Sebastopol development

[chrisbauman]

Oh boy. I live downtown. I live on Pitt Ave. Its really hard to think about this development without getting a deep sick feeling in my stomach. Pitt Ave. gets alot of traffic and noise as is. Any way you slice it this proposed project is going to create significant increased traffic flow on my street and lots of noise and pollution. I see a dramaticCars driving up and down my street because Healdsburg Ave., Main and Bodega are all crawling along people trying to cut through. Construction starting at 7 am in the morning for 20 years? The projected increase of traffic and loss of parking are huge issue for me. THE TRAFFIC WILL IMPACT EVERYONE GOING THROUGH OR LIVING IN SEBASTOPOL. Even if they build parking in the Laguna and make it a pedestrain friendly part of town, they will have to make new categories for traffic congestion. Its projected that all the major intersections in the downtwown will become LOS F. That is the worst you can have. Perhaps we can set a new precidence and make it LOS G, H or I...!

I actually think this development is potentially a really neat project.The Counsel organized a series of visionary meetings with the community that I thought was very useful. There are a lot of younger people wanting to have the opportunity to buy homes in Sebastopol. They really showed up for these meetings. This project would allow them to do this.

I love the drawings and renditions of the downtown. I would be right on the edge and could really enjoy and benefit from some of the things they plan to do. And my house potentially could actually go up in value because I would be on the edge of it.

Or not...if the the street I live on is full of parking cars and constant snarling traffic.

I would love it if there were a plan for MY street to be pedestrian friendly as well! There has been no studies on the impact of the downtown residential areas so they haven't really thought about this aspect very deeply. How about making the whole downtown east and west of Main St. pedestrian friendly! Put parking garages on the outskirts of Sebastopol with bus service? round abouts? block off streets so people can't cut through? free bikes for people to ride through town as in Paris?

Ultimately the Counsel is going to have to scale this project down or they are going to create a horrible mess. People will be very upset if they do put in all the 320 living units they say they will without solving the three big problems: traffic, water and flood zone building. They can do a lot with the second two: the wells and water use; and the flood zone. They need to do more with water conservation just as they have done with energy conservation. The flood zone can be worked with by their proposals for having the building built up one level so when it does flood the 500 year flood it doesn't flood homes. The traffic...that is where the rubber doesn't meet the road in this proposal.

Summary: So as far as I am concerned they need to scale this project down to maybe 80-100 living units. They need to address the impact on the neighborhoods west of Main St. They need to address traffic, water and flood in a new way.

Thanks. Chris Clay Bauman

[AllEars]

Oh boy. I live downtown. ...

I live around there also! I appreciate your summary on what is possible if the council grants approval to any project without scaling down on the project. Underground parking? Nah! How about parking somewhere away from residences and having regular electric shuttles into town?

[Helen Shane]

More people have to get involved with the Northeast Quad development project. I agree. I think that very little thought has been given to the impact of an expansion of Sebastopol of this magnitude will affect the rest of the town. More information and education about the process is necessary. I suggest that people write letters to the editors of Sonoma West and the Press Democrat about their concerns.

[Fillie]

Short-term intervention: Whenever I am coming from the East toward Sebastopol, I take Occidental Road West to 116 to get to Andy's or Forestville and beyond. Or I use High School Rd from 116 if I must go in to, or come from town, and bypass Sebastopol whenever possible. When I am coming from the east, I take 12 to Morris, then weave back behind the high school, out to 116, then High School to 116. Not that that saves any time but I keep moving and don't add to the madness. Beyond that, I walk or ride my bike as often as feasible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nicofrog]

If there was any way to connect Morris ave with High school rd Around behind the school, that would create a "round about" route that might help relieve the ALREADY ridiculous jamb at the square on weekends. Perhaps a modernization of a route from Todd to Bloomfield would get the tourists trying to get to bodega re-routed around 12 but a lot of this would require quite a community spirit or a lot of money to get people to say"sure,here,just run a road right through my field that has grazed cows for 90 years."then again,if the bay comes up some folks might just do better putting in docks and buying boats.
Nico
personally I dislike "development" that mostly serves money interests.
it amazes me that the media keeps referring to other countries as "Developing nations" like k mart has them all lined up for future sales.
As B. Fuller said 40 years ago,If everybody that wanted the luxuries we have right now Had Them the atmosphere would last about 6 weeks.
when will we wake up to the fact that it is imperative to start DOWNSIZING. ??? Keep up the good thinking folks ,we're gonna need it!



