San Bruno Mountain Watch Turns Attention to Sign Hill

Stunning views of the bay, rare native plantlife and the possible habitat of the endangered Mission Blue butterfly are just a few of the reasons conservancy group San Bruno Mountain Watch is working to acquire and preserve land on San Bruno Mountain.

Headquartered in Brisbane, the group held its first South San Francisco meeting in over ten years last night, addressing issues related to South City's Sign Hill area. Nine residents gathered in the South City home of Del Schembari, a member of San Bruno Mountain Watch's board of directors.  Executive Director Ken McIntire explained that in the past the group has gotten a bit "Brisbane-centric" in their focus, which is why they are now shifting to include the parts of the mountain in South San Francisco affected by development.

"It's a big mountain," he explained, adding that the group has worked on issues pertaining to South San Francisco in the past, such as its opposition to the construction of the Centennial Towers near the foot of San Bruno Mountain.

The Sign Hill area does not attach directly to the rest of the mountain, as development has surrounded the hill on all sides, according to Schembari.  It can be challenging to find out who owns what surrounding land.

"We are trying to buy parcels of land," Schembari said, emphasizing the importance of knowing which parts of the hill are private property and which are city-owned. "We're starting the process of raising money for that."

Among the reasons the Mountain Watch wants to buy and preserve the Sign Hill land is to secure accessibility to the mountain for residents. McIntire explained that workable trails are often very steep and undermaintained, making hikes to the summit perilous at times.

"The mountain is really underutilized," McIntire said. "We need to try to find trails and hike them and then evaluate what needs to be done."

South City resident Ken Oborn lives near Sign Hill and started hiking the trails on the hill after he retired.

"Some of the trails have become dangerous and slippery," he said. "[In some seasons] the ground gets very dry and cinderlike. It requires a certain amount of work to be done."

The city is open to various programs aimed at improving Sign Hill's trails, said Frank McAuley, South San Francisco public works supervisor.  

"We have utilized the San Mateo County juvenile probation department to help make and maintain trails," he explained. "Continuing this on Sign Hill makes a lot of sense."

Tony Halley, a member of the Sierra Club who has worked with San Bruno Mountain Watch for years, said that he has hopes for making San Bruno Mountain a place that more people in the area can enjoy.

"Being a South City resident, I'd love to see greater access to the mountain, and more participation from residents," Halley said.

Among the group's other goals are restoring native plantlife, wetlands and securing much of the land as a protected area, as it is a natural habitat for some endangered plant and animal species. One such species, the Mission Blue butterfly, will be a focus of the group's efforts next spring, when Schembari said they will work to prove the mountain is a natural habitat for the endangered insect.

As part of an effort to raise money for land acquisition and preservation, San Bruno Mountain Watch is holding an Autumn Fest fundraising event this Saturday at the Sierra Point Yacht Club in Brisbane, which will feature dinner, live music and a raffle. For more information on the event and how to get involved, visit San Bruno Mountain Watch's website at www.mountainwatch.org.

McIntire said he expects the group's next South San Francisco meeting to take place after the new year, but they may host a group hike before then.