HomeMy WebLinkAboutFriends of Bob Jones Trail_Froom Ranch DEIRCity of San Luis Obispo Community Development Department
Attn: Shawna Scott, Senior Planner
919 Palm St.
San Luis Obispo CA 93401-3218
sscott@slocity.org
Dec. 22, 2019
Re: Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Froom Ranch Specific Plan
Dear Ms. Scott:
The Friends of the Bob Jones Trail appreciates the opportunity to comment on the Draft
Environmental Impact Report for the Froom Ranch Specific Plan. Our nonprofit group
encourages a more timely completion of the City-to-the Sea multiuse trail to connect
San Luis Obispo to Avila Beach and San Luis Obispo County’s southern communities.
We believe the Bob Jones Trail will significantly increase the number of non-motorized
trips by people of all ages and abilities, improve safety, enhance public health and
provide opportunities to appreciate nature and open space.
Despite the Froom Ranch’s close proximity to the Bob Jones Trail, there is limited
reference in the DEIR to the trail, especially access for people on bicycles and
pedestrians. The references are descriptions rather than mitigations on improving
access. Here’s the primary reference: Within the Project vicinity, Class I bicycle paths
include the current southern terminus of the Bob Jones Trail, a regional bike path that
currently connects to the north side of LOVR at the intersection with the U.S. 101 NB
ramps. Within the City, the trail currently extends for approximately 1.1 miles from
LOVR north to Prado Road, with another segment within the County of roughly 3 miles
extending from Ontario Road near the Avila Beach Drive interchange with U.S. 101 to
Avila Beach. Future plans call for extending the trail from downtown San Luis Obispo to
this existing Avila Beach segment.
The DEIR concludes that transportation and traffic impacts “would consist of delays
and/or exceedance of intersection capacities, resulting in poor levels of service for
automobiles, pedestrians and bicycle modes of transportation. More specifically,
project-generated traffic would cause exceedance of intersection capacities at various
intersections not subject to the city’s authority or requiring completion of the Prado Road
Overpass/Interchange project. Although the project would implement mitigation
measures and the applicant would pay a fair share fee to offset project contributions to
this impact, as no county or Caltrans program for improvements is currently adopted,
impacts would be significant and unavoidable.” It also concludes that air quality and
greenhouse gas emission impacts remain significant and unavoidable even after
mitigation.
Table 3.13-28, Project Person Trips by Mode of Travel, in the Transportation and Traffic
chapter estimates 88.2 percent of overall trips by passenger vehicle, 4.6 percent by
bicycle, 5 percent by pedestrian and 2.2 percent by transit. The estimates show this
project will hamper the City’s ability to reach its climate action goals of 50 percent of
trips by vehicles, 20 percent bicycles and 18 percent by walking, carpools and other
forms.
The proposed mitigation measures for people on bicycles and pedestrians are obviously
inadequate given the significant and unavoidable environmental impacts. They are also
poorly described, confusing and vague regarding which developer is responsible for
bicycle and pedestrian improvements and the timing of the improvements, including
construction of a Class IV separated bikeway along the frontage of the project site on
Los Osos Valley Road and eventually both north and southbound from Calle Joaquin to
Froom Ranch Road. Mitigations cite that “project is responsible for the improvement or
fair-share contribution through payment of City Traffic Impact Fees if improvements are
constructed sooner by others.”
The Friends of the Bob Jones Trail’s specific concern is improvements to Los Osos
Valley Road between Auto Park Way and South Higuera Street so Froom Ranch
residents and visitors feel safe bicycling and walking to and from the Bob Jones Trail
access on LOVR both north and southbound. This segment of the trail connects Los
Osos Valley Road to Higuera Street at Prado Road, an existing, more direct and
vehicle-traffic-free route than via Los Osos Valley Road, Froom Ranch Road through
the San Luis Ranch development and over the Prado Road overcrossing.
People who have expressed interest in living at the Villaggio Life Plan Community at
public hearings and in correspondence in support of Froom Ranch have emphasized
their interest in staying active, including bicycling and hiking. The Friends of the Bob
Jones Trail finds the DEIR inadequate in describing mitigations that would encourage
residents and visitors to bicycle and/or walk to the Bob Jones Trail access on Los Osos
Valley Road and other destinations.
The Final EIR must include more details so decision-makers have the information they
need to make informed decisions about the Froom Ranch project and on how best to
achieve the City’s climate action goals, including more trips by bicycling and walking
and less dependence on motor vehicles.
Sincerely,
Helene Finger
President, Friends of the Bob Jones Trail