WINTER 2015

BARRON PARK ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE DIWALI REPORT Markus Fromherz, BPA President by Markus Fromherz

ou have in front of you n If you have volunteered before, join the another newsletter full board! Your voice and your expertise are of interesting informa- nowhere as impactful for the community Ytion about Barron Park. 2015 as on the BPA board. If you have an impor- has been a year of growth for tant issue you would like to champion, we the BPA, with several new board members, are always open for your ideas and con- new kinds of events for the community, cerns. Or join if you just want to participate and new and increasing activities around on a fun and productive board. development and environmental issues. Think about it and take action before you Just consider the recent Diwali celebra- set this newsletter aside! Send me an email tion (our latest cultural diversity event) or if you can help. the city council decision on facilities with I hope you participated in the recent BPA Dear Jaya and most excellent hazardous materials (an issue that the BPA Meet and Learn survey. We had three suc- team of volunteers, regularly participated in over the years) or cessful Meet and Learn events in 2015 and the recent planting along the Bol Park path asked for your favorite topics for future On behalf of the BPA Board, I’d like to (for which the BPA even formed a commit- events. We got great responses from fifty congratulate and thank you for a fantastic tee this year). people! Look for a new series of Meet and Diwali celebration in Barron Park! Please All of this is made possible by your mem- Learn events in 2016 on culture, food, convey our gratitude for all the hard and bership in the BPA and by volunteers who health, travel, and more. wonderful work that you all did to create an outstanding event. You drew a big contribute their time and talents for their If you haven’t come to a BPA Community crowd, you delighted them with fun and community. Both are important to make Happy Hour before or in a while, join exceptional performances, and you en- our association work! us. It’s every third Tuesday of the month, gaged them with food and dancing. With 5–6pm, at a local restaurant. (They are Please consider doing the following for your (and Lydia’s) contributions, Barron announced on the BPA-News mailing list.) your neighborhood. Park is becoming an ever friendlier and We regularly have 10–15 people and are n funner neighborhood and also a model for If you are a member, renew now for the always happy to welcome new folks! new year. If you are not a member, sign up the rest of Palo Alto. (Our mayor, Karen I am pleased to be your President of the today! Your financial contribution pays for Holman, said so.) This is no easy feat! Board of the BPA for another year. I am this newsletter and supports many of our Again, thank you and congratulations! also happy to welcome Jaya Pandey as Vice events and activities. President for this coming year. Together —Markus n If you have been a member for a while, with the rest of the board, we look forward PS: Thanks also to board members who volunteer! We always need help with to your ideas and your contributions as helped, especially Gwen Luce and Lisa events and on our committees. members of the Barron Park Association! Landers.

INSIDE

Bol2 Park A4 Turning The6 End of Inception14 of Art15 Pathway—A Point—CPI Creek Flooding Green Beans of in the Brief History and Zoning in Barron Park? Barron Park Park WINTER 2015 Bol Park Pathway—A Brief History by Richard Placone

n 1974, through the efforts of residential leaders in the Barron Park community, and the generosity of the resident Bol family, Bol Park was created. Toward the end of the IBol Park construction, the Southern Pacific Railroad Company was persuaded to donate to the community the abandoned railroad right of way that ran along the western boundary of Bol Park from Hansen Way to Arastradero Road. This right of way was immediately incorporated into the Bol Park plans to become the Bol Park Pathway so much used by the communi- ty for recreational walking, by parents taking youngsters for a ride in their strollers, and bikers heading for trails beyond or commuting to school and work. The Bol Park Pathway may be one of the most highly used trails in Palo Alto. As long time residents of Barron Park know, the entire com- From the Bike Path with Strawberry Hill to the North, Sep. 2009 (before munity voted in late 1975 to annex itself to the City of Palo construction) from Google Street Maps. Alto, which included the park and the pathway. Since that Frank Crossman Crossman Frank From Strawberry Hill Looking North, Sep. 2009 (before construction) from Strawberry Hill looking north, Mar. 2015 (after construction Google Street Maps. started). Frank Crossman Crossman Frank Frank Crossman Crossman Frank Community volunteers on planting day, Oct. 24th 2015. View of VA construction project and new planting on Strawberry Hill Nov. 2015.

BARRON PARK 2 ASSOCIATION WINTER 2015

time, the city and the community, through to work with the new committee, promis- pressed their concerns about safety for both the Barron Park Association, have collabo- ing full city cooperation as the committee’s pedestrians and cyclists. In its present state, rated in maintaining the park and adding work progressed. In addition, the VAH pedestrians and bikers use the same right community approved upgrades over time. administration assigned Ronald Bochenek, of way, which is narrow by today’s stan- Disaster Strikes Eunice Tokada and Joanna Fong to work dards. Resolving this will require involving with the committee as well. Working the bicycling community and the City of One sunny morning in late October, a through the BPA, the committee learned Palo Alto to examine feasible solutions, Barron Park resident was walking on the that the Barron Park community had been possibly including physical modifications pathway to work, when she suddenly en- informed about the project in an earlier to the paved pathway. Those of you in the countered what she saw as a disaster in the posting in the BPA Web Page. (VA Con- Barron Park neighborhood with sugges- making—the mature California Live Oak struction and the Bol Park Bike Path Area, tions about this should contact me or any trees, along with all other trees and shrub- November, 2014.) other member of the committee. Persons bery that bordered the pathway, but on the Much has been accomplished since the wishing to join the committee as it begins property of the adjacent Veteran’s Admin- committee’s work began last fall. The city’s the next phase of its work, are invited to istration Hospital, were being bulldozed Landscape architect, Peter Jensen, met contact me. and ripped out, leaving vast areas along with the committee several times, walked the bike path open for the first time to vis- This brings the project up to the present. the pathway with committee members, The committee wants to thank all residents tas of the VA campus. Within a few hours, and met with the VA staff to review the what was once an idyllic and bucolic of the Barron Park community for both vol- construction and landscaping plans. This unteering to be on the committee and the environment surrounding the pathway, be- activity has paid off as follows: came a glaring scar. Shocked, this resident planting day, the city and VA staff, as well immediately returned home to report this 1. Peter has prepared a complete landscape as Canopy and Acterra members who have disaster to family and neighbors. plan for the entire length of the pathway been very helpful in all of the committee’s adjacent to the VA property. His work has endeavors. And so began the formation of the included placement of flags along the path Richard C. Placone, Chair (rcplacone at Bol Park Bike Path Committee. indicating which species of plant goes sbcglobal.net) Neighbors Art Liberman, David Boxerman where. Most plants are native to California and Richard Placone grouped together and drought resistant once established. Committee Members: to see what could be done. David and October 24, 2015 was designated planting Art Liberman, Cedric de la Beaujardiere, Richard set out for the VA campus, and day. The city provided all plant material, Claire Elliott, David Boxerman, Frank once there met with the staff directing the machinery and staff to dig all the holes Crossman, Lynnie Melena, Markus From- construction project. They learned that and provided the planting mulch. A large herz, Peter Mueller what was taking place was a multimillion contingent of Canopy staff and 60 volun- Khashayar Alaee,—City of Palo Alto dollar expansion of the hospital, a project teers from Canopy, Barron Park and other scheduled to be completed in about three neighborhoods turned out to do the actual Ronald Bochenek, Eunice Takuda, Joanna years hence. VA staff were vague about the planting. The VA is providing the initial Fong—VA Hospital matter of the removal of the trees, but did irrigation for two years at no cost to the community. Palo Alto Weekly article ran Nov. 29, 2015: explain that this was a necessary part of Stewards of Bol Park path give it new life the project, since the loop road that circled 2. Cash and Peter, working with the VA http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2015/11/ the facility was being relocated to a point staff, successfully persuaded the VA to 29/stewards-of-bol-park-path-give-it-new-life aligned close to the East side VA property modify its landscape plans to meet the line, which parallels the Bol Park pathway. committee’s wishes regarding the external This necessitated removal of the trees they finish on the retaining wall, and to expand were told. its landscaping plans to complement the BARRON PARK Art, David and Richard decided that this landscaping on the city’s side of the prop- ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER erty line. As a result, in time the landscape was totally unacceptable. The mature oaks Barron Park Association and other trees were now part of the huge environment along the pathway will not only be restored, but improved over what 724 Barron Avenue piles of rubble accumulating on the VA Palo Alto, California 94306 grounds. The three decided that surely was there before the construction project some mediation was in order. While the began. E D I T O R VA did not involve the community in their The next phase of this committee’s work Nancy “Jo” Hamilton, construction plans, they would have to will begin after the first of the new year. A S S I S T A N T E D I T O R become part of any restoration effort. While undertaking the work outlined Myrna Rochester Current Pathway Activities above, committee members noticed while on site, that there was a significant amount D E S I G N E R Notices were sent out to the community of use of the path. So, while the committee Patrick Coyne calling for volunteers to form a standing will continue to look at ways to improve P R O O F R E A D E R S BPA committee that would begin to work the natural physical environment of the Bob Cook, Gwen Luce with the VA to develop plans to restore pathway, we will also investigate ways to the environment along the pathway. Nine enhance the experience of all those who use C O N T R I B U T O R S residents volunteered. The Palo Alto city it. The popularity and usage of the pathway Markus Fromherz, Douglas L. Graham, manager’s office was contacted with the has increased well beyond what those who Art Liberman, Lynnie Melena, result that Mr. Keene assigned one of his designed it years ago envisaged, and some Jaya Pandey, Richard Placone chief assistants—Khashayar Alaee (“Cash”) members of the neighborhood have ex-

