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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/18/1994, 4 - CIRCULATION ELEMENT 1 HAND DELIVERED _ , W Hilda J. Roza 704 N ;ion (corner Mission IR '4 . _. & N. Broad Sts . 704 M-IssIOD Oct , 20, 1994 San luitUbisyo.�Q `''' '" San Luis Obispo , Ca 93405 TEL : 543-6559 ^pm Honorable City Council MEETING=AGENDA eIWOMM 101 City of San Luis Obispo DATE bITEM #MMM NT City Hall San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 ATT: Diane Gladwell , City Clerk IN RE: IN SUPPORT TO CLOSE N. BROAD ST . ON & OFF RAMPS & REASON My late husband and I built our home at 704 Mission St . in 1949 . We chose this location because it was a quiet , rural country-like atmosphere . and I have continuously lived here thereafter . Over the years , with the demise of my husband and the increase of students at Cal Poly as well as the increased population , the traffic has become unbearable at times. My home faces Mission & my garages face N. Broad St . N. Broad St . has been serving as an arterial street since the ramps were installed at the time the Freeway was built . This street from Foothill (where it now begins) until the freeway ramps is less than one mile . In that mile the city has over the years placed four (4) STOP SIGNS & FOUR (4) SPEED BUMPS . All this is to control the . excessive speed on said speedway. At times I have a difficult time getting out of my driveway, and I have _.been looking for the urgent closing of said ramps for the foregoing and -,following reasons : This portion of N. Broad St . is only 50 ' wide . It allows parking on both -sides of the street , which narrows it further . One ex-council person does not even have a garage and/or off street parking for his autos (when he built his home) . There are no sidewalks on the West side of Broad St . , serving as an arterial street . We have many large truckers that use the on and off ramps to make their deliveries to the Foothill area, taking a chance on not getting ticketed . We cannot have a policeman for each violato I am perhaps the oldest living (in seniority) resident on this street ex- cept for my friend Frances (Mrs . Dominic) Serrano Bressi, who lives high on San Luis Mountain and is not affected by the heavy traffic . Some years back a city council in SLO voted to have a freeway route thru this area. The citizenry was opposed, changed city council members who voted to abandon the vote of the previous council and it was designated to have an alternate freeway route through the Los Osos Valley Road. Mr . Romero, then City Engineer and/or Public Works Director was very much in favor of the Broad Freeway as initially proposed. Let it go into. the record, that Mr . Romero would not personally be affected by any traffic, as he chose for his residence a home at 2057 Skylark Lane (a dead-end very quite street , and has .;dubbed said street DAVID-ROMERO ROAD, according to a sign on his front yard.) 'So any opinion that comes from him regarding the residents of Broad Street with their speed problems , could be partially blamed on him, for his lack of not implementing the alternate Los Osos Valley Route as well as the widening and extension of Foothill Blvd past this Old House and joining the Los Osos Valley Route . FROM : Hilda T . Roza San Luis Obispo Cit? )uncil ' Oct . 20, 1994 Page 2 Let it also go on record (and hopefully investigated) that thanks to Mr . Romero , I have the widest sidewalks on Broad & Mission Sts . As City Engi..eer it was his say so how wide I should have my sidewalks installed after my husbands death in 1955 . Mr . Romero said I ,would be establishing the pre- cedent on a corner lot . I spent large sums of money as a widow to imple- ment a precedent that no-one else followed . There are no sidewalks of any width across the street on the West side . Mr . Leonard Lenger, a cement contractor engineer who installed my side- walks , said he NEVER WOULD HAVE FORCED THESE WIDE SIDEWALKS if he was still City Engineer. (Neither Leonard Lenger nor Fred Hamlin wanted the City Engineering job that Mr. Romero was hired for and made a well paid position out of same as well as accepting teaching at the university, I understand. ) Letter to the Editor of Sept . 29 , 1994 by Gerald L. Parsons titled "LEAVE THE RA14PS ALONE deserves an explanation. Mr . Parsons purchased an older house on the 800 Blockof Venable "for the lot" . He demolished the house and built for himself and his new wife a beautiful home on that very quite one block street that dead-ends on Lincoln Street and Chorro Streets . He is not affected by the heavy traffic for his neighborhood that these ramps create , so his opinion in the letter should be dis-regarded. Penny Rappa has in her Statement of Candidate for MAYOR IN THE SAMPLE BALLOT THAT SHE PLEDGES - "Protect your neighborhood" . The only neighborhood she ever protected was her own. She and her husband purchased an older home at 1435 So . Broad Street which they remodeled beautifully. I owned my family home( stead) at 2007 So. Broad St . (adjacent to the Union Oil Serx Station at the tri-angle of So. Broad, Upham & Story Streets . Highway 91227 was designated to go from Higuera Street all the way to the airport , which would mean widening all of So. Broad St . WELL, my property was the first to be condemned and