SF Bay Area, petition request Re: Zero Emission Park in SJ

[DS 5/15]

Hello fellow Tesla owners and fans. Since before getting hired at Tesla I have been working on an unusual cleantech project and could use some help. Disclaimer: Tesla is in no way involved and I cannot and will not answer any questions regarding the company or products.

I need help convincing San Jose to allow the opening of an all electric OHV motorcycle park along the bay in San Jose.

I need to show that there are plenty of people that would prefer this park to cricket or ball fields and ultimately a larger park over industrial development.

Please sign the linked petition. It doesn't matter if you're registered to vote.

Thanks in Advance!

Link to petition



California State Parks is interested in opening the world's first solar powered, zero emission recreational vehicle public park in San Jose, California.

Link to Park Summary

Phase one is a 40 acre demonstration park that proves that zero emission recreational vehicles are a viable alternative.

Phase two would environmentally restore the land and expand the park into hundreds of acres along San Fransisco Bay. If a park is not established the land could become industrial development.

The goals of the Zero Emission Park proposal are to promote electric vehicles and prove their viability for recreation, entice buyers to chose electric over gas powered vehicles, reduce travel trips to reduce emissions system wide and provide recreational and nature educational opportunities in an urban environment for families and all users.

California State Parks and a nonprofit foundation will be responsible for all environmental restoration, habitat and species stewardship, planning the park and building the trails, nature education center and kiosks.

Most of the land will remain open space. For the use of a fraction of the land for trails the park will provide all of the funding, staff and expertise to restore, maintain and provide stewardship for all of the land.

This would be a regionally attractive recreational destination and an excellent use of the land and fits in well with San Jose’s Green Vision Goals and high tech reputation.

Let San Jose know that you support stopping development and opening this innovative park in the heart of silicon valley.

Below is an email excerpt from State Parks outlining their interest in this proposal.

All,

I would like to restate my desire to get this project moving forward. The concept of urban parks was considered extremely important by the Parks Forward Commission’s report.

That report is driving the Transformation Team towards the future of California State Parks and your proposed OHV park would mark off a number of important boxes on the list.

First, partnerships are a priority and the State through the OHMVR Division of State Parks would partner with a non-profit and local government to develop and manage the facility.

Secondly, the urban parks mandate would be covered with the proposed location.

Thirdly, the environmental mandates would be stricter than a typical State Park due to the requirements of the OHV laws in California.

And lastly, the OHMVR Division is moving towards a future plan with Electric/Low Emission OHVs.

I will make myself available to meet with you and any local city officials as we move forward.

Sincerely,

State Parks OHMVR Commissioner

 

[ecarfan]

Interesting. What does "OHV" stand for?

 

[DS 5/15]

Sorry, OHV stands for Off Highway Vehicle. Right now electric motorcycles. I haven't seen any really viable ATVs yet (the little four wheel ones).

Check out Alta Motors and Zero Motors, both in the Bay Area.

http://www.altamotors.co

ZERO MOTORCYCLES – The Electric Motorcycle Company - Official Site

 

[ecarfan]

Thank you. I am familiar with those electric motorcycle companies. Just hadn't seen the "off highway" phrase before. I'm more used to "off road" or simply "dirt bike".

Sorry, but I am not a fan of any kind of vehicle tearing up the land, electric or ICE.

That said, thank you for working at Tesla and putting your talents toward the cause of powering transportation in a sustainable manner!

 

[SanCarlos]

Agreed. We don't need motorcycles or off-road vehicles of any type tearing up the land along the Bay.

 

[DS 5/15]

You may be thinking of the past when things were different. A certain bias exists because before the parks (and grandfathered into some parks) "open" riding occurred and I agree, it wasn't good. Now all trails are planned and managed. No off trail riding is permitted and is a ticket-able and fined offense. Offenders are banned from the park. GPS tracking can and will be used if required.

Environmental controls and requirements are stricter at these State parks than all other State parks. See above and on the summary for environmental expertise, habitat and species stewardship, funding and staffing benefit points.

The heads of several local chapters of environmental organizations have been contacted. The head of the local chapter of the Sierra Club was hesitant at first but is in favor. He stated that he has been looking for a way to get disabled and "those with babies" out into nature. The proposal calls for small four wheel vehicles to do just that. The head of the local Audubon Society is not at all opposed. The head of Save the Bay is enthusiastic and supportive about the idea.

The trails will cause no more damage than horse or mountain bike trails and will be maintained. Grazing cattle cause much more damage.

Thanks for the feedback anyway. It's good to know what points should be covered in public discussions about this.

 

[DS 5/15]

I forgot to mention that park users are aware that off trail riding will jeopardize the parks and will turn in the knuckleheads who do it. Law enforcement will be provided by the State Park rangers.

 

[DS 5/15]

Oh yeah, the city is planning miles of paved multi-use trails. I think paving a ten foot wide path through nature is more damaging than what amounts to dirt deer paths 1-3 feet wide surrounded by the restored native plants, not to mention that the Economic Division want to turn the land into industrial development and a multi use park offers a viable alternative that may sway the city into preventing it.

 

[DS 5/15]

One more point, the land is now sludge drying ponds for the sewage treatment plant. The park won't be tearing up nature it will be creating it through millions of dollars of State and other grant funding for restoration, a nature education center and several learning kiosks, one at each habitat zone. Most of the land will remain open space and hopefully some burrowing owls will nest there among all the other wildlife the park will expose people to and educate them about.

 

[ecarfan]

Thanks for the additional info. I'm trying to be open minded about your idea. I am a hiker and prefer small unpaved paths through wild spaces where no wheeled vehicles or horses or pack animals are allowed. That is my personal preference and in my opinion that approach strikes a balance between allowing people to experience the natural environment without damaging it too much.