BARRON PARK 3 ASSOCIATION WINTER 2015

A Turning Point: CPI and Zoning of Extremely Hazardous Materials By Art Liberman

he City Council meeting on Novem- Council had estimated. and EPA regulations. It would apply to all th ber 16 represented a real turning At the Council meeting in October 2014, sites in industrial zones if they are located point for the Barron Park residents the Council came close. Staff proposed to within 300’ of “sensitive receptors” (code Twho live close to the Stanford Research change the zoning to make plating shops words for residences, schools, day care cen- Park. For the past decade, they have been like CPI’s a non-conforming use within ters, etc.) and if they have those materials appealing to City of Palo Alto officials to 300’ of residences (see article “Progress, but in amounts large enough to require them to send reports of their chemical inventories come to terms with the zoning lapse that Obstacles Remain” in the Winter 2014 issue annually to the Palo Alto Fire Department. had allowed CPI (Communications & of the Barron Park Newsletter). The Coun- Power Industries) to reconstruct its plating cil supported the idea of an ordinance to If the first part of the proposal is approved, facility and increase its stock of extremely change the zoning, but wanted a proposal the hazardous material operation in the CPI hazardous materials without consulting or based upon the types and amounts of plating shop and several other buildings even notifying the neighborhood. chemicals, not on their method of use. would become ‘non-conforming’ to the The issue has taken a long time to resolve. Staff Proposal zoning code. This would give the City the But finally our City government officials, authority to phase out those uses in those both Staff and Council, recognize that The Staff disclosed their proposal at a com- buildings over a reasonable time period, having allowed this facility to be located munity meeting at Barron Park School in long enough to allow CPI to recoup the full so close to homes was, in hindsight, an October. The first part of the new proposal value of its capital investment, a procedure unwise decision. The City Council action would create a new category or ‘Tier’ in called amortization. A few years ago, the validates residents’ long-standing posi- the ordinances governing hazardous ma- City conducted a study to determine the terials use, to cover toxic, highly toxic and tion that the current situation poses a risk amortization time for the CPI plating shop extremely hazardous substances (called to nearby residents, is incompatible with and concluded that CPI would recoup Tier 2), which are identified in California good zoning standards and current zoning its investment in 20 years from when the practices, and needs to be changed. The Council agreed to a plan proposed by the Staff and voted to take action. Background Help Support the Barron Park Donkeys! Up until 2006, residents were largely un- aware of the activities at CPI, of the large amounts of extremely hazardous substanc- es or their location on the CPI site, just over the fence from some residents’ homes. They were aware of some construction activity, but not that the CPI plating shop was being reconstructed with even more hazardous material being added. Then, in February of that year, toxic nitric acid fumes released in an industrial accident wafted over the neighborhood. At that moment, residents living near CPI realized that the consequence of a more serious accident could endanger their health and welfare. A number of Council meetings have

been held on the topic over the years. Andre Photo by Bernard Each time residents’ arguments were met with a flurry of reports by CPI and their ll those who care about Perry and 3921 East Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, CA consultants declaring their operation to Niner seek to guarantee their proper 94303-4303. The check must be made out to be absolutely safe, even though two more on-going care and shelter, as well “ACTERRA-Palo Alto Donkey Fund.” All of releases of hazardous materials occurred Aas to ensure that funds will be available for the above must be included. in 2008 following the one in 2006 that trig- health concerns as the donkeys age. The For further information about making a gered the residents’ concerns. The outcome handlers hope that those generous neighbors contribution on behalf of the donkeys, or of those Council meetings was to authorize who have contributed in the past will if you would like information about how more studies, reports, and investigations consider increasing their support this year. to become one of the volunteer donkey by Staff and by independent consultants. Contributions for the donkeys’ care may handlers, please call Steven Parkes (650) The years ticked by; the work was tedious be sent to: The Palo Alto Donkey Project, 918-6768 or email at smparkes at smparkes dot and always more time-consuming than the ACTERRA (Action for a Sustainable Earth), net, or go to BarronParkDonkeys.org.

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BARRON PARK ASSOCIATION reconstruction of the plating shop was residents. Over the past decade, the BPA completed, which was in 2006. So, the Staff has consistently supported the efforts and BOARD OF DIRECTORS proposal included a second part, which actions of the Barron Park neighbors of would implement the amortization of the CPI. The suggestion of using amortization Markus Fromherz, President plating shop according to that schedule. as a method of legally resolving the haz- This means that by 2026, the current CPI ardous material issue over time came from Peter K. Mueller, Vice President plating shop would have to be shut down. then BPA President Lynnie Melena in 2010. Council Meeting In 1985, following a fire in the plating shop vacant, Secretary in what is now CPI (it was then Varian) The Staff proposal was exactly what the John King, Treasurer serious enough to require the evacuation Council had been seeking. At the conclu- of nearby businesses, the BPA organized a Richard Elder sion of the discussion, the Council voted large emergency exercise for our neighbor- unanimously, on a motion by Council- Maurice Green hood of a (simulated) toxic gas release. member Greg Scharff, to follow the Staff’s two-part recommendation. What Happens Next Christian Kalar True to form, at the Council meeting The Council directed Staff to draft the two Lisa Berkowitz Landers before the vote, CPI trotted out a bevy of ordinances. The drafts will go first to the consultants and lawyers, along with some PTC and then back to the Council, possibly Gwen Luce as soon as February, for final action. employees (including the CPI President, Jaya Pandey Bob Fickett), to argue against the proposal The length of the amortization period is n and to stress the safety of their plating shop a point of contention; the question is not activities. But no safety program can en- whether CPI will move its plating shop, Committee/Activity Chairs sure, with complete certainty, that mistakes but when. CPI disputes the City’s study. won’t be made, that equipment won’t fail, They have stated that the plating shop Businesses Liaison: vacant or that natural disasters won’t occur. While in its present location is integral to their residents don’t doubt CPI’s stated empha- Civic Affairs Liaison manufacturing processes and would only : vacant sis on safety, and in fact support all their agree to move it in 2052, which coinciden- initiatives in that regard, the proximity of Parks & Creeks: Christian Kalar tally is the date of the termination of their the plating shop to residents completely lease for the property. The City Attorney Environmental: Jaya Pandey changes the equation. acknowledged during the Council meeting Green Team: Lynnie Melena Samir Tuma and Art Liberman both spoke that CPI may file a lawsuit and take the of accidents involving hazardous materials City to court. History: Doug Graham where officials had allowed the facilities to CPI has not indicated what it might do be located very near residences. The only Holiday Party: vacant way to ensure the safety of nearby Bar- next. On the one hand, the 300’ separation ron Park residents is to put a substantial from residences in the ordinance would May Fete: John King permit CPI to build a new facility on their distance between them and the extremely Zoning & Land Use: vacant hazardous materials in the CPI plating site, allowing them to stay in Palo Alto, shop. Councilmember Burt, who had and the amortization provision would give Email Lists: Richard Elder been skeptical of previous Staff proposals, them another 10 years until 2026 before seconded the motion from Councilmember needing to complete the changeover. How- Membership: Lisa Berkowitz Landers ever, Mr. Fickett told the press (quoted in Scharff, saying that he himself would not Neighborhood Safety & Preparedness: want to ‘be over the fence’ from CPI. the Daily News, Nov 20, 2015) that there is “a good chance that the company would Maurice Green Romola Georgia delivered a stirring have to close the entire location if haz- talk that summarized the frustrations of ardous material use is phased out.” So it Newsletter: Nancy Hamilton, residents over the past years, raising the is possible that the turning point could many residents in attendance to their feet Myrna Rochester become a tipping point for CPI. to show the Council their support of ‘rid- Seniors: Peter Mueller ding the neighborhood of toxics.’ Indeed, the community has been united, and this Traffic & Streets: vacant turning point would not have happened without the persistence and engagement Welcoming: Gwen Luce of residents who wrote letters, appeared at EMAIL LISTS n Council and PTC ( Planning and Transpor- tation Commission) meetings, created a The BPA has four email lists: bpa-news, BPA meetings are held the 3rd bpa-issues, bpa-misc and website, met with City staff, circulated fly- bpa-jobpostings. They are hosted at Tuesday of most months at 7:15 p.m. ers, spoke with their neighbors, and spent Google Groups. To join, go to the BPA many hours researching the issues. Website: BPApaloalto.org and click on E-mail [email protected] Wider Community Support the tab “BPA Email Lists.” This pro- for location vides an easy means to subscribe, and The Barron Park Association also sent a information about the lists. www.BPApaloalto.org letter to the Council in support of the local

BARRON PARK 5 ASSOCIATION WINTER 2015

The End of Creek Flooding in Barron Park? By Douglas L. Graham, Barron Park Historian, with significant input from Doug Moran