widened (at 2007 So . Broad St . ) , because when the gas station was built , the set-back lines were established, so my sidewalks were moved back 10" . That is not enough, when that was done, some city committee decided they needed bicycle lanes , so they came out a white striped 10' more , starting on Upham St . past service station and my adjacent property. This meant I lost 20' on an already sub-standard family lot . Penny Rapp and her neighbors worked on abandoning the set back lines for in front of her property by calling it "The Old Town Neighborhood" . This was not preserving my neighborhood, but protecting her investment & interest I would urge Bill Roalman to not seek advise from Mr . David Romero, because the people affected are the ones that have the answers . Mr . Romero was on his job long enough to have corrected problems rather than avoid them by building on a dead-end street . (These matters are to the best of my memory - I am scheduled to be hosp- italized for surgery tomorrow, Oct. 21st or I would be down testifying. I welcome an investigation of all my allegations and personal interviews when I am recuperated) FROM : Hilda T . Roza 4 ' San Luis Obispo City uncil Oct . 20, 1994 Page 3 BROAD Street, both North and South, is one of the oldest streets , the longest street and the narrowest street ( the section of N. Broad from Foothill to the on/off ramps) : It was named BROAD because in those horse and buggy days it was BROAD. But by todays traffic and standards , it is a very, very narrow street at 50 ' wide . According to Webster ' s New World Dictionery BROAD means WIDE : of large extent SIDE TO SIDE. This is not the .case with this street . Especially for the traffic it carries as an arterial street . It would be just fine if just the residents used it . I say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. We have had enough of the outside "political pets" come in here for their jobs and taking over mis-managing our city. We should start worrying and taking care of the natives and their neighborhood. Curtail growth that creates traffic and close the proposed ON/OFF RAMPS as recommended by DKS Associates whom the taxpayers paid for a study and re- commendation. Let us not inconvenience the natives to make room for new:.- comers . ew=comers . Charity begins at home . My only child and her two children are third and fourth generation natives . They do not deserve to continually be smelling car fumes from the traffic that uses this street . And I personally would appreciate not having to continually smell polluted air from automobile exhaust. Respectfully Submitted, Hilda J . Roza M CD')DiF p .� C RN DSR k� F C 6 !V CA^ J PRE CF:1.1, t. X .:V. i X - LCUA: � -; OCT 1 8 1994 - i�CCL,, r... •:n CITY CLERK SAN .IDIS OBISPO.C' X '1'•54hVi IIG 4 In The Superior Court of The State of California In and for the County of San Luis Obispo AFFIDAVIT OF PUBLICATION No. dv1-52542-0-4 City of SLO STATE OF CALIFORNIA, ss. County of San Luis Obispo I am a citizen of the United States and a resident of the wlloVgrli CITY of County aforesaid; I am over the age of eighteen and not i San tuts oslspo CITY COUNCIL matter PUBLIC HEARINGS interested in the above-entitled on Tuesday. October 18, 1994, the San Luis Obispo City Council will hold public I om now, and at all times embraced hearings rinibeginning niGhcou I Chambers of City Hall,990 Palm Street, in the publication herein mention was, the principal clerk on the items listed below. The reports will be available for review In the City Clerk's of the printers and publishers of the SAN LUIS OBISPO Department on the Wednes- day before the meeting. For more Information,please call COUNTY TELEGRAM-TRIBUNE, a newspaper of general 781-71 TheCouncil may also dis- cuss other hearings or busi- ness Items before or after circulation, printed and published daily, Sundays ex- those listed. If you challenge any one of the proposed actions described below in cepted, at the City of San Luis Obispo in the above court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the named county and state; that notice public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City Council at,or prior to, the public hearing. POWER BLOWER NOISE REGULATIONS-to consider amending the noise regula- tions to allow power blowers at which the annexed clipping is a true printed copy, was to operate from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in commercial published in the above-named newspaper and not in any zones.(15 min.). APPEAL..RACHEL STREET supplement thereof — on the following dates, to-wit: to.consider an appeal of an Architectural Review Com- mission action to approve a October 8 four-unit apartment project at 2006 Rachel Street.(45 min.). APPEAL - SETBACK EX. CEPTION - to consider an appeal of a Planning Commis- sion action to deny Use Permit A 106-94,a request to allow a zero-foot setback for a shade cloth structure at 1176 that said newspaper was duly and regularly ascertained Buchon Street.