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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06_28-29_2017 PC Correspondence - Avila Ranch (Rys)County troAc planning means staying ahead of the curve By CHARLEs FELIX ne of the many things that make the San Chis Obispo area so special is the lack of traffic congestion. Ws is most evident and ap- preciated after returning from a trip to Los Angeles, San Jose or any other large metro- politan area. While it may not be possible to place a dollar value on this, we know that in- creased traffic congestion would severely impact our lo- cal lifestyle. This raises the question of whether we can retain today's conditions with all of the development being proposed in the county As a retired traffic engineer, I thought it might be worth- while to take a look at the role that developers, local govern- ments and citizens play in the traffic planning and develop- ment process. When a major project is pro- posed, the developer must pro- vide a traffic impact report that includes an analysis of any effects the project may have on local and regional traffic. If there is a negative impact, planning officials may require that the developer provide ade- quate mitigations (roadway widening, traffic signals, etc-). The ilaffiic impact report, along with the proposed miti- gations, are then submitted to the local government Local agency staff mem- bers review the proposed project and forward their analysis and recommendation to the planning commission or elected officials. In addition to the objective analysis provided by staff, lo- cal governments also look at whether or not particular de- velopments are consistent with goals and policies in the local General Plan, which is a community's statement of its priorities and its vision for fu- ture growth. One of the primary ways lo - TR36UNE FILE PHU]U cal governments try to manage tr,ifiEc growth is by controlling the rate of development As an example, the rate of residential housing growth in San Luis Obispo is techniaIily limited to 1 percent per year. Maintaining limits is diffi- cult, and exceptions are often granted, partly because local governments are continually pressured to address the widening gap between the ex- isting xisting supply and the unmet need for housing and servic- es. There also is an incentive for local governments to ap- prove developments to main- tain a viable revenue stream through increased property taxes, development fees and business taxes. However, there is a fiscal Catch-22 that local govern- ments face when they imple- ment the traffic -related infra- structure nfrastructure expansions needed to support development (roads, traffic signals. sig- nage, iii hting.0c.). These projects are typically implemented either by local governments or, more often, by developers as part of re- quired project mitigations. An often overlooked aspect of this added infrastructure is that, once installed, local jurisdic- tions are saddled with the fis- cal responsibility for their on- going repair and maintenance. In tight budget times, infra- structure maintenance is typi- cally one of the first programs cut, resulting in more rapid de- terioration of the infrastruc- ture nfrastructure and, when this deferral results in premature failure, an even greater fiscal impact be- cause of replacement costs and legal liability. So, while the new infra- structure paid for by develop- ers may look like a gift, the long-term consequences are proof of that old adage — there is no free lunch. In my opinion, the most im- portant participant is this process is the citizen. While local residents have the ulti- mate control over the selec- tion of their decision -makers, marry do not become involved in the planning process until they are affected by a particu- lar project. Change, like death and tax- es, axes, is inevitable. However, to ensure that an area retains those characteristics that make it unique, residents must learn how decisions are made and how they can influ- ence the process. Citizens can either be ac- tively involved in critical dera- sions or leave thele to devel- opers and local officials. Many jurisdictions have their General Plan and other planning documents available for review, either by going to your local ,government center or by viewing thein online. If you want to protect your way of life, you have to stay in- formed and involved. Charles Felix worked for the city of San Jose for .30 years. As a sensor traffic engineer, lie was involved in development and re- view of a $3 billion airport plaster plan, He and his wife, Nancy; moiled to San Luis Obis- po County nearly two yews ago. RECEIVED CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO JUN 29 2017 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT