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HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/15/2020 Item 9, Schott Lisa Schott & Ron Leverett 28 Los Verdes Drive San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 City Council Public Hearing City of San Luis Obispo 990 Palm Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 emailcouncil@slocity.org September 11, 2020 Re: Public Comment Regarding Froom Ranch Specific Plan Agenda Item Dear Members of the City Council: We live at Los Verdes Park 1, located near the intersection of South Higuera and Los Osos Valley Roads. We want to register our concerns regarding the traffic congestion and circulation issues, increasing poor air-quality, increasing road noise, and the difficulty we face each time we on Los Verdes Drive. Some examples of traffic issues include the r Highway 101 southbound off-ramp at Los Osos Valley Road (LOVR). This new off-ramp turned out to be worse than the temporary diverted off-ramp that followed Calle Joaquin frontage road. Now traffic backs up onto the highway into the traffic lanes making it very unsafe to exit the highway. The left turn lane onto LOVR is too short and the right turn lane is too heavily impacted by traffic often backing up onto the highway. The Froom Ranch development will add to the traffic exiting the highway at LOVR. This off-ramp, even if it is extended to 350 feet as proposed, it will still be inadequate to safely exit the highway during many hours each day. Additionally, on several occasions as we have waited at the signal at the LOVR southbound off-ramp from US Highway 101, we have witnessed drivers speed through the intersection when our light is green. We believe that this is in part due to the signal at Calle Joaquin confusing drivers as they pass through the off- and on-ramp intersection just 300 feet away from the Calle Joaquin signal. There have been many accidents at these intersections and a third signal at the Froom Ranch entrance will not help matters. LOVR is already greatly impacted and recently a woman was killed at the intersection of LOVR and Calle Joaquin. Additionally, the LOVR right- turn-lane onto US Highway 101 is inadequate to handle the amount of vehicles that use it every day as it stands today and traffic often backs up all the way to the Home Depot/Costco shopping centers. If Froom Ranch development is approved, there will be four signals within one-half mile stretch of roadway along LOVR. How can the City allow this? Better infrastructure planning must take a priority over developer demands and developers must not be allowed to forgo promised mitigation measures after their project has been approved and built out. Avila Ranch development during Phase 1was supposed to adjust the Higuera and LOVR signal timing after the interchange was completed and this has not be done or it was not done to allow enough of a Lisa Schott & Ron Leverett 28 Los Verdes Drive San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 traffic break during peak traffic times for us to exit our HOA due to Southbound right turning traffic on Higuera. The City is currently reeling from all the developments currently on-going with immense amounts of traffic congestion and an abundance of trucks, which are tearing up the roads daily. The intersection of LOVR and South Higuera is already very congested, too narrow, too heavily traveled, rated F, and needs mitigation. The proposed LOVR Bypass may help with congestion at this part of town, but it is not currently being funded. A TIF for the LOVR Bypass must be established now to plan for its future construction. We understand the need in the community to provide senior care for all levels of income, the need for more affordable housing, and we are not opposed to the Froom Ranch project; however, it is the location of the project that is of concern. The Froom Ranch development is not well placed in the community and it will have only one open exit when an emergency strikes. The other two vehicle exits will require emergency personnel to physically unlock the gate and remove bollards for vehicles to exit. We do not understand how this development can be allowed to be built without open emergency exits. In an emergency, these exits will not be immediately available for use. Additionally, all the exits funnel onto LOVR, which will be immensely impacted with traffic during a wildfire or other disaster. One suggestion to help reduce the traffic along LOVR (if the Froom Ranch Development is approved), is that the 27 affordable housing units should be first offered to employees working onsite, or be offered to eligible employee family-members (if the affordable unit is in the care facility portion), be permanently resale restricted (if the unit is saleable), and remain onsite employee housing in perpetuity. The city needs to require more from the developer(s) and to hold them to their promises. We ask that you at a minimum consider and examine the following: Examine current LOVR traffic problems and address the problems prior to approving more development Establish a TIF for the LOVR Bypass Hold developers accountable for their promised mitigation measures and do not let them shirk their responsibilities Consider the safety of the hundreds of people that will be at the Froom Ranch development when an emergency occurs and there is only one exit open Affordable housing elements should be first offered to those folks who are working at the development and be held as an affordable unit in perpetuity Thank you for your consideration, Lisa Schott and Ron Leverett, Los Verdes Park 1 Homeowners