DOCSLIB.ORG

Open Space and Community Facilities and Infrastructure, Identify Priority Improvements, and Ensure That They Meet the Needs of Community Members

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Open Space and Community Facilities and Infrastructure, Identify Priority Improvements, and Ensure That They Meet the Needs of Community Members OPEN SPACE AND 6 COMMUNITY FACILITIES Open space is a defining feature of the Pacifica Planning Area, an extraordinary resource, and a priority for the community. Parks, schools, and public utility services are a vital part of a livable and sustainable Pacifica. The purpose of this chapter is to document existing public open space and community facilities and infrastructure, identify priority improvements, and ensure that they meet the needs of community members. The close relationship between open space, parks, recreation, and schools is highlighted. 6.1 PARKS, BEACHES, AND OPEN SPACE Parks and recreation facilities provide community gathering places, opportunities for relaxation, passive Neighborhood Parks and active recreation, enjoyment of the natural envi- Pacifica has six neighborhood parks ranging in size ronment, and a break from the stresses of everyday from about four to 20 acres for a total of 55 acres. life. Public open space in Pacifica also defines neigh- These parks are summarized below, from north to borhoods, establishes urban edges, creates scenic vis- south. tas, protects coastal resources, and protects rare and endangered or threatened plants and animals and • Fairmont West Park covers five acres and includes their habitats. a soccer field, basketball hoops, and public rest- rooms. Nearly half of the Planning Area land is protected • Fairmont Park comprises six acres and includes a open space or park land. In addition to large areas parking area, a small community building, and a of preserved open space along ridgelines, Pacifica playground. has over six miles of coastline and beaches, offering recreation opportunities that include isolated beach • Imperial Park, with 13 acres, is steeply sloping and experiences, outstanding fishing, surfing, tide-pool- largely unimproved. It has a play area accessible ing and diving. Trails provide public access along the from Imperial Drive. Planning Area’s ridges and coastline. Pacifica also • Fairway Park provides three baseball diamonds. provides City parks in a variety of sizes for local resi- dents, and maintains a partnership with local school • Oddstad Park occupies a mostly wooded 20 acres districts making school play fields available for on a ridge in Linda Mar, with one access point, community use. Both existing parks and proposed from Crespi Drive, two parking areas, a bas- improvements are shown on Figure 6-1, Parks and ketball court, and a building used by a theater Open Space System. company. • Sanchez Park occupies about half of the 8.8-acre City Parks and Playfields site of the former Sanchez School, now used as City parks and playfields provide active use areas an arts center. The park contains two t-ball fields and areas for local passive enjoyment for Pacifica and a soccer field. residents. These include district parks, neighborhood parks, pocket parks, special facilities, and school Pocket Parks grounds. As Table 6-1 shows, Pacifica’s City parks Pacifica has 11 small parks that provide playlots or and playfields total approximately 250 acres, provid- public use areas serving the immediate vicinity. ing 6.5 acres per 1,000 Pacifica residents in 2010. Edgemar Park, Skyridge Park, and Pomo Park are the largest of these, at one to two acres each. Other District Parks pocket parks include the City-owned Horizon, Pacifica has one park whose size and range of ameni- Brighton, Palmetto, and Portola Mini-Parks, and ties translates to a service area larger than the imme- privately-developed mini-parks in the Connemara, diate neighborhood. Frontierland Park, at the eastern Cypress Walk, and Timber Hill subdivisions and on edge of the Park Pacifica neighborhood, comprises 63 Monterey Road. acres. It features a picnic area, sports fields, a chil- dren’s play area, and undeveloped hillside land. 6-2 PACIFICA GENERAL PLAN PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT Figure 6-1: Fairmont ParksFigure and 6-1: Open Space System Elementary Fairmont G AT WAY (closed) West Park E D R Fairmont Parks and Open Park Northern Coastal Imperial Space System P D A V Bluffs L L