Open space district plans to ease coastal annexation Open space district plans to ease coastal annexation (September 29, 2004)

By Marion Softky
Almanac Staff Writer

Now that the San Mateo County Coastside is officially part of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, the board is moving toward easing the transitions and reducing conflicts.

The district is recruiting a volunteer ombudsperson to help resolve conflicts that can't be settled by the staff.

On September 22, the district board addressed two other conditions imposed by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) in April when it approved annexation of 220 square miles of the San Mateo County Coastside to the agency that buys and preserves land for open space, agriculture, and limited recreation.

The board authorized hiring a consultant to help revise its Good Neighbor Policy and develop a more inclusive process to soothe some of the hostility that festered during the long debate over annexation.

"We want to build bridges," said Public Affairs Officer Rudy Jurgensen.

The board also started a process for drawing new boundaries for its seven wards to include the new area. It plans meetings to present possible redistricting plans. There will be public workshops October 21 and November 4 at locations still to be decided, Mr. Jurgensen said. The board will take further testimony and make its decision November 9.

The deadline to meet the LAFCo conditions is November 10. The annexation, fiercely opposed by many Coastside residents, became official September 7.

The annexation was delayed by a lawsuit brought by coastal activist Oscar Braun. A temporary restraining order imposed by San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Mark Forcum in June was lifted early in September by Judge Carl Holm, who refused to issue a permanent injunction. Another court hearing on the lawsuit is scheduled for October 14.

Annexation of the Coastside -- from the southern boundary of Pacifica to the Santa Cruz County line, and west from current district boundaries -- increased the district by two-thirds, from 330 to 550 square miles in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

District seeks ombudsperson

Wanted: someone with a talent for resolving disputes, an ability to communicate complex issues, and a passion for preserving the beauty and sense of community on San Mateo County's Coastside.

Now that the the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District has annexed 220 square miles of the sometimes-fractious San Mateo County Coastside, it is seeking a part-time volunteer ambassador who can build bridges between the district and the people in the fields, farms and forests of the new territory.

The deadline to apply is Thursday, September 30. Candidates will be interviewed October 20 so the appointment can be made by November 10. For information, call Cathy Woodbury at 691-1200, or visit www.openspace.org.

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