(20 min.). and established a newspaper of eneral circulation b clay of SAN Lell,oelsao g Y Diane R.Gladwell,City Clerk Decree entered in the Superior Court of San Luis Obispo Ott 8,1994 dvM2 County, State of California, on June 9, 1952, Case #19139 under the provisions of Chapter 1, Division 7, Title of the Government Code of the State of California. I certify (or declare) under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. (Signature of Principal Clerk) Date October 8 19 _ .94 IIII 111111t:::: : : City of San US OBISPO ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING COUNCIL AGENDA Tuesday, October 18 1994 - 8.30 AM Council Chamber, City Hall 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Peg Pinard PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL: Council Members Penny Rappa, Dave Romero, Bill Roalman, Vice Mayor Allen K. Settle and Mayor Peg Pinard PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD (Not to exceed 15'minutes totaq< The'Council welcomes your input,,You may address the Council'.by comple. ng'a speakers : slip and gnring n to the City Clerk prior to the meeting ' `At this time, you may address the Council on Mems that are noton the agenda or Mems on'the Consent'Agenda Time hmit as three minutes State aaw does not allow`Council to discuss ortake action on issues not 0" the; agenda, except that members of the Council or staff., may 'briefly:respond to 'statements made or :questions posedby persons exercising their public testimony rights (Gov 'Code §54954.2) Staff.may;be asked to:follow-up`on'such items Staff`reports"and other written documentation relating to each item:referred to On'this'agenda`are on.... e m the C Clerks Office in Room #1 of C Hall Y None. :COUNCIL LIAISON REPORTS (not to exceed 15 minutes) Council Members repo.t on conferences or other'City activities ; Time limit 3 minutes None. 1 . ..... ...... ...... .............. ........... ........... ..x X.......... ... ....... .......... ... .......... ................ ............. ............ Shp, .. .......................................... ............speak you.......... Sk the 0 wi you 0 e.po M .... you have:filled out a:S0eaker ip, a..:Mayor 0. t the podium ewe .....PUBLIC HEARINGS< ............ .......... ....... .......... your name'and i 0 a microphone:an give d f i I th ...........resic residence or% e:.record...::::.Plbdsb:rithi.t.�::�::: ... ....... .............. t. Lit your b6trime 0 3 minutes, consultant and project limitedtori 0:min ect::presentations X.: I hose issues-youor challenge a :you Miley be limited to F utes � you Jt6ue...in- : &.§Ing only those .....,........:.s...P......r...e......o.. ..n.................'............ rased at s::..:.::.:.p...u....l...c........ea..r...nga...s..!...described baI wj.. or ' in: writt..:. ......Y..: ...........a......n .corres ondercedelivered .W eity:befdr during ublic hearin . g .. ► ...... X. I CIRCULATION ELEMENT (McCLUSKEY/462 - 3 hrs.) Public hearing to consider the Draft Circulation Bement. (Continued from 9/13/94, 9/27/94, and 10/14/94.) Scheduled this morning: Street Standards, Neighborhood Traffic Management, Street Network Changes. (Pages 18 - 31) ♦ RECOMMENDATION: Hold hearing to consider the draft Circulation Element and, by motion, direct staff to make appropriate changes as discussed this evening. McCluskey** RAW ACTFON.- Discussion held; continued to Tuesday, October 18, 1994 at 7.,00 p.m. ........... .................... ........ . .............................. . .......... Is . ..... COMMUNICATIONS (not toexceed :15rhin gtiVo..Offlcermay tt ­' thihigk:a: ti for ri ,At this time, any Council Member or the City Administrative... ... .... ... asques o Icla 4cation: make an announcement :or report briefly on'his her:activities :1n addition,`:. a ....... subject ubje. d. tto Council Policies and Proceduiresthey maypro iid.. a a:reIference.tostaff or other resourcesf6r.factuAl information, rejuest staffto back: tot e :Council ::.. subsequent meeting concerning any matter, or take action.to direct staff tooplace a matter.:.. of -agenda business on.a future: (Gov.�Cb( e:049542) .. ................... . ........... .. ........ None. ADJOURNED TO TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1994 AT 7:00 P.M. 2 kr-MING AGENDA SGT 1 :r 1594 DATE16-1 "q ITEM #- October 17. 1994 �i� CLERK Mayor and Councilmembers We have lived in the Teach School District since 1950. We have seen changes in local traffic, changes of the intense increase of traffic on highway 1, and changes as a result of. decisions by the City Council. The City Council decided to widen Johnson, Broad and Higuera to better serve the population on the south side of town where the growth has recently been occuring. You widened Madonna Road to serve the Mall and the people living in that area. You also widened a portion of Santa Rosa Strect, but was that to accomodate the residents of San Luis Obispo? We think not. In our area of town put in the mix of our neighborhoods; an additional population of students living in single residences, additional concentrated student housing at Broad and Ramona and the dorms at Foothill and Santa Rosa. All added since the original design of the streets. Our end of town is fuirther impacted with out of town commuters to the Men's Colony, to Cal Poly and to downtown from Monro Bay and Los Osos. Traffic in the south portion of town is accomodated by wider streets to handle the increased, mostly towns, people. Yet you suggest that it is reasonable and desireable to require us to use one street; Santa Rosa, to get to town, even though it is serving those from the outlying towns and the increased population of student