Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Fwd: Melrose Ave to be narrowed and MHS' sidewalk's crosswalk ends in a driveway. How's that for safety :(

From: Charles Sands <charlessands@aol.com>
Date: July 16, 2012 8:52:38 PM PDT
Subject: Melrose Ave to be narrowed and MHS' sidewalk's crosswalk ends in a driveway. How's that for safety :(

Bcc: Homestead Valley neighbors and MHS carpet baggers.
Supervisor Kinsey,
AS CONSTRUCTION PROCEEDS DPW'S PLANS FOR MELROSE AVE. CONCEALED BY DPW & MHS FROM HOMESTEAD VALLEY RESIDENTS AND DRIVERS ARE REVEALED.

MELROSE AVE.'S EXISTING MINIMUM COUNTY AND CALTRANS TWO LANE 22 FEET WIDTH WILL BE NARROWED TO  20' OR LESS. TAKE A DRIVE ON MELROSE TO EXPERIENCE WHAT MHS IS IMPOSING ON DRIVERS ON A STREET THAT IN MORE THAN 100 YEARS NEVER HAD CAR/PEDESTRIAN INCIDENT.
AS USUAL TO PLACATE MARIN HORIZON SCHOOL CORPORATION INC. AND AVOID INFORMING ANYONE LIVING IN HOMESTEAD VALLEY THE SUPERVISOR KINSEY AND CREW ARE NARROWING MELROSE AVE. WITHOUT
- INFORMING THE PUBLIC;
- AN AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC COUNTS OF LOCAL TRAFFIC AND MHS TRAFFIC;
- A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS SHOWING THE COST & BENEFIT OF A NARROWED MELROSE AVE. VERSUS MELROSE AVE.  AS IT EXISTS.
IN LIEU OF A DESIGN BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF PROFESSIONAL  TRAFFIC ENGINEERS HOMESTEAD VALLEY DRIVERS WILL BE PERMANENTLY INCONVENIENCED AND ENDANGERED  BY THE PAST HEAD OF SCHOOL ROSALIND HAMMAR DESIRE TO SLOW TRAFFIC ON MELROSE AVE. FOR THE BENEFIT OF MHS PARENTS USING MARIN HORIZON SCHOOL'S PASSENGER LOADING AREA, MELROSE AND EVERGREEN AVE ON-STREET PARKING AND LESS THAN TWO DOZEN PARH AND WALK MORNING ONLY WALKERS.
AND  MHS' EVERGREEN AVE'S SIDEWALK'S MELROSE AVE CROSSWALK  ENDS IN AL WUNTHNOW'S DRIVEWAY. HOW'S THAT FOR A SAFE ROUTE TO SCHOOL ? WAY TO GO MHS'


Have a look at DPW's "final" design for the cross walks locations at Evergreen Ave. and Melrose Ave. and betweeen on Melrose Ave, at Voluteer Park  less than 50 feet to the north.


Two new cross walks on Merose Ave. less than 50 feet apart on a major Homestead Ave. connector street is not necessary. MHS' Evrgreen Ave's sidewalk's Melrose Ave.'s crosswalk ends in Al Wuunthnow'ds driveway and will have a significant negative impact on the safety of  MHS students using the cross walk, Marin Horizon School's arriving and departing traffic and on local neighborhoodtraffic. 
PROBLEM: Evergreen Ave. and Melrose Ave.'s crosswalk:
a) Crosses Melrose Ave. idirectly into Al Wunthnow's and his next door neighbor's driveway.
b) MHS will have to post 2 crosswalk guards  in order not to have a negative impact on local traffic.
b) A new sidewalk on the west side of Melrose Ave. requires the construction of a new retaining wall nearly 20 feet high and 20 feet long costing perhaps more than $50,0000 which does not appear to be included on DPW's contractor's bid sheet. 
c) Pedestrians  must cross a third driveway at Marin Horizon School's driveway.
OPPORTUNITY: Evergreen Ave. and Melrose Ave. crosswalk north of Marin Horizon's driveway.
a) New "Safe Routes to School" sidewalk on Evergreen Ave,. to a new sidewalk on the East side of  Melrose Ave.
b) Eliminates the unnecessary cross walk that crosses Melrose Ave. intersecting with Al Wunthnow's and his next door neighbor's driveway.
c) Reduces two vehicle stopping cross walks to one on Melrose Ave.
d) Eliminates the construction of a new retaining wall nearly 20 feet high and 20 feet long saving of perhaps more than $50,0000 in extra costs.
e) Furnishes a new sidewalk on the East side of Melrose Ave. as a "Safe Routes To School" for nursery school and Kindergarten parents who park on the South side of Evergreen Ave.
f) Furnishes a new sidewalk on the East side of Melrose Ave.as a "Safe Routes To School" for nursery school and Kindergarten parents who park on the south side of Evergreen Ave.
g) Allows the new "Safe Routes to School sidewalk on the East side of Melrose to connect directly to Marin Horizon School north of its staff parking driveway. 
I feel the opportunity to improve a safer route to school for all N-8 MHS parents and students, reduce the un-necessary
negative double vehicle stops on Melrose Ave. cost savings to the Safe Routes To Schools funding program supports redesigning DPW's current location of MHS' Evergreen Ave. Melrose and Volunteer Park crosswalk locations..
AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE COMMUNITY DESTRUCTION AGENCY AND HIS PLANNER INFORMED THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISOR'S IN 2005 THAT MARIN HORIZON SCHOOL'S EXPANSION PLAN  WOULD NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECT ON HOMESTEAD VALLEY.
WELL MHS' SIDEWALK ON EVERGREEN AVE., MHS' CROSS WALKS ON MELROSE AND MELROSE AVE.'S  NARROWED WIDTH TO SOLELY BENEFIT MHS PUT THE LIE TO  THE COMMUNITY DESTRUCTION AGENCY'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
Regards,
A THOUROUGHLT DISGUSTED ARCHITECT AND URBAN DESIGNER.

Charles Sands
charlessands@aol.com
PS: BE UPFRONT ...EMAIL SUPERVISOR KINSEY YOUR OPINION PRO OR CON.

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