I am still not clear on what your OHV park would consist of. Above you mention "paved multi-use trails"? And then you talk about "dirt deer paths 1-3 ft wide"?

If your OHV park routes are paved then they sound like narrow roads that are restricted to a certain kind of vehicle, is that right?

If they are narrow dirt paths, then an issue with powered vehicles is that they cause a great deal of erosion which requires regular repair.

Maybe you could clarify just what an OHV park consists of. Thanks.

 

[Owner]

Can you tell us exactly where this is located? Couldn't tell from the tiny map in the link.

 

[mspohr]

I live near a California State Park which is "undeveloped" but has great terrain for mountain biking and cross country skiing. Motorized vehicles are prohibited. I like it that way.
I don't want motorized vehicles (even electric ones) tearing up the terrain. Just yesterday I encountered two dirt bikes on the trails. I tried to signal them that they were not permitted in the park but they refused to stop or acknowledge my presence. This happens occasionally since there is no regular patrol in the park. Most of the time the drivers are complete jerks. In the summer we get dirt bikes. In the winter, snowmobiles. They are all jerks with a strong sense of entitlement.
Sorry, I don't want to encourage motorized off highway vehicle use in any form. It would be much better for the environment (and their personal health) if they got off their motorized machines and used their own muscles to move around.

 

[DS 5/15]

Thanks for the additional info. I'm trying to be open minded about your idea. I am a hiker and prefer small unpaved paths through wild spaces where no wheeled vehicles or horses or pack animals are allowed. That is my personal preference and in my opinion that approach strikes a balance between allowing people to experience the natural environment without damaging it too much.

I am still not clear on what your OHV park would consist of. Above you mention "paved multi-use trails"? And then you talk about "dirt deer paths 1-3 ft wide"?

If your OHV park routes are paved then they sound like narrow roads that are restricted to a certain kind of vehicle, is that right?

If they are narrow dirt paths, then an issue with powered vehicles is that they cause a great deal of erosion which requires regular repair.

Maybe you could clarify just what an OHV park consists of. Thanks.

This is a multi-use park with multi-use paved trails for walkers, hikers and bicycles, separate dirt OHV trails and a dirt mountain / e-bike trail loop. There will be a contained park area with OHV tracks which could include a BMX track with the trails surrounding the rest of the land.

 

[DS 5/15]

Can you tell us exactly where this is located? Couldn't tell from the tiny map in the link.

It's the land surrounding the sewage treatment plant northwest of the intersection of hwy 237 and 880. I'll post a larger map later.

 

[DS 5/15]

I live near a California State Park which is "undeveloped" but has great terrain for mountain biking and cross country skiing. Motorized vehicles are prohibited. I like it that way.
I don't want motorized vehicles (even electric ones) tearing up the terrain. Just yesterday I encountered two dirt bikes on the trails. I tried to signal them that they were not permitted in the park but they refused to stop or acknowledge my presence. This happens occasionally since there is no regular patrol in the park. Most of the time the drivers are complete jerks. In the summer we get dirt bikes. In the winter, snowmobiles. They are all jerks with a strong sense of entitlement.
Sorry, I don't want to encourage motorized off highway vehicle use in any form. It would be much better for the environment (and their personal health) if they got off their motorized machines and used their own muscles to move around.

This really gets me mad. These a$$es need to be caught, fined and have their vehicles impounded. They are making the rest of us look bad and your post proves it.

If your willing to get more involved to get these guys caught I'll give some advice that may help make that happen after I spend some time designing car parts.

 

[McRat]

Thank you. I am familiar with those electric motorcycle companies. Just hadn't seen the "off highway" phrase before. I'm more used to "off road" or simply "dirt bike".

Sorry, but I am not a fan of any kind of vehicle tearing up the land, electric or ICE.

That said, thank you for working at Tesla and putting your talents toward the cause of powering transportation in a sustainable manner!

When you drive on a road, or buy a house, exactly what did you think was there before?

Heck, it could have an recreational area!

So it's OK to bulldoze millions of acres of mountains and dynamite passes through them, but off road recreation is destructive?

 

[mspohr]

This really gets me mad. These a$$es need to be caught, fined and have their vehicles impounded. They are making the rest of us look bad and your post proves it.

If your willing to get more involved to get these guys caught I'll give some advice that may help make that happen after I spend some time designing car parts.

I have tried reporting their registration tags to the state park people. Not sure if anything ever happens.

 

[DS 5/15]

When you drive on a road, or buy a house, exactly what did you think was there before?

Heck, it could have an recreational area!

So it's OK to bulldoze millions of acres of mountains and dynamite passes through them, but off road recreation is destructive?

You have a point and thanks for the support but we all need a place to live and we all consume resources and impact the environment to some degree. We also all deserve open natural spaces to enjoy in our own preferred fashion. I happen to enjoy trail riding as a form of recreation and exercise and think it is underserved.

Yes, exercise, you may not have to pedal but riding over terrain is quite a workout. Most of the time you're standing on the pegs and either throwing your body around to navigate or battling forces that are trying to throw you off. It's a whole body soreness if you haven't done it for a while. Motocross (big jumps n stuff) riders were found to be some of the most fit athletes link but I leave that to the kids.

In any case, trashing the land isn't an issue here. It would be difficult and quite unpleasant to ride in giant ponds of varying viscosity of drying human waste.

 

[DS 5/15]

So is anyone going to sign the petition or am I wasting my time promoting replacing gas vehicles with zero emission vehicles here? People are going to keep buying these and using them. The more that are electric and the more legal places to ride them, the better for everyone.

 

[johnr]

Sounds like an interesting proposal I can get behind. Signed it