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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/04/2011, PH2 - OCTOBER 4, 2011 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA: PUBLIC HEARING, ITEM 2, LOS OSOS VALLEY ROAD/US 101 INTERCHANA f�D.Drfro,rJi►z= ��22��Po�l��—�I,��'3 PJf a` October 4, 2011 City Council, City of San Luis Obispo S'��Y'1��� �DG�+'*Al 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 j N RE: October 4, 2011 City Council Agenda: Public Hearing, Item 2. LOS OSOS VALLEY ROAD/US 101 INTERCHANAGE PROJECT UPDATE AND FINAL COMMENTS OF THE DRAFT PROJECT REPORT. Dear City Council, I am unable to attend the October 4, 2011 City Council, but I want my voice to be heard along with those of my neighbors in Los Verdes Park II. I purchased a home in Los Verdes Parks in 1983. 1 have lived in the home, as has my daughter and her family since 1983. Occasionally the unit was rented, and I paid the San Luis Obispo Business Tax (Certificate) as requested. When we moved into the home, it was in a quiet, pastoral setting, with easy and safe access to Los Osos Valley Road, and South Higuera Street, the perfect location for my golden years. I flew from Eastern Oregon to attend the July 2008 hearing on the proposed interchange project. I signed up to address the council, and did so. I had previously corresponded with Caltrans with my concerns. In the 2 '/� year interim, I have received no communication from either Caltrans of City of San Luis Obispo regarding acknowledgement of my concerns. As near as I can tell from City Council Hearing Item #2, your intention seems to be: 1) Receive a report regarding the Caltrans Approved Final Environmental Document and Project Report for the Interchange Project; 2) endorse Ca/trans approval of their Project Report and Environmental Document; and 3) Direct Staff to continue to work with residents of Los Verdes Parks I & 11 to address residents concerns and consider incorporating design features consistent with Caltrans environmental into the final project design. I have no confidence in the visions or planning process of Cal Trans. Their vague terms such as "consider" or"consistent" cannot be enforced. One only has to look back at construction of the "100 Year Flood" Bridge over SLO Creek; extension of LOVR over the creek to freeway interchanges, installation of traffic signals too close to the freeway interchanges on Los Osos Valley Road, and resulting safety issues. This newest Interchange Project smells like a 'Band-aid"for errors of the past, For the past two years, I have been in the process of repairing and updating my home, #17 Vista Lane, Park 11. It is now ready for my year round use. I do not want to live in a neighborhood surrounded by 4 lane high volume, high velocity highways. Speed limits on LOVR are not enforced. Traffic noise exceeds city standards, and is not enforced. Please do not put planning errors of the past on the lives of Los Verdes Parks residents. Please aggressively work on a process for either the much needed Prado Road Overpass, onto a "LOVP By-Pass Option" south of LVP 11. Respectfully, Carol Michael 305 NE Boardman Ave, Boardman, OR 97818 cc r &)k ~~e Vac-:fie&< A-L From : Donna [mailto :donna@digangi .net] Sent : Tuesday, October 04, 2011 3 :35 PM To : dgoo805@charter .net; 'Sarah Flickinger'; 'Walt Bremer' Cc: 'Cameron Boyne (hm)'; 'Cameron W . Boyne (wk)'; 'Darrell Goo (wk)'; 'Judy Bremer'; 'Linda Mendoza'; 'Marilyn Reasoner'; 'john polka 'M . Jencks' Subject :RE : CITY COUNCIL MEETIN G Our short-term suggestions to our Traffic issues include : •Maintain the landscape islands to slow the traffic down . It is working fo r South Street. It should continue to help LOVR. •Maintain left turn lane pockets into both Los Verdes Parks . A two-way cente r left turn lane will be too dangerous . •Add signage at the South Higuera Street and Tank Farm Road intersection directing northbound US 101 traffic to go to Prado Road and southboun d traffic down Higuera Street . •Maintain signage on Higuera Street at LOVR to direct southbound US 10 1 traffic to continue down Higuera . •Continue yearly traffic counts to monitor traffic warrants in front of the Lo s Verdes Parks and to provide that information to the Los Verdes Park BODs for the possibility of installing a traffic signal at the Los Verdes Par k intersection when warranted . Our short-term suggestions to our Safety issues include : •Maintain and strictly enforce the 35-MPH zone between the interchange an d So . Higuera . •Maintain the single westbound traffic lane on LOVR from So . Higuera to the entrances of Los Verdes Parks . •Maintain existing curbs and curb distances . •Post 35-MPH signage with electronic/digitally displayed vehicle speed o n LOVR in both directions . •Signal timing increased for pedestrians crossing LOVR at So . Higuera an d upgrade pedestrian signals to include count-down displays and vehicl e warnings . •Maintain bicycle lanes and to work out a safe solution to getting our cyclis t across LOVR safely at the entrances to the Los Verdes Park . •To