NORTH COAST ADVISORY COUNCIL
MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
I Meeting called to order by Chair Amanda Rice at 6:33 PM.
II Roll Call-Marty Munoz-Main
Present: Bob McLauglin, Debby Mix, Dawn Dunlap, Marty Main, Jeff Miller, Joyce Renshaw, Amanda Rice, John Lamb, Gary Gall, Jim Bahringer, Sigrid Castaneda, Erwin Ohannesian, Mary Giacoletti, Neil Cohen
Absent Excused: Mike Thompson, Javier Veliz (resigning), Bambi Fields
Absent: Lou Fedor, Leslie Richards, Marjorie Ott
III Agenda Review
Supervisor Gibson’s Report will be heard first, due to prior commitments.
Items:
April 26-date for Main Street overlay to begin.
SLO Bd. Of Supervisors- $18 million gap/budget issues being worked out.
Cal. State Legislature- $20 billion gap in budget.
Cambria Trolley-new summer schedule now in effect.
Conservation and Open Space Element-program for planning underway. (Smart Growth Policies)
Exemption of agricultural grading.
Gupta Project in San Simeon-waiver of piecemeal fees? Result: open space (park) in San Simeon, behind Courtesy Inn(former tennis courts will be converted to park –one court will stay as is) Park Area to be “signed” and partially developed as a park.
IV Public Comment- Limited to issues not on agenda
- Mary Webb-comments re. proposed drilling for desal study at Shamel Park. No permits/no safety precautions have been issued for Park Hill residents re. the proposed plan of action. WILL SHAMEL PARK AND PARK HILL RESIDENTS BE LIMITED IN THE USE OF THE PARK?
Amanda – NCAC is advisory only.
County’s Airlin Singewald-location of test wells does not require County Permits. Coastal Commission is in oversee position for the project.
Another resident-issue of physical impact to Shamel Park when drilling begins. The County should be involved in ”dismanteling “ parts of Shamel Park.
Supervisor Gibson will look further into the matter.
V CCSD Report- Al MacKinnon
Army Corps of Engineers will present the case(drilling project) to the Coastal Commission.
No permits required by SLO County, acc. to MacKinnon.
Drilling Project-involves a minimum of 9 holes drilling in the sand on the beach near Shamel Park to determine is a desal plant is a viable option for Cambria’s lack of water.
Amanda Rice-announces the CCSD meeting tomorrow (April 22 at the Vet’s Hall at 12:30 PM) and suggests that the subject of drilling should be discussed at the next meeting of the NCAC.
Singewald-suggests letter from NCAC to Coastal Commission.
Mary Webb, Cambria resident, advocating also for children’s use of Shamel Park, which will be diminished due to drilling.
Clive Finchamp total amount of $ for the drilling project.
CCSD desal for the future. Eucalyptus Tree issue
2010-2011 Budget upcoming
VI Treasurer’s Report-Gary Gall
$593.13 balance
VII Motion to pass consent agenda- Motion passes unanimously
VIII Comments from NCAC Council Members
Mary Giacoletti-issue with outside barbecue of restaurant in San Simeon-smoke affecting residents of trailer park as well as her own apartment area. County Dep. of Health has been notified. EPA recent changes: particulate matter greatly affects post-menopausal women.
Dawn Dunlap- comments re. time limit for speakers at NCAC meetings.
Makes Motion: to limit public comments to 3 minutes per speaker and limit comments/speeches of public agency speakers/NCAC reports to 10 minutes per speaker.
Comments: D. Dunlap suggests that a speaker who agrees with a prior speaker’s statement, say so and then add only an original suggestion or comment.
Also, if a speaker wishes to speak a second time on an issue that he/she must wait until all others have had an opportunity to speak, and then may make only one additional comment and no more.
Motion seconded by Jim Bahringer.
No discussion.
Vote taken on above motion: passes unanimously.
Announcements: May 1-Festival at the Bianchini House
May 2-Polenta Dinner at the Catholic Hall
Wildflower Walk-May 2
Wildflower Show-April 24-25
IX Sheriff’s Report-absent
(Arlin Singewald-last NCAC meeting questions left unanswered: PG&E will submit Land Use Permit( after the fact) for tree removal already done. Main Street Bridge Replacement approved last Friday.)