A Strange Noise in the Night to help us when needed. In 1932, when the is now (then the Stanford pastures) to El oom!...Boom!...Boom! Low pitched state highway department planned to dig an Camino Real. There were more than a dozen and very loud booms awoke me at enormous “borrow pit” in the Maybell Tract, wooden bridges for private driveways span- about 12:30 a.m. on the night of Janu- a delegation traveled to Sacramento and met ning the open channel, some of them dating Bary 23–24, 1983. A winter storm had been with Governor Rolph in a desperate attempt from the 1920s and quite rickety. Several lashing Northern California with wind and to stop it. In 1947, led by Matadero Avenue were swept away in the 1955 flood and exceptionally heavy rain for several hours, resident David Packard, we persuaded the piled up against a stronger one that held up, following steady rainfall all afternoon. Before Palo Alto Unified School District to build near the intersection of Orme Street and Los going to bed, I had watched Matadero Creek Barron Park School. In the 1960s, our fights Robles Avenue. This de facto dam caused the in my back yard rise from four feet deep at against muffler shops, adult bookstores and creek to over bank there. Most of the Encina supper time to six feet, then eight feet. Now I so-called “massage parlors” on El Camino Grande Tract and areas on both sides of Los was shaken awake by the thunderous booms Real, and creeping encroachment on our R-1 Robles to and beyond El Camino were flood- at regular intervals of about five seconds. zoning by developers of apartment com- ed. So an obvious solution was proposed: What was going on? The rain was coming plexes, resulted in Barron Park being allowed Put the Laguna-to-El Camino stretch into down in sheets. A quick look at the creek by by the county to draft our own General Plan. an underground culvert and forbid private flashlight showed the racing brown water to In the late 1960s and early 1970s we planned bridges above Laguna. This was done in 1958 be about 11 feet deep in the 14-foot channel. and created a community park (Bol Park) and (with one exception) and it was thought that The water was full of debris, including large persuaded the county to set up a special tax- the problem was solved. tree branches, and was racing past at sprint- ing district in Barron Park to pay for it. In the But it wasn’t. A five-foot concrete pipe cul- ing speed. period 1955–1983, flooding from our creeks vert was installed in 1958 and declared to be A Stationary Wave Caused the seemed to become a major problem, and this adequate to handle a “50-year flood” which Booming article is the story of how the neighborhood has a 2% chance of occurrence in any given dealt with it. The booming noise seemed to be coming year. But the estimate of the potential flood from the direction of the old railroad bridge, A History of Repeated Flooding magnitudes was way off, and the culvert about 150 feet upstream. I walked up there This paragraph is reprinted from my story in proved inadequate in a minor flood in 1962, and found that the water had formed a the Fall, 2008 issue of this newsletter: which had flood flows far smaller than a 2% flood. However, the real crisis came in the “standing wave” which was regularly reach- “A bare listing of the years in which there ing high enough to slap the underside of the big flood of 1983. Barron Creek over banked was recorded flooding in Barron Park is again at the culvert intake at Laguna Avenue bridge decking—hence the big booms. It was impressive; 1940, 1941,1945, 1951, 1952, 1955 quite an unusual “alarm system.” and this time flooded a large part (at least 80 (December 22–26, the infamous “flood of the acres) of the neighborhood. A Violent Storm Cell Caused Flash century”), January 1956, 1958 (twice —March Matadero Creek—Dithering Produces Flooding and April), February 1962, 1968, March 1973 Nothing We learned later that a violent storm cell had and finally 1983 (twice—January and Febru- So much for Barron Creek. Matadero Creek parked itself over the small watersheds of ary). This is at least 14 flooding incidents in had less attention given it. During the 1960s Matadero and Barron Creeks and unleashed 44 years, or about once every third year on and 1970s, nothing was done to prevent a torrential downpour for about five hours. the average. The April 1956 county report on a repeat of the 1955 flooding. If you are This caused flash flooding of more than 90 flooding from Dry Creek (Barron Creek) re- interested in the details of that flooding, acres of Barron Park, plus other extensive fers to “particularly severe rainfall in storms read my account of the O’Connor family’s areas of Palo Alto between El Camino Real of 1940, 1945 and 1955.” experiences in the creek story in the Fall and the Bay. Responses to the Flooding 2008 newsletter. The problem was that there A Flood Control Project Protects Us There is a rich record of Barron Park requests was no real consensus on what should be Now for help with the flooding problem in the done with Matadero Creek, either among the The ultimate result of this flood was the 1950s and the governmental responses (or Barron Park residents or among the county construction, about a decade later, of a mas- lack thereof). There were many ideas bruited flood control staff. After much dithering, sive flood control project that is expected to about, including a “high dam” on Matadero discussions petered out—until the mini-flood prevent future floods from the creeks up to Creek to create a flood control reservoir in of 1973. and including the “100 year flood.” So our the valley where the intersection of Page Mill Matadero Creek—Was Erosion the neighborhood is now protected—we believe. Expressway with I-280 is now. However, the Main Problem? focus soon shifted to fixing the problems A Long and Strong Tradition The flood of 1973 was an early March event. with Barron Creek that had caused the worst The story begins long before that flood. The Occurring during the night (as usual), the of the flooding in 1955. neighborhood has had a long and strong flood barely missed overbanking at both tradition of community action, of watching Barron Creek—Were Private Bridges the Laguna Avenue and Matadero Avenue out for threats to our environment and way the Main Problem? bridges. It tore along the creek channel, of life, and of standing up to government In 1955, Barron Creek was in an open ditch ripping soil from the steep creek banks on when it is the threat, while persuading it all the way from where Gunn High School the outside of most of the bends. The worst

BARRON PARK 6 ASSOCIATION WINTER 2015 ) taken over flood “Biggest El Nino Ever”? control and creek 1982–3 was an El Nino year—the strongest responsibilities one on record until this year (2015–6), which from the county) may be stronger. And 1983 was the second to find solu- very wet year in a row (the two-year period tions to the flood 1981–2 and 1982–3 is still the wettest 2-year erosion and the period on record). In early 1983, rainfall down-cutting records were broken widely in Northern of the creek bed California, and the mudslides were the worst that was also oc- on record. At Love Creek in the Santa Cruz curring. For the Mountains, an entire neighborhood was erosion, several entombed forever under hundreds of feet significant bank of mud, rocks, redwood trees, vehicles and protection proj- houses including all their occupants. The ects were carried Sierra got a heavy (but not record-breaking) out on various snowpack, and there was extensive spring properties (noth- snowmelt flooding in the Central Valley, es- ing was done on pecially from the Tracy area to north of Yuba my property). City. San Jose was extensively flooded by the Specifically, the Guadalupe River and Coyote Creek. Most http://www2.bpaonline.org/Creeks/Maps/flooding-1983-01-map-big-dgraham.jpg brand-new reservoirs overflowed and the entire flood Bol Park was flow went down the spillways. protected in sev- The BIG Flood of 1983 eral places with The worst local (Palo Alto) storm occurred concrete filled on the night of January 28–29. “Torrential” sandbags, which rain occurred in both our creeks’ watersheds have proven suc- from dusk on the 28th to about 3:00 a.m. cessful right up on the 29th. Flash floods on both creeks to today. overbanked into the streets. Structures on Several stretches more than 90 Barron Park properties were of the creek had flooded. Significant soil erosion took place on been down- more than 44 properties. The worst flooding cutting rapidly. was on the 500 blocks of Kendall and Barron For instance, at Avenues (the first block west of El Camino my property in Real). See Map 1, the 1983 Flood Map. Map 1: January 1983 flood in Barron Park 1972 the creek Driving and Walking the Flood bed was 11 feet I began this story by telling you of the damage occurred just below the old railroad down from the top of the bank, but by 1975 “booming” that woke me up at about 12:30 bridge (where the bike path bridge is now) it was 14 feet down—three feet of down a.m. on the 28th, and relating that I found on the lots at 996, 984 and 972 Ilima Way cutting in three years. To stop this, “level- it to be caused by a standing wave that was three lots in a row. The old bridge abutment ers” (mini dams of concrete-filled sand- reaching up and slapping the bottom of the was on the outside of a major bend, and it bags) were installed at intervals to stop bike path bridge deck. After making this in- acted like the nozzle of a hose aiming and the down-cutting of the creek bed. They teresting finding, I walked back to my house, intensifying the flow against those lots. (Jour- worked surprisingly well. wading through about six inches of clear nalistic candor here: 984 is my property and I A Failed Flood Prevention Project water covering Ilima Way and running fast Adapted by Patrick Muffler in 2006 and 2008 from the map prepared by Doug Graham 1983 (see Adapted by Patrick had just moved in. Our lot lost approximate- toward Laguna Avenue. ly a quarter of our back yard, which went The major project, however, was the widen- Storm Drains Automatically Closed dashing down to the bay.) ing and straightening of the culvert under the Matadero Avenue Bridge built in 1929. There was no way for that much water to get Moreover, there was damage to lots on This enlarged culvert was designed to ac- into the storm drains any time soon. I found Laguna Avenue, La Calle Court, Barron Park commodate the estimated “100-year flood,” out later that the water level in Matadero School and several lots lower down all on the which has a 1% chance of occurrence in any Creek was already high enough at that time outside of curves in the creek or just below given year. But again like the case of the to close the flap valves on the storm drain them. Barron Creek culvert, the estimate was way outfalls to the creek. Doug Moran wrote a The 1970s Creek Committees off. The sad story was the same. In 1983, a good description of what was happening in After the March flood, we organized “20-year flood” (5% chance of occurrence the storm drains on Ilima Way and through- Citizen’s Creek Committees, separate ones in any given year) occurred, and there was out Barron Park: “By design, the storm for each creek, with Bob Moss chairing the serious over banking onto the local streets. drains had stopped working. (They) empty Barron Creek committee and me chairing the The culvert would have had to have been into the creeks and when the water gets too Matadero Creek committee of 59 creek bank rebuilt again, had it not been for the eventual high, a flap automatically shuts. While this residence owners. For the next five years, construction of the Matadero Creek Bypass causes water to (backup on streets and yards) the Matadero committee worked with the underground culvert, which made capacity it prevents that water from causing the Santa Clara Valley Water District (which had of the Matadero Avenue Bridge moot. creeks to overflow. In some circumstances,

