The 79-acre Hawthorns area of Windy Hill Open Space Preserve was protected from development when it was gifted to the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District in 2011. Since then, staff have been working to restore native grasslands, improve community wildland fire safety and protect historic features on the property. A multiyear public process began in 2021 to explore the feasibility of introducing ecologically sensitive public access to the undeveloped portion of the property.
**In the printed version of the Fall 2024 Views, there was a mistake on the Hawthorns article regarding architect Julia Morgan as the designer for the house, cottage, barn and garage at the Hawthorns Historic Complex. Only the garage was reportedly designed by Morgan. We apologize for this misattribution.
Project Vision and Goals
The Hawthorns Area offers picturesque views of rolling oak grasslands and the Santa Cruz Mountains, provides important wildlife refuge, and reflects the region’s natural, agricultural, and social history. The District will protect and manage natural, scenic, cultural, and open space resources at the Hawthorns Area and provide ecologically sensitive public access consistent with the District’s mission and the allowable uses outlined in the property’s conservation easement.
| Goals | |
|---|---|
| Natural Resources | Protect and restore native habitat and manage for ecological resiliency of aquatic and terrestrial habitat, wildlife connectivity, and other natural resources. |
| Public Access | Open the Hawthorns Area to low-intensity public access, provide an internal trail system, and provide multi-modal access to the property. |
| Local and Regional Connectivity | Connect to adjacent public trails and explore opportunities for trail connections to regional open space lands. |
| Natural and Cultural History | Interpret the rich natural, cultural, and historic features and pursue partnerships to manage the property’s natural and cultural history. |
| Aesthetics | Highlight scenic viewpoints and design recreational amenities while protecting scenic viewsheds. |
| Operations and Maintenance | Manage the property for safe public access in a fiscally sustainable manner that promotes ongoing public support and appreciation with ongoing public engagement and consistent with the District’s Good Neighbor Policy. |
| Public Meeting Timeline | |
|---|---|
| March 12, 2025 | Midpen Board of Directors to consider and determine which options to incorporate into the preparation of the Hawthorns Area Plan. |
| February 26, 2025 | Midpen Board of Directors to review and consider the PAWG recommendations and public feedback at this Board Study Session. |
| October 30, 2024 | Feedback Session with Portola Valley Town Council. |
| October 21, 2024 | Feedback Session with Portola Valley Ad Hoc Hawthorns Committee. |
| September 17, 2024 | Forward the Public Access Working Group’s recommendations to Midpen’s Planning and Natural Resources Committee for their consideration. (Staff report, presentation) |
| June 2023 – July 2024 | 7 Hawthorns Area Plan Public Access Working Group (PAWG) meetings. View the Hawthorns PAWG page for detailed information. |
| April 26, 2023 | Midpen Board of Directors approved deliverables for Existing Conditions phase and Public Access Working Group composition and formation process. (Staff report, presentation) |
| March 21, 2023 | Deliverables from Existing Conditions phase and proposed Public Access Working Group composition and formation process presented to Planning & Natural Resources Committee. (Staff report, meeting minutes) |
| March 23, 2022 | Midpen Board of Directors reviewed and approved the vision and goals. (Staff report, meeting minutes) |
On June 28th 2023, the Hawthorns Area Public Access Working Group was officially formed by the Midpen Board of Directors to evaluate public access components.
There will be multiple opportunities throughout development of the Hawthorns Area Plan for public input. To stay informed, please sign up using the comment card below to receive updates. Additional information will be provided on this webpage as the project proceeds.
Stay informed!
Restoration
The Hawthorns Area includes rolling grassland, oak woodland and year-round flows in Los Trancos Creek that support a diverse community of native plants and wildlife. To protect the natural environment, Midpen removed debris and old vehicles from the property. Midpen staff also partnered with Grassroots Ecology to restore the property's native grasslands, including carefully timed mowing to reduce the spread of non-native yellow star thistle and removal of non-native, highly flammable French broom.
Working closely with the Woodside Fire Protection District fire marshal, Midpen also completed significant vegetation management on the property to improve community wildland fire safety, including creating a new shaded fuel break, emergency vehicle staging area and disked fire lines.
Hawthorns Historic Complex
The property was originally developed in the late 1880s as a summer estate. For more information, please visit the Hawthorns Historic Complex page.
Funded by Measure AA
Hawthorns Area Plan Resources