housing. Traffic on Santa Rosa Street is difficult enough because drivers on Highway 1 are unaware of the lane changes needed to go south onto Highway 101. and abruptly change lanes between Murray and Olive. It is already the pits, and I avoid it. Shunting traffic away from Chorro and Broad Streets is insane. Broad Street should be openned up south of Serrano to encourage more traffic access to the freeway south. The lane to enter the freeway should be extended to allow autos to reach freeway speed. There are no special circumstances that I am aware of among the residents on Chorro Street I use the street and have used the street for over 30 years. I agree that traffic should adhere to the speed limits. The houses on Chorro shelter about 6 families with children in the 7 or 8 blocks between Highland and Lincoln. There are no special needs, unless you consider the large number of seniors who inhabit the houses. If the streets are blocked off I would be concerned about access for safety vehicles, also. I agree the Broad Street north bound off ramp should be closed, that it allows_,, � .�„�� enter the Mission School. KCOUNCIL ❑ CDD DIR CA0 ❑ FIN DIR 'CAO ❑ FIRE CHIEF AT70 fi— P-ol DIR FvL.Oc CHF ❑ f�eG'i:i ML F.i 0 P,:C UP 0 C BLEAD F:'y f] um uif Do not close the south bound ramp on Broad Street and do not shut off Chorro Street.. Slow the speeds allowed on the streets. Do not creat a fiasco by requiring evenyone to use Santa Rosa Street. Sinc e J. R. Barlow and Patricia Barlow 544 Princeton Placeq .7per Chorro/Broad Street Neighb( 116 Chorro Street ` San Luis Obispo, C9 93405 ,` ,. . "• 1 Z �ogL1 ., October 11, 1994 Mr. Terry Sanville MEETING AGENDA Department of Public Works DATE ITEM #, 955 Morro Street 8 '3o AM San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Dear Terry: On October 3, 1994, the Upper Chorro/Broad Street Neighbors reviewed city staff's traffic calming proposal for the northeast and northwest corners of the Chorro/Mission Street intersection. The Neighbors unanimously approved the design, which was marked as At#1. Following that meeting, the neighbors living on all four corners of Mission and Chorro streets were presented with your proposed design, and all supported it without modification. In fact, everyone is anxiously awaiting the start of construction. The Upper Chorro/Broad Street Neighbors greatly appreciate staffs cooperation and efforts towards calming traffic in our neighborhood. At the appropriate time we will need to discuss how the neighborhood can contribute towards landscaping the traffic calming measures and instituting additional measures to get the non-neighborhood traffic under control. Once again, Terry, thank you very much. If you have any questions, please call me at 543-0104, or Carol Tangeman at 549-8511. Sincerely, COUNCIL CDD DIR Jeff Wagner GAO IT FIN DIR ACRO O FIRE CHIEF i )(f"+J DIR CLER;vori n CI POLICE CHF /cc: Mike McCluskey ❑ NIG ""i'S"IJ D REC DiR i7 _1 0 t=E;iS D:R T. Sanui 116 C;TY COUNCIL i !IM 06ISP0_ CA : RECE,.IVED N� 1AGENDA I n. A OCT: 17 1994 AM. I 'pA . ,t 8.30 . - .i.. CITY COUNCIL -aN SPO k3 rr'nl' :� , . ate. ., • _ • a-� -� . � ' � .cam, � (��\J '. '1 '•.I.��' it _ - &f jy /pRiQ9 'PCWD:DD,IOCOUNCIL CAO ; 7NDIRR ,,I.R`,'; VTdFIRECHIE; F1, POGCE'CHFp MTEkA . CIR�C_OIF,• 00 4flS OIR � • . ?Sanvil���' � ' `, ' 716 HIG.UERA STREET : ..SAN,I UIS'OBISPO,CALIFORNIA 93401 805 541-0988 MEE=:: _ S AGENDA DATEITEM 8=3o A Ar COUt4CIL CDD DIR CAO ❑ FIN DIR t; October 16, 1994 ACAO ❑ FIRE CHIEF ; ATTCnNEY X P-01 D!R City Council I JP CLEF1KrORIG ❑ POLICE CHF'. City of San Luis Obispo ❑ IVIGRU TEAKA ❑ REC DIR ❑ CCR'E.ADD F:LZ 13UTIL MR ❑ !"ciiS DIR Dear Councilmembers, ' T. I am writing to express another point of view regarding the issue of traffic problems on Chorro Street north of Highway 101. My family and I, like a significant number of other city residents, live in the Foothill/Ferrini area. Our residence is near the western end of Foothill Blvd. My wife and I take many trips both to downtown SLO and to locations to the south and west of downtown. There are two barriers to these journeys. One is San Luis Mountain, the other is Highway 101. Our choices for how to reach our destinations are limited to Santa Rosa and Chorro streets.For other destinations, California St. or Los Osos Valley road will work, but they are much too far out the way to be practical as access to the above-mentioned areas. As anyone who frequents these routes will tell you, Santa Rosa street is way too crowded and has too many stop lights. The logical choice for ourselves and many others is to use Chorro St. . Chorro St. was designated as the access route not by us, but by the planners who made this the one street with an underpass at Highway 101. Were this not available, Santa Rosa would become even more impossible to use. The result might be truly less trips into downtown. We would shop less, enjoy restaurants less, participate in less community activities, and would feel even more cut off from the rest of town than we do now. Restricting traffic on Chorro St. would satisfy the vocal minority who long for a quieter neighborhood, or possibly higher property values. To them I would say - you knew what you were getting when you decided to live there. The traffic problem has been there a long time, it's not suddenly a new mysterious force. Those of us who feel this way are not greedy traffic hogs without a care for the environment, we are busy families with children, who carpool whenever we can, slow down whenever we can, and have the same desire for a quieter and simpler life that you do. Spending more of our life sitting at Santa Rosa traffic lights that we can't even get through on the first try doesn't sound very appealing. Oct 1 ; 1994 ,;!TY CLERK OBISPO, Here are some suggestions for making some real headway on City traffic problems: 1. Work to get Prado road extended across 101 to Madonna Rd. , with additional freeway access. Closing Broad St. south on-ramp would then be possible. 