HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/16/2025 Item 6e, Brooks
Lea Brooks <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Tonight City Council Agenda Item 6e Avila Ranch
To: Mayor Stewart and Council Members Boswell, Francis, Marx and Shoresman
From: Lea Brooks, San Luis Obispo resident
Re: Item 6e, Avila Ranch
It has come to my attention that tonight you will consider approving the final map for the Avila Ranch
development on the consent calendar The Buckley Road neighborhood alerted me that a final agreement
with the owner of the land needed for the southern bicycle bridges has not been signed. Please do not
approve this map until this agreement is signed and finalized so the developer cannot back out.
Background: In 2017, the then-City Bicycle Committee, County Bicycle Committee and bicycle
community strongly advocated to require the developer of Avila Ranch to build Class II bike lanes from
South Higuera to the airport as mitigation for the 700-plus housing unit project. Instead, the City Council
required the developer to extend Buckley Road to Vachell Lane with Class II bike lanes prior to
construction of the project and to extend the bike lanes to the project's eastern boundary at a later stage
of development. As you know, construction of the bike lanes from Vachell to the project's eastern
boundary has been delayed. Even when the developer extends the bike lanes to Avila Ranch's eastern
boundary, there will still be about a mile of Buckley in the county's jurisdiction with no bike lanes.
For now, most of Buckley between Vachell and the airport remains a narrow road with little to no
shoulders and a significant increase in vehicle traffic since the road was punched through to South
Higuera in 2022. My opinion as an experienced bicyclist is to not ride this segment of Buckley Road
because it is so dangerous. A reminder that San Luis Obispo desperately needs more east-west links
between South Higuera and Broad Street/Highway 227 where bicyclists feel safe and don't fear for their
lives. For now and the near future, the only east-west links are Tank Farm Road that most bicyclists find
unsafe and South Street and its adjacent neighborhood streets.
The delays to the southern bicycle bridges and construction of Class II bike lanes to the eastern
boundary of Avila Ranch are deeply concerning, but I respectfully ask that you delay approving the final
map until the agreement with the property owner is signed and finalized.
There is good news to share: After years of delay, San Luis Obispo County recently initiated the Buckley
Road Corridor Concept Plan. Access to the project website is here: Buckleycorridorplan.com. Although
it will probably be years before there are improvements, this plan is a move in the right direction.
A reminder that Buckley Road used to be a very popular bicycle route!
Below is the relevant language in the staff report.
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3. Buckley Road Frontage Improvements: Widening of Buckley Road east of the Tank Farm Creek Bridge
along project frontage is required per Condition of Approval #107. Improvements were previously
required with Phase 4. Staff recommends requiring improvements with Phase 4 or 5, whichever comes
first. Note that this improvement requires that the Developer dedicate land to the County to facilitate the
widening of Buckley Road. The Developer has submitted an Offer of Dedication to the County and that
document has been approved by the County. The City and County will enter into a Maintenance
Agreement for this portion of Buckley Road which will memorialize maintenance responsibilities for the
improved portions of Buckley Road.
4. Buckley Bicycle Bridge (South Side): Addition of bicycle bridges on both the north and south sides of
Buckley Road crossing Tank Farm Creek are required per Mitigation Measure TRANS-11 and Condition of
Approval #109. Original approvals required construction of both bridges with Phase 2. With approval of
the Phase 2- 3 final map, the timing of southern bridge was deferred to Phase 4 to be constructed
concurrent with Buckley Road Widening. Staff recommends requiring construction of the southern
bridge with Phase 4 or 5, whichever comes first.
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