San Mateo County Parks Department Business Plan For Crystal Springs Trail Construction On Easements within the City and County of San Francisco Peninsula Watershed Revised September 2010 Introduction The County of San Mateo, in conjunction with the City and County of San Francisco, is in the process of expanding the recreation trail opportunities in the Crystal Springs Watershed. The City and County of San Francisco has granted easements within the Watershed for four multi-use trail segments for the County of San Mateo to design and construct. The trails are being built and operated under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two agencies. The operating agreement was approved in 1993 and the trail easements were granted in 1996. Due to unforeseen delays and issues, the entire project has not yet been completed. In June 2000, the County of San Mateo requested, and the City and County of San Francisco Public Utilities Commission granted, an extension of the operating agreement (MOU) for an additional three years for the development of the remaining trail segments of this project. Additional portions have been completed, however due to staff turnover, staffing reductions and other priorities, an additional extension is being requested from the SFPUC. A second extension was approved December 2003, and expired December 2006. A third extension was requested in 2007 to complete the remaining sections of trail, which expires October 1, 2010. Background When the City of San Francisco acquired the watershed lands in San Mateo County as a part of their Hetch Hetchy water system, the narrow Sawyer Camp Road was kept open as a public roadway. The roadway was fenced in to protect the watershed, which supplies drinking water to San Francisco and many peninsula communities. In 1978, San Mateo County closed the road to motorized vehicles but kept it open as a linear park for non-motorized recreational use. Visited by approximately 300,000 people a year, Sawyer Camp Trail is one of the most popular trails in San Mateo County. Visitors find scenery expected only in far more remote rural settings. The trail parallels the picturesque Crystal Springs Lake and the San Andreas Lake. Along with the forests and Coastal Range ridges, these lakes form stunning pictures that change with the course of the day. In recognition of the increased need for multi-use trail opportunities, the City and County of San Francisco and the County of San Mateo entered into a Memorandum of Understanding regarding trail development and conveyance of trail easements and for construction of four multi-use trails within the Peninsula Watershed in 1993. In 1994 the environmental review was completed and CEQA requirements met. In 1996, the trail easements for the project were granted and San Mateo County began the process of developing and constructing the trails, expanding Sawyer Camp Trail into a regional trail from San Bruno Avenue in San Bruno to one mile south beyond Highway 92 in San Mateo. The trail expansion, when completed, will add 3.25 miles to the north and 3.10 miles to the south of the existing Sawyer Camp Trail. This scenic, linear trail corridor will be doubled in length by the projects estimated completion date of October 2015. The development will occur along the easterly margins of San Andreas Lake and Crystal Springs Lake above the cities of San Bruno, Millbrae, Hillsborough and San Mateo and will accommodate non-motorized, multi-use activities. Most of the trail expansion will be paved, with some of it having been used as a service road for SFPUC vehicles. Fencing will be added on each side of the trail extensions to protect the watershed, wetlands and sensitive habitats. Additional user amenities such as restrooms, informational kiosks and drinking fountains are planned. The entire linear trail, including the proposed trail expansions, is being renamed the Crystal Springs Regional Trail and is envisioned to provide an uninterrupted, non-motorized, multi-use route from the City of San Bruno to the City of San Mateo. The $2,152,108 in remaining development and construction costs are being funded through Federal Transportation Grants, State of California Grants, private donations through San Mateo County Parks Foundation (Sawyer Camp Trail Trust Fund), and other yet to be secured grant and private sources. Project Description and Status The San Mateo County Department of Parks is the lead agency for this project (before recent reorganization previously known as the Environmental Services Agency Parks and Recreation Division). It is responsible for design, environmental review, construction documents, construction management and ongoing operations and maintenance of the trail easements within the Peninsula Watershed. The project is being managed by the Park’s Administrative Services Section. Contract consulting services are being utilized for preparation of design and construction documents as well as engineering and design