Bcc: Madrone Park Circle, Evergreen and Homestead Valley neighbors.
Subject:
Request that a C.E.Q.A. Environmental Impact Study of DPW's proposed design for an Evergreen Ave. sidewalk and traffic calming proposal be made.
Dear Ms. Warner.
On 5 November 2010 the Marin County Director of Public Works stated at an Evergreen Ave, Sidewalk public meeting that its design was 10% complete. We are now informed that this project is advanced to the degree that DPW plans to review its sidewalk design with only those Evergreen Ave
An Environmental Impact Study is warranted by the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) given that the project is not consistent with the following Tamalpais Area Community Plan (TACP) goal, policies and objectives, County ordinances and has the following significant negative impacts.
a) TACP Goal # 1: Maintain the semi-rural character of the community as defined by its small town residential and commercial setting and the quality of the natural environment.
b) TACP Objective T-6: To retain the character of the Planning Area by assuring future roadway construction and improvements will have a low impact on the residential environment.
c) TACP Policy T-6.1: All roadway improvements must be designed to preserve and enhance the semi-rural character of the Planning Area.
d) TACP Policy T-6.2: All new roadway improvements must be designed to have a minimal impact on the values of the natural environment
e) County ordinance Section 24:04:460: Sidewalks within village areas: Unpaved pedestrian walks at least four feet in width shall be required elsewhere. DPW's concrete sidewalks are inconsistent with 24:04:460.
f) Reducing Evergreen Avenue's existing travel lane width between Linden Lane and Ethel Ave. by as much as 7'-0" is unsafe and not justified by any professional average daily traffic studies.
g) DPW's sidewalk proposal and design is inconsistent with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) community involvement requirements in that DPW did not actively involve impacted Homestead Valley CSA 14 residents during its preparation of its Safe Route to School application for funding nor in the conceptual, preliminary and final design of its proposed sidewalk for use by a daily average of 24 Marin Horizon School. Only 2 brief "share and tell" meetings were held.
h) More than 1,000 Homestead Valley CSA 14 residents daily use Evergreen Ave. to access their Homestead Valley residents yet DPW has not involved this community and has ignored the impact of its sidewalk proposal on them.
i) DPW has provided no engineering average daily peak school hour morning and afternoon pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular traffic volume, safety or speeding surveys in accordance with Caltrans procedures to support its proposed sidewalk and "traffic calming" measures.
j) An independent 14 day average daily peak school hour morning and afternoon pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular traffic volume survey made in October 2010 showed Marin Horizon School 20 morning and 4 afternoon\ walkers.
k) This survey revealed that volume of Marin Horizon School morning and afternoon vehicles on Evergreen Ave. comprised more than 50% of the total of all traffic.
l) The County's 2005 Marin Horizon School Environmental Initial Study failed to evaluate the impact of the volume of Marin Horizon School traffic on Homestead Valley's local streets and found no negative impact on local pedestrian safety.
m) DPW has failed to mitigate the loss of 3 on-street parking spaces.
n) The County has failed to require Marin Horizon School to provide adequate on-site parking consistent with county parking ordinances Sections: 24.04. 330. (a); 24.04.335 (a) and 024.04.340 (p).
o) The County's 2005 Marin Horizon School Environmental Initial Study determined a Marin Horizon School average daily demand for 32 parking spaces for parents, visitors and others. See MHS EIS page 27
p) In 2005 the County failed to require Marin Horizon School, consistent with 024.04.340 (p), to require Marin Horizon School furnish 32 on-site parking spaces.
q) The negative daily impact of Marin Horizon School's parent's, visitor's and other' vehicles usurping neighborhood and Volunteer Park on-street parking spaces was neither discussed nor mitigated by the 2005 Marin Horizon School Environmental Impact Study paid for by
Marin Horizon School and managed by the Community Development Agency.
r) The County has failed to implement the 2005 Marin Horizon School Environmental Impact Study recommended mitigating action requiring Marin Horizon School to furnish temporary 55 on-site Special Event parking spaces during school hours. the 2005 Marin Horizon School Environmental Impact Study
s) Board of Supervisors resolution 2005-105 Condition of Approval # 50 omitted to include MHS EIS page 28 mitigating action requirement that Marin Horizon School furnish 55 temporary parking spaces on-site (playground). This omission is not consistent with CEQA requirements and must be implemented.
t) Re-grading of many front yards and driveways to accommodate DPW's proposed 6" concrete curbs and gutters.
u) Permanent removal of 100 years of landscaping and ornamental trees located within the streets right-of-way.
v) No provision for bicycle traffic.
Homestead Valley residents respectfully request that you require DPW to comply with CEQA requirements.
And given the biased and self serving 2005 MHS EIS, which has been documented to contain massive errors and omissions benefiting Marin Horizon School, we also request that an EIS be furnished by a qualified, independent environmental assessment free of any County induced inexplicable errors and omissions similar to those self serving ones contained in the 2005 MHS EIS.
Charles Sands, Architect and Urban Designer
Sandsconsult Architects
12 Madrone Park Circle
Mill Valley, CA 94941
415 381 6804
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