HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/4/2018 Item 15, Anthony (2)
I am a 63 yearold, widowed, bike riding, retired nurse, who has
been blessed to live in the Anholm neighborhood since 1984.
Although it’s felt a bit divided lately, stirred up from outside
influences, I think my neighbors would agree it’s the BEST
neighborhood in SLO. We are diverse, from toddlers to seniors.
We know the names of the kids and dogs. We meet at our Lincoln
deli on summer eves. We help and look out for each other.
I’m hoping we soon feel that united, close bond again.
I am one of the “outspoken, retired, upper middle class” who
th
spoke at the August 14 Planning commission meeting, and who
was mentioned in a Tribune editorial recently.
Although many think of us as obsolete in this discussion, it might
be good to remember that many of us have been here for
decades. We are retired doctors, nurses, teachers, and
volunteers, giving of our time, sweat and resources to help make
this community so special. We raised our kids here. We get up
and speak at these meetings, because we care. We know that
once these projects are built, there’s no going back. No “oops” or
“do overs”. We try to be pro active. We have a lot of life
experiences, have the ability to see the whole picture, and it’s
really too bad we can’t be seen as resources.
On August 14 we asked the planning commission is to deny
staff’s suggestion to reclassify our neighborhood’s streets, which
would have allowed more traffic on Chorro and Lincoln/West in
a trade off to reduce traffic on Broad.
This would increase traffic on Chorro by 90%!
That seems an unacceptable trade off, and the Planning
Commission agreed.
And not even mentioned is the impact to Lincoln, Meineke,
Mission, Almond, Murray and the Serrano/Palomar/Ramona
loop. These will all be dangerously inundated with increased flow
if Broad is no longer a through street.
What we did suggest is to provide traffic calming, with speed
bumps, lower (enforced) speed limits, and perhaps diffusers that
would make drivers passing through OUR neighborhood slow
the heck down. This would make OUR neighborhood safer for
ALL, pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers, alike.
Early in the discussion many of us suggested Lincoln/West be
the bike lane, already safe and calm. But this idea was shot down,
as it added a minute to the cyclist commute! ONE MINUTE!
But the rest of us are accused of not “giving” or “sacrificing”!
To spin it that we don’t care about the children being safe is
ludicrous...we are doting grand parents.
These changes will also be impacted by the three huge
developments going in, 22 Chorro, 71 Palomar and 790 Chorro.
As I said to the commissioners, “absorbing these three
developments while changing the flow of traffic is too much to
ask of ANY neighborhood.”
They listened, and agreed.
I hope you do too.
Debbie Anthony
Mt. View Street, SLO