14 January 1998 

Suzanne Smith 
Planning Department, Santa Cruz County 
701 Ocean St 
Santa Cruz, California 95060 

Dear Ms Smith - 

Pursuant to your recent conversation with Ted Benhari, chairperson of the RBDA, we would like to request that our organization receive timely notifications of any and all significant applications and hearings that pertain to our planning district. 

The RBDA has been a focus for dialogue and advocacy on land-use issues for forty years, so people in Bonny Doon turn to our organization for advice and information on a variety of events. Being up-to-date on these issues in a more systematic manner - with your help - will help us do our job more effectively. 

Thanks very much for your assistance. 

Sincerely, 
 
 
 

Paul Hostetter 
Corresponding Secretary 
 
 

cc: Supervisor Mardi Wormhoudt 
Planning Commissioner Denise Holbert 
 

24 February 1998 

TO: Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors 

RE:   Item #60, 24 February 1998:  To consider the recommendations of the TimberTechnical Advisory Committee and the extension of Ordinances 4473 and 4476 establishing interim zoning regulations. 
 

Dear Board of Supervisors: 

We ask you to consider the many ways our county has changed since the zenith of its timber production. We ask the Board of Supervisors to consider that the rights of people living in an area supersede a timber operator’s right to make a buck, or an out-of-town industry lobby’s right to set local land use policy, and that the values of real estate and tourism to the county’s current and future economy far exceed timber value. We feel it is time to change the laws to reflect these realities. 

Therefore, we strongly encourage you to: 
- extend the interim ordinance for one year 
- to enact proposed forest practice rules changes that are strong enough 
  to significantly  protect local resources and protect residential 
  neighborhoods 

- have comprehensive zoning changes ready to be put into place if the 
  Board of Forestry is unwilling to implement strong rules that will 
  protect the interests of Santa Cruz county residents. 

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of these matters. 

Sincerely, 
 
 
 

Paul Hostetter 
Acting Corresponding Secretary 

16 October 1998 

Chris Rowney, Executive Director 
Board of Forestry 
State of California 
1416 Ninth Street 
Sacramento CA 95814 
 

Dear Board Members: 

     Bonny Doon, in many ways, is a microcosm of Santa Cruz County. It remains a rural mountain community, with large tracts whose owners are protective of their right to manage their property for needed income. The number of smaller parcels, however, with owners sensitive to the disruption caused by large-scale activities and concern about erosion of property values, is growing. The Rural Bonny Doon Association feels a commitment to represent both groups -- not always an easy, or even a possible task. We believe that the new forest practice rules proposed by Santa Cruz County are a sensitive, sensible balance between the two parties. 

To be specific: 

· Property Boundaries: On today’s smaller lots, many houses are perforce close to property lines. Owners of such parcels must have a safe area between themselves and logging activities. 

· Repair for Road Damage: Most of the roads in Bonny Doon are maintained by the people who share them, not by the county. In at least one recent instance, a private road in this area was severely damaged by loggers and its residents were left without redress. The neighborhood associations typically responsible for keeping roads in repair are hard pressed to collect funds for normal maintenance, let alone for harm caused by heavy logging trucks. It is only fair that loggers take responsibility for the side results of their activities, on both public and private roads. 

· Stream Protection: While we value the beauty of our many creeks and speak nostalgically of the days when they abounded in steelhead and coho, the ultimate value for Bonny Doon residents is water. Erosion, especially along streams, creates runoff, so that the water on which we depend escapes from nature’s -- and, ultimately, our -- entrapment system. There is no other potential source of water for this community than the rain that falls here; we
need it all. 

· Less Intensive Logging: As above, we are concerned here about effects of erosion on our precious water supply. We are also concerned that, if logging continues at its present rate and if the present rules continue to be applied, trees cannot grow fast enough to replace those that are cut. When timber, this exhaustible resource, is gone, no one benefits. 

