To the Editor:

During environmental review of the Kimtu pipeline project, Kathryn Lobato told LAFCO staff that the park intended to have a “stand alone system” with additional storage tanks and their own water treatment system. They had no plans to connect to the Kimtu water line. “The SHCP plans to accommodate all proposed development from existing on site water sources.”

The quotation is pasted below:

”We contacted Kathryn Lobato, Executive Director of the SHCP on November 3, 2009, to discuss the plans of the SHCP as associated with the petition. Ms. Lobato indicated that the SHCP has on site two springs, one well and a 55,000 gallon water storage tank and they plan to add additional water storage tanks and water treatment facilities. She also indicated that they have had one municipal water service connection for many years; however, their intention is to be a “stand alone” facility and have been planning for the submittal of this petition for several years. They have no current plans for connecting to the proposed Kimtu water line. The only connection that the park has with the Garberville Sanitary District (GSD) water system is the existing municipal water line that currently is in use for the existing structures onsite. The SHCP has also had discussions with GSD about the potential for use of backwash water from cleaning the filters of the proposed Surface Water Treatment Plant (SWTP) for use in irrigation of recreational fields such as potential soccer fields and/or potential baseball diamonds. Note that GSD’s proposed SWTP is to be located on private land on the east side of Tooby Park Road, not on park property. The pipeline from the proposed SWTP would be installed within the right-of-way of Tooby Park Road and Sprowel Creek Road and will not be installed on SHCP property. Ms. Lobato also indicated that the proposed multi-family residential land use is intended for senior housing, which is in shortage in the Garberville area. There is no current plan for a specific number of units within the area planned for the multi-family residential use area; however, as noted above, the SHCP plans to accommodate all proposed development from existing onsite water sources. Therefore, the Kimtu Meadows Mutual Water Company’s proposed water transmission pipeline will not have a growth inducing effect at the SHCP property.”

The Community Park does in fact have bountiful water resources.

1. There is a collector system installed in the South Fork Eel River with a design capacity of 500 gallons per minute, exceeding the rate at which the town of Garberville may remove water from the river. Although initially permitted for agricultural purposes, no irrigation pump has ever been installed while the “irrigation mainline” was extended to the upper areas of the flat where no agricultural uses are occurring. Department of Fish and Game has limited the discharge from this system to about 125 gallons per minute.

2. There is a spring with a 50,000-gallon storage tank on the hillside above the park which currently provides water to the ranch structures, and has done so most of the last 12 years and during previous ownership.

3. There is a sanitary well in the Tooby Memorial Park which provided water to drinking fountains and to the caretaker residence during the County’s management of the Memorial Park. The well continues to provide water to the caretaker residence but the drinking fountains have been capped off.

I believe the park could have developed the existing sanitary well at the Memorial Park as the potable water source for the ranch structures and other park uses. They could have done this 10 years ago and they could still do it. The well is in a very good location. They do not need a GSD connection to the Kimtu pipeline nor any involvement with LAFCO - exactly what Lobato said previously. The spring and 50,000-gallon tank remain as a back-up source and for other uses.

However the park spent many thousands of dollars on the irrigation system to nowhere which is still disfunctional. They now insist on annexation of the park into the district and connection to public water at further great expense to themselves (money which they supposedly don’t have) and equal expense and liability to the ratepayers of Garberville Sanitary District.

Annexation of the Community Park is entirely unnecessary.

John LaBoyteaux

Redcrest