chapperell

CllY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
PARKS, RECREATION & COMMUNllY SERVICES
REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL
January 8, 2007
AGENDA ITEM
Report Regarding Ihe Citywide Trail Master Planning Process
(1)
Motion to Approve the multi-purpose (pedestnan, bicycle, equeslnan) trail master plan lor Ihe San
Rafael Hills, the San Gabnel Mounlains (Deukmejian Wildemess), and the Verdugo Mountains.
COUNCIL ACTION
Public Hearing [ 1 Ordinance [
Approved
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Consent Calendar [1 Action Item [X 1 Report Only [
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ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Signal
Submitted
George Chapjian, Director of Parks, Recreation & Community serv'~ic.:es~~~~Ll.~,j..~~~r
Prepared
Jeff Weinstein, Trails and Open Space SPeCiaIiSI.
Approved
James E. Starbird, City Manager
Reviewed
Scott Howard, City Attorney
Marc Stirdivant, Sr. Administrative Analyst
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RECOMMENDATION
It is respectfully recommended that Ihe City Council adopl a motion to approve Ihe mulli-purpose (pedestnan,
bicycle, equestnan) trail master plan for the San Rafael Hills, the San Gabnel Mountains (Deukmejian
Wildemess), and the Verdugo Mountains.
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SUMMARY
The Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department has completed a review of the existing trail
systems within Glendale's three major open space areas: the San Rafael Hills, the San Gabriel Mountains
(Deukmejian Wilderness Park) and the Verdugo Mountains. The City currently has over 5,000 acres of open
space available to Glendale residents.
Eight Public Workshops were conducted to gather input from the trail community. Discussions centered on new
trail alignments, the evaluation of existing routes and priorities for repair and development. The main focus for
future development is to create loop systems with local and regional connections and the establishment of
destination points.
Several funding sources available for trail development require that applicants have an adopted master plan
prior to grant submittal. Adoption of these revised trail plans will help the city procure future trails related grant
funding and establish the city as a leader in the local trait community.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no net fiscal impact to the general fund from the proposed program. Support for this planning phase of
the trails system is available in Parks CIP Account 51200 401 601 508851201 (Deukmejian Trails Repair
Grant). These funds were awarded from the State of California's Proposition 12, Per Capita II Grant in 2002.
Future development and maintenance costs associated with the trail system will be presented in the next phase
of this project.
BACKGROUND
The City of Glendale is unique in its varied geography, topography, and vegetation communities (from mixed
chaparral to mountain riparian woodlands). The city has ownership of more than 5,000 acres of open space that
function in the role as our own "big backyard". One way to access these ·wild" areas is through the use of trails.
These paths can be used by hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians. The open space and related trails are
not only available for recreation, but serve as alternate routes for transportation, provide an outdoor classroom
for environmental education, preserve habitat for wildlife diversity and allow for the public to experience peace
and solitude. A well defined and maintained open space park and trail system can add to an area's quality of life
and increase property values for adjacent lands.
The Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department is responsible for the development and operation
of the City's Trail System. Existing recreation trails have been established in the San Rafael Hills, the San
Gabriel Mountains (Deukmejian Wilderness Park) and the Verdugo Mountains. Future trails will consist of paved
and natural surtace trails. The City Park Rangers currently patrol some of these trails and coordinate volunteer
efforts for trail building and maintenance.
Comments gathered at the Public Workshops and details obtained from site visits were used to prepare draft
trail maps. Several meetings were held with park staff, trail builders, neighboring juriSdictions, and trail user
groups to review these maps. Three meelings were held at the Sparr Heights Community Center to review the
Verdugo Mountains trail system. These workshops were held on March 29, April 26 and July 12, 2007. The San
Rafael Hills public workshops occurred on August 30 and September 27, 2007 at the Sports Complex. The San
Gabriel Mountains (Deukmejian Wilderness Park) trail system was reviewed on August 23 and September 20,
2007 at the Sparr Heights Community Center. A final meeting to review all three areas and to present Staffs
recommendations was held on October 25, 2007 at Sparr Heights. An average of twenty people attended each
2
workshop and attendees included hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, trail runners, interested citizens and
representatives from neighboring jurisdictions.
The final products are three revised maps which identify trail corridors for future study and prioritize areas for
trail repair. The proposed improvements are presented below.
San Rafael Hills
Proposed improvements for the San Rafael Hills include:
• Trail routes from the Sports Complex to the existing fire roads;
• Development of an accessible trail around the Sports Complex soccer fields ('Mountain Do Trail");
• An east - west connector across Chevy Chase Canyon;
• Construction of "bike only" trails parallel to the fire roads at points of possible conflict;
• A trail linking City owned open space properties;
• Construction of a "Mountain Bike Skills Course".
San Gabriel Mountains (Deukmejian Wilderness Park)
Trail priorities for the Wilderness Park are:
• Aconnection from the Crescenta View Trail to the Dunsmore Canyon Trail;
• Rehabilitation of the "Lost Bridge Trail" (old alignment for Rim of the Valley Trail);
• A trail link from Dunsmore Canyon to the Rim of the Valley Trail;
• An accessible trail from the main parking lot to the "Meadow";
• Establishment of a connector trail and new park entrance on Boston Avenue.
Verdugo Mountains
Fourteen trail improvements are proposed for future study in the three thousand acres of the Verdugo
Mountains under Glendate's jurisdiction. These projects include trail repair/rehabilitation, development of public
access points and the construction of connector and loop trails.
Three of these improvements have been identified as high priority and labeled for immediate study:
• Rehabilitation of the Brand Park trail system;
• A Lower Woodland Trail through the Verdugo Mountains Open Space Preserve;
• Development of a trail head at the end of Sunshine Drive.
Fallowing the review and adoption of the revised maps a comprehensive plan establishing development
standards, public access points, trail head facilities, connections to surrounding trail systems and trail side
amenities will be prepared. The effort to provide consistency for signage and development specifications will
continue with trail user groups and adjacent jurisdictions.
MOTION
Motion to approve the multi-purpose (pedestrian, bicycle, equestrian) trail master plan for the San Rafael Hills,
the San Gabriel Mountains (Deukmejian Wilderness), and the Verdugo Mountains.
EXHIBITS
Exhibit 1
Exhibit 2
Exhibit 3
Revised Trail Map for the San Rafael Hills
Revised Trail Map for the San Gabriel Mountains (Deukmejian Wilderness Park)
Revised Trail Map for the Verdugo Mountains
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MOTION
Moved by Council Member
, seconded by Council
Member
, thai the Council of the City ot Glendale approve the multi-
purpose (pedestrian, bicycle, equestrian) trail master plan for the San Rafael Hills, the San Gabriel Mountains
(Deukmejian Wilderness), and the Verdugo Mounlains.
Vote as follows:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
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PROPOSED TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS
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Moved by Council Member
seconded by Council Member _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , that the
Council of the City of Glendale finds and determines that the multipurpose (pedestrian, bicycle, equestrian) trail master plan for the
San Rafael Hills, the San Gabriel Mountains (Deukmejian Wilderness
area), and the verdugo Mountains,
is a reasonable plan
and is
hereby approved.
Vote as follows:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
APPROVED AS TO FORM
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CITY ATTORNEY
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