HomeMy WebLinkAboutAvila Ranch DEIR Public Comment received 1-18-17 (Greenwood)
From: Davidson, Doug
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2017 3:19 PM
To: Bergman, Katelin; Corey, Tyler
Subject: FW: Avila Ranch Project
Attachments: Re Avila Ranch Greenwoods.docx
-----Original Message -----
From: Barbara Greenwood [
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2017 3:18 PM
RECEIVED
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
JAN 18 2017
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
To: Davidson, Doug <ddavidson@slocity.org>; E-mail Council Website <emailcouncil@slocity.org>
Subject: Avila Ranch Project
I have attached a letter regarding the Avila Ranch Project. Thank you for taking our concerns under your consideration.
Barbara an Kevin Greenwood
January 18, 2017
To: SLO City Planning Commission
CC: SLO City Council
Subject: Avila Ranch Development
I write in reference to the Avila Ranch project. I write as a 23 year resident of Three Sisters Road, which is off Davenport
Creek Rd, which T -intersects with Buckley Rd.
There are many issues I have with this project and the first one would be loss of agriculture land so close to the city. We
pride ourselves in our agriculture and open space in SLO and this will carve a huge section out of what is left in and
around the city. It seems inconsistent with policy 1.9.2 and I think would be a big take away the character and charm of
our city and county. Once it's gone, you can't go back.
The second and biggest one would be traffic on Buckley Rd. As a long time resident who also has had a business on
Buckley Rd. for 36 years, the increasing traffic has already made for dangerous conditions. Adding 7000+ cars a day
would obviously magnify the problems significantly. Trying to make a left turn from Davenport Creek Rd. onto Buckley
Rd. is already scary. I have seen many accidents at that intersection from my house. The situation at Vachell and
Higuera is ridiculously scary. Trying to make a left there is like playing chicken. I've had many near accidents myself and
witnessed several as well. Turning out of our business on to Buckley Rd is dangerous for not just our employees, but our
tenants, customers and us.
This project calls for a realignment of Buckley Rd but not before the first phase. I don't think anything should be built
until many things are mitigated to build up the infrastructure to have the capacity for the increased traffic. Some of
those include:
• The realignment of Buckley Rd. with Higuera.
• The widening of the road to allow ample bike lane space on both sides. I saw a biker yesterday on the same side of the
road as a trash truck and a car passing in the opposite direction, all three meeting at the same point. There was no way
for the trash truck to give the biker the 3 feet required by law, so his solution was to honk his horn which scared the
biker and caused him swerve. I've seen this horn warning twice now to bikers in the same situation by trash trucks with
a significant wind suck to a biker. A horn is not a solution to an overcrowded road. In fact, if it were me, the horn might
scare me into traffic. With this much of an increase in cars you must think about the biker safety. We do, after all
preach to be a bike friendly town. Fatal accidents will follow for bikers I guarantee you. I quit riding this road after the
garbage company moved to their current location. It scares me too much with no shoulder. That's a shame. The idea is
to decrease traffic by motivating bikers, right?
*The parking for the project is insufficient. With that many houses your parking needs to increase dramatically or your
housing decrease. They are encouraging other forms of public transportation but is realistic? People are just going find
off site parking which will impact nearby neighborhoods and businesses. This is especially true if the people of the
development don't want to ride their bikes because it's unsafe on Buckley Rd. How hard is it to widen Buckley to make
safety a priority? Bike lanes aren't that big. I know that road is county and this project was annexed into the city but
with both Buckley Rd and Santa Fe bridge, both city and county are passing the buck to each other to the detriment of
their citizens and their safety. Wouldn't it be better if they work together and make this right?
*The Bridge on Santa Fe needs to be widened to accommodate more traffic. This could pull some of the trash truck
traffic through industrial zoned areas toward town. Those headed south could continue on Buckley but all those headed
north could use the bridge. This would take some of the most dangerous and noisy traffic off Buckley and disperse it in a
logical manner.
Thank you for your time.
Barbara and Kevin Greenwood 745 Three Sisters Rd. SLO, CA 93401