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HomeMy WebLinkAbout65B - RPT - SANTIAGO CREEK FIRE PREV PLANREQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: NOVEMBER 18, 2014 TITLE: SANTIAGO CREEK FIRE PREVENTION ACTION PLAN {STRATEGIC PLAN NO. 5, 4} CLERK OF COUNCIL USE ONLY: APPROVED ❑ As Recommended ❑ As Amended ❑ Ordinance on 1" Reading ❑ Ordinance on 2n' Reading ❑ Implementing Resolution ❑ Set Public Hearing For CONTINUED TO FILE NUMBER CIT AN R RECOMMENDED ACTION Receive and file Santiago Creek Fire Prevention Action Plan. The Santiago Creek Fire Prevention Action Plan identifies the step -by -step implementation of proposed fire prevention and safety efforts in the Santiago Creek Channel between Interstate 5 Freeway and Flower Street in order to reduce the risk of fire to the City's right -of -way and adjacent homes. This is a joint project between the City of Santa Ana Public Works Agency and the Orange County Fire Authority. STRATEGIC PLAN Approval of this item supports the City's efforts to meet Goal #6 Community Health, Livability, Engagement & Sustainability, Objective #4 (support neighborhood vitality and livability). ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT There is no environmental impact associated with this action. Notice from the State Department of Fish and Wildlife has conditionally exempted the city's action plan. FISCAL IMPACT There js no fiscal impact associated with this action. Fr d M u avipour In Leonard E cutive Director Division Chief - Division 6 Public Works Agency Orange County Fire Authority Exhibit 1: Memorandum 65B -1 65B -2 MEMORANDUM ( " -9 To: David Cavazos, City Manager Date: November S, 2014 From: Devin Leonard, Division Chief, Orange County Fire Authority_-", Fred Mousavlpour, Executive Director, Public Works Agency y=,r,,,, Subject: SANTIAGO CREEK FIRE PREVENTION ACTION PLAN Recommendation City staff recommends: a) Removal of the dead trees and brush from the City's right of way at Santiago Creek Channel between Interstate 5 Freeway and Flower Street with assistance from Orange County Fire Authority in order to reduce the risk of fire to the City's right of way and adjacent homes. b) Pick up and haul away at no cost to the residents all combustible plant material and dead vegetation that property owners along this segment gather from their own properties and place at the curbside or at an equally accessible location at the front of their residence. Background Within the City's jurisdiction, Santiago Creek runs west from border with the City of Orange to the Santa Ana River. Along the route, the ownership and corresponding maintenance responsibilities vary, with the City of Santa Ana and the County of Orange owning the majority of land in the creek. However, between Interstate 5 Freeway and Flower Street, the City owns an irregular shaped parcel which only partly covers the creek bed and embankment. Within this segment, large portions of the creek are within the boundaries of private residential lots fronting Park Lane and Riverside Drive (See Exhibit 1). For the discussion purposes, this segment will be referred to as Santiago Creek. Southern California Edison also owns and maintains a 12 KV overhead power line and support poles within the City's creek right of way. A boundary and topography survey within the subject segment of Santiago Creek was conducted by the City In 2013 and a copy of this survey was made available to the property owners along the creek. Process to Perform Santiago Creek Fuel Management Due to the sensitive nature of the creek and neighborhood concerns with any activities that take place in the creek, staff has developed the following action plan depicting a step -by -step Implementation of proposed fire prevention and safety effort. This plan essentially ensures that all neighbors and resident In the immediate vicinity of the Santiago Creek receive full disclosure on what fire safety F.0FCAeAFCA -%&A11 1814 PWA Ha RFCA Memo 6amiapoCreaF FimPlan (n).dou LI W SANTIAGO CREEK FIRE PREVENTION ACTION PLAN November 5, 2014 Page 2 of 4 measures will take place and when the work will be done. Staff proposes at least two meetings with residents and neighbors, one which will include a field trip to review the planned activities. The following table summarizes the steps proposed by staff: Step Description Date } have 6enservatien� and cvM12 ST61) ,;,;n,e- :Rtk-0epa,z,..ewE ef t.. n ...'t F...... them is type 9 Game nt necessaFy eFfO..\. 2 Memo to City Council providing an OVERVIEW and STEPS recommended including City's plan to enhance safety by minimizing fire risk within the City's right of way areas at this location. 11/06/2014 3 Mail / distribute OVERVIEW and STEPS with the immediate neighbors (send with the boundary map). 11/06/2014 4 Meet with the neighborhood to review the OVERVIEW and STEPS after contacting them and agreeing on a meeting date /time. 11/13/2014 Thursday 5:30 pm 5 Distribute to the neighborhood flyers outlining what the City will be doing and why, and invite them to the field review. 11/15/2014 6 Receive and file report to City Council 11/18/2014 7 Field review the boundary and field markings with neighbors after an agreed upon date (agreed to on 11/14/2014). 11/22/2014 Sat AM 8 Consider any feedback we receive, and revise clean -up details as needed 11/25/2014 9 Send out reminder flyer with details of the clean -up effort. 