Park B (GGNRA) M E Y SKYLINE BLVD Park Opportunity Site T E T K O C I FIRECREST AVE A H V E Park Improvement Edgemar Ocean Shore Park Sunset Ridge Opportunity Elementary Elementary School School MONTEREY RD INVERNESS DR Points of Interest M DR O DR N G T IN MANOR ER T K EY COUR EN Regional Open Space GL R D AVALON DR ANO MILLER AVE M R MILA District, Neighborhood, EDGEMARG R DRA DR DR Skyridge & Pocket Parks SKYLINE BLVD VE Park H G U O Special Facilities R O O B C ALMETTO A T P E Oceana S Ingrid B. Lacy A E N Milagra Ridge High School W Middle School A (GGNRA) School Playfields B L V D PALOMA AVE Pomo Park Priorities for Conservation Pacifica TAL Pier BO RD T AVE ARP PARK BEACH BLVD SH Golf Course Y Sharp Park A WA Grace McCarthy MOAN Vista Point Beach Promenade Beach CLARENDON RD Other Protected Open Space SH Sharp A BRADFORD WAY R P Park L Pacific U PA RD N RK Beach D Sharp Park Partial Conservation Y Sharp Park W A with Development Golf Course Y FAIRWAY DR RIDGEWAY DR Ocean Urban Reserve SEA SIDE DR Fairway Park Mori Point (GGNRA) Vallemar Elementary School Rockaway Quarry Site REINA DEL MAR AVE Rockaway Sweeney Beach Ridge (GGNRA) R O C K A Pacifica W AY State Beach B E San Francisco Bay R A O CH Peninsula Pacifica B Discovery Site E AV R FA E Watershed Community T S S SL (SFPUC) R E Center D R A Portola V Expedition E Camp Cabrillo Elementary Terra Nova Pacifica School High School Skate Park O OL S TER LINDA MARE BLVD RA D N O V C DR A R E PI Oddstad R LAD S B R D RG E L EVE S D I V D Park P R S D E E L R L L GRAND AVE I C E V R E I S D A D W V AY L Sanchez B PERALTA RD Adobe D M TA Pedro Point A S N D Z Ortega D Headlands A O N Elementary (GGNRA) IT ROSITA RD A School Frontierland D Park Linda Mar ADOBE RD A R LIC Educational A NTE LI DR LIN ND C Center A MAR O BLV K L Oddstad D R N A P Elementary ROSIT A RD School Sanchez (closed) Park San Pedro Valley City Limits County Park Devil’s Slide Tunnel Planning Area McNee Ranch State Park 0 1/4 1/2 1 2 Source: City of Pacifica, 2008; San Mateo County, 2009; Dyett & Bhatia, 2013. MILES PACIFICA GENERAL PLAN PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT 6-3 Special Facilities Park Standards Sharp Park Beach Promenade is located above the The City’s park standards, shown in Table 6-2, are seawall in the West Sharp Park neighborhood. It is intended to meet the needs for active and passive served by public parking, and is popular for walking recreation and enjoyment of Pacifica residents and and jogging. The Promenade provides picnic tables visitors over the planning period. For local-serving and access to the Pacifica Pier and Sharp Park Beach. parks, the General Plan provides standards for park size, service area, and distribution. The table com- Pacifica Municipal Pier is one of the Bay Area’s most pares these standards to existing park land, and pres- popular places to fish. The pier is adjacent to the ents a range of park land needs to keep pace with promenade and picnic area along Beach Boulevard. population growth through the planning period. A café is located at the foot of the pier. Size Range and Service Area The Grace McCarthy Vista Point, on Sharp Park All residents should be within a short walk (one- Road, features a sheltered viewpoint with benches quarter to one-half mile) of either a neighborhood overlooking the Sharp Park neighborhood, the Pier, park or usable outdoor area at a school site, but and the Ocean. not necessarily both. This flexibility underlines the importance of maintaining outdoor play areas at Pacifica Skate Park opened in 2005 and is located school sites for community use after school hours. adjacent to the Pacifica Community Center on Crespi Drive. Most Pacifica neighborhoods fall within the service area standards for neighborhood parks or school School Playfields play fields. However, Pedro Point, Rockaway Beach, Schools provide recreational resources used by the Rockaway, West Fairway Park, and parts of West community, including playing fields, at nine sites and East Sharp Park, West and East Edgemar- with a total of 112 acres. With the exception of the Pacific Manor, and West Linda Mar do not meet Oceana High School pool, the City does not have a the General Plan’s service standard in this category. joint-use agreement with either Jefferson Union High Areas where active play areas are not readily acces- School District or Pacifica School District to operate sible should be priorities for future improvements, fields on evenings or weekends. However, other than even if those are as simple as exercise stations and the closed Fairmont School site, the grounds are gen- a playground. Beaches may reasonably make up for erally available for community use after school hours. this park shortage in some areas. Meanwhile, only the southern portion of the City is currently within three miles of Frontierland Park, Pacifica’s only “dis- trict park.” While an opportunity to change this is not likely, it may become possible in the long term to convert a portion of Sharp Park or the Oceana High School campus to a district park with multi- use characteristics.