construct bus turn-out pockets for the safety of our transit commuters . •Maintain a Level of Service of "C" at the LOVR and Los Verdes Par k entrances, and at the LOVR and So . Higuera intersection . Our short-term suggestions to our Noise issues include : •Achieve and maintain traffic noise levels below the 60 decibels leve l established for this corridor by the City's General Plan . •Methods to be considered to mitigate noise levels for this corridor are : o Mutually agreed soundwall design ; and o incorporate other acceptable alternatives . •Monitor traffic noise levels continuously and to provide those studies to th e Los Verdes Park BODs . Of course the long-term and permanent solution to Our increasing regional traffi c problems is a commitment to the LOVR By-Pass Option . This in the only real solution to this area . •It would create better opportunities for a much more attractive solutio n to the Bob Jones Trail connection . •It would solve not only the problem at the Los Verdes Park entrances, bu t also solve the bottleneck problem at So . Higuera. •It would eliminate the dangerous intersection at So . Higuera and Vachel l Lane . •It would solve the regional problem of connecting Hwy 227 (Broad Street ) and the SLO County Airport to US 101 with a Buckley Road Extension . Donna Di Gang i Principal Consultan t DiGangi Consulting www .digangi .net Phone : (805) 541-334 4 Email :donnaadigangi .net CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE : This e-mail and any attachments may contain confidential informatio n intended solely for the use of the addressee . If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, an y distribution, copying, or use of this e-mail or its attachments is prohibited . If you received this message i n error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and delete this message and any copies . My name is Walter Bremer, a 30 year resident of Los Verdes Park Ii . First of all, I concur with previous statements but would like reiterate a few points fro m our board members and attorney speaking on behalf of the Los Verdes Parks . I too urge the City not to endorse the Caltrans Final Environmental Document an d Project Report Report . First there are some immediate concerns showing lack of process and analysis ... •Again, City staff has not contacted or worked with Los Verdes Residents since th e City Council meeting of October 21st, 2008 - and we live with the problems daily , know the issues, and would like to be part of the process as the council previousl y directed . •I would underscore and reiterate safety concerns with current proposal - bicycle , pedestrian, motorists - I walk and bicycle in the area almost every day and this is a problem for all who use the area, not just Los Verdes Parks . •Removal of the center median on LOVR in front of Los Verdes Park eliminates th e minimal safety buffer for all motorists who use Higuera and Los Osos Valley Road . •Four lanes in front of Los Verdes Park I & II decrease the ability of Los Verde s residents to enter on LOVR -- Traffic and wait times have increased significantly ove r the past year - and are not reflected in the new environmental document . •Four full lanes of traffic will also be potentially hazardous for bicyclists an d pedestrians . •The Final Environmental Document and Project Report Report has not been update d in many areas including : •noise study - still deficient and above the City limit of 60 dB, yet dismissed a s acceptable in the environmental document . •traffic study - it does not include all of the new development including Target an dother new stores . Very significantly the whole study is based on the premise that , the Prado Road overpass will be built even though it has been publicly an d repeatedly emphasized that it will not . Because the study makes this assumption , the study grossly underestimates the true traffic burden on LOVR . , and othe r transportation related changes . •increased wait times for Los Verdes Resident s •These same issues were presented during the comment period for the origina l environmental document and previously to City Council, but they have not bee n adequately addressed . Finally for longer range concerns ... By the time the proposed changes to LOVR are completed, the traffic load, will hav e increased due to continued development along Los Osos Valley Road, the changes t o the airport area of San Luis, and realignment of Buckley Road, and other changes . I f the proposed project is completed as described, the access, noise, and safety problem s will still be with us . A long range solution should be developed now, don't spend money on a band-ai d solution . The LOVR Bypass should be considered now, rather than spending valuable funds on a project that will not solve the problem . Please do not to endorse the Caltrans Final Environmental Document and Projec t Report Report - there are too many issues not addressed properly . Take additional time to solve the problems not currently addressed and include ou r neighborhoods in the process . Thank you .