Stop Thousand Trails Expansion

On March 25, 2021 the Planning Commission approved the planning department’s recommended RV park amendments and we urge the Board of Supervisors to approve this amendment without delay

Equity Lifestyle Properties, AKA Thousand Trails (an REIT out of Chicago), is trying to use the pipeline clause in the RV Park Amendment to get a Use Permit (Application: PLN 21-032) in and completed with Planning (APN: 756-43-024) to establish 57 additional RV spaces and a 1,500 sq. ft. waste facility in a RR zone which the plan specifically disallows. The new amendments were made public through outreach 6 months before Equity Lifestyle Properties even purchased the expansion property.

We are concerned that:

Existing density already conflicts with general plan ~1 residence per 5 acres
• “RV Parks could range from 2.5 RVs at min to 45 RVs at max on the same lot where one single family residence and an ADU are currently allowed”
• There are already 436 units of RV spaces in a 1/4 mile radius in our neighborhood, 339 of which belong to Equity Lifestyle Properties

New construction will impact local ecology
• Existing wildlife corridor will be eliminated
• Will risk Uvas Creek Steelhead migrations
• Increased noise and light pollution disturbs wildlife

RV park high-strength waste contaminates groundwater in an area on private wells
• Equity Lifestyle Properties plans a 1,500 ft waste facility on flood plain in a liquefaction zone
• Rural wells are already affected by high nitrates in groundwater
• Groundwater contamination impacts local agriculture and winemakers

New construction or expansion puts untenable stress on local well water availability
• Some RV parks in the rural Uvas Canyon area ran dry in the last drought
• RV parks compete with local agricultural sites like wineries and farms
• Competes with existing neighborhood water supplies
• Uvas Reservoir is lower now than in the peak of our last drought

Equity Lifestyle Properties proposes new roads over private property
• Will cause destruction of existing private property
• Semi-sized RV traffic not supported on roads without modification
• Large RV traffic creates safety issues for citizens and wildlife
• Use by large vehicles creates additional noise and wear on currently restricted roads

Impact on local services bad for taxpayers
• Increased use of police, fire and other emergency services in zones not intended for high density not likely offset by fees paid to the county
• Increased use of power and communications facilities leads to power outages and internet slowdowns which already plague this area

If Equity Lifestyle Properties expands, Santa Clara County taxpayers lose because we will be subsidizing costs for an out of state corporation that their RV park fees will not cover. In the process we are negatively impacting the wildlife and beauty of Rural Residential, Rural Agriculture and Rural Hillside Santa Clara County.