Voter Guide: Incumbent faces challenger for open space district seat

After narrowly approving a $300 million bond measure for the MidPeninsula Regional Open Space district in June, local voters now must decide who will represent them in spending that money over the next four years.

Incumbent Larry Hassett, 65, who has served on the board for 14 years, is running against newcomer Brandon Lewke, 29, who said this is his first run for office. They are competing to represent Ward 6, which includes Atherton, Menlo Park, Portola Valley and Woodside as well as Redwood City, San Gregorio, La Honda, Loma Mar and Pescadero.

Mr. Hassett, a resident of the South Skyline area of unincorporated San Mateo County, is the retired owner of Hassett Hardware, a family-owned chain of hardware stores he has turned over to his sons. Mr. Lewke, a resident of Redwood City, is a project analyst and accounts receivable manager for the Tech Museum in San Jose.

Mr. Hassett, who said he is the only board member who lives next to one of the district’s open space preserves, said he has a unique insight into what the district needs to do to be a good neighbor.

“I worked very hard on creating the good neighbor policy the board adopted,” he said, which includes policies such as trying to keep trails away from district boundaries. “I think I’ve helped allay the fears of some of the mountain residents,” he said. “The benefits of the district being up there are immense.”

Mr. Lewke said he’d like to see the district increase the minimum percentage of trails opened to bikes from the current 60 percent. In addition, he said he’d like to see some trails allow bikes only, including paved trails for road bikes, and to see leashed dogs allowed on all district trails.

Mr. Hassett said he favors the approach the district has been using to decide which trails should be open to which user groups. “I think a balanced approach to different user groups and really figuring out what’s appropriate to certain areas and what’s not appropriate is the right approach,” he said.

Certain sensitive areas with endangered species, or close to streams the district has promised to protect, are not appropriate for all uses, he said. “We have to be prudent in how we open trails up,” he said. “There are places where mountain bikes are certainly appropriate, but there are other places where I’d be concerned.”

Mr. Lewke said he would also like to see the district use its own money to preserve the old Mt. Umunhum radar tower that is currently deteriorating on district property in San Jose. In 2012 district directors voted to give the public five years to privately raise the $1.2 million needed to make the relic safe.

Mr. Lewke said he favors the district spending even more to completely renovate the building to create a tourist attraction he compared to Alcatraz, which is part of a national park.

“I think (restoring) it would make it a natural destination for the South Bay,” said Mr. Lewke.

“Think what it would be, if you had the Alcatraz of the South Bay,” as part of a district preserve, he said.

Mr. Hassett said he voted in 2012 to allow the building to stay long enough to give those interested in preserving it time to raise the money to do it. He said the district offered the property to the Santa Clara County as a park, but that they did not want it.

“The dilemma was how much does an open space district spend of the public’s money to restore and rehab a structure like this,” he said. “The board decided this really was not our function as an open space district.”

Endorsements

Mr. Hassett is endorsed by the Sierra Club, Democratic Party, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, State Assemblyman Rich Gordon, San Mateo County Supervisor Don Horsely, all current Midpeninsula Regional Open Space directors, and former Midpeninsula Regional Open Space Director Ken Nitz.

Mr. Lewke is endorsed by the MidPeninsula Regional Open Space District Field Employees Association, and USAF 682nd Radar Squadron Veterans group.

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Brandon Lewke

Age: 29

Education: Valparaiso University, Indiana, BA communications and geography

Occupation: Tech Museum, project analyst and accounts receivable manager.

Public Service: Blood donor, Stanford Blood Center; volunteer, Stop Hunger Now and Ecumenical Hunger Program.

Website: democracy.com/votelewke

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Larry Hassett

Age: 65

Education: San Jose State University, BA Environmental Studies, College of San Mateo AA

Occupation: Retired in 2012 as owner/operator of four neighborhood hardware stores with more than 120 employees

Public Service: 14 years board member and past board president of the MidPeninsula Regional Open Space District; president, Peninsula Executive Association; founding board member, Skyline Historical Association; member of Kiwanis, Palo Alto; board member and past president, South Skyline Association; national chairperson, Ace Hardware Environmental Programs; member and past president, Palo Alto Bayshore Rotary; member, South Skyline Volunteer Fire Department.

Website: LarryHassett.com