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Rancho Corral De Tierra- Palomares
    Rancho Corral de Tierra- Palomares Biological Report & Study Compilation July, 2001 Peninsula Open Space Trust Rancho Corral de Tierra-Palomares Biological Report Contents I. Overview & Summary Biological Report Introduction 1 Physical Description 2 Landscape History 3 Geographic Location 6 Parcel Description & Topography 7 Geology and Soils 9 Climate 9 Current Biological Status Summary Biological Importance 10 Beyond the Borders 11 Unique Biological Resources Plant Communities 12 Special Status Plants 13 Animal Communities 14 Special Status Animals 15 II. Biological Description of Rancho Corral de Tierra Methodology 16 Unique Biological Communities 19 Special Status Species Key 22 Plants 23 Reptiles 30 Birds 31 Amphibians 32 Invertebrates 33 Mammals 35 Fish 35 Watershed Delineations & Resources 37 Martini creek watershed 38 Daffodil Valley drainage 41 Farallone drainage 42 Montara creek watershed 44 Sunshine Valley drainage 46 San Vicente creek watershed 47 Denniston creek watershed 50 Other watersheds and drainages 53 Alien and Invasive Species 54 List of Identified Biological Reports & Sources 58 Rancho Corral de Tierra-Palomares I. Overview As the morning mist clears along Hwy. 1, residents who commute daily and first-time travelers experience wonder as the breathtaking views are revealed around the last curve and rocky outcropping that begin the descent into Montara from Devil’s Slide. Mountain cliffs meet crashing waves as vistas of sea and mountains whiz by. Most coastside visitors, blissfully unaware of the efforts to preserve such beauty stretching along the Pacific Coast, lack an identification and understanding of this special area and the flora and fauna it supports. To enjoy and appreciate its stunning views are enough without delving into the past and its legacy.
    [Show full text]
  • San Mateo County: Recreation Goals, Needs, and Trends; Facilities Inventory
    SAN MATEO COUNTY: RECREATION GOALS, NEEDS, AND TRENDS; FACILITIES INVENTORY BACKGROUND California SCORP (2002) San Mateo County is the 5th most urbanized county in the state at 1,575 people per square mile. San Francisco is the most densely populated at 16,526 people per square mile. The Public Opinions and Attitudes Survey (1997) showed that Californian’s top two recreational activities (in terms of participation) were walking for fitness and fun and visiting museums and historic sites. Picnicking and trail hiking were ranked 7th and 8th, respectively. Camping in developed sites and camping in primitive areas were ranked 13th and 20th (out of 20), respectively. However, when asked if they would increase their participation if good recreational opportunities became available, latent demand for camping in developed sites and trail hiking was extremely high, followed by wildlife viewing. People also showed support for government spending on those same activities. The results of the same survey administered in 2002 showed very similar results. When the participation data are combined with data on latent demand and public support, the top five most important recreational activities were 1) walking for fitness and fun, 2) beach activities, 3) wildlife viewing, 4) driving for pleasure, and 5) trail hiking. California State Parks McNee Ranch State Park contains 2 parking spaces as well as on-street parking, 1 portable restroom, and multi-use trails with 1 bench. Graywhale Cove State Beach contains 40 parking spaces, pedestrian trails, 2 portable restrooms, and 1 concession stand. San Mateo County Parks & Recreation Mid-Coast Recreational Needs Assessment (2002) The Mid-Coast area of San Mateo County encompasses an area of 6.1 square miles to the north of the City of Half Moon Bay.
