Los Trancos Woods on track to get sewers Los Trancos Woods on track to get sewers (June 15, 2005)

** Los Trancos water system sold to Cal Water.

By Marion Softky

Almanac Staff Writer

After seven years of effort, owners of 60 lots in the rural community of Los Trancos Woods are on the verge of getting sewers to replace substandard or failing septic tanks.

Since 1998, lot owners have worked with Supervisor Rich Gordon and the West Bay Sanitary District to obtain permits for the $4 million project to extend sewers out Los Trancos Road, past the Blue Oaks subdivision, to serve lots in the former summer-home community in the hills south of Portola Valley.

Finally, they have found an obscure state program that will issue bonds to cover the $4 million project -- if 90 percent of the original applicants agree to assess themselves for their share of the costs.

The total assessment under the Statewide Community Infrastructure Program would be in the range of $69,000 to $76,000 for each property. The exact amount would depend on how many people sign up, and on whether people elect to pay up front, or on their property taxes over 20 years.

Right now, the 60 property owners -- out of 136 properties in the area -- who applied for sewers face a July 12 deadline to decide whether to commit to the assessment. On July 13, a public hearing in Sacramento will either launch or kill the project. At least 54 properties -- 90 percent -- must sign up, or the project is dead.

"Environmentally it's the right thing to do -- to put sewers in an area that desperately needs them" said advocate Mark Levaggi. "It's doing the right thing for Los Trancos Creek."

The need for sewers stems from the history of Los Trancos Woods, which was created in the 1920s as a community of summer cottages on tiny lots served by septic tanks. That worked fine, said Brian Zamora, San Mateo County's director of public health, until people began living year-round in the homes, enlarged them, and began using modern appliances.

"The septic systems were fine for summer cottages, but not for full-time homes -- particularly in the rainy season when the soil gets saturated," he said.

"This will improve the value of the homes, that's for sure," Mr. Zamora added.

The program is now available only to the 60 property owners who have annexed to the West Bay Sanitary District, noted General Manager Tim Clayton. If the district goes through, and the sewers get installed -- possibly next year -- other residents will be able to apply. Their connection fee will contribute to the cost of installing the sewers, estimated at $2.7 million. Supervisor Gordon, who has worked hard with the community to get approvals and find funding, also encouraged the eligible properties to sign on. "It's important that the community move from septic to sewers," he said.
Cal Water

In another change that could make it easier to build in Los Trancos Woods and neighboring Vista Verde, the tiny Los Trancos County Water District sold its water system to the California Water Service Co. April.

Now, residents of 270 homes in southern Portola Valley, Los Trancos Woods and Vista Verde are getting their water from Cal Water.

"To the average person, the change should be pretty seamless," said Darin Duncan, general manager of the Bear Gulch District of the water company, which serves 66,000 people in Menlo Park, Atherton, Woodside, and Portola Valley. "Most should see lower bills."

Stan Gage, president of the tiny district that provided water to the hill communities since 1955, explained that the district was limited in the amount of water it could provide to its customers and decided a larger company could give better service, cheaper, to more customers.

"There is no longer any limitation (on growth) having to do with water availability," he said.

The district sold about 20 miles of pipe, six pump stations and six water tanks to Cal Water for $125,000, Mr. Gage said. The district still owns real estate and will continue to exist, at least to wind up its business. "We have no plans to go out of business," he said.

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