Oh boy. I live downtown. I live on Pitt Ave. Its really hard to think about this development without getting a deep sick feeling in my stomach. Pitt Ave. gets alot of traffic and noise as is. Any way you slice it this proposed project is going to create significant increased traffic flow on my street and lots of noise and pollution. I see a dramaticCars driving up and down my street because Healdsburg Ave., Main and Bodega are all crawling along people trying to cut through. Construction starting at 7 am in the morning for 20 years? The projected increase of traffic and loss of parking are huge issue for me. THE TRAFFIC WILL IMPACT EVERYONE GOING THROUGH OR LIVING IN SEBASTOPOL. Even if they build parking in the Laguna and make it a pedestrain friendly part of town, they will have to make new categories for traffic congestion. Its projected that all the major intersections in the downtwown will become LOS F. That is the worst you can have. Perhaps we can set a new precidence and make it LOS G, H or I...!

I actually think this development is potentially a really neat project.The Counsel organized a series of visionary meetings with the community that I thought was very useful. There are a lot of younger people wanting to have the opportunity to buy homes in Sebastopol. They really showed up for these meetings. This project would allow them to do this.

I love the drawings and renditions of the downtown. I would be right on the edge and could really enjoy and benefit from some of the things they plan to do. And my house potentially could actually go up in value because I would be on the edge of it.

Or not...if the the street I live on is full of parking cars and constant snarling traffic.

I would love it if there were a plan for MY street to be pedestrian friendly as well! There has been no studies on the impact of the downtown residential areas so they haven't really thought about this aspect very deeply. How about making the whole downtown east and west of Main St. pedestrian friendly! Put parking garages on the outskirts of Sebastopol with bus service? round abouts? block off streets so people can't cut through? free bikes for people to ride through town as in Paris?

Ultimately the Counsel is going to have to scale this project down or they are going to create a horrible mess. People will be very upset if they do put in all the 320 living units they say they will without solving the three big problems: traffic, water and flood zone building. They can do a lot with the second two: the wells and water use; and the flood zone. They need to do more with water conservation just as they have done with energy conservation. The flood zone can be worked with by their proposals for having the building built up one level so when it does flood the 500 year flood it doesn't flood homes. The traffic...that is where the rubber doesn't meet the road in this proposal.

Summary: So as far as I am concerned they need to scale this project down to maybe 80-100 living units. They need to address the impact on the neighborhoods west of Main St. They need to address traffic, water and flood in a new way.

Thanks. Chris Clay Bauman

[Tars]

The whole Sebastopol area is just maxxed out. Any plans for additional business or residential capacity needs to be preceded by increased access/egress in the area. It's hellacious now at peak traffic times. Virtually every couple in the universe has two vehicles - add 200 living units, add 400 cars, add 800 trips through the clogged city streets. Subtract 400 parking spots. Commercial development is even worse for traffic. How many trucks in and out of town for each new business?

Look at Fulton or Stony Point Road to see what Occidental Road will look like in a few years. How long until stop lights at Occidental & High School Road, and Occidental and Sanford? Think drivers are cranky now?

Take a picture of those quaint apple orchards along Gravenstein & Occidental highway - those highways'll have to be widened if the residents out there keep jamming new "country" residences on their properties. Add 2-3 cars, and 4-6 trips through town for every granny unit west of Sebastopol. Just because it's hidden behind trees, doesn't mean it isn't sprawl.

Yeah, of course, everyone who lives in town is encouraged to walk or bicycle. But Sebastopol & west county is the suburbs for Sonoma & Marin County metropolitan. Any building here necessarily means more auto traffic. And these are the good ol' bad days!

No new building permits in and around Sebastopol until infrastructure is improved.