    [Show full text]
  • Monthly Meetings
    Bulletin of the Sequoia Audubon Society, San Mateo County Volume 71, No. 2 Founded 1949 April - June 2020 We’re Still Celebrating! Sequoia Audubon and the Great Backyard Bird Count 2020 – Jennifer Rycenga, President Monthly Meetings nd How can you help to save our planet? It is a question many of us ask ourselves 2 Thursdays 7:00 pm amidst the despair over extinctions, habitat loss, and climate change. What San Mateo Garden Center 605 Parkside Way, San Mateo can we do that makes a difference? At Sequoia Audubon, we encourage people of all ages and abilities to get April 9 outside and learn about nature. If we immerse ourselves in our environment, we California Center for Natural History grow to love our co-travelers on this living planet: the birds and their habitats. Damon Tighe In this era of computers and smart phones, there is one activity you can easily May 14 do: DOCUMENT what you see in the natural world! Sequoia Audubon has Audubon’s Climate Change Strategies enthusiastically adopted, sponsored, and extended the local impact of citizen- Juan Pablo Galván science (a.k.a. “community science”). We constantly sponsor events where June 11 you can use the power of your knowledge to help scientists track changes in Audubon Conservation Ranching bird populations, or to mark when butterflies start flying, or to note anomalies Matt Allshouse like leucistic individuals or hybrid gulls. Upcoming Field Trips The drive to make a lasting contribution to knowledge motivates Sequoia Audubon’s ongoing participation in events like the Christmas Bird Counts, April BioBlitzes, the City Nature Challenge, and International Migratory Bird Day.
    [Show full text]
  • Balance Hydrologics, Inc
    Balance Hydrologics, Inc. Drilling and Testing of Montara Water and Sanitary District’s Well 2004-4, APN 036-180-030, San Mateo County, California Well Completion Report Prepared for: Montara Water and Sanitary District Prepared by: Mark Woyshner Jason Parke Barry Hecht Gustavo Porras Balance Hydrologics, Inc. July 2005 Balance Hydrologics, Inc. Balance Hydrologics, Inc. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................................1 2. WELL DRILLING AND TESTING........................................................................................................3 2.1 SITE SELECTION AND PREPARATION ..............................................................................................3 2.2 BOREHOLE DRILLING AND WELL COMPLETION............................................................................3 2.3 GEOLOGIC INTERPRETATION OF BOREHOLE SAMPLES ................................................................5 2.4 GEOPHYSICAL LOGGING ..................................................................................................................6 2.5 YIELD TESTING..................................................................................................................................8 2.6 WATER QUALITY.............................................................................................................................11 3. DISCUSSION...........................................................................................................................................13
    [Show full text]
  • THE BAY AREA RIDGE TRAIL COUNCIL Creating a Spectacular Ridgeline Trail
