HomeMy WebLinkAbout4/1/2025 Item 8a, Finger
Helene Finger <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:April 1 City Council Meeting, Item 8a - Broadstone Village
Attachments:BJT City Council 1 April 2025.pdf
This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or
respond.
________________________________
Please share attached letter for Item 8a on the April 1, 2025 agenda, with City Council members.
Thank you,
Helene Finger
1
Dear Mayor and City Council Members, March 30, 2025
I am writing today representing Friends of the Bob Jones Trail addressing Item 8a, the
proposed Broadstone Village development project. Based on critical safety and
accessibility concerns, we ask that the approved, creekside alignment of the Bob Jones
Trail be incorporated into the design alternatives for this project.
Currently, the approved Bob Jones Trail alignment is left out of both of the proposed project
plans. One of the options leaves out the trail entirely. The other one claims to be
“realigning” the Bob Jones Trail, but in reality it is simply appropriating the name as it forces
people walking and riding to travel a longer distance, along LOVR, and across - unprotected
- both vehicle entrances/exits for this 400+ unit development - there is no other part of the
Bob Jones Trail where this high level of vehicle conflict/stress occurs.
In San Luis Obispo, most fatal collisions between motorists and cyclists/pedestrians
happen at intersections/driveways. An undeveloped property is one of the lucky times
when an engineer can design the multimodal transportation system so that fatalities
don’t occur. For this project, placing the multiuse path on the creekside of the
development eliminates the crossing of transportation modes, which is how engineering
design can create an inherently safe solution.
Following this engineering design principle, most new developments in our community
have built multiuse trails away from busy arterials without driveways/intersections and
they work beautifully. For example, in Righetti Ranch the multiuse path is adjacent to the
railroad tracks (with no vehicle crossings/conflicts) and the nearby homes face the
pathway.
On the other hand, the current Broadstone Village Project follows a suburban development
pattern, not in compliance with our General Plan, that is made for cars and actually
discourages people from walking and riding due to its unsafe design. Imagine if instead this
project provided a site plan that embraced the creekside amenity, having homes facing the
creekside trail & open space, along with direct bike/ped connection via an intersection-free
trail that provided a shorter route, separated from cars for people walking and bicycling to
get to schools (CL Smith, Laguna) and stores (Costco, Target, etc.).
As stated in the sta[ report, this project is in an early stage and now is the right time to
provide direction to incorporate safe bike/ped infrastructure principles, “This early
consideration is an opportunity for Council to provide input on the project at the beginning
of the review process”. This will also set us up to get outside trail funding in time to
match the project design/construction schedule.
As you likely know, the County will begin construction within a year on the Bob Jones Trail
segment that will connect this trail from Avila Beach to the Octagon Barn. The timing of the
Broadstone Village project is perfect for closing the final gap in this safe trail for all ages
and abilities.
Based in part on engineering design principles that prioritize elimination of vehicle/trail
crossings, the creekside alignment for the segment on this parcel was determined after a
year-long community engagement process as part of a grant funded connection study for
this segment (Nov 2013). The city incorporated the future alignment into the LOVR bridge
widening project (over US 101 and SLO Creek), and built pathway infrastructure that
terminates at the planned trail connection (complete April 2016).
The trail alignment and a mitigated negative declaration were approved by the City Planning
Commission (Nov 2016) followed by the County Planning Commission (July 2017)
approving conformity of this alignment with their General Plan.
Please direct sta[ to incorporate the safe, creekside alignment for the Bob Jones Trail in the
design alternatives now, before it is too late.
Thank you,
Helene Finger
President, Friends of the Bob Jones Trail