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the flaps also work to prevent back-flow up water went right, some went left and most winters when seasonal wetlands existed on the storm drains into the neighborhoods.” went straight ahead down Barron toward El both sides. I decided that I would check out the flood as Camino. Where the Creeks Met and Mingled thoroughly as possible so that I could report A Marooned Policeman I returned to my bus and decided to check on it to the neighbors and the Barron Park Straight ahead on Barron Avenue looked like the Matadero Avenue bridge culvert over Association the next day (I was still the BPA the deepest water, but it was barely moving, Matadero Creek next. I didn’t have to go far Creek Committee Chair). I had a VW camper so I waded on, towards El Camino. I could on Whitsell Avenue before meeting a flood bus with high clearance, so I chose to drive see headlights ahead of me even though flow coming south, from Matadero Creek where possible. I walked where I had to. the water was about three feet deep in the that met and mixed with the Barron Creek Good News and Bad News middle of the street. The headlights aimed flow that I had been following. The first place I checked out was my back toward me were on a Palo Alto police cruiser Sure enough, Matadero Creek was over- yard. The channel was about 14 feet deep sitting dead in the middle of the street with flowing about eight inches deep across the and it was about 50 feet wide from my bank its red and white emergency lights going Matadero Avenue Bridge. Most of the flow top to the opposite bank top in Bol Park. The around and around. I approached the car, was going straight down Matadero Avenue water was about 3 feet down from the top, so wading cautiously in cold water reaching toward the Flamingo Motel (now the Creek- it had a very long way to go before flooding above my waist. The officer was sitting in the side Inn). Some of it, as mentioned above, my property. The situation I found at the driver’s seat with water up to his chest, yell- was going south on Whitsell, then turning Laguna Avenue Bridge was also good news. ing into a hand-held microphone, trying to east on Kendall, flooding the 500 block with Not only was Matadero Creek staying in its reach his dispatcher on the radio. He asked up to a foot and a half of water in several channel there, it wasn’t even close to over- me, “Where is all this water coming from?” yards. It pooled in Kendall, but not as deep banking. I thought, “Maybe this isn’t going and I told him about Barron Creek overbank- as in the 500 block of Barron. Moreover, a fair to be so bad after all.” ing a half-mile away, but I didn’t feel he was amount of water went north on Tippawingo really interested in my answer. and east on Chimalus to flood that street The next checkpoint was the Barron Creek More than Four Feet of Water in from 524 up to 650. From the end of Chima- culvert at Laguna. Driving down Laguna, their Yards lus it entered the Flamingo Motel property I found bad news—the entire street was and did some damage there. flowing in my direction. The brown and Leaving the stranded and distracted patrol- roily flood water was speckled with small man, I took a good look at the houses in the Flash Floods Don’t Last Very Long pieces of trash and other debris. I parked and 500 block of Barron Avenue, especially the It was now about 3:00 am and the rain was waded to the culvert entrance. The trash rack ones on the north side where the yards were easing off some. I was soaked, cold, tired and was mostly free of large debris (small debris visibly lower than the street. It looked to me ready to go home. I didn’t realize until much passes right through) and didn’t appear to like there was more than four feet of water in later that my flood chasing had coincided pose a problem. In the dim light from the several yards (510, 516 and 520 Barron). Most precisely with the peak of the flood. The next streetlight coming through the dense rain of the houses on that block had at least some day, Barron Parkers who lived on streets that (the downpour continued without breaks) flooding in the house, and I have heard that were not flooded got up and went to work I could barely see anything but there was several of them have since been raised up as and about their business as usual. By dawn, enough light to see that the flood was also a requirement for selling them. the streets were open, the water had (mostly) racing down Los Robles and it looked deeper El Camino Real Served as a Dike drained away, the storm was gone, the sky than I wanted to risk driving the bus into. I Most people never notice this, but bicycle was blue and it was a beautiful day. On the wished that I had a waterproof camera with riders can’t help but notice that El Camino non-flooded streets the only signs of the me but realized that there wasn’t enough is higher than the level of the Barron Park flood were unusual amounts of leaves and light and there was just too much water in streets that intersect with it from the west other tree parts. This lack of visible damage the air, so photographs would probably have led to some political disagreements later on (our side). This means that water coming shown nothing but streaks and drops of when the flood project was being proposed, down those streets tends to pool against El water on the lens. as many people had to be convinced there Camino, which acts like a dike or dam. I had BEEN a flood, and that it had done seri- Following the Flood believe that this is a natural feature, dating ous damage. I decided to follow the Laguna branch of from a time when, during a global warm the flood, which turned down La Para. As period, the oceans were about 36 feet higher Proving it Happened I slowly drove along, I decided I ought to than they now are. There was a natural beach For about two weeks after the flood, I did make a record of the flood depths and flow line with sand dunes along the line where little else but work on fact finding. The directions. I had a small notepad and pencil, El Camino runs today. I have newspaper ac- morning-after responses, including the but the car was getting fairly wet inside counts of the various widening projects that unbelievers and nay sayers, convinced me from opening the door, and the paper was slowly converted El Camino from a two-lane that we needed to take a written survey of getting soggy and torn. I followed the flood dirt county road to the six-lane metropolitan residents in the areas that I already knew had down La Para to La Donna, where it turned boulevard of today, and none of them men- been flooded because I had personally seen left and then right at Barron Avenue. At this tion extensive filling of dirt to build up the and felt the floodwaters. I wrote a three-page point the volume was much less than had roadway (while the articles on building the survey covering flood depth and direction of left the creek at Laguna, and I realized that it Bayshore Freeway, by contrast, are all about flow at their properties, as well as water and had been flowing away between houses and the extensive filling operations necessary to erosion damage, and help received from gov- spreading out. Still following the main flow, I raise the roadway above the surrounding ernment agencies (there wasn’t any). I then turned right down Barron and soon came to marshes). I conclude that the “dike” was tested it on several flooded residents, ran it where it was pooling. I parked and walked always there, and the road was built on it by the BPA Board, made copies and distrib- to the corner of Whitsell, where some of the because it was high and dry in the typical uted it by hand to about 90 residences. I got