    Ridge Trail regional map with camping 29 Robert Louis Sonoma/Napa/Solano Area Dedicated Trail* Stevenson Mt. St. Helena State Park 101 4386' Planned Alignment** SPUR Duff and Wildlake 128 12 Ranches Lake Berryessa Parks and Open Space Preserves Healdsburg Lower Oat Hill Mine Trail Angwin Other Protected Lands Calistoga Las Posadas State Forest Marin/Sonoma Area Bothe–Napa Peaks State Park Moore Creek Park Area Maps Hood Mtn. St. Helena River Santa Rosa Regional Park 128 Bald Mtn. Russian Spring Lake and 116 Howarth Parks • Rector Watershed Atlas Peak Trione-Annadel Sugarloaf Ridge State Park 12State Park Yountville Milliken North Sonoma Mountain Watershed SONOMA Regional Park and Preserve Jack London NAP A 121 Sonoma State Park 29 Mtn. 2440' Vallejo Lakes 101 Sonoma Napa Watershed 80 1 Rockville Trails Preserve Petaluma Fairfield Petaluma Adobe 12 Napa Skyline Wilderness Helen Putnam Rockville Hills Park 12 Regional Park 116 12 Vintage Valley Trail Lynch Canyon McGary Rd Preserve Park to n River MARIN Olompali Vallejo-Swett-King e State Park Hiddenbrooke m Mt. Burdell Preserve 37 Ranches a SOLANO r • c 80 Suisun Bay a quin 680 S oa Indian Tree Preserve J R Vallejo iv Point Reyes San Pablo East Bay Area er National Novato Benicia SRA n S.P. Taylor Bay a Seashore State Park Lucas Valley Preserve Crockett • Benicia S Crockett Hills Regional Park • Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline Giacomini Martinez 4 Preserve Loma Alta Preserve Fernandez Ranch John Muir National Historic Site/ Mount Wanda Bolinas Ridge Sobrante Ridge Preserve San Rafael Pinole Feeder Trail #1 1 Watershed Richmond Briones Regional Park Mt.
    [Show full text]
  • Mariners Church Expansion Project Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration City of Half Moon Bay Planning Division
    Mariners Church Expansion Project 100 Stone Pine Road, Half Moon Bay, CA Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration City of Half Moon Bay Planning Division September 2018 This page is intentionally blank Mariners Church Renovation Project 100 Stone Pine Road, Half Moon Bay, CA Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration September 2018 Prepared for: City of Half Moon Bay Planning Division 501 Main Street Half Moon Bay, CA 94019 Prepared by: MIG, Inc. 2635 North 1st Street, Suite 149 San Jose, CA 95134 (650) 327-0429 This page is intentionally blank Page 1 Mariners Church Expansion Project Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration Project: Mariners Church Expansion Project Lead Agency: City of Half Moon Bay Project Proponent: Mariners Community Church Don Baker Availability of Documents: The Initial Study for this Mitigated Negative Declaration is available for review at: Community Development Department 501 Main Street Half Moon Bay, CA 94019 Contact: Douglas Garrison, Senior Planner City of Half Moon Bay Planning Division Email: [email protected] (650) 726-8270 PROJECT DESCRIPTION The City of Half Moon Bay has received an application from Mariners Community Church (Mariners Church) to construct an addition and other minor improvements to the existing Mariners Church, located at 100 Stone Pine Road, in the City of Half Moon Bay. Mariners Community Church is proposing to construct a 6,570 square foot, two-story addition and other minor changes to their 14,880 square foot church building and other associated site improvements, at 100 Stone Pine Road. The addition would be located on developed areas, including a portion of the asphalt parking lot, concrete walkways and ornamental landscaping strips.