· Helicopter Logging: Here, too, erosion on Bonny Doon’s many steep slopes is an issue. Moreover, neighbors in a suburban-type development close to a helicopter logging site have been much distressed. Bonny Doon needs rules, not to eliminate the practice, but to protect our vertical hillsides and those who are at the mercy of these frightening, noisy machines. 

· Old Growth Trees: Very few, if any old growth conifers (“predominant trees, over 200 years old”) are left in Bonny Doon. If we are fortunate enough to have any of these relics, we feel a responsibility to leave them as monuments for our children. 

     As we respect our neighbors’ right to log their property, we must also respect our neighbors’ right to live without damage, in peace. We trust that you will agree with our position. 

Sincerely, 
 

Miriam Beames, Corresponding Secretary 
 

cc: Board of Supervisors, County of Santa Cruz 

Rick Hyman
California Coastal Commission
Central Coast District
725 Front Street, Suite 300
Santa Cruz  CA  95060
 

Dear Mr. Hyman:

The residents of Bonny Doon are most alarmed at RMC Lonestar's request for
an exclusion from the coastal permit requirement for drilling test holes to
search for mineral deposits, with a view to future mining, on Parcels
063-122-05, 063-122-07, and 063-122-09 (4453, 4799, and 4901 Smith Grade).

Since this land's zoning, under the County's General Plan, precludes
mineral extraction, there is no reason for RMC Lonestar to search for
minerals on these properties.

While the holes cannot serve the purpose for which RMC Lonestar intends
them, they do, in this limestone area, have potential to disrupt existing
ground water channels, the source of local residents', as well as some of
the city of Santa Cruz's,  water.  It is our understanding that the holes
RMC Lonestar is planning are deep, over 500 feet, and thus deeper than the
levels at which water flows into neighbors' wells, which only compounds the
danger.

To permit the drilling could, erroneously, lead to an assumption that
potential future mining might be legal, which it is not.  The parcels in
question were bought as buffers between the existing quarry and the
neighbors.  The associated activities of any quarry expansion -- noise,
dust, heavy machinery --  are extremely disruptive to neighbors.

Therefore, we believe that such exploratory drilling is not only improper
but also detrimental.  We most strongly urge you to deny this exclusion
request.  We believe that these test holes should not be permitted at all.
But if RMC Lonestar persists in its application, at least the people of
Bonny Doon and interested government agencies should be given the
opportunity to study the proposal and comment on it, as allowed by the
permit process.

Sincerely,
 

Miriam Beames
Corresponding Secretary
 

cc:  Mardi Wormhoudt, Supervisor, 3rd District, Santa Cruz County
      Denise Holbert, Member, Planning Commission, Santa Cruz County
      Suzanne Smith, Senior Resource Planner, Planning Department, Santa Cruz County
      Terry Tompkins, Deputy Director/Operations Manager, Water Department, City of Santa Cruz 
      Lt. Dennis Baldwin, Department of Fish and Game, State of California 

August 27, 1998
 
 
 

Mardi Wormhoudt, Supervisor
Third District, Santa Cruz County
701 Ocean Street, Room 500
Santa Cruz CA  95060
 

Dear Supervisor Wormhoudt:

RMC Lonestar's request to drill test holes to search for mineral deposits
-- on properties below Smith Grade which were, we believed, acquired to be
a buffer zone between existing quarry operations and the neighbors -- has
struck terror into Bonny Doon's rural, bucolic community.  Those who live
near the present limestone and shale quarries are only too aware of the
noise, dust, and earth shaking associated with  current mineral extraction;
to have these effects brought closer and to more people is unacceptable.
Neighbors also fear that enlarged areas of exploration in water-bearing
limestone may disrupt their precious water supply.

Specifically, we ask you to share our efforts that:

· Absolutely no expansion of existing quarry areas and the mineral
extraction zone be permitted.  This limitation must include test holes,
which are planned on lands outside those areas -- lands moreover zoned to
prohibit mineral extraction.

· The hills and vegetation which now protect Bonny Doon from current
operations be left as they are, untouched.  One look at a topographic map
shows how essential the three hills below Smith Grade are to defend the
peace of a huge area.

