DEIR: Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Deer Creek Village is available on-line for reading. You have until the 25th of April to respond to comments for the PUBLIC RECORD. See the City of Petaluma Website for a copy of the DEIR. Attending this city council meeting is important!
WHY SHOULD YOU BE CONCERNED?
- Traffic: Their shopping center proposal is estimated to generate 10,000 car trips daily in and out of the project area. Impacts from Old Redwood Highway to McDowell Blvd, Rainier Avenue up to Maria Drive are at levels E and F. Levels are rated from A-F. Level E and F are unacceptable. Gridlock is unhealthy for all Petalumans.
- Protecting Our Hospital: Getting to the hospital in an emergency is vital. Depending on sirens is not the answer when you’re the one in the ambulance. Our fire department has always said a Rainier cross-town connector is vital for our community to get to our hospital safely. NOW the same people are saying sirens are enough to get across town to our hospital.
- Transportation: The Rainer cross-town connector/interchange is not funded and yet it’s the mitigation for both the Deer Creek Village and East Washington Place projects. The new update cost for a full interchange and cross-town connector is over $160 million. Who pays? Our city is broke.
- Pollution: The amount of air pollution from this project is over 13.2 % higher than acceptable standards. This is NOT acceptable, and can easily be lowered by designing a walkable project that will reduce the amount of traffic.
- Noise: The City of Petaluma is moving quickly to approve “Deer Creek Village.” For those who have backyard’s backing McDowell Blvd, I urge you to write to the City of Petaluma and ask that the developer do a better job minimizing the impacts to our neighborhood.
- Sound Wall: The fence on North McDowell from Profession Drive, to the Sandalwood Mobile Home Park is falling down. This is eyesore and it lowers the value of Park Place Neighborhood. A sound wall needs to be required by the city before this project can be built.
- Zoning: The project site is zoned for “Mixed-Use” development. Petaluma’s General Plan requires that Mixed Use be “pedestrian oriented”. The General Plan also recognizes the need to reduce traffic impacts and pollution along McDowell Blvd.
What can you do? Contact our Mayor and Council Members and voice your opinion. This project is not about shopping, it’s about our quality of life in Petaluma. We knew this land would be developed but, the size of the proposed project and its impacts are more than our local roads can handle.
East and West Side Residents: tell our City Council; Petalumans are tired of all the gridlock and pollution that comes with poor planning. Ask your city representatives to make the project comply with our General Plan and require that the developer build a well-designed walkable mixed-use project. NOT another big-box strip mall.
SEND ALL COMMENTS TO ALL THE BELOW EMAIL ADDRESSES
Heather Hines: City Project Planner: hhines@ci.petaluma.ca.us
John Brown; Petaluma: City Manger: jbrown@ci.petaluma.ca.us
David Glass; Mayor: daveglass@comcast.net
City Clerk: cityclerk@ci.petaluma.ca.us
City Council: citycouncil@ci.petaluma.ca.us
City Council Members; councilman.albertason@gmail.com, teresa4petaluma@comcast, mike4pet@aol.com, mthealy@sbcglobal.net, councilmmemberkearney@me.com, tiff@tiffanyrenee.com
Written comments can also be mailed directly to:
Petaluma Planning Department
c/o Heather Hines
11 English Street, Petaluma CA 94952
Meeting Date:
City Hall, 11 English Street, April 25th 7:00 PM
STAND UP AND SPEAK OUT!
To get more details about how you can help make our community a better place email us at: stop.traffic.gridlock@gmail.com