Emergency access routes, benefit zone discussed
After just a few years in existence, Sherwood Firewise Communities (SFC) has secured two Emergency Access Routes and has their sights set on more. The next step for the group is to set up a funding source for the continued maintenance of the routes.
The solution SFC came up with is a County Service Area 3 (CSA3) benefit zone, which will be the first for Mendocino County.
SFC has been working with Supervisor John Haschak and Kronick legal firm (who is doing pro bono work for SFC) to get the benefit zone set up. The group presented the benefit zone to Mendocino County Council a few weeks ago and the board unanimously voted to approve the CSA3 moving forward and provide $15,000 for the project. The funds will be used for an engineering report that will assess what continued maintenance the routes will require.
The CSA3 benefit zone will then go on a mail-out ballot for community members to vote into existence. A majority protest vote will be required to pass the CSA3 benefit zone.
The benefit zone will include Brooktrails, Spring Creek, Sylvandale and the Gates Subdivision. The idea is that homeowners will pay a small yearly fee that will be used for continued maintenance on Emergency Access Routes. The estimated cost is $20-30 per year per household. Only improved lots would be included in the benefit zone, not vacant lots.
Maintenance will ensure that the Emergency Access Routes do not become overgrown and unusable, as they were previous to SFC securing funding to have the routes cleared. If the CSA3 is approved by voters, the County Department of Transportation will keep the Emergency Access Routes maintained. The FIRCO Route has recently been cleared and funding is secured for the clearing of the Willits Creek Emergency Access Route to be completed soon, therefore these routes will not need to be cleared again for some time.
Haschak said, “The County is using this Sherwood area as the pilot program to see if we can have communities that really want to create a safer model for themselves.”
Holly Roberson, of Kronick, said, “This is just so exciting to see the way the community has come together with this vision, having great leadership and political support. We are honored to be a part of it.”
The FIRCO Emergency Access Route proved its worth when first responders utilized the road as an ingress, as is the intention of the Emergency Access Routes, during the recent Oak Fire incident. The Emergency Access Routes provide another way for first responders to get into the area during an emergency situation, allowing both lanes of Sherwood Road to be used for egress evacuation. If the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office and Mendocino County decide it is necessary, the routes could potentially be used to evacuate residents, however only if residents receive specific instructions from the Sheriff to do so. Residents using the Emergency Access Routes without specific instruction to do so from law enforcement during an emergency event, could jeopardize the future of these routes, as they pass through private land.
SFC volunteer Keith Rutledge said, “It’s very important that we understand that the access routes are really not evacuation routes, they are what they say they are, for access.” At this time, Sherwood Road is the only evacuation route out of Brooktrails, Spring Creek, Sylvandale and the Gates Subdivision.
Rutledge said, “The definition for an emergency access route is an alternate route for emergency services to respond to an emergency in Brooktrails when existing transportation routes are unavailable, or require to be supplemented to respond to the emergency… The main thing that we need to get across to our population is that these (routes) are private property, there should be no trespassing. Period. The only time that anybody would have access to these routes is if they were directed by a Sheriff or an incident commander in a time of emergency.”
SFC is currently trying to secure an additional Emergency Access Route that will go from Primrose Drive to Highway 20 near the Willits KOA Campground, however one private landowner has yet to sign the license agreement. Rutledge said, “Having more access, that’s our goal.” Another goal is to connect Ridge Road in the section that it is gated off.
SFC is now collecting data on trees that fell down during the snowstorm late January and organizing a “Chipper Day” to remove debris. Data can be sent to info@sherwoodfirewise.org.