HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/7/2021 Item 7b, Fabricius
Christian, Kevin
From:Peggy Fabricius <peggyfabricius@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, August
To:E-mail Council Website; Council_All
Subject:Letter to the City Council
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Safety for Stanford Drive, PLEASE
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council:
re: 468-500 Westmont project hearing on September 7th
I have now lived in SLO on Stanford Drive for 51 years, and raised our family here. In those early years our street housed
many Professors (my husband included) and their families. It was a cheerful and safe community where the children
played together, even street ball games. In the intervening 5 decades, our street has dramatically changed, and we now
have 50% student renters in residential homes owned by absentee landlords. While I have developed friendly relations
with some of my student neighbors, I cannot ignore that they each have a vehicle, and the traffic impact on our road has
become severe. Some of those vehicles are trucks or recreational vehicles, and there are usually 5 students per home,
even 6. I am the matriarch of the road, 90 years old, and I still drive. It is already challenging to back out of my driveway,
as my curb space and even my driveway is often blocked by excessive parked vehicles. More particularly, is the problem
of workers who service the homes, and who have no space to park and so they park blocking driveways. Just recently,
my driveway was completely blocked (when I was returning home) and several times it was partially blocked to the point
that it was difficult & dangerous trying to get out onto this narrow & curved street.
I am a member of The Village, a voluntary organization whose purpose is to enable seniors to continue living in their
homes. Quite often the volunteer who comes to assist me, or to drive me to a medical
appointment: cannot drive onto my driveway, and has to guide me to his vehicle at some distance. That is difficult for
me, and overall I feel vulnerable from these parking circumstances. It is NOT saving gas/fuel when a vehicle drives
around looking for a place to park. I sincerely believe that the Westmont project will be too dense a project in its current
design, and will impact our street even more to the point of compromising my safety (as well as the safety of others). It
is considered a positive good for seniors to remain in their homes, and I am taking every precaution needed to keep
myself mobile and functioning.
Seniors are an important part of the community, and I already wrote the Planning Commission at the end of May before
the most recent meeting stressing my views. I realize that the Planning Commission approved the current plan.
However, Kamelata Dandekar repeatedly emphasized her concerns about our traffic problems, and was not comfortable
with the current plan. The 1958 plan for this project showed Westmont being connected and dividing the parcel into
two halves for houses. I have heard arguments that this possibility is still viable, although more expensive for a
developer. Money is not always the crucial argument. For my part, safety, elderly safety, and even student safety is the
most important issue. It would be tragic if one of our road´s residents were injured or killed by the excessive traffic
conditions on this narrow & crooked road. Please include Jeffrey, Cuesta and even Westmont streets for other
entrances/exits for the Westmont development to save lives on Stanford Drive. I hope that you reflect on my comments,
and look at other options before adopting the City Staff recommendations. I am a 51 year resident of the City, and my
husband taught many of the current residents. Our voices matter.
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Thanking you, Peggy Fabricius, 585 Stanford Drive, SLO
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