2. Build a new road from Madonna area to Foothill west, going just - south of San Luis Mountain. The amount of extra driving that occurs between Foothill and Madonna area is unbelievable. 3. Reroute highway 1 onto this new road, then out O'connor road and west of Cuesta College. This is the only ultimate solution to the Santa Rosa traffic, and maybe then we could drive on it instead of Chorro! 4. And of course, find a way across the railroad tracks in the South street/Bishop St. area. 5. Develop truly convenient bus service from one side of town to the other. As long as it takes 45 minutes to make a ten minute car trip, very few people will choose bus transportation over cars. As long as there are so many obstacles to direct routes for traffic flow in this town, there will be too much traffic on existing routes, and problems like Chorro street will continue. .Thanks for listening, Robert S. Naimark 130 Cerro Romauldo San Luis Obispo MEETING AGENDA LIVE OAK DATE / ITEM #._.L_ 4NDSCAPES �OUIICIL CDD DIR PL- I P( -cl and Members of -the ! AO City Council �V ❑ FIN DIR CAO ❑ FIRE CHIEF c:i t y c;= a n i_L(i s CI b i_i p o T I RNEY "�ij Pct:i ill Stt e!L't ❑/A�J DIR CLERK�O[t!G POLICE CHF'1 pari Luis C,bispo, Ca. R.__h:4 1 f ❑ MGWTTEzLh, ❑ REC DIR . 1 ❑ C . D FILE 0 LIM DiR i R.E. POWERBLOWERNOISEREC57ULF�-f:h.OP,IIS L� ❑ f'E:S DIh j' DLnar Nla.yor- Penard and Council Members. i am p [,'..l'-�C.C: you -vi-ill L.UI"1 ei'1 F:'I" ct fi'iL l"i(' :I.l"1'cl l'_he-, PLgu.l.atiorl=s to allow 'L.he_:' L(sP_ Oi' power" blower-E! in cornmet' cial ZOr)e5 '{'Y`ORI :' . f?! a, M. 'I_o ,6. (l ) Q. (Yl,. dul" 1 r1rJ 'y'nLi Y" COLlr. meeting an October 1+a. . I`c'y company providc != land--cak.pe mai.ntE.InEnC2 ser"v7.cc?':� 9-n1- numc_r•nus t;usinesses located in the downtown arae. Part o! oul- maintenance resl_osil.7i. ). i'LiF?c> :i.nclucle cla_aning walk::ways and pari:: ing _i-c'as, . and that carr most effectiv�l ; 6c! clone with power blowers whr=n the lots :-ar-e ( typically (typcally L-i:rfore B. U(_I a. m. ) 'We! thr're'f=ore sc:hlcdulr? aUl' commet"Ci.cal aCCOUntS 'f"Ot'" Lh7.'_ time' of- the da•,/, vhl. lf:.'. OL11' te511'lerl{.1%a i. cL(St(7neh—s I'eceive ser-vice after- 8-. 00 a. m. . i ec�dl_'s. to s:_tv, contirluinq L e 8. (,i(1 a. m. start t.irne err a.Lc„s additional work i-UI" US,. and additional complaints '=Y t7fri ul..lt- clic-n-ts, incl thy.iil einplo•y'(.'es (whose c:ar-s clef dirty cd.<_::. wrm at—temr:t t-o clean around 't h(-_-mt) , f.-luestlon VJho berl C-?'1 it..s- -Frain t.hc? 8. i.)i) ca. Imi. <.a"tc:u--t . t ime. A11 :irltEt-ested parties sc.c-!m -to pt-c-14-('r We gtmt. this wit-I: done i>•'j1L '"l= 3. (-)0/. Sil1Ce thE'EiE' aC:CCIUnts zi C' iiot_ ].rl close.? pt-o':'irnivd 'to any I"e51C1t:'_'rltial al'r`cls, L'JC`'' ve ne-ver v-e.c P..jivc)d :7. r_oml_ .ta.a.nt fi'ur sur aJr_,rt:: r.Jt(r :!.rly LI-u:;sF'? hour s. FIS l Under-atand it , thi= city has r—ecF weld only a 4=ew campla.ints aver the past rc?w year's p&rtair-ng to ].aa.-F blowet—s. My e;:per"ic?rli.e :i.s Consis-tant with that, nial::incl m(? lna;nd2= - if ,,,'ou artz_ att.c_'mp Linn 'Lo _iolve x f'l r)rl r ;<15tic'rllt (� 7 v":r_vE! vanfl cl ""a, ISI"1(_?i- r lir I ' �! 199 43 Via Esteban � ., L. .nds,_t.i.'a:. CorrLl actor L:i.c. kki� 77ij^ San Luis Obispo, California 93401 (805) 543-7237 MEEL.., DATE Yn EWI # MSan Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce 1039 Chorro Street e San Luis Obispo, California 93401-3278 (805) 781-2777 • FAX (805) 543-1255 David E. Garth, Executive Director COUNCIL CDD DIR October 13, 1994 1A0 ❑ FIN DIR I�CAO U FIRE CHIEF Honorable Mayor and City Council �J AT OFFIN r ePgr DIR City of San Luis Obispo ' �CLEIEtfo!�IP 0 POLICE CHF' 990 Palm Street U IUGN)T TEtihi ❑ REC DSR �7 C READ F" i] tJTIL DIR Luis Obispo, CA 93401 ai ❑ PEAS DIP E. RE: Draft Circulation Update(Meeting carried over to 10/14 — 1:30 p.m.) �. YA V 1AE Dear Mayor and City Council Members: The San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce wishes to add to its comments of our letter dated October 7, 1994 concerning the Draft Circulation Element. The Chamber of Commerce wishes to make it clear that we are in favor of alternative transportation and efforts towards significant modal shift. We believe, as you do, that street widening and road projects should be considered as last priority in the list of solutions to traffic congestion and air pollution problems. However, we are very concerned about the EQTF version of the draft which recommends the elimination of ' many projects from the capital improvements list in Figure #4. The Chamber feels strongly that there must remain a "safety net" that would not eliminate