HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/19/2017 Item 15, P SmithCOUNCIL MEETING: L`7
ITEM NO,:._
From: Pat Smith <
Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2017 4:29 PM
To: E-mail Council Website
Subject: Avila Ranch: More housing is not the answer, mis-housing is the problem
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Dear City Council:
The "housingcrisis" within our town would be solved most efficient) — at least' cost and
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greatest convenience to residents — by moving more of the 10,000 or so students living in
town back where they belong — on campus.
Rental properties account for over 60 percent of the housing in this town. If students lived on
campus, a whole lot more housing would be available, at lower rent and with less competition.
This would be such a better outcome for residents, tourists and businesses than adding 720
homes at Avila Ranch, 332 homes at Righetti Ranch and 580 homes at San Luis Ranch. Then,
the housing and daily road trip counts in town could be for residents of town.
Our town's vaunted and valued quality of life will crumble under the pressure all these new
homes, and the daily trips required to build them and live in them, will add to our
streets. Caltrans already rates the intersections at Broad with Buckley, Crestmont and Los
Ranchos as "failing" and "failed". At the Planning Commission meeting that decided to send
the Avila Ranch project to you it was openly acknowledged that the project will severely
adversely affect surrounding roads and that there are NO FUNDS and NO PLANS to mitigate
the problem. The figure offered at the meeting was $8 million to fix this corridor, and Avila
Ranch will contribute but $270,000. The official estimate for Avila Ranch alone is an additional
7,000 daily road trips. What is the purpose of adding more driving residents to our
overburdened streets if no one can get anywhere?
Please, City Council, hit the "delay" button on this and other new developments until there are
concrete plans to address the traffic impacts. In the short term, make CalPoly house more of
its students. It is insanity to add more homes now without solving the existing street problems
first.
Patty Smith
Please vote no on the Avila Ranch development
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