Portola Valley Weekly Update August 18, 2022

This week's update:

• Be a Volunteer for Zotts to Tots
• The Town of Portola Valley will be performing street resurfacing beginning Monday, August 22
• Draft Housing Element Submitted to State for Review
• November 8, 2022 Election Information
• Wildfire Preparedness Committee Tip - Wildfire and Preparedness Apps
• Free Home Composting Workshop August 27th
• August 25 -Portola Valley Summer Concert Series - The Joint Chiefs Band
• September 17 - Town Picnic & Zots to Tots

Be a Volunteer for Zotts to Tots on September 17th

The popular Zotts to Tots family fun run is happening again on September 17th and we need volunteers to help keep the race safe for our runners and bikers.

The race route along Alpine and Portola Roads will be closed to cars and have a rolling open as soon as the last participant passes each section of road.

Volunteering will take place from 8:30 AM until 11 AM (or until the race passes your location) We will gather for a short meeting with the Sheriff at 8:30 along with getting safety vests and assignments. We need volunteers to help block the intersections onto the race route, answer questions to drivers, and to open their cross street as soon as the race passes.

Sign up to volunteer with Ed Holland by emailing at edward.holland1@btinternet.com

The Town of Portola Valley will be Performing Street Resurfacing Beginning Monday, August 22

This project will consist of applying surface seals to the road surface. Work is scheduled to take place on the streets listed here, weather permitting. The repairs will include grinding worn areas, crack sealing, a surface seal treatment, and repainting traffic markings.

Traffic will have limited access through those streets during the street resurfacing process. Traffic controls within the construction area will be in place. Normal construction hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Two days prior to construction, “No Parking” and “Tow-away” signs will be posted with the effective time and date. Roads will be reopened to full traffic and parking at the end of each working day, however, during the construction period, loose gravel and an uneven pavement surface will result from removing the surface asphalt. For the entire project, we estimate it will take 1 week for crack sealing, 2 weeks to repair damaged pavement sections, 1 week to remove traffic striping, 1 week to apply surface seals (this phase will involve road or lane closures between 5-6 hours for curing), and 1 week to repaint traffic markings. To maintain competitive prices, the contractor, O’Grady Paving, Inc. (650-966-1926). is allowed to schedule the work in a cost-effective manner which may result in a time lag between repair, required curing times, and resurfacing.

We are aware that there will be residents who will be inconvenienced by the street resurfacing work and we ask for your cooperation and understanding. These improvements will result in an improved street that will serve the area for many years.

Draft Housing Element Submitted to State for Review

The Town submitted the Draft Housing Element to the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on August 11, 2022 and it is now available on the Town’s website at www.portolavalley.net/housingelement. The Draft Housing Element is the culmination of eleven months of work by the community, Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee, Planning Commission and Town Council to develop a Housing Element that complies with State law and preserves local values.

As part of this process, the Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee was tasked with working through complex issues, many of which had significant community opposition. Many of their meetings were long (five or six hours) and participation was extremely high (up to 165 residents via zoom), and in total the Town has held over 50 hours of public meetings on the Housing Element. The Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee responded with a continuing commitment to find solutions. Thank you to the resident volunteers that are serving on the Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee and to all the residents that participated so far in the process.

This version of the Housing Element is titled “Initial HCD Draft” to differentiate it from the “Public Review Draft” that was published in June 2022. A summary of the changes between the two drafts is available here. HCD staff will conduct their review over the next 90 days. The Town expects comments from HCD that will need to be addressed through a public process including the Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee, Planning Commission, and Town Council.

November 8, 2022 Election Information

The following individuals have qualified for the November 8, 2022 ballot for the office of Council Member:

• Judith Hasko
• Mary Hufty
• Craig R. Hughes
• Craig S. Taylor
• Dale Pfau

For more information about the election, please visit the Elections webpage at: https://www.portolavalley.net/town-government/election-information

Wildfire Preparedness Committee Tip - Wildfire and Preparedness Apps

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.

Free Home Composting Workshop August 27th

Do you want to start composting at home? Join a no-cost two-hour workshop through the County of San Mateo's Sustainability Academy.

Learn how to turn your food scraps, leaves, and plant cuttings into nutrient-rich compost that helps your garden retain moisture, suppress weeds, and prevent soil erosion, while cutting greenhouse gas emissions. It is rewarding to know you are turning what some consider organic waste into a nutrient rich organic material for your garden. There will be a demonstration bin complete with live worms!

Admission is free, but space is limited! Priority will be given to those who live, work, and go to school in San Mateo County.