County gives up right-of-way to Alpine Road neighbors County gives up right-of-way to Alpine Road neighbors (March 24, 2004)

By Marion Softky
Almanac Staff Writer

After a 10-year ordeal, some neighbors of Alpine Road can rest easier; now they will truly own most of the land their homes sit on.

On March 17, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors resolved the dispute with five neighbors, whose houses nestle under the steep bank of today's Alpine Road. They live in 1920s vintage houses in the old summer-home community called Stanford Weekend Acres, between Interstate 280 and Junipero Serra Boulevard.

Unfortunately for today's residents, their homes were built on the right-of-way for the historic Alpine Road, which dates back more than 150 years to Gold Rush days, when it carried redwood logs from the hills to build San Francisco and Peninsula cities.

Over those years, conflicting surveys left boundaries of the right-of-way and title to the land unclear.

"Over 150 years, a variety of documents gave conflicting descriptions of the right-of-way," Steve Alms of the county's property office told the board.

Last week the board unanimously established the right-of-way for a section of Alpine Road between Bishop and Wildwood lanes, as 35 feet from the center line of the existing road. By that action, the county gives up the rest of the historic right-of-way where several houses were built.

Property owners were relieved but frustrated. They have been trying to get clear title to their homes since 1995. After the board rejected a similar solution in 2000 on a 3-2 vote, they sued, spending large amounts of money. Meanwhile, they have not been able to get building permits or sell their homes.

"All of us are happy it's over," said 34-year resident Peter Dietz after the hearing. "But everybody is very, very unhappy the supervisors didn't make the same decision three years ago."

The decision was clouded by questions about whether vacating the unused portion of the historic easement would interfere with future needs for widening Alpine Road, or providing a trail along it.

"We have no plans to four-lane Alpine Road," county Public Works Director Neil Cullen told the Almanac.

The 35-foot right-of-way allows room for a 12-foot travel lane, a 5-foot shoulder, a 12-foot trail, and a retaining wall, Mr. Alms said.

The supervisors' action removes another obstacle to Stanford's controversial plan to build a multi-purpose trail along Alpine Road in San Mateo County, instead of across its own lands on the other side of San Francisquito Creek. The trail is required by Santa Clara County as a condition of Stanford's general use permit allowing some 4 million square feet of new building.

Trail and environmental groups in San Mateo County -- and residents of Stanford Weekend Acres -- strenuously oppose placing a biking, hiking and equestrian trail along busy Alpine Road in San Mateo County; they want Stanford to build the trail on its own lands in Santa Clara County.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.