COUNTY OF SAN MATEO Inter-Departmental Correspondence
PLANNING AND BUILDING DEPARTMENT
DATE:			April 7, 2008
BOARD MEETING DATE:			April 22, 2008
SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:			10 days, within 300 feet
VOTE REQUIRED:			Majority
TO:		Honorable Board of Supervisors
FROM:		Lisa Grote, Director of Community Development
SUBJECT:		EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Consideration of a request to amend a previously approved and recorded California Open Space Easement and to adopt a County Resource Management District Conservation Open Space Easement, as required by the subdivision of a 20.4-acre parcel located at 130 Hildebrand Road, in the unincorporated La Honda area of San Mateo County.
RECOMMENDATION
1.	Adopt a resolution amending the previously recorded California Open Space Easement, consistent with the California Land Conservation Act of 1965 and California Open Space Easement Act of 1974.
2.	Adopt a resolution authorizing the acceptance and recordation of a County Conservation Open Space Easement, consistent with the County’s Resource Management District Zoning Regulations for the subject property.
VISION ALIGNMENT
Commitment: The proposed project keeps the commitment of “Preserving and providing people access to our natural environment.” Amending the existing California Open Space Easement and establishing a concurrent County Conservation Open Space Easement will preserve the open space character of the subject parcel for the foreseeable future.
Goal: The proposed project achieves Goal Number 14: “Important natural resources are preserved and enhanced through environmental stewardship.” This proposal contributes to this commitment and goal by restricting uses of the property to agriculture, open space and other compatible uses.
BACKGROUND
Proposal: The applicant is requesting an amendment to an existing California Open Space Easement to further restrict the permitted uses on the parcel, consistent with the California Land Conservation Act, and the establishment of a County Conservation Open Space Easement, consistent with the County’s Resource Management Zoning Regulations, for one 20.4-acre parcel and subsequent Parcels A and B (each 10.2 acres).
On November 15, 2007, the Zoning Hearing Officer tentatively approved a minor subdivision to subdivide the subject parcel into two 10.2-acre parcels (Parcels A and B). A condition of approval is that the existing California Open Space Easement be amended and that a County Conservation Open Space Easement be established prior to final map recordation.
DISCUSSION
The existing California Open Space Easement allows for a limited number of uses on the subject parcel. The amended easement would further restrict the allowed uses on the parcel to agriculture and livestock raising, single-family residences, home occupations, and wineries. All other uses would be expressly prohibited. Additionally, further subdivision of subsequent Parcel A or Parcel B would be prohibited.
Regarding the proposed County Conservation Open Space Easement, the Resource Management District Zoning Regulations require that after any land division in the zoning district, the applicant grant to the County a conservation easement containing a covenant, running with the land in perpetuity, which limits the use of the land covered by the easement to uses consistent with open space.
The applicant has proposed designating easement areas on Parcels A and B with uses in these areas limited to residential and open space compatible uses. The proposed easement would further preserve the open space, scenic, vineyard and orchard growing values of the property in perpetuity.
FISCAL IMPACT
No net change. Neither the new or amended easements will lower the project parcels’ tax burden below current levels.