specifications. Four trails are identified in the MOU for construction. They are San Andreas Trail, San Andreas Trail/Sawyer Camp Trail Connector, Crystal Springs Trail, and San Mateo Creek Trail. For construction and project management purposes, these trails are being designed and built in segments. Listed below are the trails with project descriptions and progress described for individual segments from north to south. A map is attached as Exhibit A for reference. Crystal Springs Regional Trail – San Andreas Trail North This segment is from San Bruno Avenue to Larkspur Drive and is approximately 13,000 linear feet in length. It is located on the westerly side of Skyline Boulevard (Hwy 35). Fencing has been required on both sides of the trail to protect the watershed from unauthorized entry. The northerly portion of this segment between San Bruno Avenue and Cambridge Lane has been completed. This involved fencing, paving, and striping over what was formerly an unpaved section of the State Hiking and Riding Trail that was overgrown. Minor amenities such as signs and benches have been added. Major difficulties with a water main and slope alignment for this segment caused significant delays in the overall project. This segment will be opened for public access upon completion of the pedestrian crosswalk at San Bruno Avenue. The southerly portion of this segment is the existing San Andreas Trail. It is a paved multi-use trail currently open to the public. In the summer of 2005 improvements were completed on this segment including an asphalt seal coat of the northerly half, installation of a new vault restroom facility, new benches, and new signage. Although not part of the SFPUC easement, nor included in the original project description, it was determined that a crosswalk is needed at San Bruno Avenue to safely convey trail users across Skyline Boulevard (Hwy 35) where they are anticipated to park or come from. Final Design Plans and Specifications were prepared for the crosswalk, and CalTrans approval and easements were obtained. The crosswalk across San Bruno Ave. was completed in the Fall of 2005. Crystal Springs Regional Trail – San Andreas Trail/Sawyer Camp Trail Connector This segment is located on the westerly side of Interstate 280 beginning at Larkspur Drive and ending at Hillcrest Boulevard and is approximately 4,000 linear feet in length. At the southerly end, it connects with Sawyer Camp Trail. This segment has been completed. A new all-weather trail tread has been constructed with compacted gravel. The previous ruts, depressions, roots, and rocks have been removed and a new culvert installed. Minor improvements related to drainage, safety, fencing, and signage has been completed. It will continue to be restricted to foot and equestrian users. Bicycles, rollerblades and people with limited mobility are directed around this area to the easterly side of Interstate 280 on the frontage road to rejoin hikers and equestrians at the Sawyer Camp Trail entrance. Crystal Springs Regional Trail – Crystal Springs North This segment begins near the southern end of Sawyer Camp Trail and continues to Highway 92. It is approximately 15,500 linear feet in length. Fencing has been required on both sides of the trail to protect the watershed from unauthorized entry. This first segment begins near the southerly entrance to Sawyer Camp Trail and ends at the Crystal Springs Dam Parking Lot. This short segment was completed and opened to the public. After opening this segment, a substantial increase in litter was reported by SFPUC staff at the Dam parking lot gate. An additional Parks trash receptacle has been placed at the entrance to address the problem. The next segment crosses the Crystal Springs Dam and goes south on the westerly shoulder of Highway 35 (Skyline Boulevard) for approximately 1,000 feet where it reenters SFPUC lands on an existing service road. The San Mateo County Public Works Department is responsible for the design and construction of this segment in conjunction with their planned Crystal Springs Bridge replacement project. Plans for the new bridge on top of Crystal Springs Dam include adding a fourteen-foot wide multi-use trail to the bridge that would be separated from vehicular traffic for north/south trail users. Environmental concerns related to endangered species found at the project site have delayed the road/trail replacement, although these issues have been resolved. According to San Mateo County Public Works Department staff the tentative schedule is for the existing road over the dam to be removed in 2010, the dam raised in 2011/12, and the new road/trail constructed by 2013. The next segment is planned to enter SFPUC watershed land approximately 1,000 feet south of the Crystal Springs Dam. It follows an existing service road approximately 4,800 linear feet where it exits onto Highway 35 (Skyline Boulevard). Preliminary removal of weeds in the roadway and overhanging branches has been completed.