HomeMy WebLinkAboutAvila Ranch DEIR Public Comment received 1-11-17 (Borland)From: Kathy Borland [
Sent: Monday, January 16, 2017 2:00 PM
To: Davidson, Doug <ddavidson@slocty.or >
Cc: E-mail Council Website <emailcouncil@slocitV.ore>
Subject: Letter regarding the Avila Ranch Project
RECEIVED
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
JAN 18 2017
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Attached is my letter regarding the Avila Ranch Project. Doug could you please get this to the
Planning Commission.
Thank you, Kathy Borland
January 11, 2017
To: SLO City Planning Commission
CC: SLO City Council
Subject: Avila Ranch Development
I have been a resident on Buckley Road for 33 years and have seen many changes. I want to address the elements of the
EIR that were not adequately researched and reported. First of all I want to state that the Buckley Rd & Davenport Creek
residential areas has over 200 residents and has been in this location for over 50 years. Just to our South is Rolling Hills
and Country Club. All of these developments will be impacted by this project.
My first question is how can a project of this scope that has so many "Significant and Unavoidable" determinations by
CEQA be considered for approval?
• Agriculture Resources — "impacts to agricultural land would remain significant and unavoidable"!
• Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions — Short-term "the impact would remain significant and unavoidable,
even after mitigation".
Long-term air emission impacts would be "significant and unavoidable" even with mitigation measures and the
residual impacts would remain above the significance threshold.
The project is not in compliance with the APCD's 2001 Clean Air Plan and the impact is "significant and
unavoidable", even after mitigation measures.
• Noise — addresses only the time project is being built which I understand is a long time. What about after
completion of the project and there are 7000+ cars on Buckley? This needs to be addressed in the EIR.
• Land Use — the project would not fully replace or recreate the lost agricultural land which is inconsistent with
Policy 1.9.2 and the impact is "significant and unavoidable".
• Transportation and Traffic — the increased traffic of up to 7000+ cars a day on Buckley Rd is not addressed in the
EIR and mitigation measures are totally inadequate for circulation. Adding Left and Right turn lanes and
extending the length of turn lanes is not going to address the congestion that this project will generate, in
addition to other building projects in the area. The EIR needs to improve their mitigation solutions to include
widening Tank Farm to 4 lanes, widening 227 to 4 lanes between the Airport and Price Canyon, improve Buckley
Rd, fix the Santa Fe Bridge so it goes to Tank Farm, and extend Buckley to South Higuera. Buckley Rd continues
to get more and more dangerous as increased traffic, garbage trucks and bicycles compete for road space. The
EIR does not address the increased dangers on Buckley Rd which must be done. There are many driveways and
roads that intersect with Buckley and it is difficult to get out, especially at peak times.
• The speed needs to be reduced on Buckley from 55mph (most cars go 60 to 70) to 45mph. This needs to be part
of the project. Caltrans, SLO City, and SLO County need to get together and figure out how to make this happen.
■ The entire area from 227 — Buckley—Tank farm - LOVR and South Higuera need to be given better solutions. The
current infrastructure does not support this project and the EIR needs to address this.
Let's be clear. The developers are not paying for road improvement but the buyers of the property being developed are
paying for it. This is about tax revenue to the city due to their large debt and fulfilling the state mandate to increase
housing. Why 720 homes in one location? This is a huge project and housing developments should be smaller and
spread out in different locations to minimize the impact to the community.
I want to be notified of all meetings regarding the Avila Ranch Development.
Thank you for your consideration,
Kathy Borland
655 Buckley Rd. SLO, CA 93401