X Land Use Committee Report-Chair Joyce Renshaw
Report (SEE BELOW) plus 2 dissenting opinions.
Dissenting Opinions of Land Use Committee
on project DRC2009-00054
removal of 344 eucalyptus trees
1. Jim Bahringer was concerned that the permit allowed for the removal of 340 trees (not just the 144 targeted) and the results of any “demonstration” area would not be required for further cutting under the permit.
2. Steve Cole, regarding eucalyptus removal issue: I support the project
as presented by the planning department.
-The NCAC should make two recommendations pending a response from
the project funder (NOAA) as to if they will still fund a partial
(demonstration area) eucalyptus removal project. The two recommendations
would be made one on the yes and one on the no funding decision. (If the
partial will not be funded, I support the original plan.). I suggest this
be done so that there will not be a long delay which might affect the
project.-I have neither heard nor read of any scientific evidence to support only
a partial removal plan. I like the look of the eucalyptus but, in this
case, support their removal based on presented research that our ecosystem,
both on land and in water, will be better off without these invasives. The
agencies and organizations that are involved have an excellent track record
in our area. Our own Fiscalini Ranch management supports the project.
-Regarding the removal of tall eucalyptus: Note that if birds of prey
wished to roost in tall trees, there is a hill with tall pines directly
above the target area, another adjacent and another on the other side of
highway one. The trees that are planned to be cut are only on the west side
of highway one.-I think that if the project experts (Fish and Game, NOAA and those that are working with them) -who have the background and expertise and research- were to agree to the demonstration project aspect, only those people should determine how it should be set up.-If only a (partial) demonstration area were to be cut, would there be enough time to complete the project and see results before the money was
cut off?
Thanks to John Lamb and others on her committee for all their hard work/countless hours of meetings and readings re. issues this month.
- Cambria Conservation Corps-in charge of project to remove eucalyptus trees (#344)
NCAC will take comments, then decide whether to support or not. Jim Bahringer-motion to support recommendation of Land Use Committee
Mahalia Burton, resident of Cambria-comments from Forest Committee
East Ranch-no trees will go.
Plan B-East Ranch, no trees will go
West Ranch,72 trees will be removed.
Ben Boer,will report to CCSD Mtg on April 22. $ enough to also remove the Cape Ivy along riparian corridor. If founder of Plan does not allow Plan B, alternatives will be in line(permits, consultants, etc. All cut wood from Eucalyptus will go to Rodeo area, perhaps composted/chipped or offered to public.
Mary Giacoletti-objects to offering to public for burning.
Robert Schriber-comments re. wood
J. Bahringer-moves to table the prior motion. J. Lamb-motion to approve the rec. of Land Use Committee
Discussion:
M. Webb-concurs to not approve tree removal project.
D. Dunlap-The trees were planted as windbreaks. Removal will cause more wind in town. Dawn has not seen neg. effects on fish. We should proceed with caution.
JoAnn Butler- from Friends of Fiscalini Ranch. Approves removal of trees, which are non-native but rec. slower removal over a longer period of time. The trees are a problem
Dissenting Opinions (2)(see reports above)
Amanda makes motion to include Cole’s dissenting opinion along with NCAC vote.
Motion is approved without dissenting opinions. Motion is passed with 2 objections.
Joyce Renshaw=3 other projects were reviewed. See below
Land Use/Project Review Report (final) April 1, 2010
Projects reviewed by:Joyce Renshaw and Committee
1. New Project : DRC2009-00054 Cambria CCSD(Brown) APN:013-121-025
Mup
Santa Rosa Creek Riparian Corridor invasive species removal project. The project is to remove 344 eucalyptus trees within the riparian corridor. The trees are located above ordinary high water and on top of bank outside the creek channel. Project is located Hwy 1 approximately 1/2 mile N. of Burton Dr. The project site is on West side of creek bank after crossing Santa Rosa Creek. The area includes the creek bank to approximately 30? from the top of bank and 3,709 linear feet for a total of 2.5 acres that would be impacted. All chainsaw work, debris and duff removal would be executed by trained California Conservation Corps crew members. Trees would be cut at ground height and bucked up at 18”- 2? rounds and stacked for public use as firewood .Slash would be piled and chipped by CCC personnel and support and management of resprouts will be provided on an annual basis by the CCSD.
