Portola Valley Weekly Update March 16, 2023

Storm Information

On Tuesday the storm brought more water to Portola Valley’s saturated soil. As a result, many trees fell blocking roads and taking down power lines. The power is still out in some neighborhoods and PG&E told the Town they are working on restoring power throughout Portola Valley. Currently, there is power and wifi at Town Center and the Library. Meanwhile, keep checking on your neighbors. If you do not know who your Neighborhood Watch Block Captain is, email Kari at kchinn@portolavalley.net to get their contact info

Be prepared and informed for storm emergencies

Sandbags. The sandbags are for residents' emergency use only. The self-serve sandbag station is located at Portola Valley Town Center along the southern driveway, across from the basketball courts. The station is accessible daily and will remain available through the end of the rainy season. Learn more about the sandbag station here. Some Town-provided shovels are available for your use, but you may want to bring your own shovel as they could be in use.

Storm drains. Before and after storms please check your onsite drainage pipes, ditches, and drains to confirm they are clear of debris and fully operational.

Stay informed of current and forecast conditions. Monitor changes in the weather forecast. Get notifications for storm emergencies by signing up for the SMC Alert Emergency Notification System and look up your zone at the Emergency tracking system if you need updates on local road closures, warnings, evacuations, and more at community.zonehaven.com

Report damage. For issues such as flooding in the street, downed trees, or other storm-related damages please report them to the Portola Valley reporting system, PV Connect.

For other ways to be storm-ready, visit our website at the Winter Storm Preparedness Page

Planning Commission forwards Recommended Draft Housing Element to Town Council

At their meeting on March 6th, the Planning Commission voted 5-0 to pass a resolution recommending that the Town Council adopt the Housing Element and Conforming General Plan Amendments. The Housing Element Draft #3 released March 2nd includes revisions made to address comments from the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and Planning Commission. The Planning Commission Agenda Packet from 3-6-23 includes a staff report and links to other relevant information.

Recording of Commission Meeting and key timestamps:

• Questions from Commission- 45:00
• Public Comment- 2:06
• Commission Discussion- 3:00

Upcoming Schedule:

• March 22nd – Town Council Public Hearing to consider adopting the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration. Technical Consultants will be available to answer questions.
• March 29th – Town Council Public Hearing to consider adopting the Housing Element and Conforming General Plan Amendments

More information is available at www.portolavalley.net/housing

Public comments can be sent to housing@portolavalley.net

Community Gathering with the Sheriff's Office

Thursday, March 23, 5:30-7 PM in the Community Hall

The community is invited to an event with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s to meet members of the local public safety team and hear about how you can keep your home safer from burglaries. Time will be available for questions and conversation.

Spring Classes Open for Registration

Registration for the Spring Community Classes are now available for residents. Class registration for non-residents open on March 21st. View the Spring Catalog here.

Conservation Committee Tip of the Month

Oxalis pes-capre - Sour grass or Bermuda buttercup

Oxalis is a native of South Africa that escaped the garden and is now a common weed in home gardens, pastures and public lands throughout California.

It has yellow flowers and clover-like leaves, and spreads through the formation of little bulblets in the soil which break off when you pull the plant.

Small scale infestations should be taken care of by hand, although it will take a few years to get them all. Pull just as the flowers are beginning to bloom, the bulblets that will be left behind are depleted of energy and not able to regrow as robustly the following year.

Large-scale infestations are difficult to manage. Oxalis can be poisonous to livestock so grazing isn’t an option. Under some conditions soil solarization or sheet mulching may provide some control but in practice, chemical control may be required, and diligence is mandatory.

For more information, see the following:

• https://wric.ucdavis.edu/information/natural%20areas/wr_O/Oxalis.pdf
• http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7444.html

Wildfire Preparedness Committee Tip - CAL FIRE Interactive Webinar Series

The Wildfire Preparedness Committee has created a series of tips to help the community prepare for wildfire season. You can see the current tip and download any past tips on the website.

MROSD Holding Meetings on Hawthorns Open Space Property

On Tuesday, March 21, the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) will be holding a meeting of its Planning and Resource Group Committee to discuss planning for the future Hawthorns Open Space property.

Information regarding the March 21 meeting will be available 72 hours before the meeting.