coyote lake–harvey bear ranch county park...paul romero, past department director jerry anderson,...

DRAFT MASTER PLAN

May 2003

SANTA CLARA COUNTY PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT

Bellinger Foster Steinmetz Landscape ArchitectureEnvironmental Science Associates

Rana Creek Habitat RestorationStrong Associates

COYOTE LAKE–HARVEY BEAR RANCH

COUNTY PARK

Acknowledgements

COYOTE LAKE–HARVEY BEAR RANCH COUNTY PARK MASTER PLAN

Acknowledgements

Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation CommissionJohn Redding, District ILarry Ames, District IIGurdev (David) Sandhu, District IIIBob Levy, District IVPatty Ciesla, District VJim Foran, At-LargeFadi Saba, At-Large

Master Plan Task Force MembersRichard Von Bargen Kathy RairdenBrent Bear Doug ReynaudAlicia Borowski Carla RuighFrank Croft Fadi SabaMary Lou Fitzpatrick Brian SeifertBill Konle Jan WebbMichael Patterson

Technical Advisory CommitteeSue Tippetts, Director – Community Projects Review, Santa Clara Valley Water DistrictDon Kendall – Division Chief, California Dept. of Forestry (Retired)Wiley Evans – Division Chief, California Dept. of ForestryFrances Brewster – Water Resources Specialist, Santa Clara Valley Water DistrictPeter Forest – Manager, San Martin Water County DistrictPatrick Congdon – Resource Manager, Santa Clara County Open Space AuthorityBill Headley – Parks/Facilities Manager, City of GilroyAmber Grady – County Planner, San Martin Planning Advisory Com. LiaisonMori Struve – Deputy Director, Public Works Dept., City of Morgan HillKay Robinson – Coe Park Superintendent, Henry Coe State Park (Retired)Rollo Parsons – Manager, Design and Construction, County Roads Dept.David Wright – Entomologist, US Fish and Wildlife ServiceMartha Schauss – Wildlife Biologist, California Department of Fish and GameBob Power – South County Coordinator, Bay Area Ridge TrailIrene Zwielein – Chair of Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, Native American HeritageDana Peak – Historical Heritage Coordinator, County PlanningMelissa Dargis – Environmental Resources Planner, Santa Clara Valley Water DistrictFranklin Maggi – Historical Heritage CommisionRachael Gibson – Board Aide, Supervisor Don Gage

Acknowledgements


Parks Department Project TeamLisa Killough, DirectorPaul Romero, Past Department DirectorJerry Anderson, Park Maintenance SupervisorMatt Anderson, Supervising RangerChris Crockett, Senior Park RangerMark Frederick, Planning and Development ManagerKelly Gibson, Park PlannerTed Kloster, Coyote Lake Maintenance IIIGreg Bringelson,Trails Crew LeadJane Mark, Park PlannerJim O’Connor, Parks Maintenance Services ManagerDon Rocha, Natural Resources CoordinatorAntoinette Romeo, Natural Resources Management Plan Project ManagerElish Ryan, Park Planner – Project Manager

ConsultantsBellinger Foster Steinmetz Landscape ArchitectureLee SteinmetzElke LuckingMichelle Parravano

Environmental Science AssociatesChris Rogers – Project Manager, Biological Resources, Regulatory OverviewNorma Lincoln – Land Use, Population and HousingJohanna Evans – Recreation and Visual ResourcesJennifer Schulte, Peter Hudson, R.G. – Geology, Hydrology, Hazardous MaterialsDennis Pascua – Traffic and Circulation

Albion EnvironmentalJennifer Farquhar – Cultural ResourcesClinton Blount – Cultural ResourcesBaymetricsEi-Song Oh – Traffic Counts

Rana Creek Habitat RestorationPaul KephartMarc MungarayRyan HeacockMatina Kalcounis-RueppellCraig HohenbergerRandy MorganMark Stromberg, PhD

PhotographyBrent BearBellinger Foster SteinmetzSanta Clara County Parks and Recreation Department