the possibility of a street widening should all other efforts fail in the future. We do not want to see our city plan itself into a.comer which cannot be backed out of. If the projects are eliminated from the list, it is our understanding that the necessary set backs for such projects would be eliminated, and that structures could begin to encroach into future right-of-ways. If this was to occur, the ability to obtain right-of-ways in future years, should this become absolutely required, would cost the citizens of our community many times more at that time...and at a huge disruption to property owners. Until the community can demonstrate its commitment to alternative transportation and a modal shift, we feel strongly that the identified projects should remain on the capital projects list with the stipulation that they be implemented as a last resort. In closing, please recognize that the Chamber of Commerce does support the alternative transportation concepts and feels that the policy language recently adopted will prevent road projects from becoming g anything but a "safety net." Thank you for your consideration of our concerns. Please adopt the Planning Commission version of the draft. Sincerely Wil iam A oma VP Legislative Affairs San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce ACCREDITED bNMBER OR W TICE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE no 1HE IIMM.StATF% • MEEMO% GENDA DATE ITEM # �ii►I III 11111111 IIID�������������IIII II 10� I� city sAn tuis oBispo 990 Palm Street/Post Office Box 8100 • San Luis Obispo, CA 93403.8100 COUNCIL ❑ CDD DIR 1994 C.A0 ❑ FIN DIR October 13, 40 ❑ FIRE CHIEF : T'C.Pt47 ✓ kKPW DIR 1� CLER KK*);Ci C FOLICE CP.rF TO: Council Colleagues ❑ MGr,�lI TE.Ah: 0 PEC D;F: I ❑ LIM D'.P FROM: Council Member Romero ❑ ``''s"~- . T,4,vvlLC SUBJECT: COMMENTS ON THE CIRCULATION ELEMENT The Mayor has asked me to express my views regarding the Circulation Element, with specific recommendations concerning the map (Figure 2) and the Capital Projects (Figure 4). My greatest concern is that the City may be planning a street system that is too small, thus leading to congestion and degradation of air quality and our quality of life at some future time. The planning period we are utilizing is approximately 25 to 30 years, but the street pattern we set will be with us for 50 to 100 years -- or longer. So long as individual citizens continue to use a personal vehicle similar to an automobile, we will need a convenient and useful street system. It is unlikely that at the end of the planning period (even if we are able to achieve zero-growth at total build-out) traffic volumes will not continue to increase. The history in California has been continuously increasing volumes of traffic on an indefinite basis, and we should anticipate this will happen in San Luis Obispo. Even if we take Herculean measures to change peoples' modal split, and get many of them to ride bicycles, walk, and to utilize mass transit, we will still have an enormous increase in motor vehicle traffic over the next 40 to 50 years. I believe our vision and our planning for the circulation system is too limited to adequately serve the City. My recommendations and comments will more relate to traffic needs perhaps 50 years or further into the future. Specific suggestions for improvement are as follows: 1. The Figure 2 map indicates that the number of streets leading into the community should be designated highway/regional route, with no indication as to the function that we would like them to serve. I believe it would be desirable for the City to indicate that Highway 1, Foothill Boulevard, Los Osos Valley Road, South Broad Street and Orcutt Road, all of which are regional routes, should be designated as arterials. This will then allow us to encourage the County and State to provide for future traffic needs on these streets leading to the City, and perhaps preclude the City from someday having to expend huge sums of money to try to widen them. �rCO, The City o1 San Luis Obispo is committed to include the disabled in all of its services, programs and activities. ` Telecommunications Device for the Deaf(805) 781-7410. 2. I believe the "parkway arterial"designation should be reserved for those streets which lead into the community from the outlying areas, thus the streets listed in Item 1 above would be designated as parkway arterials. It is less important for me to have interior streets, such as Tank Farm Road or Prado Road, designated as parkway arterials since these are not gateways into our City. 3. The problem of traffic congestion in the North Broad, Chorro and Santa Rosa Street corridor is simply not properly addressed within the Circulation Element. We might widen Santa Rosa Street and handle the traffic needs for a period of time. In the long term, the only solution for this corridor is to find a route by which traffic can bypass this area and not impact this neighborhood. Consequently, I am a strong believer in the Highway 1 reliever alternative. This will allow motorists who do not have a destination at the Santa Rosa Street end of downtown to bypass this corridor, .'and would also relieve traffic on Foothill Boulevard, on Los Osos Valley Road and Madonna Road. This will allow motorists who wish to bypass the City to do so and will allow some choice for