· Expansion within the current, approved quarry area be permitted only with
assurance that ground water will not be affected. We are concerned for
Bonny Doon residents, and for the City of Santa Cruz, which also has an
interest in Liddell Creek's watershed and flow.  We ask to be informed of
any new applications for permits filed, and of any public hearings on new
applications or applications in process.

· Quarry and plant activities be required to adhere strictly to permitted
conditions.  These include time of operation, noise levels, setbacks,
equipment, use of explosives, dust control, environmental impact, site
restoration, and initiating operations for which permission has not been
obtained.  We urge you to ask County personnel for increased vigilance and
serious punishment for infractions.

· RMC Lonestar submit a long range plan for its quarry.  Only with such an
instrument can the County and its residents anticipate possible
developments, so we can negotiate in a proactive, thoughtful way.

 We understand that RMC Lonestar exists to maximize its mineral operations;
we understand, too, that they hope to be good neighbors.  Within the
guidelines above, we hope that there is room both for them to work
productively and for us to remain tranquil.  We offer whatever help we can
supply to achieve these goals and thank you for working toward them, with us.
 

Sincerely,
 
 

Miriam Beames
Corresponding Secretary
 

cc:    Denise Holbert, Member, Planning Commission, Santa Cruz County
        Alvin E. James, Planning Director, Santa Cruz County
        Suzanne Smith, Senior Resource Planner, Planning Department, Santa Cruz County
        Terry Tompkins, Deputy Director/Operations Manager, Water Department, City of Santa Cruz
        Lt. Dennis Baldwin, Department of Fish and Game, State of California

17 November 1998
 
 
 

Board of Supervisors
Santa Cruz County
701 Ocean Street, Room 500
Santa Cruz  CA  95060
 

Dear Supervisors:

After consideration of our diverse Bonny Doon constituency and its needs,
we wrote to the State of California's  Board of Forestry in support of
Santa Cruz County's proposed forest practice rules; a copy of our letter is
attached.  We have now learned the outcomes of the Board of Forestry's 3
November review of these proposals. 

We feel that, while the Board of Forestry accepted some items, they do not
include those matters most important to this community: space between
logging and residential property boundaries, a requirement rather than a
discretionary choice about repairs to roads damaged by logging activities,
logging setbacks to protect streams, and adequate limitations on helicopter
logging.

We applaud you for having worked and compromised to send forward your
excellent package; we are sad that your proposals were not approved in
toto.  We now ask that, in lieu of our mutual goals of better logging
practice rules, you implement the pending changes to local zoning
regulations which will create a more equitable balance between the rights
of homeowners and those of the timber industry.

With thanks for your efforts,
 

Sincerely,
 
 
 

Miriam Beames
Corresponding Secretary

16 October 1998

Chris Rowney, Executive Director
Board of Forestry
State of California
1416 Ninth Street
Sacramento CA  95814
 

Dear Board Members:

Bonny Doon, in many ways, is a microcosm of Santa Cruz County.   It remains
a rural mountain community, with large tracts whose owners are protective
of their right to manage their property for needed income.  The number of
smaller parcels, however, with owners sensitive to the disruption caused by
large-scale activities and concern about erosion of property values, is
growing.   The Rural Bonny Doon Association feels a commitment to represent
both groups -- not always an easy, or even a possible task.  We believe
that the new forest practice rules proposed by Santa Cruz County are a
sensitive, sensible balance between the two parties.

To be specific:

· Property Boundaries:  On today's smaller lots, many houses are perforce
close to property lines.   Owners of such parcels must have a safe area
between themselves and logging activities.

· Repair for Road Damage:  Most of the roads in Bonny Doon are maintained
by the people who share them, not by the county.  In at least one recent
instance, a private road in this area was severely damaged by loggers and
its residents were left without redress.  The neighborhood associations
typically responsible for keeping roads in repair are hard pressed to
collect funds for normal maintenance, let alone for harm caused by heavy
logging trucks.  It is only fair that loggers take responsibility for the
side results of their activities, on both public and private roads.

