Agenda Item
4f) Discussion and Possible Action Including Adoption of Resolution of Intention of the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors to Establish a New Special Benefit Assessment for the Maintenance, Drainage, and Flood Control of the "Willits Creek and Firco Emergency Access Routes"
(Sponsors: Supervisor Haschak and Executive Office)
As a Brooktrails homeowner for the past 29 years I feel this Firco EAR is essential for the Brooktrails area and Sherwood Road area. I fully support the proposed resolution.
When we purchased our home in Brooktrails in 1981 we were given a map with 8 evacuation routes. Then in 2017 we were told there is only one. The Emergency Access Routes have fallen into disrepair and are not usable. Cal Fire would have to re-cut and doze their way in. Citizen volunteers working with Sherwood Firewise Communities and the Mendocino County Fire Safe Council secured grant funds to clear the Willits Creek EAR and Ridge Road connecting Iris to Buckeye. Supervisor Croskey got the FirCo Road open in time for the Oak Fire that allowed Sherwood Road to be dedicated to evacuation of residents. I would like to see the CSA-3 ballot to go out so we have the chance to decide if we want these EAR's maintained. We should not have to rely on volunteers securing funds or fire fighters using precious time to maintain these vital routes.
EARs must be maintained in order to provide safe ingress/egress in the event of a wildfire. This is a crucial public safety issue for residents of the Sherwood Corridor. In the Oak Fire emergency vehicles were able to use the Firco EAR thus freeing up Sherwood Road for residents to use during evacuation. Please approve this next step to give the property owners the chance to vote for this emergency preparedness improvement.
Tracey Douglas
Brooktrails resident
Please support this resolution. Thousands of people live up Sherwood Road and the care of the emergency access route is essential to the safety of not only those people but the firefighters and others who may be helping in an emergency. We want to support these services. Thank you. Kim Bancroft, Spring Creek
On behalf of Sherwood Firewise Communities I offer our full support for this critical public safety project. The lack of maintenance of emergency access routes caused them to be abandoned and unavailable during the Redwood Complex fire and is the reason that Sherwood Firewise was formed. After over 5 years of detailed analysis and numerous meetings we now have the opportunity to implement this ongoing process of maintaining 2 of the routes serving the Sherwood Corridor. Please approve this next step to give the property owners the chance to vote for this emergency preparedness improvement.