    [Show full text]
  • Appendix D: Recreation and Education Report Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve Space Ridge Open Skyline
    TAB1 Appendix D TAB2 TAB3 Liv Ames TAB4 TAB5 TAB6 Appendix D: Recreation and Education Report Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve Space Ridge Open Skyline TAB7 Appendix D-1: Vision Plan Existing Conditions for Access, Recreation and Environmental Education Prepared for: Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District 330 Distel Circle, Los Altos, CA 94022 October 2013 Prepared by: Randy Anderson, Alta Planning + Design Appendix D: Recreation and Education Report CONTENTS Existing Access, Recreation and Environmental Education Opportunities by Subregion ........... 3 About the Subregions ............................................................................................................ 3 Subregion: North San Mateo County Coast ................................................................................... 5 Subregion: South San Mateo County Coast ................................................................................... 8 Subregion: Central Coastal Mountains ....................................................................................... 10 Subregion: Skyline Ridge ....................................................................................................... 12 Subregion: Peninsula Foothills ................................................................................................ 15 Subregion: San Francisco Baylands ........................................................................................... 18 Subregion: South Bay Foothills ...............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Peninsula Open May Be Selected to Plan a Geology Field Trip
    65 7. Field Trip to the Skyline Ridge Area also include excursions to the fault itself in the Los Trancos and Monte Bello Open Space preserves. The inclusion of all in the Central Santa Cruz Mountains stops listed below might be possible only with an early start and plans for a long day in the field. Stop descriptions below Trip highlights: San Andreas Fault scarps, sag ponds, vegeta- include information about interesting geologic features in the tion and bedrock contrasts, regional vistas, Quaternary gravels, vicinity, but they may require additional hiking to visit (fig. Tertiary marine rocks, ancient submarine landslide deposits, 7-1). volcanic rocks (Mindego Basalt), Native American mortar Note that rattlesnakes can be encountered anywhere. holes in sandstone Poison oak is prevalent, and ticks can be encountered any time of year, but mostly in the spring. The area is also mountain This field-trip guide includes a collection of stops that lion habitat. It is advisable to contact the Midpeninsula Open may be selected to plan a geology field trip. The field-trip Space District before planning group visits to the preserves; stops are along Highway 9 (Saratoga Road) and Highway 35 maps and information are available on their website at http:// (Skyline Boulevard) between Castle Rock State Park and La www.openspace.org. Honda on Highway 84. Most stops are on lands maintained Geologic maps with descriptions of this region include by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Outcrop Brabb and others (1997, 1998, and 2000). These maps are and natural areas along the ridgeline crest of the Santa Cruz ideal for field-trip discussions.
    [Show full text]
  • San Mateo County Parks Vegetation Resources
    San Mateo County Parks Vegetation Resources Prepared for County of San Mateo Environmental Services Agency Parks & Recreation Division by Rana Creek Habitat Restoration March 2002 SAN MATEO COUNTY PARKS VEGETATION RESOURCES 1 1. INTRODUCTION The San Mateo County Department of Parks and Recreation operates seventeen parks in San Mateo County. These parks contain a diverse group of plant communities, reflecting the wide variation in elevation, marine influence, soils, and other environmental factors across the San Francisco Peninsula as well as differences in land use and fire history. Several plant communities within the parks are rare in California, including coastal salt marsh, serpentine bunchgrass grassland, coastal prairie, and maritime chaparral. In addition, many of the parks provide habitat for rare species, including eight Federally Endangered and seven Federally Threatened plants and animals known to occur within the park system. The purpose of this document is to summarize and update available vegetation information for thirteen County parks. This task includes: 1) classifying and mapping plant communities; 2) assessing the condition of the vegetation; 3) mapping non-native plant infestations; and 4) mapping known locations of sensitive and endangered plant and animal species. The vegetation maps and plant community descriptions herein will provide the foundation for a Vegetation Management Plan. The Vegetation Management Plan, in turn, will establish vegetation management objectives, develop Best Management Practices, and identify opportunities for pilot projects, collaborative projects, and community involvement. The thirteen parks described in this document are listed below. Pescadero Creek, Sam MacDonald, and Memorial Parks are treated as a single park complex. Coyote Point Recreation Area Memorial Park Crystal Springs Park Pescadero Creek Park Edgewood Preserve Sam McDonald Park Fitzgerald Marine Reserve San Bruno Mountain State and County Park Flood Park San Pedro Park Huddart Park Wunderlich Park Junipero Serra Park 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Yerba Buena Chapter – CNPS
    PROGRAMS Everyone is welcome to attend membership meetings in the Recreation Room of the San Francisco YERBA County Fair Building (SFCFB) at 9th Avenue and Lincoln Way in Golden Gate Park. The building is served by the #71 and #44 bus lines, is one block from the N-Judah car, and is two blocks from BUENA the #6, #43, and #66 bus lines. MARCH 3, THURSDAY CNPS Yerba Buena Chapter Open House 6 to 7:30 pm The March CNPS monthly members' meeting will be an open house in celebration of the efforts of our local CNPS Yerba Buena Chapter to live up to the mission of CNPS " to conserve California native plants and their natural habitats, and increase understanding, appreciation, and NEWS horticultural use of native plants. Next door in the auditorium, the Sustainability Fair, which is sponsored by the Urban Farmer Store as a benefit for the SF Botanical Garden, will be happening. CNPS will also have a table at the Fair. THE YERBA BUENA Everyone, CNPS member or not, is invited to stop by both places and: CHAPTER OF THE See sample native plants CALIFORNIA Talk with experts about San Francisco native plants - in the wild or for the garden. Collect flyers and information on our local natives NATIVE PLANT Enjoy a continuous large screen viewing of San Francisco wildflowers and landscapes. SOCIETY FOR We will close the meeting room at 7:30 pm when all are encouraged to go to SAN FRANCISCO the auditorium and hear noted expert, Bob Perry, speak on California Gold: AND NORTHERN Plants & Water.