· Stream Protection:  While we value the beauty of our many creeks and
speak nostalgically of the days when they abounded in steelhead and coho,
the ultimate value for Bonny Doon residents is water.  Erosion, especially
along streams, creates runoff, so that the water  on which we depend
escapes from nature's -- and, ultimately, our -- entrapment system.  There
is no other potential source of water for this community than the rain that
falls here; we need it all.

· Less Intensive Logging:  As above, we are concerned here about effects of
erosion on our precious water supply.  We are also concerned that, if
logging continues at its present rate and if the present rules continue to
be applied, trees cannot grow fast enough to replace those that are cut.
When timber, this exhaustible resource, is gone, no one benefits.

· Helicopter Logging:  Here, too, erosion on Bonny Doon's many steep slopes
is an issue.  Moreover, neighbors in a suburban-type development close to a
helicopter logging site have been much distressed.  Bonny Doon needs rules, not to eliminate the
practice, but to protect  our vertical hillsides and those who are at the
mercy of these frightening, noisy machines.

· Old Growth Trees: Very few, if any old growth conifers ("predominant
trees, over 200 years old") are left in Bonny Doon.  If we are fortunate
enough to have any of these relics, we feel a responsibility to leave them
as monuments for our children.

As we respect our neighbors' right to log their property,  we must also
respect our neighbors' right to live without damage, in peace.  We trust
that you will agree with our position.
 

Sincerely,
 

Miriam Beames, Corresponding Secretary
 

cc:  Board of Supervisors, County of Santa Cruz

Paia Levine
Environmental Coordinator
Santa Cruz County Planning Dept.
701 Ocean Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060 

Dear Environmental Coordinator, 

This letter is in regard to the application for expansion of the Waldorf  School on Empire Grade, and its recently completed Environmental Impact Report (EIR). 

We have several concerns about this project, and the EIR. 

In too many cases recently, such as the Santa Cruz Biotechnology facility on 
Back Ranch Road, and RMC’s proposed expansion of its limestone quarry and 
cement plant, we see projects piece-mealed, so that while each increment may 
not seem like it has much impact, the cumulative impact is huge. We feel very 
strongly that the long-range development should be considered as a whole 
before each piece of it is approved. 

The Waldorf School has two additional properties that it controls, a 7-acre 
piece it owns and a leasehold on another 10. We have reason to suspect that 
the school administration has a long-range goal of greatly increasing the 
number of students at the school, including adding a high school. 
Historically, the school has not only expanded, but exceeded its permitted 
number of students. We see no reason to believe that this present expansion 
application is the conclusion of their long-range plans. 

We also have concerns about the impact on the neighborhood and on Empire 
Grade from the present expansion application to 245 students, and certainly 
would be alarmed if the number of students grew to 300, 400, or even 500, as 
would perhaps be permitted given the present density (245 students on 6 
acres). This type of development is more suited to an urban area. 

Regarding the EIR, we think it underestimates both the number of cars 
entering the school at present and the speed of the traffic going by at 
Empire Grade. Rather than the 3.4 students per car stated in the EIR, one 
observer has found that there actually are only 2.05 students per car, 
counting the school’s bus. That means that this proposed expansion will 
increase the number of vehicles to around 120-125, including staff. 

Many drivers are in the habit of exceeding the speed limit, going down Empire 
at 55-60 mph. Having a large number of fast-moving cars turning into and out 
of the school creates a very hazardous condition there that isn’t adequately 
addressed by the EIR. 

Another area of concern is the water supply and the impact on surrounding 
properties. Right now the school is trucking in drinking water because the 
water is considered of such poor quality. How will this expansion affect the 
water and that of their neighbors? The EIR doesn’t adequately address this. 
We’re also concerned about the precedent of bringing in water by truck so 
that parcels may be developed. 

Finally, we have concerns over the wastewater disposal. The school already 
has seven septic tanks in use. How many more will it need with this 
expansion, and will there be a serious problem? This matter needs more 
research. 

Thank you for your consideration of these matters. 

Respectfully yours, 

Marilyn Hummel
Corresponding Secretary