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59 responses—a 2/3 response rate. The data managing the hydrological and structural on both creeks. To do so would have been plus my experiences enabled me to make a engineering studies required, as well as the unethical because it would, by increasing detailed map of the neighborhood showing construction phase. It would require political the peak flood flows, make the downstream street flood depths with 12-inch and 6-inch sensitivity in providing useful citizen input flooding worse where it had occurred and contours, and arrows showing flow direc- to the various agencies involved. As the BPA likely would extend flooding to areas that tions on the streets and on many properties Creek Chair, and a professional manager had not flooded before. This, besides being between streets. (See Map 1, Flood of 1983). of large projects, I already had ten years wrong in itself, would open the water district Flood Stories and Life-Changing of experience working with the staff and to lawsuits from the citizens suffering the Moments Board of Directors of the SCVWD as a citizen enhanced flooding. OK, we sort of knew representative from Barron Park. I had also Several survey respondents had replied with that before getting started with this. But worked with the Palo Alto Public Works personal anecdotes. Two stories stand out we didn’t realize that a third creek would staff and with the city council, in several BPA in my mind. A homeowner on La Donna have to be involved. The second principle, roles (including former President) and in a woke up at about 3:00 a.m. with the feeling a matter of SCVWD policy, required that SCVWD role as a member and chair of the that something was wrong. He swung his flood projects be designed to handle the “100 Northwest Flood Control Zone Advisory legs out of bed to stand up and stepped into Year,” or 1% Design Flood, the flood of a Committee (Palo Alto city staff members about eight inches of filthy brown flood wa- magnitude such that there is a 1% chance of were also members of that committee). I had ter in his bedroom. Another person (a renter occurrence in any given year. complete support from BPA President John on Barron Avenue) found her garage about Three Creeks and a Flood Basin Joynt and the entire board. Thus, I was in a three feet deep with flood water, and realized good position to exert leadership on behalf of The surprise was Adobe Creek. Although that her nearly-completed book manuscript the BPA and residents of Barron Park. Adobe Creek had not flooded in 1983, ac- was ruined, along with years of research Getting a Project Started cording to SCVWD calculations it would notes and backup papers. flood at magnitudes much lower than the 1% The first job had been to gather the facts, No Photographs Equals No Flooding? flood. Therefore it had to be fixed also. The and the second one was to convince the key Apparently, nobody took photographs of second surprise was that, because all three government bodies, especially the SCVWD, any aspect of this flood, probably because creeks emptied into the Palo Alto Flood Ba- that they should authorize a project in Barron almost everybody slept though it and the sin (often referred to mistakenly as the Palo Park. My flooding map and statistics from ones who were awake likely felt it would be Alto “Tidal Basin”), it had to be fixed also, the survey were submitted to the SCVWD futile to try because of the constant intense as it was inadequate to handle the combined and to the City of Palo Alto about two weeks downpour. Many of them were frantically 100-year floods of all three creeks simultane- after the event. I then attended the SCVWD busy trying to protect their property. As ously. This may seem like stretching a point, Board meeting and presented the map, data mentioned above, by the time the sun was but the three creeks have small, adjoining and stories of the flood. Staff was asked at up, the flood was over and most of the flood- that meeting to take a preliminary look at the watersheds and it might well happen that water had drained away. Unfortunately, the situation and report back. During this time, all three would have 1% design flows at the lack of photographic evidence was one of the Bob Moss took over the chairmanship of the same time. And, of course, following the first most difficult challenges facing me and the BPA Creek Committee, which freed more principle, the flood basin would have to be flooded residents in our attempts to convince time for me to work with the district and city. fixed first. Doug Moran commented “Storm other residents that there had been serious Bob organized a cleanup of the flood debris cells are often small. The 1983 event pro- flooding. Thankfully, we found the public in Barron Creek before the next flooding duced flooding in Barron and Matadero, but officials to be more receptive. threat, an event in March, 1983 that brought not Adobe or San Francisquito Creeks. The HOW THE BIG PROJECT WAS BUILT the creek within inches of flooding again. For 1998 flooding of San Francisquito was from Working with the Local Government the next fourteen years, Bob and I worked a storm cell centered on its watershed, but Agencies as a team to provide the citizen leadership Barron and Matadero were just far enough necessary to push the project through the outside that center that they didn’t flood.” By the time the flood waters receded, many planning, funding, ap- Barron Park residents were ready to start proval and construction thinking and talking about a flood control phases. project or projects to prevent a recurrence. It had become obvious that the existing Known and Un- flood control structures were not adequate known Complica- to prevent frequent floods with potentially tions very large property losses. The BPA knew Early on in the project, that it would be a large challenge to get a we learned of complexi- project built that would protect the neigh- ties in the situation, borhood without destroying the remaining some expected and semi-natural condition of the creeks, espe- others unknown to cially Matadero Creek (See Photo, Ducks in us. The first principle Matadero Creek). that had to be followed The project called for a long-term commit- was above all “Do no ment by volunteers who would stick with harm.” We could not it long enough to develop a professional fix the Barron Park type relationship with the senior staff of the flooding problems Water District, the City, and other agencies without first fixing the Photo: Ducks in Matadero Creek that would be involved in planning and downstream flooding

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The Hydrology Was Challenged Page Mill Road dam site was no longer avail- Final Design; Full Speed Ahead Both the BPA and the Friends of the Marsh able; I-280 had been built and it would have In 1987–88, the final design was fixed. The challenged SCVWD’s hydrological methods had to be re-routed and a large bridge built) flood basin had been enlarged and the work (and, by implication, their calculated 1% n A bypass proposal to carry the full flow of on it was completed. Work on Adobe Creek flood magnitude). An independent consult- both creeks (leaving the creeks dry) began in 1987. It looked like the project could ing firm was brought in and recommended a proceed at “full speed ahead.” Bob Moss smaller 1% flood. The SCVWD staff chal- The first three proposals were soundly recalls “…that when the original design of lenged that. This caused a 6–12 month delay rejected. There was some support for the the bypass was done the design engineer in the project. fourth, but nobody wanted to see the creeks rushed it through, and the normal verifica- dried up. A Public Uproar tion design check wasn’t done.” This created A Conceptual Breakthrough major problems later on, as you will see. The plan to fix the flood basin resulted in a political battle with environmentalists. Back to the drawing boards the staff went, Adobe Creek Work Hits a Snag It required raising the levee height in the and came up with a breakthrough idea that However, the work had barely begun on Baylands, which in turn required a broader saved the project. The breakthrough was the Adobe Creek when the project hit a major levee “footprint.” This meant that the concept of diverting ONLY the HIGH flood snag. In spite of an active campaign by the brackish marsh would lose several acres, a flows from Barron Creek and combining water district to involve the creek bank small percentage of its extent. The Friends them with Matadero Creek HIGH flows in an owners and solicit public input to the plans underground bypass channel. The “normal” of the Marsh and several other groups, for the project prior to beginning work, low flows would pass down the regular loosely coordinated by Emily Renzel, became some people apparently had paid little or no creek channels undisturbed. This required determined to stop the project in its tracks. attention. Irate homeowners now objected some sophisticated design work on unique, Ms. Renzel was a former Councilperson and vehemently to the height of the floodwalls to specialized inlet structures for diversion and Mayor, and was extremely well connected be built in their back yards, and to the extent bypass culverts. The entire public input and with influential people in Palo Alto and in of widening the channel on their stretch of design processes took two years. the broader environmental community. She the project. Once again, the basic hydrology had a fine reputation in the movement, and 25 Years before It Could Be Com- was challenged and independently reviewed. subsequently the city has named the marsh pleted? Straightening this all out and making some for her. One council meeting was dominated The next tasks were to develop rough esti- minor compromises took much time and by the two groups with dueling speakers. mates of the cost of the project, segment by delayed our project another year. Finally, a compromise was found by provid- segment, and to determine how to pay for Work Begins on Matadero Creek ing some city-owned but unused land to be it. At the then current tax rate in 1986, the In 1989, work re-commenced on Adobe and added to the marsh to compensate, and the SCVWD staff told us that the project could began on Matadero. The BPA and SCVWD final loss of habitat was only ¼ acre. The not be done until after 2010, 25 years or more continued to hold public meetings in Barron delay was several months. in the future, with a probable occurrence of Park to present project updates and solicit Adobe Creek Got the Priority about eight floods in the meantime. This was public input on details of the project con- clearly not acceptable to the people of Barron Besides the “do the downstream work first” struction and plans for the post-construction Park. principle, the water district could not do all period. Doug Graham and Bob Moss contin- this work simultaneously because of limited The Measure F Election ued to be the lead people representing the human and financial resources, so the creek The SCVWD Board then voted to hold a BPA until 1997. work would have to be prioritized, and county wide election to pass a parcel tax that The Chimalus Crisis would have to be done in priority sequence. would pay for the Barron Park project and In 1991, another controversy erupted on During the hydrological studies, it was deter- several other critical flood control projects in Chimalus Avenue, where neighbors sudden- mined that Adobe Creek would flood larger our county. I wrote a supporting argument ly realized that the bypass channel excava- areas, with a higher total value of property for the ballot Measure F to raise the parcel tion was going to remove most of the trees at risk, than Matadero, and Matadero more tax (referred to as a “benefit assessment”). that had grown up alongside the Stanford than Barron. So that was the priority order. It passed with more than 50% of the vote Channel that ran between their back yards To some people in Barron Park and else- everywhere in the county, but by more than and the Stanford Research Park. The Stanford where in Palo Alto who got flooded in 1983, 2/3 in Palo Alto. Channel was an open ditch storm drain that this seemed nonsensical, but the logic could The Public Facilities Finance Corpo- not be faulted. came from campus, crossed the industrial ration (PFFC) park and emptied into Matadero Creek at Public Input on Alternative Project In 1988, the SCVWD Board created the PFFC El Camino Real. It drained a fairly large Proposals to help the SCVWD raise money, based on watershed and was one of the creek’s largest Meanwhile, the SCVWD prepared and pre- the assured parcel tax revenue. The PFFC tributaries. It was to be replaced with a very sented alternative proposals for fixing Barron Board was composed of three citizens. I was large (12’x12”) underground bypass culvert. Park’s problems. Public meetings were held appointed to the Board, which elected me The de facto greenbelt that had grown up at Creekside School (Barron Park School site) president of the corporation, a position I screened the industrial buildings from the to get public input. The four proposals were: held until temporarily moving to Pennsyl- residents’ view. Their protests brought work n Do Nothing (given serious consideration) vania in 1997. By 1990, the PFFC had raised temporarily to a standstill, but a settlement more than $40 million through two issues of was reached when Varian Corporation n Straight concrete channeling with many Certificates of Participation (COP), which are agreed with Stanford to let SCVWD build trees and houses to be removed similar to bonds. These funds were sufficient most of the bypass on their land (under the n The reservoir idea (which made even less to pay for the project, and enabled the project parking lots). This controversy and its resolu- sense than before, since by this time the Old to begin. tion delayed the project more than a year.

