottom gate on Modjeska Grade ( just 50 yards from Santiago Canyon Road). That would lower our presence on the Grade Road itself, getting us off the pavement and not causing the traffic problems that'd occur if the lot was at the top of the Grade. We would then build a connector trail to climb from the parking area to the existing trail.

We currently have the owner's permission to park at Cook's Corner, but could be shut-out at any time. Permanently protected access on the STT--from the gate to the step-over-- along with a dedicated parking area, would solve a number of long-standing and future problems, and its crucial you let your Supervisor know your feelings.

 

There is already a parking area at the corner of Modjeska Canyon road and Santiago Canyon road. This parking area is currently used as over flow parking for Madame Modeska's house up canyon. Although not ideal, and you would have to climb the back side of Modeska Grade road, it seems like it would make more sense to use this rarely used parking lot for trail head parking. It would save the County money and would seem to make it easier to push through the purchase of the property without the added costs and liability of another lot. I would park anywhere as long as the access to the trail I've ridden for close to 20 years being shut down.

 

^^
I agree. That's why the first priority is securing the right-to-pass on the "non-USFS" part of the trail. That was the first issue to come up, and it's the only one that really matters. There are a number of great trails in the Cleveland that have become land-locked due to private property owners, and it would be a shame to lose access to the STT (or get into some extended legal battle to regain access.) The County is considering helping the Forest Service and all of us who love the trail be able to continue using it.

Parking is a secondary matter. We can park at Cook's, or on Santiago Canyon Road at the base of the Grade, or in the nearby neighborhoods. But a dedicated lot could be a bonus, and right now the whole package is a up for grabs.. In the meantime, I recommend contacting your Supervisors, and patronizing Cook's Corner when using their lot.

 

As an added note, one other take away from the meeting today was the discussion we had outside with the present owners of the property and their representatives. Should the aquisition of the property by the county not go through, they have been advised by their lawyers to close access to the property by the public due to liability issues. It is impearative that the county obtain the parcel of land in order to insure we all have access to this legacy trail. I cannot stress how important it is to contact your county supervisor and make your opinion known on this matter to them. Please do not leave this to others to do. To do nothing will insure failure.