HomeMy WebLinkAboutSan Luis Ranch DEIR Public Comment received 1-30-2017 (R. Smith) Meeting:
From: Raquel Smith <
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2017 2:01 PM
To: Advisory Bodies
Subject: San Luis Ranch Draft EIR Comments
Dear Planning Commission members,
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RECEIVED
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
JAN 3 0 2017
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Thank you for taking the time to consider the San Luis Ranch development project. As residents of San Luis Obispo,
we are all aware of the need for workforce housing here in town. My husband and I were fortunate enough to be
able to buy a house a couple years ago here in SLO; however, many of our friends have been forced to live in
surrounding cities and commute into work each day because they cannot afford to live in town.
As much as I understand the need for increased workforce housing, I have a number of concerns regarding the San
Luis Ranch project. I do think that the Dalidio property is a great location for more housing; however, the traffic
impacts that will surely be generated by a development of this size have not been properly considered.
During commute times, the section of Madonna Road between Dalidio Dr and Los Osos Valley Road is a nightmare. It
is not uncommon to see cars lined up from light to light, unable to cross the intersection at a green light because the
light ahead has yet to change. My husband commutes by bike to work every day and knowing that he is contending
with all of these cars morning and night is frightening. However, he continues to commute by bike so that he can do
his part both for the environment and for the local traffic congestion.
The light at Madonna Road and Oceanaire Drive is particularly heinous. This 6 -way intersection does not operate
with "smart" behavior during peak traffic. Instead, it operates with timed behavior, which means that even if there
are only cars on the main roads, the frontage roads each still get a green light, which slows the timing considerably.
A minor change - continuing the "smart" behavior of this intersection during peak traffic times - would likely
decrease traffic considerably. A major change - removing the frontage road intersection access and rerouting the
traffic around the block - would not result in major traffic increases in the neighborhoods and would reduce much of
the problem that this intersection causes.
Additionally, crossing Madonna Road at Oceanaire drive, which many people do in their walks to and from CL Smith
Elementary, Laguna Middle School, Laguna Lake, and the nearby bus stops, is a frightening event as it is. Adding the
volume of traffic that is expected to result from this development would certainly cause issues for resident safety.
The mitigations discussed in the Draft EIR are not sufficient to solve these traffic issues on Madonna Road. As a
resident who uses these streets daily, I am concerned that our safety will be at risk if the development were to go
through as proposed.
The Prado overpass should take priority over any housing builds. Building patches to deal with overburdened
systems is always more costly, time -intensive, and difficult in the long run. Taking care of future inevitable problems
before they arise is an under appreciated yet absolutely necessary step in creating healthy communities.
Please consider the impacts that this development will have on the existing local residents before approving this
Draft EIR.
Thank you,
Raquel Smith
1102 Seaward St
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405