Guest Opinion: Blue Oaks open space should stay put Guest Opinion: Blue Oaks open space should stay put (November 16, 2005)

Annaloy Nickum

The three winning Portola Valley Town Council candidates have stated fervent support for the preservation of open space in our community. That resolve will be tested when the new council deals with an upcoming proposal to build medium density housing in private open space protected by a conservation easement.

In 1998, as part of the approval of the Blue Oaks subdivision, two lots within the subdivision were designated for Below Market Rate units, BMR'S. Unfortunately, these units have never been built in their approved location. The Blue Oaks Homeowners Association in Portola Valley now wants to relocate those sites to private open space protected by a conservation easement.

This proposal raises a number of important issues if the Town Council seriously considers moving the BMR units to this specific parcel of open space. The main concern is the possibility that the town would abandon or otherwise modify the conservation easement attached to this property.

This action would set an unfortunate precedent for modifying open space agreements. Other owners of large parcels of private open space could entice the town to modify existing conservation easements or other open space protections in exchange for accomplishing town goals.

Conservation efforts are only as good as the legal protections that keep land as open space. Any weakening of these legal protections could undermine much of the good work that has been done in Portola Valley to protect and manage open space.

This relocation proposal also raises other important environmental concerns for this area of town. Some of them are disruption of a key wildlife corridor, cumulative watershed and other ecological impacts and medium density housing in a significant landslide zone.

I urge all citizens to track this proposal and attend the town meetings as they come up. Ask yourself and the council these questions. How much of Portola Valley open space is in private ownership with conservation easements or other protections and how strong are these protections? What other measures could be put in place to ensure that these lands are indeed preserved in perpetuity? Annaloy Nickum lives on Brookside Drive in Portola Valley.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.