HEAR US : The Homestead Valley Beat Community Forum :
From: CharlessandsDate: February 16, 2011 4:07:37 PM PSTCc: sadams@co.marin.ca.us, jarnold@co.marin.ca.us, hbrown@co.marin.ca.us, skinsey@co.marin.ca.us, cmcglashan@co.marin.ca.us, fmansourian@co.marin.ca.usSubject: An accident caused by DPW repaving N, Ferndale Ave,
Bcc: Madrone Park Circle, HVCC, SaveEvergreen, Hearus, and HV BeatDear Bob,Last October I called DPW's attention to the potential dangerous situation causes by DPW's and MMWD's mutual repaving of N. Ferndale Ave. See below email.A DPW engineer advised us that the new paved travel surface was acceptable and so nothing was done to correct this situation.This morning Renee Shelton, #364 N. Ferndale, was forced to steer her vehicle into N. Ferndale Ave's uphill ditch by an on coming vehicle. Happily no one was injured. Damage to her vehicle is being evaluated.Where Renee's vehicle was forced into a ditch, N. Ferndale Ave's. paved travel surface measures 12"-11" wide between a news raised asphalt curb and a deep ditch. The attached photos of her accident clearly show that the new travel width is seriously substandard by county codes and unsafe by any standard.We called your attention in Oct. 2010 to the fact that: N. Ferndale Ave. travel surface width is seriously substandard; DPW's yearly scraping of its uphill drainage ditch deepens this ditch each year; New down hill asphalt curbs now eliminate the use of the shoulder.In Oct. 2010 we suggested an economic and green way of resolving this problem by carefully positioning loads of 4" - 6" river run boulders along the uphill side of the new pavement where needed to reduce the height of the pavement above the shoulder and make on-street parking again accessible.Recently contractor, building a home at 8 Madrone Park Circle, filled +/- 30 ' N. Ferndale Ave's uphill ditch with granite boulders and gravel restoring N. Ferndale Ave's shoulder for on-street parking. Storm Water surface runoff is now absorbed and benefits the ecosystem by reducing storm water runoff. We are informed that the cost of this improvement was +/- $1,000 or less than $ 30 per lineal foot for a +/- 4'-0" wide shoulder.DPW plans to spend 1,000,000 federal tax payer dollars 200,000 Marin County tax payer dollars to provide Marin Horizon School that pays not County, State or Federal taxes with a 5'-0" wide concrete curb and sidewalk, improvement work which Marin Horizon School is obligated to provide . 24.04.015 (c) and Chapter 19.05, Street Improvements Required Abutting Building Sites. Why does the county not require Marin Horizon School compliance with 24.04.015 (c) and Chapter 19.05?Instead of the county/DPW giving Marin Horizon School a free ride at county taxpayer expense, why can not the county/DPW spend our tax dollars to cheaply and simply fill in the deep hazardous ditch that DPW created and eliminate this new hazard ?Best regards,Charles-----Original Message-----
From: Charlessands
To: beaumont <bbeaumont@co.marin.ca.us>
Cc: mansourian <fmansourian@co.marin.ca.us>
Sent: Sat, Oct 2, 2010 4:48 pm
Subject: MWWD & DPW N. Ferndale Ave. repavin
Bcc: Madrone Park Circle GroupBob,I'm sure all residents on N. Ferndale Ave. Ridgewood Ave. and Madrone Park Circle appreciate the re paving of N. Ferndale Ave. funded jointly by MWWD & DPW.N. Ferndale serves more than 19 residential properties and as such is classified a "Residential" road. Section 24.04.030.A "Residential" road's minimum width is 36 feet. And where there are no curbs or gutters the width is 37 feet. Section 24.04.110.The newly re paved road is approximately 12 to 22 feet wide and has been raised approximately 4" to 12' or more above the existing shoulder. This raised road: Eliminates on-street parking; Creates a perceived driving danger; Impedes vehicle bypassing and in some parts of the road vehicles actually stop to allow another vehicle to pass.I'm sure that all the drivers that use N. Ferndale would very much appreciate WMMMD and DPW raising the shoulders on both sides of the road up to at least 4" or less from the new new pavement surface. This will then allow on-street parking to be accessible to adjoining property owners and increase the perceived width of the road.An economic and green way of resolving this problem might be to carefully position loads of 4" - 6" river run boulders along the uphill side of the new pavement where needed to reduce the height of the pavement above the shoulder and make on-street parking again accessible.This might be a cost effective and green way to raise the shoulder up to within 4" of the new pavement and serve to reduce the storm water erosion of the existing drainage swale.Will appreciate your letting me know how MMWD & DPW intend to address and resolve this issue so I may keep my neighbors up to speed.Best regards,Charles
No comments:
Post a Comment