motorists who are going to Cuesta College, the Men's Colony and North County. Admittedly, the cost will be great, however, this will probably be the most significant thing we can do in the long term to help the environment of the northern part of the City. 4. The Circulation Element does not address the future traffic needs in the corridor leading from South Broad Street toward downtown. We have two choices in this regard: A) provide an arterial route that is convenient and easy, such as a combination of Santa Barbara and Santa Rosa, eventually then allowing traffic into the upper part of downtown and through town, or B) continue to allow traffic to filter through Santa Barbara, Chorro, Broad, High and Nipomo. I believe that Alternative B is much poorer than Alternative A. A convenient bypass of most of the Old Town neighborhood would provide much protection for their quality of life. 5. The Circulation Element does not recommend a convenient means by which traffic can travel between Johnson Avenue to the lower Higuera Street area. Currently traffic must find its way along Pismo and Buchon Street through Old Town in order to get to Johnson Avenue, or drive the circuitous route via Orcutt and Laurel Lane. 'I believe the Bishop or South Street extension over the tracks is critical to our future needs. This may not be constructed for many years, but in the final analysis, it is far better than continuing to force traffic through neighborhoods. 6. One of our most congested areas in the City is the corridor along Higuera Street between Marsh and Madonna Road. The State has recently added an additional northbound lane on 101, however, this is an interim measure which will handle the needs for only a few years. I believe the City should plan for a frontage road on the westerly side of the freeway through the Madonna property connecting the Madonna interchange with the Marsh Street interchange thus allowing some relief for this South Higuera area. 2 �f 7. The Dalidio area is proposed for a shopping center expansion together with open space. I believe it is important for the City to find a reliever route from that shopping center toward the south rather than force much of that traffic onto Madonna Road. Two alternatives were considered, one through the Madonna property "gap" to Los Osos Valley Road, the second along Calle Joaquin. I believe the Calle Joaquin alternative is superior in that it will route traffic along the edee of the shopping center and along the edge of the open space, thus bypassing the residential and commercial areas. 8. I believe it is highly desirable for the City to plan for beltway routes around the perimeter of the City so as to allow traffic which does not have an origin or destination within the City a convenient route by which they can bypass the downtown. Accordingly, I am appreciative of the Council's action to designate Buckley Road as a beltway. I believe Los Osos Valley Road, Foothill Boulevard, and the California/Johnson/Orcutt Road connection should also be a part of this beltway loop. 9. I believe the City should also provide for an interior bypass of downtown so that traffic is not forced to travel along Higuera and Marsh Streets in order to go from one end of the community to the other. A master plan the City adopted a number of years ago designated Johnson Avenue, Palm Street, Nipomo Street and Pismo/Buchon as a bypass loop of downtown. 10. The following is a list of relatively minor items which I feel we should discuss and perhaps change on the map: a. Should Patricia be shown as a residential collector from Highland.Drive to the north, since it is the primary service route into that area? b. Should La Entrada be designated as a residential collector from Ramona to the south since it is the prime service route into that area? C. Should San Luis Drive be designated as a residential collector from California Boulevard to well into the neighborhood since it is the primary collector route? d. Should Osos Street be extended as an arterial north of Marsh Street to perhaps Higuera, Monterey or even to the freeway? A portion of this route is designated as a truck route, which certainly should be an arterial (at least as far as Higuera). e. Why is Pacific Street, which basically serves local traffic, indicated as a commercial collector in the downtown area? 3 - 9 L Southwood Drive should be designated as a residential collector between Laurel Lane and Johnson and east of Flora Street, since it is the primary access route into both areas. g. Oceanaire should be designated as a residential collector south of Madonna Road since it is the primary route into this area. h. I believe it is inappropriate to show Calle Joaquin,just off of Los Osos Valley Road, as a residential arterial. It does not now, and will not in the future, serve a residential function. Comments on Figure 4, Transportation Capital Projects: A.1 Prado Road must be extended as a four-lane street if we are to have any chance that CalTrans would accept it as an alternate highway route for 227. A.3 Buckley Road can serve a wonderful function in the future as a beltway, provided we allow for the proper number of lanes and a decent alignment. It must connect conveniently to South Higuera Street. The current intersection at Vachell Lane is extremely hazardous and a bottleneck even at