HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/4/2018 Item 15, Racouillat
Purrington, Teresa
From:Richard Racouillat <racouillat@charter.net>
Sent:Monday, September 3, 2018 4:51 PM
To:E-mail Council Website
Cc:racouillar@charter.net
Subject:City Council Meeting 9/4/2018 - Anholm Bikeway
Mayor Heidi Harmon and City Council Members
Re: City Council Meeting – 9/4/2018
Anholm Bikeway & General Plan Amendments
Thank you, Staff, the Planning Commission, and the parties interested in seeking a responsible and rational
solution to the Anholm Bikeway project. Thankfully almost all who participated in the process engaged in civil
dialogue and demonstrated good will to both supporters and opponents to the bikeway options. In the end, we
are after all one community.
Before you presently are two recommendations by Staff, both of which were recently rejected by the Planning
Commission. We were impressed by the objective and thorough dialogue among the Planning Commissioners
after an evening of vigorous presentations by supporters and opponents of Staff’s two recommendations. We
live in the Anholm area and strongly support the recommendations of the Planning Commission.
1. Staff: Amend the April 2018 Bikeway Plan to define traffic calming measures and to include a trial
traffic diverter at Broad/Ramona streets.
Planning Commission: Approve trial traffic calming measures IN LIEU OF the trial traffic diverter at
Broad/Ramona.
Our Recommendation: The Planning Commission made the correct call, but if a trial diverter is
approved at Broad/Ramona, leave the northbound traffic lane on Broad open so that residents who live
south of Foothill can travel directly to Foothill and avoid the already heavily congested Chorro/Foothill
intersection.
2. Staff: Amend the General Plan Circulation element to reclassify certain neighborhood streets and
approve an addendum to the General Plan Final Environmental Impact Report.
Planning Commission: No to both recommendations.
Our Recommendation: The Planning Commission is correct. Ignoring the troublesome legal issues
when seeking to amend the General Plan as recommended by Staff, the proposed changes are
premature. Once the City decides on a plan of action, and implements the changes, the results need to
be carefully studied before reclassifying streets and amending the General Plan.
We are confident that the initial steps to protect those who walk our streets and travel on our streets, regardless
of the means of transportation, will benefit from these responsible measures. We and our children have been
able to safely walk, ride, and bike on our neighborhood streets for years, and have adapted to such uses by
others. It really is a great neighborhood.
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration,
Richard and Pamela Racouillat
Serrano Drive, San Luis Obispo
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