11/25/2014 10 The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) has agreed to reduce fire hazards in the Santiago Creek, specifically within the City's Right of Way. OCFA has also agreed to, at no cost to residents, pick up and haul away combustible plant material dead vegetation that property owners gather from their own properties and place curbside at the front of their residence. First or Second week, Dec. 2014. Fire History The Santiago Creek has a fire load (fuels available to burn) similar to many California communities; a mixture of live and dead fuels in a variety of "fuel packages," ranging from grass to trees. The fire load within the creek presents a typical fire risk for any creek bed area. In past years, fires have occurred within the Santiago Creek area. Most of these fires have remained small in size. In some cases, there have been fires which have involved ground level vegetation and have spread vertically to involve large eucalyptus trees. In the majority of cases, the fires have been confined to the creek bed area with little to no involvement of personal property. However, there have been some (# from OCFA) fires which have caused damage to fencing and patio furniture along the rear of properties as well as to the power poles along the creek. L• SANTIAGO CREEK FIRE PREVENTION ACTION PLAN November 5, 2014 Page 3 of 4 Fire Prevention Many of the adjacent property owners have expressed concern at the potential fire behind their houses and have requested the City to manage the risk by removing dead trees or portions of trees as well as dead brush. Other residents along the creek prefer the vegetation left as is. The residential structures along the creek typically have a rear yard setback such that the houses are placed near the street and away from the fire load within the creek bed and embankment. This helps to reduce the threat of fire extending to residences in the event a fire occurs in the creek. However, some habitable structures along Park Lane and Riverside Drive are within 50 feet of the City's creek right of way containing combustible vegetation. The City is responsible for keeping its right of way safely maintained and providing reasonable efforts to reduce the risk of fire. As with any natural land area in close proximity to habitable structures, land owners can lower the risk of a fire by removing dead vegetation from their property. Proposed Fuel Management Efforts Staff recommends working with the Orange County Fire Authority to remove of dead vegetation at no cost to the City or residents adjacent to the creek. The City and OCFA are intending to clean -up dead trees and brush within the City's right of way. The purpose of the fuel management is strictly to reduce the fire danger to those homes near the creek. Regulatory Permits The City provided California Department of Fish and Wildlife with a Notification of Lake or Streambed Alteration in November of 2013 to perform routine maintenance within Santiago Creek between Flower Street and Interstate 5 Freeway, specifically vegetation management to reduce the risk of fire along the creek embankment and within 100 feet of habitable structures. The notification states that no heavy equipment will be used in the creek. In December of 2013, the Department of Fish and Wildlife acknowledged receipt of the notification, determined that the proposed maintenance effort will not have a substantially adverse affect on existing fish or wildlife resource, and informed the City that a Lake or Streambed Alteration Agreement is not needed. The described correspondence allows the City /OCFA staff to perform the referenced maintenance work. Staff will investigate to determine whether the allowance extends to the property owners. Required Permission to Access over Private Properties The City's property within the creek contains steep ground slope, dense vegetation, large rocks and encroachments from neighboring parcels. Access to the City's right of way is made difficult by this L• SANTIAGO CREEK FIRE PREVENTION ACTION PLAN November 5, 2014 Page 4 of 4 varying terrain, and to get to portions of the property, OCFA /City staff would seek to traverse over adjacent private property. Although OCFA /City fuel removals will be limited to City property only, staff will request permission from the adjacent property owners to facilitate access to the creek and haul -off the collected fuel debris either through the their yards along Park Lane, or through the creek bed. The duration of the access will coincide with the period of vegetation removal. City /OCFA staff will ask individual property owners to execute an access agreement. The extent of City property to be cleared will depend on the number and location of neighbors willing to participate in granting temporary access. Of particular importance is cooperation from the parcels at the east and west edges of the narrow section of the City's property. Staff will also request permission from the owners of interior Park Lane parcels through their side and rear yards to access as much of the City property as possible. City staff and OCFA would: 1) Engage in community outreach by sending a the boundary map along with a letter to all residents along the Santiago Creek advising them of the inherent risk associated with combustible vegetation accumulating on their private property and encourage them to remove the dead vegetation on their property. 2) Conduct a community outreach meeting to establish a clear understanding of risks, City /OCFA staff recommendations, requests and actions to be taken. Staff will clarify that the actions are strictly related to safety. 3) Set stakes demarking property boundaries to help residents and staff visualize limits of City's ownership in Santiago Creek. 4) Conduct a second community outreach meeting in the creek to view limits of removals and identify types of vegetation to be removed. 5) Identify access needs and request written permission for ingress and egress for crews during removals (See Required Permission to Access over Private Properties below). 6) Confirm removal dates and send reminder notification to the residents. 7) Where necessary, reset property boundary demarcation to ensure that removals by OCFA and City staff do no extend beyond City ownership. S) When the removals are being done, OCFA with the help of City staff will remove dead or previously burned trees and brush within the City's right of way and within 100 feet of habitable structures. The crews will use hand tools and cut larger trees with small power tools. The waste will be carried to a designated staging location within Fisher Park and /or directly to Park Lane where private property access is granted. The waste will be chipped at the staging sites and loaded into dumpsters.