HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/14/2022 Item 4b, Terry, L.
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Leslie Terry <leslie.terry@att.net>
Sent:Wednesday, September 14, 2022 8:04 AM
To:Bell, Kyle; Advisory Bodies
Subject:USE-0477-2022 Public Comment
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Planning Commission 9/14/22 Agenda Item 4b Railroad Square Safe Parking
Members of the Planning Commission and city staff, my name is Leslie Terry and I live on Chorro Street approximately 560’
from the safe parking program site. We’ve lived in our home for over 22 years and it is on the City’s Master List of Historic
Resources. The unhoused situation is clearly challenging and I am grateful the city is partnering with agencies to try and
offer solutions.
I have not been contacted by staff to provide my input on Railroad Square Safe Parking Program (program). I will echo
sentiments noted in the staff report that I too have concerns regarding the presence of unhoused individuals at the site,
outside the hours of operation, especially persons not participating in any sort of Case Management or working to transition
to more permanent housing. While I do not have a direct complaint regarding the management of the program, I do believe
that its operation in this location comes with unintended consequences and negative impacts for the neighborhood,
including health and safety impacts and parking impacts.
I’d like to begin by sharing some of my experiences.
In the last few years there has been a significant increase in what is probably classified as petty crime… our trash is
regularly gone through – which isn’t a problem except persons take our bags out of our can, tear open the bags, and then
leave our rubbish spread out on the ground for me to pick up. Our home has a driveway along the side of the house which
leads to a garage some distance from the street. We have a camera which records activity on our driveway and in our
backyard (mostly because we like to see what our dogs are up to while we are at work). In recent years, we have recorded
individuals coming up our drive, looking into our backyard and looking into our home’s windows. For the first time ever and
within the last year our car has been broken into and ransacked - the glove box and center console unloaded and contents
scattered about. For probably the last 8 years we have put up a fairly elaborate Christmas display – recent years we have
experienced tampering and theft of decorations.
My morning routine includes walking my dogs and then later riding my bike to work utilizing the pedestrian bridge over the
tracks. There has been a noticeable increase in encounters with persons potentially struggling with substance abuse and or
mental health issues. I’ve been verbally assaulted on more than one occasion. There has been a significant increase in
trash piles in the railroad parking area including plastic bottles of what appears to be urine.
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Despite our proximity to downtown, businesses and the train station, parking has always been readily available – especially
on the weekends when it appears students return home or travel. In the last few years, this trend has reversed. Parking is
particularly problematic on the weekends. I have seen multiple travelers with luggage making their way to the train
station. I do not believe they are now parking in our neighborhood due to costs with the railroad long term parking but rather
because they have concerns with leaving their vehicle in the midst of an unhoused encampment.
I believe the program has led to an increase in unhoused persons in the neighborhood. Clearly persons are living outside
the program area boundaries… maybe they were denied access to the program, have no interest in abiding by its rules, or
they’ve been suspended. Maybe they are program participants that relocate from their designated overnight parking location
to a block over at 7 am – compliant with the rules. Driving through the railroad parking lot on any given day, you will see
multiple individuals all day and night, many using belongings to designate multiple parking spaces for their use. If this trend
continues, there will eventually be no parking for train and bus passengers, the museum or businesses which rely on the
parking.
Clearly there’s no way to know if my negative experiences come from the safe program parking participants or other
unhoused persons. In any case, I believe that there is a perception that anyone can park overnight or longer in the railroad
lot. This results in health and safety concerns in the neighborhood and a parking issue. I appreciate the updated
Neighborhood Relations Plan – I have had an ongoing issue of not knowing who to call when there has been concerns with
the program. Several times we have tried to google who exactly is responsible and it hasn’t been clear. In any case, this
new plan does not speak to the issue of overall increase in unhoused persons in the vicinity who presumably have no
interest in participating case management, abiding by safe parking program rules and who choose to park a few spaces
over. Who is responsible for issues with these persons?
I’d like to propose that rather than maintain two safe parking locations within the city, that the safe parking program at Prado
be expanded (if it has reached its capacity). If Prado is not at capacity, I’d like to request that persons be encouraged to
seek assistance there rather than at this secondary location. Should your commission op. to entertain the continuance of a
second location, I’d encourage you to consider perhaps relocating the program to the City Hall Parking lot. This puts the
program closer to city law enforcement who could potentially help enforce program rules and public transportation. Should
your commission opt to continue the Railroad program, I would encourage you to consider a six-month extension of the
temporary parking program rather than a permanent program. This time will allow the city, CAPSO and residents the
opportunity to evaluate the success of the updated Neighborhood Relations Plan.
Thank you for reading,
Leslie Terry
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