Comments : 1. Ben Boer assured the committee that all cut logs would be removed from the site and that leaves and bark might be removed from the site. We would like to recommend that leaves and bark and slash be removed. 2. It came to our attention that on page 43 of the Ranch Management Plan it states: “ Generally, Wetland natural ecological processes should be allowed to function undisturbed on the East Ranch. Gradually remove the eucalyptus trees along the creek bank and Fern Canyon drainage as they die and remove the seedlings as they form, then replace with trees indigenous to the natural riparian woodland.”
Recommendation:
The committee took comments from the project?s proponents andconcerned citizens for about 75 minutes, then considered all the comments and debated the project?s pros and cons before passing the compromise below: On a three to two vote the following proposal was accepted: We support a compromise to take a phased approach starting with taking the majority of the trees out, within a certain DBH( diameter at breast high) and in addition, expose a few, predetermined, areas along the project reach that they would remove all the eucalyptus as a “demonstration” area that would not have a close proximity to the retained eucs. That way they could treat the soil, plant it and monitor the success of these areas but not have the overlying management issues of keeping the area free of leaves etc. As they monitor the growth and success of these reaches they would know what to expect for the following phases.
2. New Project DRC2009-00060 Harvey (Sittig) APN: 013-371-008 MUP
Addition/remodel existing 2548 sf residence into 4665 sf located at 6200 Somerset Way.
Comments: (1) We would encourage the planning department to make sure the tree
planting standards are complied with since they are cutting down one monterey pine
tree. (2) The completed project should benefit the neighborhood.
(3) The project should describe how it will meet the intent of the Design Criteria in
Chapter 7 of the Area Plan, as required by the Area Plan
Recommendation: Support
3. New Project:DRC 2009-00064 Tobias (Sittig) APN 022-022-020 MUP Add a carport to existing Residence at 367 Warwick St.
Comments: We felt the project would enhance the neighborhood.
Recommendation: Support
4. New Project: DRC2009-00069 Midkiff (Singewald) APN: 013-081-055 MUP for a4325 sf of residence, and 2232 sf barn and horse arena. 21.2 acre site located at 4344 Dos Cruces Lane off of Santa Rosa Creek Road. There are 2 existing wells on the property along with a vacant property.
Comments: 1. We felt the plans were well drawn. 2. The house was well placed on the land.
Recommendation: Support
J. Bahringer-Motion to support recommendation of Land Use Committee.
1. Addition/remodel of existing 2548 sf residence into 4665 sf located at 6200 Somerset Way.
2. Add a carport to existing residence at 367 Warwick St.
3. New construction. 4325 sf residence, and 2232 sf barn and horse arena.
Motion to approve:
Vote: passes unanimously.
XI Traffic Committee-Chair Erwin Ohannesian
Parking off Colibri Hotel on Moonstone Beach Road
County has installed a no parking area. Owner of the property is unknown but will be investigated. Singewald-MUP will be needed for trail from Colibri to Winsor.
No parking area in front of Bob and Jan’s- seems to be working sometimes.
XII By-Laws Amendment
Section 8 Proposed addition and existing by-law will now read:
Terms of Office. Terms of office for elected and appointed members are two year. UNLESS UNOPPOSED, all regular members are limited to two full consecutive terms in office.
XIII Chair’s Report-Amanda Rice
- Friday April, training for NCAC members at SLO County Library from 9- noon.
- Resignation of Javier Veliz
- This is A. Rice’s last meeting as Chair and since she will move out of her rep. Area, John Lamb will be filling in as Chair for the May meeting.\
Motion for John Lamb to Chair the May meeting. Motion passes.
XIV Meeting Adjourned- at 8:04 PM
Respectfully submitted,
Marty Munoz-Main, Recording Secretar
NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF NCAC IS SCHEDULED FOR
WED. MAY 19, 2010