HomeMy WebLinkAboutAvila Ranch DEIR Public Comment received 1-16-17 (deLeon)
From: Alex Deleon <
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
Sent: Monday, January 16, 2017 8:53 PM JAN 18 2017
To: Corey, Tyler
Subject: Avila Ranch Letter
Attachments: AVILA RANCH APPROVAL LETTER.doc COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Tyler
I am a resident of Rolling Hills and am sending you my comments regarding the Avila Ranch project. I am giving you
the text in both email form and as an attachment for ease of printing for the submittal docs.
Page 1 of 2
Tyler Corey
San Luis Obispo Planning Department
TO: San Luis Obispo Planning Commission
RE: Avila Ranch Development at Buckely Road and Vachel Lane
January 16, 2017
I would like this letter entered into the record as part of the documents for this project's approval.
I am a 12 year resident of the Rolling Hills neighborhood near the proposed project. I am also a rental
property owner in SLO city and South County and make multiple trips a week (sometimes a day) to Home
Depot via Broad/227, Buckley Road and Vachel lane. It is not possible to consider the vehicular impact of
this project (both during construction and upon habitation) without also considering the SLOCOG SR227
Operations Study regarding the already existing traffic problems on that road. I worked in the
architecture/construction field for 30 years, so I am also completely familiar with the vehicular impact of
construction traffic caused by worker vehicles, delivery trucks, concrete trucks, flatbeds, grading
equipment, etc.
I believe in the strongest terms that this development should not be approved in its current form due to
existing traffic problems and congestion that will be exacerbated by this project's development for the
following reasons.
A. Vachel Lane Intersection
During project initiation, Vachel Lane will be the primary access point to the jobsite from both north and
south county due to proximity to the freeway. Vachel lane is an intersection with an acute angle. Large
construction trucks will have difficulty making this turn without going onto oncoming traffic lanes or cutting
the corner and going off pavement. Left turns onto South Higuera are already a nightmare with a LOS
rating of F- and this is with normal cars with acceleration. Slow lumbering diesel construction trucks will be
waiting for extra large gaps in traffic before attempting to pull out. Anyone behind a left turning truck will
have to watch as gaps that could have been entered into by their car are allowed to go by while the large
truck waits for an entry opportunity.
The Avila Ranch Traffic Phase Plan shows a Buckley Road extension to create a new intersection at
South Higuera to re-route traffic away from Vachel Lane. That's great but why is it in Phase II, while time
and effort and money are wasted in Phase I pandering to politically correct, pie in the sky, feel good, bike
lanes? Why the obsession in this county for bike lane priority when only a tiny proportion of the population
uses them? Bike lanes will do the general public do NO GOOD when huge flatbed trucks have us
backed up at Vachel Lane for hours.
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Tyler Corey January 16, 2017
San Luis Obispo Planning Department
B. Crestmont Road/227 Intersection
As Avila Ranch begins to be occupied, our existing congestion problem on 227/Crestmont Drive (the
entrance to Rolling Hills) will get worse. During commute hours the FREIGHT TRAIN of equally spaced
vehicles allows only those with high performance vehicles, or the most bold, to turn left into the merge lane.
saw no indication in SLOCOG's SR 227 Operations report that it took into account the additional traffic
that Avila Ranch create. So ALL ASSUMPTIONS in that report will be WORSE with the Avila Ranch
addition. The report offers as solutions to Rolling Hills access roundabouts on 227and a second outlet
directly to Buckley Road.
But SLOCOG's second access and roundabouts are on a 5-10 year plan. That is already a long sentence
for use to endure on a daily basis as we play `jump out into traffic' without getting hit. If the homes in Avila
Ranch come online before the roundabout/second access do, life for us in Rolling Hills will be
miserable.
SLO County Staff and Commissioners, I am pleading to you on behalf of those of us who live and drive in
the areas affected by the Avila Ranch project, do not allow this project to proceed until and unless the
following items are met:
A. The Buckley Road extension and intersection with South Higuera must be done at the start of
the project to move both construction vehicles and local resident traffic effectively through the area
and not be clopped at Vachei Lane.
B. No homes in Avila Ranch should be allowed to be occupied until SLOCOG roundabouts at 2.27
and Rolling Hills secondary Buckley access are completed
Please do not sentence us to years of traffic misery by allowing added vehicles and road improvements to
come out of order. I understand that additional housing in SLO alleviates out of town commuting. I
understand that no city can be zero growth. I am not a NIBMY. But I do believe in smart growth and smart
planning and doing things in a logical order.
Thank you for your attention to this letter, and consideration of its contents.
Sincerely,
Alex deLeon
President
Costa de Leon Design
President
Costa de Leon Properties