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Bike Path Relocation culverts would not provide protection from committee was very successful in settling Meanwhile, planning, public meetings, and the 1% design flood. It was ultimately ruled several minor issues without having to call negotiations had proceeded on a troubling is- that his criticisms were without merit. public meetings. sue that had delayed approval of final plans These two issues together ate up another Construction Completed in 1996 for Phase 5, the critical reach from Barron 6–12 months of the calendar and about Bob Moss wrote an excellent summary of the Creek to Matadero Creek. The regional bike $300,000 in extra staff time at SCVWD. project in the winter 1996 issue of this news- path was going to be destroyed by the exca- Haul 8,000 Truckloads of Dirt Along letter, and I quote liberally from it. Bob noted vation and construction of the underground Matadero Avenue? that the project “…should prevent flooding diversion and bypass culverts. A suitable and property damage during all storms up The next issue surfaced when our Matadero detour needed to be planned through the to and including a 100 year flood. Savings to Avenue neighbors objected to the appalling Gunn High School property, Bol Park, and the community are estimated at more than $5 prospect of more than 8,000 truckloads of the right-of-way from Matadero Avenue to million from moderate floods and more than dirt being hauled away from or back to the the Stanford Research Park. This involved $20 million from severe floods. Savings to construction via Matadero Avenue. The haul- negotiations with the Palo Alto Unified neighborhoods farther downstream will be ing plan was later revised to have the trucks School District, the City of Palo Alto, resi- almost as much.” dents along Matadero Court, and representa- enter via the VA and exit down Matadero, “The entire program took more than 10 tives of several bicycle groups. It was more rather than traveling both directions on years, and over $22 million, beginning in complicated to unravel than the Flood Basin Matadero, but the real breakthrough came 1985 with improvements such as flood walls controversy had been. However, a peaceful with a proposal to leave most of the excavat- and widening of the Matadero Creek bed settlement was reached, and a “temporary” ed dirt next to the construction site. This was near the Baylands, moving upstream section bike path detour route was approved (part of dirt needed to backfill around the culvert and by section. Bridges were raised, sharp curves which ultimately remained after the project would otherwise have needed to be pur- in the channel were made gentler, and banks was finished, to become a “permanent” ad- chased and hauled in to the site. An agree- were stabilized. A major task was installation ditional path). ment was reached between the SCVWD, the Palo Alto Unified School District and the of a culvert under El Camino between the Mickey the Donkey contractor, and most of the dirt was dumped parking lots for Cibo (then Fresco) and Cor- When Bol Park was established and land- on the northeast shoulder of Strawberry Hill ner Bakery (then Sizzler) restaurants, which scaped in 1973–4, the Bols’ last donkey, (the highest point on the bike path between took almost a year and a half.” Mickey, was moved across the creek from the VA Hospital and Gunn High School). “The last 2 phases passed behind homes on the Bols’ house to the isolated corner of the The excess dirt was smoothed to look like a Chimalus and McGregor, creating incon- house lot—the current “Donkey Pasture” natural part of the knoll. The requirement for venience, noise, dirt and dust. The bike owned by James Witt. The Barron Creek Di- hauling on Matadero Avenue was reduced by path in Bol Park was closed for more than version culvert construction was going to cut 91%—to 700 truckloads—and work could be- a year with bike traffic diverted along local off public access to Mickey, and this became gin in 1994. Doug Moran was the key leader streets. Use of Bol Park was difficult during a matter of concern to many of Mickey’s hu- of the Matadero residents, and this began construction, and it was hazardous to walk man friends, including the donkey handlers. his long record of service to the BPA and the over and visit with Mickey. The construction Several proposals for ways to provide public neighborhood. finally ended in August and almost all of the access to the pasture were considered, but Work Begins on the Diversion park and bike path have been returned to each was deemed impractical, and it was Finally, in 1994, work began on the Barron their previous condition. Re-vegetation and decided that the donkey handlers and veteri- Diversion and the intake for the Matadero landscaping began early in October (1996) narian could be granted access to the work Bypass—(which had been the original justi- and are almost finished along the bike path.” site to feed and care for Mickey. In the end, fication for the project) eleven years after the But the Project Could Not Be Used Mickey seemed stimulated by the construc- flood of 1983. For comparison, we landed a tion proceeding right next to his pasture and Even after construction completion, the man on the moon only twelve years after the developed new friends among the workers, project could not be used for flood diversion Soviets flew Sputnik. And, it took only four so all was well. from Barron Creek, and the inlet gates were years to plan and four more to build Hoover deliberately blocked (partially) for another More Surprises Dam in a wilderness. ten years. They were partially opened dur- By 1992, the plans for Phase 5 (Barron The Trailer Committee ing the major El Nino event in 1998, when Creek to the Research Park) were ready for The SCVWD expected that many small issues San Francisquito Creek flooded much of approval and the contractor was ready to north Palo Alto with considerable property might arise during the work on Phase 5. begin work. Then more snags hit to prevent damage, and Barron Park narrowly escaped Public input on the details would be valuable the work from beginning in 1992. The plans flooding. to prevent small issues from blowing up. had included access through the Veteran’s They set up a regular biweekly meeting of Why were the Gates Blocked? Hospital grounds for some of the construc- the SCVWD supervising engineer, the con- Christian Kalar, the new BPA Creeks Com- tion traffic, primarily dirt hauling, and the tractor project management representative, mittee Chair in 1997 (he is still the Chair in VA objected. After lengthy negotiations, the a city Public Works staff representative, and 2015) wrote a good summary of the new request for traffic access was greatly reduced representatives from the BPA. It met at the problem, in the winter 1997 issue. “In the late and a satisfactory compromise was reached contractor’s trailer office near the Gunn bike summer of this year (1997), the Santa Clara with the VA. path, and we called it the “Trailer Commit- Valley Water District was told of an error Not related, but simultaneously, a Barron tee.” It met every two weeks through most of discovered by FEMA in their design review Park citizen challenged the basic analyses 1994–96. The BPA representatives were Doug of the project. Back in 1988, when the bridge upon which the project design was based. Graham, Bob Moss, Dr. Inge Harding-Barlow, over the Matadero Creek channel at Louis A retired civil engineer, he asserted that the Art Bayce, and (later on) Doug Moran. The Road was designed, there was a miscalcula-

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tion, and consequently, it could handle only a ing the bottoms of 50 year flood (rather than a 100 year flood).” the bridges nearest A Manifestation of the Law of Unin- the Baylands. The tended Consequences policy had been to close the gate earlier Christian noted that, “If the water at Louis to provide more of a Road were to rise and touch the bottom of margin for error.” the bridge, there would be a chain reac- tion, causing the water to back up at each The BPA Creeks bridge and overflow at Waverly (suddenly, Committee spent and with much force)…According to the the night of Febru- SCVWD, water has never overflowed at the ary 2 patrolling the Waverly Street Bridge, thereby placing the creeks and remov- SCVWD in a peculiar legal situation since ing logs and limbs they reduced a flood hazard in one area but that were wedging created one in another.” under the bridges in Barron Park. The Christian went on to write that, since part of end result, however, the water that would flow in the Matadero was that both creeks Creek Bypass culvert during floods would escaped flooding originate from Barron Creek via the diver- (Barron very nar- sion culvert, the SCVWD has decided to rowly so). solve the problem by blocking part of the diversion inlet structure, thereby reducing The Remedia- the Matadero creek flood flow but increas- tion Project ing the chance of flooding on Barron Creek. By the summer of The result is 20 year flood protection on 1999, the SCVWD Barron Creek and 100 year flood protection staff had deter- on Matadero. They called this “the 20–100 mined what needed option.” The ironic point of this situation was to be done to correct that there were only about 25 houses (previ- the project. The ously not listed as being in the official flood Northwest Flood zone) that then would be in danger of flood- Control Zone Map 2: Barron Diversion and Matadero Bypass Project, 1984–2006 ing, while a flood on Barron Creek would Advisory Commit- endanger hundreds or even 1,000 homes. tee recommended After the 1983 flooding, it was obvious that a major flood control project was required to protect Bar- ron Park and downstream areas from frequent floods up to the magnitude of the “100-year” flood. El Niño Challenged the Flood Con- $13.2 million worth First the Palo Alto Flood Basin’s capacity had to be enlarged so that the increased flood flows from trol System of “fixes,” and the the three creeks would not flood the Bayshore neighborhoods. Adobe Creek had to be fixed second SCVWD Board because the damage potential from it was greatest. Finally Barron and Matadero Creeks were fixed in Christian reported in the spring 1998 issue a joint project. Construction in Barron Park proceeded in 1994–95. that “…Well, El Nino delivered a powerful approved funding for the remediation Unfortunately, the 100-year flood flow for Matadero Creek had been underestimated, so the new Di- punch and the new creek diversions worked! version/Bypass Structure could not be fully realized until remedial work was done on lower stretches project’s planning of Matadero Creek. The project was finally completed, and, in 2006, FEMA removed Barron Park from The storm of February 2–3, 1998 was at least the 100-year flood map. a 25 year flood. Remember that the flood of and design to be 1983 was (only) a 17 year flood, so Barron included in the 2000 budget. Doug Remediation Construction Completed Park…definitely benefited from the new by 2004 flood control project.” Moran and Bob Moss spoke on behalf of the BPA at the SCVWD Board meeting. On June Christian Kalar edited a SCVWD report for Prior to the February storm, the January 24– 10, 1999 the SCVWD held a public outreach printing in the spring 2006 BPA Newsletter. 25 rainy period had revealed that the flood session at Cubberly Community Center to He noted that all construction work on the gates at the Matadero Bypass inlet structure present details of the new calculations of Matadero Creek channel was completed by were not working correctly, and their func- creek flow and channel capacity require- October 15, 2004. Some of the floodwalls had tioning was even worse in February. The gate ments. The design was planned to be done to be raised to a height of seven feet in resi- at the Barron Diversion had to be operated by October 2000, the construction contract to dents’ back yards. This was one of the most manually with a winch, which broke. be awarded by January 2001, construction to sensitive issues for the Palo Alto Community. Shaving it Close begin in April and most likely completion by A “Risk-Based“Analysis Procedure December 2002. Doug Moran wrote: “I was the leader in get- Taking the advice of a consultant, the ting the Barron Creek shutoff gate to be open As of the next report available to me, which SCVWD followed a U.S. Army Corps of by default and shut only when needed, and appeared in the winter 2002 Newsletter, Engineers risk-based analysis procedure. The this was the primary factor in the Sedimen- there was still major work to be done on the consultant performed thousands of hydraulic tation Basin not overflowing badly in (the project, including modification of floodwalls runs (simulations) using random combina- February storm). The SCVWD kept the gate between Alma Street and Highway 101, and tions of flow and channel friction factors, open to the last possible moment (longer complete replacement and raising of the and determined that the modified channel than their policy called for) resulting in the Louis Road bridge as well as channel modi- would pass the one-percent event (the 100 overtopping of the basin to be shallow and fications under the bridge. Construction was year flood) with 95 percent reliability. FEMA not deep enough to reach houses. By delay- likely to take two seasons to complete, so accepted the procedure as valid and issued a ing, waves on Matadero Creek were touch- 2003 was the likely year of completion. [CONTINUED ON PAGE 14]

