Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutSan Luis Ranch DEIR Public Comment received 1-25-2017 (Laguna Lake Neighborhood - Dixon 1) Meeting: PC From: Zoya Dixon < Item: 3 Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2017 7:28 PM To: Advisory Bodies Subject: Letter regarding San Luis Ranch development Attachments: Final Neighborhood Letter With Endorsements.pdf Helllo, Attached find a letter regarding the San Luis Ranch development from the Laguna Lake neighborhood. Thank you! Zoya Dixon RECEIVED DowntownABO MainStreet Initiative CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO ( JAN 2 6 2017 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Dear Planning Commission: We are concerned residents of the Laguna Lake neighborhood, which abuts the San Luis Ranch development. Some of us have lived in the area for 43 years; others, just a few months. Though our backgrounds and professions may differ, we all value our close-knit community, our access to open space, and our ability to live a lifestyle that San Luis Obispo in particular cherishes and promotes. We have severe concerns about the quality of life in the neighborhood and the impact the San Luis Ranch development will have on our community. We concur that housing is desperately needed in San Luis, and that tens of thousands of vehicle trips into the city each day from neighboring communities is unacceptable and unsustainable. The planned implementation of parks and open space in the plan is commendable, as is the trail connection to Bob Jones. That said, a few issues continued to arise during our neighborhood meeting that was held on January 15: Madonna & LOVR Already Overburdened with Traffic; Prado Overpass is Insufficient and Does Not Allow Access to Highway 101 According to the EIR, the San Luis Ranch development would generate 16,000 new trips in the area (Section 4.2). Madonna and LOVR are already overburdened and not properly planned for pedestrians, and the proposed mitigation efforts for an overpass at Prado does not suffice to route traffic so that it is best absorbed into the existing infrastructure. In fact, according to the EIR (Environmental Impact Report) T-1 (page 8), 9 intersections would operate at "unacceptable automobile, bicycle, or pedestrian LOS" (loads of service), with two of those impacts at the Madonna Road & Dalidio Drive and Los Osos Valley Road & Froom Ranch Way intersections designated as Class I, significant and unavoidable. Indeed, Impact T-2 on page 9 lists no fewer than 19 intersections that would operate at untenable levels, and again subsequent mitigation efforts would still leave intersections at LOVR and Froom Ranch Way as significantly impacted without avoidance. These impacts are reiterated several times throughout the document. This is unacceptable. Suggested mitigation efforts to optimize signal timing and construct an overpass at Prado at Phase 2 are insufficient as confirmed by the EIR Exec. Summary page 9, which states that these impacts "may not be feasibly mitigated to a less than significant level." Can we not alleviate traffic and construct the Prado overpass in an earlier phase? As members of this community with families and with pets, who pride ourselves on our neighborhood and enjoy relative ease of access to Laguna Lake, we cannot let such severe impacts go unnoticed, especially when it comes to our safety as pedestrians and as citizens. EIR Has Ignored Impact on Local Schools The EIR does not address the impact of the new housing on local schools. This is important at least because streets and sidewalks should be planned to provide safe ways to and from schools, especially where there are major streets involved, and especially given that the project is promoting itself as affordable family housing where, presumably, children will be able to walk to and from neighboring schools. In addition, the burden of these extra children on the local schools has not been addressed. When can we expect to hear about the impacts that this development will have on our school system? Removing Wildlife from the Area Decreases Area Diversity and Abundance The preservation of habitat for wildlife, especially that habitat that abuts the creek, and the proposed mitigation efforts include the recruiting of nesting adult herons to new habitat "via decoys and playback of vocalizations." (Page 29, Executive Summary, EIR.) 2 There is abundant language on the preservation of agricultural views from Highway 101; can we not also think creatively to preserve agricultural and riparian views from Oceanaire and from Madonna, rather than relocate nesting birds with props and bird calls? As members of this community, we enjoy these views and want our children to be able to enjoy these views, and their subsequent wildlife, as well. In addition to our desire to preserve our local views and wildlife, the preservation of the wildlife itself is an important issue. Information abounds that relocation of wildlife is most often disastrous for the wildlife and fails to achieve the human goal. As the earth's dominating species, we have an obligation to those that do not go about life with heavy machinery to protect their habitat and ways of life. In summary, we understand the need for housing in the city of San Luis Obispo. As residents, we see the impacts of city streets that are filled with mostly college students and rundown, overpriced homes. At the same time, it is in the city's best interest to preserve what is truly fantastic about this area of town. We urge the commission members to consider: • Would you feel safe having your children or grandchildren walk to school where an additional 16,000 trips will be taking place daily on roads that are already overburdened? • Have you ever complained about the lack of school infrastructure and sufficient numbers of teachers and classrooms to support your children and grandchildren as they learn? • How would you feel about telling your children about the heron nests, but regretfully saying that they can no longer see them due to human disturbance that was caused by careless action? We choose to live in the Laguna Lake area because of the unique beauty and community that it affords. Much discussion has been made of increasing affordable housing in the city, and yet with this plan we are not honoring the folks who live in one of the most affordable places in the city. We appreciate your thoughtful consideration to these matters, in particular the questions above. Signed, The Laguna Lake Community, including: 1. Zoya Dixon, Oceanaire Court 2. Raquel Smith, Seaward and Oceanaire 3. Andrew Dixon, Oceanaire Court 4. AJ Smith, Seaward and Oceanaire 5. Scott Head, Oceanaire Dr 6. Carly Head, Oceanaire Dr 7. Theodora Jones, Oceanaire Dr 8. Deidre Crabtree, Oceanaire Dr 9. William C. Pierotti, Coral Street 10. Polly Gammons, Avalon St. 11. Philip Gammons, Avalon St. 12. Diane Anthony, Oceanaire Dr 13. Daniel Cramer, Huasna Dr 14. Vanessa Cramer, Huasna Dr 15. Maysun Wells, Oceanaire Dr 16. Kila Wells, Oceanaire Dr 17. Gary Smith, Oceanaire Dr 18. Dottie Andoli, Pinecove Dr 19. JoAnn Ruthenbeck, Oceanaire Court 20. Fred P Andoli, Pinecove Dr 21. Greg Crabtree, Oceanaire Dr