Introduction


1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY............................................................................................... iIntroduction ................................................................................................................................ iMaster Plan Program Elements by Area ...................................................................................... iHistoric and Natural Resource Management ............................................................................ viParks Trails Plan ........................................................................................................................ viFinancial Implications ............................................................................................................. viiPhasing .................................................................................................................................... viiDesign Guidelines .................................................................................................................. viiiNext Steps .............................................................................................................................. viii

2. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ................................................................... 1Project Overview....................................................................................................................... 1Master Plan Process ................................................................................................................... 3Master Plan Goals ..................................................................................................................... 5

3. EXISTING CONDITIONS ........................................................................................... 9Regional Context ....................................................................................................................... 9Biological Resources ............................................................................................................... 11Cultural Resources ................................................................................................................... 14Soils, Seismic Hazards and Hydrology .................................................................................... 15Visual Resources ..................................................................................................................... 17Traffic and Circulation ............................................................................................................. 18Opportunities and Constraints ................................................................................................. 18Recreation Trends .................................................................................................................... 20

4. MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................... 27Lakeside Area .......................................................................................................................... 27Mendoza Ranch Area .............................................................................................................. 28Slopes and Ridge Area ............................................................................................................. 28West Flat Area ......................................................................................................................... 29Historic Preservation/Interpretation ......................................................................................... 30Natural Resource Management ............................................................................................... 30Recreational Program Element Matrix ..................................................................................... 32

5. PARK TRAILS PLAN .................................................................................................. 53Regional Trails Overview ......................................................................................................... 53Internal Park Trails ................................................................................................................... 54Trail Phasing ............................................................................................................................ 56

6. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS ..................................................................................... 65Capital Costs ........................................................................................................................... 66Operating Expenses ................................................................................................................. 68Projected Annual Revenues ..................................................................................................... 69Long-Term Revenues and Capital Reinvestment ...................................................................... 70

Table of Contents

Introduction


7. PHASING RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................ 71Recommended Improvements ................................................................................................. 71Capital Costs by Phase ............................................................................................................ 73Operation Costs by Phase ........................................................................................................ 73Phasing Plan Review ............................................................................................................... 73

8. DESIGN GUIDELINES .............................................................................................. 75Vision ...................................................................................................................................... 75Entrances ................................................................................................................................. 75Architecture ............................................................................................................................. 76Fencing and Gates ................................................................................................................... 79Roads ...................................................................................................................................... 80Staging and Parking Areas ....................................................................................................... 81Trails ........................................................................................................................................ 82Golf Course ............................................................................................................................. 87Planting ................................................................................................................................... 92Signage .................................................................................................................................... 93

9. NEXT STEPS ............................................................................................................. 95Phase 1 Implementation .......................................................................................................... 95Design Development for Phase 2 Projects and Continued Public Input .................................. 95Evaluation and Selection of Phase 2 Financing and Operations Strategies .............................. 96Subsequent Environmental Review ......................................................................................... 96Natural Resource Monitoring .................................................................................................. 96Periodic Master Plan Review and Updating ............................................................................ 96

APPENDICESFinancial AnalysisPublic Meeting ChronologyReference Bibliography

FIGURES1. Site Location Map .............................................................................................................. 22. Surrounding Properties and Trails ..................................................................................... 103. Vegetation and Wildlife Habitats ...................................................................................... 134. Soils and Hydrology ......................................................................................................... 165. Constraints ....................................................................................................................... 216. Opportunities ................................................................................................................... 227. Draft Master Plan ............................................................................................................. 498. West Flat Area Enlargement ............................................................................................. 519. County Wide Trails Master Plan Routes ............................................................................ 5810. Proposed Trails ................................................................................................................. 5910. Existing Ranch Road Network–Segments to Retain and Abandon (Proposed) .................. 6111. Trail Construction Phases ................................................................................................. 63

coyote lake–harvey bear ranch county park...paul romero, past department director jerry anderson,...

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