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How the Barron Park Flood Control Projects Work Summary of Mayfield Farm straight to the County Road they and the confluence structure were correctly (now El Camino Real). This took the wet-season integrated and would handle the flood flows with Flood flows in Barron Creek are picked up at water flows through Mayfield Farm. Several minimal turbulence or pooling. Unfortunately, the Sedimentation Basin and channeled into the areas along the County Road were probably de the orientation of the intake structure ensures 6'x8' box culvert under the bike path (see Map 2: facto wetlands during normal and wet winters. that it cannot be viewed from any position to Flood Control Projects). This is known as the Bar- All the early famers in this area dug channels which the public has access. It faces the donkey ron Creek Diversion Channel. The culvert extends through their properties. pasture. Like the Barron Creek intake, the to and crosses Matadero Creek on a combined structure is equipped with flood gates that also bike path-flood culvert bridge. Meanwhile, flood Step 4A (1958 project): second under- serve to catch and hold large flood debris items flows in Matadero Creek are picked up in a struc- ground culvert such as large limbs and whole trees. Unlike the ture adjacent to the bridge, mixed with the water After the damaging flood of December 22–26, other one, the Matadero Creek intake gates work diverted from Barron Creek, and released into 1955 (widely considered later to have been the automatically when the flood flow exceeds about a 12'x12' underground box culvert which runs “flood of the century”), there was pressure on four feet. At greater volumes, the regular creek under the bike path to the Research Park. This is the County to protect Barron Park from a repeat. channel continues to carry about four feet of wa- known as the Matadero Creek Bypass Channel Hence the Barron Creek Flood Control Project ter while the excess goes into the bypass culvert. (it bypasses the semi-natural stretch of the creek constructed in 1958, when a five-foot concrete This structure was constructed in 1996. past Bol Park and through the neighborhood). pipe culvert was installed from Laguna Avenue Water from the Stanford Channel is added at to El Camino Real. It was fitted with a trash rack Step 6: (1984–2006 project): diversion- this point, and the combined flow continues in at the Laguna Bridge to prevent debris from bypass confluence structure a 12'x12' box culvert to El Camino Real, where it entering the pipe. The design was declared to Immediately after the flood flows enter the intake is poured back into the Matadero Creek channel be adequate to handle the “50-year” magnitude structure, they pass into the diversion-bypass and flows to the Bay. flood, which has a 2% chance of occurrence in confluence structure, which was also physically any given year. modeled and tested with water. Here the excess Details flows from both creeks mix and flow into the -by Step 2B (1984–2006 project): diversion Step 1 (all projects): sedimentation pass culvert. The confluence structure is located intake structure at the basin basin underground, beneath the bike path immediately When the flood waters rise in Barron Creek, the When a flood flow comes down Barron Creek, it north of the creek. No part of the confluence stream gauges show the height at which the passes under the bike path bridge and into the structure can be seen. The intake and confluence flood gates should be opened. The flood gates sedimentation basin at Gunn High School. This structures and the bypass culvert were con- are located in the diversion intake structure at basin was installed as part of an earlier flood structed in 1996. the north end of the sedimentation basin. To see control project in 1965. Its purpose is to slow the Step 7: (1984–2006 project): 12'x12' them, go to the “overlook” that is just north of flow and thereby allow sediment (sand, dirt and underground box culvert the bike bridge. Once the gates are opened, wa- small pieces of vegetation) to fall out harmlessly The combined and mixed excess flood flows ter can enter the diversion culvert. Simultaneous- in the basin, rather than to pass on into the from both creeks flow through the 12'x12' ly, a “normal” flow of water will continue to flow culverts lower down, where the sediment would concrete underground box culvert, which runs over the spillway and into the 1965 underground reduce the flow capacity. Also, large pieces of under the bike path from Matadero Creek to the vegetation and trash (tree limbs, etc.) would be culvert to Barron Park and the 1958 underground Stanford Industrial Park boundary line, where it is captured in the basin rather than damming the culvert to El Camino. joined by the Stanford Channel (formerly known flow at entrances to culverts. The reduced-sedi- Step 3B: (1984–2006 project): 6'x8' as “the Stanford Ditch”). After this junction, it ment content water then flows over the concrete underground box culvert runs down the Stanford Channel right-of-way, on spillway and enters an underground culvert. The flood water entering the diversion intake Stanford property, in back of the residences on the north side of Chimalus Avenue and between Step 2A (1965 project): underground structure is directed into a 6' by 8' underground the Creekside Inn and the Stanford property. culvert concrete box culvert constructed in 1995 under The creek passes under the Gunn High School the regional bike path. Thus, major flood flows Step 7A: (1984–2006 project): Stanford playing fields in a five-foot diameter concrete are diverted from the normal channel of Barron Channel underground junction pipe culvert installed as part of the 1965 project. Creek within Barron Park. The project design is The junction with the Stanford Channel is The culvert was laid straight across the Gunn, estimated to handle floods of magnitudes up to underground. I believe the Channel was put in not in the curving channel of the creek. A small and including the “100-year” (1% annual prob- a 6'x 4' (or maybe 6'x8') box culvert which joins knoll (“El Cerrito”) next to Strawberry Hill was ability) flood flows. the 12'x12' culvert approximately where the bike demolished to provide additional material to fill Step 4B: (1984–2006 project): bridge path bends to go around the Varian property. the natural channel and to cover the culvert. over Matadero Creek Step 8: (1984–2006 project: large con- Step 3A (19th Century project): open The Barron Creek diversion culvert crosses crete culvert under El Camino ditch channel Matadero Creek at the donkey pasture. The bike At El Camino Real, under the Cibo Restaurant The culvert ends where the creek leaves the path bridge was demolished and redesigned parking lot, Matadero Creek enters the very Gunn property (formerly Stanford pasture lands) to incorporate the diversion culvert in one inte- large box culvert (the top of which serves as the and enters an open ditch channel. The ditch grated structure. bottom of the El Camino Real Bridge across the creek). The culvert allows the diversion-bypass runs alongside Los Robles Avenue from the Step 5: (1984–2006 project): bypass flood flows to join Matadero Creek at this point, Gunn property to Laguna Avenue. It was dug by intake structure on Matadero Creek and conveys the entire flow under El Camino. employees of Edward Barron some time after A few steps south of the bike path-diversion cul- he acquired Mayfield Farm in 1878 and before vert bridge, there is a complex intake structure to Step 9: (1950s project): open concrete 1893 as part of development of the property for take flood flows of Matadero Creek. In the creek channel intensive agriculture. He “channelized” Barron bed there are baffles to aim the flow toward the Once past El Camino, the flood flows are Creek (known as “Dry Creek” at the time) down bypass intake structure. The baffles and intake contained in the open concrete channel that to where Laguna Avenue is now, and then ran it structure were designed and a scale model carries them through the rest of Palo Alto to San along the northeast-trending original property line tested with water flows to make certain that Francisco Bay.

