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its peak, 120 Air Force personnel and their families lived at thebase, which had homes, a gymnasium, garages, even a bowling alley.The 44-acre base operated from 1957 to 1980, when it was madeobsolete by satellites. It was acquired by the district in 1986. Today, the district has purchased 18,000 acres around the summit tocreate an area named the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve. Still,more than 80 crumbling buildings sit behind locked gates at thepeak. Last year, the district removed asbestos, lead paint, PCBs andother contaminants from the buildings, essentially stripping themdown to wooden frames. If the board, as expected, approves the nextphase Tuesday, demolition would begin this fall and would becompleted by June 2013. The cost so far is about $4 million, mostcoming from federal funds. If the board votes to remove the old radar tower this fall, thedemolition also could be finished by next June, Abbors said. In comments on the environmental study, the district received 77letters. A majority supported keeping the tower standing. Severalwriters said they served in the Air Force there and argued thatallowing the building to remain intact is the best way to honor theveterans. Others said it should remain because it is the primaryway that Santa Clara County residents can identify which peak isMount Umunhum, a 3,486-foot-high mountain named for an OhloneIndian phrase that means "resting place of the hummingbird." District leaders say they haven't made up their minds yet on theradar tower. But the agency's environmental study notes that thebuilding is damaged and lost much of its historical uniqueness whenthe Air Force took down its 125-foot-long, rotating rooftop radardish. Sealing and keeping the tower would cost $1 million. Tearing itdown would cost $600,000. A third option, at $800,000, which Abborsseemed to favor in a recent interview, would remove the walls downto about 10 feet, turning the foundation into an open-air exhibitof the Cold War and Indian history of the mountain. "I've been evolving," said Pete Siemens, who represents the LosGatos area on the Midpeninsula Regional board. "At first I wantedto keep it, but now I'll support whatever the rest of the boardwants to support. "Our mission is not historic renovation. It is open-spacepreservation." After the buildings are demolished, the district plans to allowsome public access via shuttle bus to the top as soon as the summerof 2013. Crews then would spend another two years tearing out oldsidewalks, planting native vegetation and improving drainage.Hikers and bicyclists would get access to the summit by 2015. The final step -- which would include restrooms, a walk-in campsitewith 10 sites, new trails, picnic tables, interpretive panels andthe ability for visitors to drive to the summit -- would befinished by 2017, assuming the agency can raise $10 million throughfederal and state grants, private donations and other sources,including a bond measure on the 2014 ballot. "We've made the commitment," Abbors said. "We will make the siteaccessible to the public, and not just the hiking public." Paul Rogers covers resources and environmental issues. Contact himat 408-920-5045. Follow him at /PaulRogersSJMN. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as China Electronic Precision Balance , Digital Carat Scale Manufacturer, and more. For more , please visit Electronic Precision Balance today!
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