#connected trails

The city would benefit from accepting open space for four major reasons:

1- The land would link continuous corridors for streams, wildlife, and trails as noted by staff and public comments.

2- Open space reduces the cost of supplying what is becoming burdensome city services on the urban fringe- almost a $1m saved per ten dwelling.

3- Open space prevent land cover changes that result in downstream flooding in California according to the EPA.

4- reduce wildfire, from development on the urban fringe, that is the prime cause in the bar area according to the California Energy Commission's third assessment report.

Real Estate money hit the jackpot with the 2013 elections in Belmont. At the 3/25 council meeting Item 10 C. Involved Discussion and Direction Regarding Donation of Three Lots to the City of Belmont - Assessor's Parcel Numbers 043-041-090 and 100 (Bartlett Way) and 043-242-090 (Alhambra Drive). The staff report said the lots were contiguous or near land currently owned by the city of Belmont. One benefit of accepting the donation was the ability to connect trails across the land. However  the newly elected council were horrified at the lost of revenue from lots not developed. The donation came at near zero impacts to the city- a total of $60/- in general fund taxes and about $750/- in sewer fee taxes. The development-at-all-costs minded council proceeded to imagine a lot of problems with the almost free land donation. The main objection was the loss of revenue like CSUS. Running the numbers imply the city would have to get a hundred times larger donation to attain the losses of CSUS.