BARRON PARK 13ASSOCIATION WINTER 2015

“Conditional Letter of (flood) Map Revision” Sheet Flow and Localized Flooding history of sheet flow or malfunctioning storm with the reduced floodwall heights at the And now we face the potential onslaught drains. It is also a good idea to get out and critical bridge crossings. of repeated heavy rain and winds from El clear the drains with a rake, especially in the An Overflow Bypass Channel Nino of 2015–16. What do we have to worry first few storms when there are a lot of dead The remediation project included the excava- about? Even though the creeks are fixed—we leaves and twigs that can plug them up. tion of an overflow bypass downstream of think—what about the history of surface I hope you have found this article interest- sheet flow on some of our residential blocks? Highway 101. This preserved the natural ing. I know it is heavy on facts—If I could During the El Niños of 1982–3 and 1997–8, Matadero Creek channel in the Baylands have spread it over two issues before the there were bad sheet flows off the Gunn while providing additional conveyance of winter I could have livened it up with more high flows to the Palo Alto Flood Basin. This High School property into the residential lots along McGregor Way and (I believe) El Cer- human interest examples. My objective was required mitigation planting work as the fi- to tell the whole story of the 23-year project, nal step in the project, which was completed rito Road. Also, the properties on Matadero so that you would know that there has been in January, 2005. Court have received large sheet flows from the Lockheed Company parking lots in the a lot done to protect you and your neighbors. “No Longer an Imminent Danger” Stanford Research Park. If you have questions, please do not hesitate In the same spring 2006 newsletter referred Talk to Your Neighbors to contact me. to above, Patrick Muffler wrote a wrap-up of the complete project from 1983 to 2006, much If you are new to the neighborhood, it would Douglas L. Graham, Barron Park Historian, of it based upon input from Doug Moran. be a good idea to talk with your neighbors 984 Ilima Way, 650-493-0689, dgrahampaca at It nicely supplemented Christian Kalar’s and ask them if your immediate area has any gmail.com article, which focused on the final years of the remediation project. Patrick concluded that, “…the flooding potential of the creeks traversing Barron Park has been fully ad- dressed. The process took 23 years and was Inception of Green Beans of Barron Park not without mistakes, glitches and political By Jaya Pandey, Committee Chair controversy. But it happened, in no small part due to the leadership and persistence of the Barron Park Association and its officers, he name of the environmental com- topic, you will find an interesting program most notably Doug Graham, Bob Moss and mittee of the Barron Park Association to join. Since we are starting committee ac- Christian Kalar.” Patrick’s headline sums it has recently been changed to Green tivities in early 2016, this is the right time to up: “Flooding from Matadero and Barron TBeans of Barron Park. For me, “green beans” step forward and work with this group. Creeks No Longer an Imminent Danger.” at the grassroots level symbolizes the purity Contact info: BPA Board email: bpa-board at The End of Flooding in Barron Park? of nature and the potential for sustainable googlegroups.com. Does Patrick’s headline equate to “the end of growth. The main objective of the committee Green Beans team email: greenbeans-bpa at flooding” here? The answer is no, for at least is to provide a collaborative platform for the googlegroups.com three reasons; Barron Park community to raise local and global environmental awareness and effect (1) The creeks are now designed to carry a positive change. theoretical 1% design flow (the “100 year” flood). But the fact is that nobody REALLY There are many important and interesting The Barron Park Green KNOWS whether or not the calculated flow components of this committee, one of which is realistic. The SCVWD has been wrong is our Youth Environmental Service Project Team welcomes and sup- twice before on both creeks (underestimated Grant. This grant provides local middle ports the new Green Beans all four times). The fault is not theirs; they school or high school students an oppor- have excellent engineers and are following tunity to participate in an environmental of Barron Park Committee the “best practices” in hydrology and hydro- service project serving the Barron Park com- by Lynnie Melena logical engineering design. The real problem munity. Eligible youth may utilize this grant is the paucity of data on flood flows in these toward obtaining the Girl Scouts Silver or creeks. We have almost no solid data prior Gold Award, the Boy Scouts Eagle Rank, he Barron Park Green Team remains to the 1950s, and not very much until the an active group with loose linkage to 1970s and 80s. When you are using regres- or simply to engage with the community the Barron Park Association. In the sion analysis to calculate the probable flood while making a sustainable impact on our local ecosystem. Grant Applications will be Tpast, the Green Team has sponsored the levels, you need more than a handful of real life data. received year round. Youth are encouraged Green Tour, the mini-can challenge, a Low to send a simple letter of intent to the Barron Carbon Diet workshop, plantings in Bol (2) Don’t forget that the 1% design flow can Park Association BPA board or directly to Park, tree planting with Canopy, workshops happen in ANY given year. It does not matter the Green Beans team. on water conservation and less toxic clean- if it also happened last year, or even earlier in ing products and other events. For the past the same year. So can the 0.2% (or 500 year) Additionally, we encourage volunteers (both few years, Green Team members have been flood, or the 0.1% or “1,000 year” flood. adult and youth) to join our committee, to key members of the steering committee that (3) Your house can also be flooded by develop a knowledge base on topics related presents Bike Palo Alto. This year’s October plugged storm drains or excessive surface to local and global environmental issues to event, for which the BPA provided some sheet flow off construction projects or park- be shared with the community. We are con- funding, had the best attendance ever with ing lots. fident that if you are passionate about this 650 participants.

BARRON PARK 14ASSOCIATION WINTER 2015

ART IN THE PARK—JUDITH CONTENT

ike the haiku, my work explores the essence of an image, memory, or moment in time. I find inspira- Ltion in nature’s landscapes, from coastal marshes to desert canyons. Just as haiku have different interpretations, I hope the meditative quality of my work encourages viewers to draw upon their own memories and experiences when contemplating my work. I construct my quilts intuitively using an array of hand-dyed silks. My fabrics are created by using a contemporary approach to the traditional Japanese dye technique, arashi-shibori. I add and subtract colors in layers, and although I can control the results to a great extent, the element of sur- prise when the designs are revealed never fails to excite me. “Pinnacles.” Arashi-shibori dyed, pieced and quilted wall piece inspired by the rugged terrain of Pinnacles National Park. 82"w x 44"h. Commissioned for the Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s My background in watercolor painting and Sunnyvale Campus my love of building things led naturally to the construction of art quilts. As I prepare time studio artist for more than 35 years. I In addition to working with textiles, I en- my palette of silks, I don’t take notes or exhibit nationally and internationally, and thusiastically explore other creative outlets. record the results,—but allow each dye my work is represented in museum, pub- I tumbled hundreds of pounds of commu- session to inform the next. A collection of lic, and private collections including the nity-donated pottery to create “Pottery diverse silks are strewn on the studio floor, Mountain View and Sunnyvale campuses Creek,” a public art installation that flanks torn up, then arranged and rearranged of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. I the entry to the Palo Alto Art Center. I de- until they resonate. The composition of served on the Palo Alto Art Center Foun- sign jewelry, create hand-dyed accessories, fragments is meticulously secured to the dation Board, as a juror for Quilt National paint buttons, crochet nests and explore design wall, studied, refined, and finally and Quilt Visions and as President of the book making and collage. I consider my sewn together. Quilting defines portions Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA). My home and garden canvases to color. of the design and appliqué is sometimes work is included in publications such as Links to my work: applied to accentuate depth or movement SILK and Textiles: The Art of Mankind by www.tanseycontemporary.com in the piece. Mary Schoeser, Masters: Art Quilts I by http://lucente-studio.myshopify.com/pages/ I graduated from San Francisco State Uni- Martha Sielman, The Kimono Inspiration style-2015 versity in 1979 with a BA in Fine Art with by Rebecca Stevens, and Memory on Cloth: http://www.paloaltoonline.com/ an Emphasis in Textiles. I have been a full- Shibori Now by Yoshiko I. Wada. news/2015/05/20/in-living-color

“Aftermath” Arashi-shibori dyed, pieced and quilted “Bittersweet” Arashi-shibori dyed, pieced and quilted Pleated silk infinity scarf, silk wall piece. 70"w x 53"h. silk wall piece. 58"h x 73"w. ombre dyed. Hand painted button closure.

BARRON PARK 15ASSOCIATION BARRON PARK ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER WINTER 2015 PRSRT STD n U.S. POSTAGE PAID www.BPApaloalto.org PALO ALTO, CA 724 Barron Avenue PERMIT NO. 143 Palo Alto, California 94306

“We pay cash for homes” “New Home on one acre coming in Creekside Inn Barron Park” Creekside Inn has graciously provided well- “We pay cash for homes” equipped meeting rooms for several BPA meetings in the past year.

The Barron Park Association thanks you. 3400 El Camino Real Palo Alto (650) 213-4252 – www.creekside-inn.com

“Side by Side” European-style accordion music for schools, parties, weddings and cafes

Jim Davis Automotive http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/ Jim.Davis.Automotive.650-493-9633

Serving Barron Park for over 30 years!

3972 El Camino Real Gary Breitbard [email protected] Palo Alto, CA 94306 Jena Rauti gybmusic.com 650-493-9633 650.493.0693 Palo Alto, CA 94306