    [Show full text]
  • Summer 2003 Volunteers Tackle Portola State Park
    The Trail Companion Summer 2003 Volunteers Tackle Portola State Park By Dave Croker After a two-month layoff during the reorganization of the Trail Center, we were all eager to finally get out and dig in the dirt again. Our first project involved trail maintenance at Portola State Park on March 22, 2003. Several volunteers spent the day cleaning up downfalls and improving drainage on a couple trails at Portola State Park. We had a nice cool day in the redwoods that kept everyone happy and energetic, and it showed by the amount of work that we got done. On the Slate Creek Trail, a group used our big saw to remove several downed trees up to 18 inches in diameter. On the Pescadero Creek Nature Trail, volun- teers tackled a serious drainage problem that is caused by large amounts of runoff from a culvert on the road above. We dug out a huge diversion ditch to redirect water into a natural drainage and off of the trail. We also cut back a bunch of brush and made improvements to the trail tread to make the route safer to walk. Thanks to all who came out for a great day and to help get the Trail Center back on the right track. The work at Portola State Park continued on April 19. During the heavy rains of 1998, a huge slide took out a couple 100 feet of the Iverson Trail rendering it impassible and thus forcing the state park staff to close off the south section of the trail (south of Tip Crewmembers watch as David Alderman works to remove one Toe Falls).
    [Show full text]
  • Rancho Corral De Tierra
    RANCHO CORRAL DE TIERRA RANCHO CORRAL DE TIERRA (AND THE MONTARA LIGHTHOUSE STATION) ancho Corral de Tierra was a land grant issued in two parts during the Mexi- can Era of California history. It extended from the southern base of Montara RMountain in the north to Pilarcitos Creek at Half Moon Bay to the south and took up lands from the ocean on the west into the coastal mountains to the east. Fran- cisco Guerrero y Palomares owned the property north of Miramar or El Arroyo de en Medio,1 and Tiburcio Vásquez possessed the grant south of there.2 Today, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area has park space on the eastern side of Guerrero hold- ings, encompassing real estate behind the communities of Montara, Moss Beach and El Granada.3 It includes open space, ranches and farms. For the purposes of this study, topics will include not just the history of the Park’s acreage, but the immediate surrounding areas as well that were part of the original Rancho Corral de Tierra which, of course, did not exist in isolation. Thus information is presented about the pre-Spanish contact in the vicinity, the stories of both land grant families, early agriculture on the San Mateo coast, the whaling station at Pillar Point, shipwrecks and the Montara Lighthouse, the commercial fishing industry and the his- tory of Princeton-by-the-Sea, the Ocean Shore Railroad’s El Granada, World War II defense installations, big wave surfing at Maverick’s, San Mateo County’s preservation efforts at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve and the activities of the National Park Service at Rancho Corral de Tierra.
    [Show full text]