September 2017
Water Update
It’s hard to believe that it has been over three years since the beginning of the Redwood Glen Water Crisis. And while we still have a few more months to go before we do get our own water system up, running and approved, we do see the light at the end of this tunnel.
Back in April we thought we were a few weeks away from getting the water treatment system working, because our plans had been approved by the State Water Resources Control Board. We just needed the building permit from San Mateo County to finish the project, and we’d be up and running by July 1st. But Redwood Glen is in a Resource Management district, so the county has determined we need to do a deeper environmental review than what we had already done for the state. This new review will delay us another six months. Meanwhile, the county understands our plight and will be issuing a building permit to allow Redwood Glen to build the water treatment plant without hooking it up to the water from Hoffman Creek. Once the environmental review is completed, we should be only two weeks away from being ready to go.
In the meantime, we have been given permission from the State Water Board to once again get our water from Memorial Park while we go through the new environmental review. We are also in negotiations with the county to do just that. Until then, we are still paying 15 cents per gallon of water. And the cost for the new environmental review is expected to be another $25,000+. Our finances are tight, but we are making it through. We have had to reduce staff, which means that our current staff is being overworked. Yet they work hard without complaint. They are all doing a magnificent job, especially considering the minimal resources we are required to work with in order to stay within our slim budget. For example, with both lawn mowers in the shop, Chuy was out there with a weed-whacker working on the entire ball field.
So stay tuned. As part of Redwood Glen’s 60th Anniversary party and celebrations next year, we are planning a special dedication ceremony of the water treatment plant. You won’t want to miss it!
You Can Still Give to Redwood Glen. Please Donate Today!
The future looks promising. The business end of Redwood Glen is in growth mode, with 2018 looking like it will be a banner year. The calendar is filling up fast. We are in discussions with an outdoor education group about Redwood Glen perhaps playing host, once again, to hundreds of school children learning about the wonders of God's creation. Click Here to donate