this time. Traffic will be impossible at some future date. We must either connect Buckley Road to South Higuera at a straight through connection or at Los Osos Valley Road (which implies removal of a commercial development). A-5 It is highly desirable that Sacramento Drive be connected through to Orcutt so as to give some flexibility and some traffic relief for Orcutt Road and Broad Street in that area. This decision was already made by the Council some months ago with the subdivision presented by Norm Becko. A.7 It is critical that South Street be master planned to extend over the railroad tracks to connect to Bishop Street. B.1 Monterey Street is currently one of the most congested streets in the City. At some future time we will either have to eliminate all parking and bike lanes in order to get traffic to move through this corridor or we will have to widen the street, which can be done relatively easily. Plan line studies and an environmental study have long since been done. B.2 Higuera Street between High and Marsh. I do not believe we can wait until development takes place before we widen this portion of road, which is among the most congested in the City. B.3 We must widen Orcutt Road not only to Johnson but also encourage the County to widen Orcutt Road beyond Johnson to Tank Farm Road and out into the County to provide for future needs that are certain to occur in this area. 4 B3 We must develop that portion of Orcutt Road between Laurel and Johnson per our adopted plan line which is four travel lanes with left turn lanes, landscaping and bike lanes (rather than the two travel lanes recommended by EQTF). BA Tank Farm Road must be widened to at least four travel lanes in order to reasonably accommodate traffic we might expect in the future. B.7 Los Osos Valley Road between Madonna and 101. Future traffic needs indicate that this will be one of the most heavily traveled streets in the community. I believe it will need six lanes, which can be developed with median islands and heavily landscaped. B.8 Highway 101/Santa Rosa to Los Osos Valley Road. It is really a CalTrans decision as to whether this portion of highway gets widened. The City should not discourage that it be done, since insufficient lanes in the future will cause congestion and air pollution problems for our Ci . B.10 Santa Rosa/101 to Foothill. I believe we will have to widen this portion of Santa Rosa Street, however that will solve the problem for only a short period of time since the restriction of traffic movement along this route is caused by signals which handle heavy cross street traffic. The final answer for this corridor is the Highway 1 reliever. CA Prado Road interchange is critically important to our master plan for handling traffic in this whole area of the community. It must continue to be included. C3 Closure of north and south off-ramps on Broad and Osos will create inconveniences and displacements for many of our residents in neighborhoods and for the rest of the City. The implication of this action is that southbound traffic could not turn off or on 101 at the Osos Street ramp near the Olive Tree. This would make the Santa Rosa Street interchange unworkable. DA Orcutt Road grade separation at the railroad. This overpass will help relieve the long delays which we now experience and will continue to experience in the future as rail uses increase and traffic increases. This must be a part of our master plan project. D.2 Prefumo Canyon Road narrowing. I believe the City would be much better served by installing a median island in the center of the roadway thereby reducing the expanse of asphalt. This is our standard on parkway arterial streets. In closing, I once again encourage the Council to have a vision which will allow our future citizens to live comfortably within the environment we are creating. The decisions we make today may set a pattern for the next 100 years. c: John Dunn, CAO Mike McCluskey, Public Works 5 MEF"MG AGENDA 1'30 - DATA a - ITEM#� a ty sAn luis oBispo ..... w' =1. 955 Morro Street • San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 October 14, 1994 TO: City Council Members FROM: Terry Sanville, Principal Transportation Planner SUBJECT: Highway 1 Reliever Route and Widening of Santa Rosa Street ❑ Attached is the report prepared by DKS Associates that provides information about alternatives for addressing Santa Rosa Street traffic. Both the widening of Santa Rosa Street (pages 1-12) and the construction of the Highway 1 reliever (pages 11-13). (Note: the report also includes an evaluation of closing ramps at Broad Street and Route 101 which the Council may want to review.) ❑ Also attached are pages from the final EIR that address the Route 1 Reliever and Santa Rosa Street widening options. ❑ The issue of widening Santa Rosa Street vs. constructing a Highway 1 bypass is briefly presented on pages 34 and 35 of the staff report that accompanies the draft Circulation Element. TS:ts Attachment �UN L ❑ CDD DIR r AO ❑ FIN DIR �AO ❑ E CHIEF i ,CIRNSY PWt DIR 0 6 V F :.. CLERKiORIt', ❑ POLICE CHF�I [Ib1G:v:T T=-LL ❑ PEC DIP. i OCT 1 4 1994 ❑ P. OITY CLERK ' 4dIU/LL ' OBISPO.c oThe City of San Luis Obispo is committed to include the disabled in all of its services. programs and activities. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (805) 781-7410.