Portola Valley Weekly Update December 1, 2022

This week's update:

• Apply By Dec 22nd to be an Architectural and Site Control Commissioner or Planning Commissioner
• Toyon Trail Closures December 3 ( CANCELED)
• Winter Storm Preparedness and Sandbag Station in Portola Valley
• Field Renovations and Temporary Closures
• Upcoming Housing Element-Related Meetings
• Sheriff’s Contract Update – Share Your Thoughts
• Wildfire Preparedness Committee Tip - New Insurance Regulation to Reward Homeowner Mitigation
• Draft Safety Element Available for Review
• Rain Barrel Giveaway

Apply By Dec 22nd to be an Architectural and Site Control Commissioner or Planning Commissioner

The Portola Valley Town Council is seeking two volunteers to serve on the Town's Architectural and Site Control Commission (ASCC) and two volunteers to serve on the Town's Planning Commission. Terms on each commission expire in December 2023 and in December 2024.

The ASCC consists of five members appointed by the Town Council, and meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month. The ASCC is charged with the review and approval of design review applications and site development permits, including applications for new homes, second units, larger additions, second-story additions, and commercial buildings. In addition, the ASCC provides comments on conditional use permits, subdivisions, variances, and other matters referred by the Town Council, the Planning Commission, or Town Staff.

The Planning Commission consists of five members appointed by the Town Council, and meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month. The Planning Commission is responsible for addressing policy matters related to general land use and development in Town. The Commission provides recommendations to the Town Council on legislative actions such as amendments to the Zoning Code and the General Plan. In addition, the Commission reviews and acts on certain types of applications, such as conditional use permits, subdivisions, and variances, as well as reviewing appeals of ASCC and administrative staff decisions.

To apply, please submit a letter of interest to the Town Council to towncenter@portolavalley.net by 5:00 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2022. The Town Council will conduct interviews at a scheduled meeting on January 4, 2023 from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. This time is subject to change, dependent on the number of interviews to be conducted. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact the Town Clerk, Melissa Thurman at towncenter@portolavalley.net.

Toyon Trail Closures December 3(Canceled)

This event has been canceled due to rain. It will be receduled in the spring. The trail will stay open to use.

On Saturday, December 3rd Toyon Trail will be closed from Alpine Rd up to the Coalmine Trail junction for a trail maintenance project. Those hiking down Toyon from the top of the ridge will be asked to leave Toyon at the Coalmine Trail junction. ( Event is subject to weather)

Winter Storm Preparedness and Sandbag Station in Portola Valley

As the rainy season starts it is good to be prepared for winter storms. The town has resources to help. You can review the Winter Storm Preparedness page for tips on how you can protect your home. Click here to view the page.

The Town of Portola Valley provides a complimentary emergency supply of sandbags to help its residents protect property from flooding during the rainy season.

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.

Field Renovations and Temporary Closures

The Town is beginning the annual renovations of our playing fields. The fields will be closed on the following dates:

• Town Center Softball Field and Performance Lawn: November 14 until December 23 (Weather Dependent)
• Ford Field: November 21 until late February (Weather Dependent)
• Russ Miller/Rossotti: November 28 until late February (Weather Dependent)

The closure will remain in place throughout the winter.

These closures are for scheduled field turf maintenance. This includes leveling out worn areas and seeding the entire field. Signs will be posted at each field.

Upcoming Housing Element-Related Meetings

The tentative public meeting schedule related to the Housing Element is as follows:

• December 7 - Planning Commission reviews materials related to the Housing Element Update
• December 13 – Planning Commission reviews all materials and makes a formal recommendation to Town Council
• January 2023 – Town Council review of Housing Element and all associated materials

To stay up to date on the process, please sign up for Town eNotices and choose Housing (calendar) and Housing News.

Useful Links

• Town's Housing Element Update webpage
• Town's Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee's webpage

Sheriff’s Contract Update – Share Your Thoughts

What are your public safety concerns? How would you like to see public safety enhanced in Portola Valley? What public safety efforts in Portola Valley are working well?

The 5-year public safety agreement between the Town of Portola Valley and the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office expires in June 2023. The Town needs input from Portola Valley community members as it enters into discussions with the Sheriff’s Office about a new public safety contract.

There are several opportunities for you to provide input on your feelings about public safety. This input will be used to inform discussions about a new contract:

Learn how you can participate in the process

Wildfire Preparedness Committee Tip - New Insurance Regulation to Reward Homeowner Mitigation

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.

Draft Safety Element Available for Review

The Public Review Draft of the Safety Element is available for review and public comment. The Town’s technical team, including staff and consultants, have developed this draft based on the content of the existing Safety Element, State law, guidance from the State and regional agencies, and best practices. This draft was guided by preliminary comments received from the Sustainability Committee, Geologic Safety Committee, and Emergency Preparedness Committee on early memos prepared by the technical team.

Town Committee Review of Draft Safety Element

View the recording of the October 26 Joint Committee meeting with the Wildfire Preparedness, Emergency Preparedness, Sustainability, and Geologic Safety Committees. The technical team presented the Draft Safety Element at the meeting. These committees will have opportunities to further discuss the Draft Safety Element at their individual committee meetings.

Opportunities to Provide Input on the Draft Safety Element

There are several opportunities for members of the public to provide input on the draft Safety Element:

Submit written comments

• Submit electronic comments using the form on the Town’s website at www.portolavalley.net/safetyelement.
• E-mail comments to safetyelement@portolavalley.net

Provide input at public meetings.

• TBD Emergency Preparedness Committee meeting
• TBD Geologic Safety Committee meeting
• TBD Sustainability Committee meeting
• TBD Wildfire Preparedness Committee meeting

Members of the public are encouraged to engage in these committee meetings and provide feedback at any stage in the process. Comments on the Draft Safety Element are requested by January 13, 2023.

In addition to the committee meetings, the Planning Commission and Town Council will review the Draft Safety Element. These meetings will provide additional opportunities for community members to provide input on the Draft Safety Element. Dates for these meetings will be added to the Safety Element webpage when available.

To receive updates on meetings and other Safety Element matters, you may sign up for eNotifications on the Town’s website by going to the “Community” page, navigating to “Stay Informed,” then “Subscribe to Town eNotices” and selecting Safety Element. You may directly access the “Subscribe to Town eNotices" page here.

Rain Barrel Giveaway

Flows to the Bay announced a rain barrel giveaway on their Instagram! TWO lucky San Mateo County residents have the chance to win a free 50-gallon Ivy rain barrel.

Rain barrels help capture water and allow you to store it for drier months. This can help you save money on water bills and reduce your water usage!

The steps to enter are as easy as 1, 2, 3

1. Follow @flowstobay on Instagram
2. Like the giveaway post from 11/22
3. Tag 3 friends in the comments

Click here to direct you to the giveaway post on Instagram. Please read all the rules and conditions listed in the caption prior to entering.

The giveaway ends on December 6, 2022 at 11:59PM PST.