Fwd: Proposed Sidewalk Project, Evergreen Avenue, Homestead Valley, Mill Valley

From: Keith Garriott <saveevergreenave@gmail.com>

Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2011 14:05:10 -0800

Subject: Re: FW: Proposed Sidewalk Project, Evergreen Avenue,

Homestead Valley, Mill Valley

To: "Kinsey, Steven" <SKinsey@co.marin.ca.us>

Cc: dawn_foster <dawn_foster@dot.ca.gov>, "Rebecca.Crowe"

<Rebecca.Crowe@fhwa.dot.gov>, "Mansourian, Farhad"

<FMansourian@co.marin.ca.us>, walkbikemarin

<walkbikemarin@co.marin.ca.us>, "Crosse, Liza"

<LCrosse@co.marin.ca.us>, "Escobar, David" <DEscobar@co.marin.ca.us>,

bbeaumont <bbeaumont@co.marin.ca.us>, Keith Garriott

<saveevergreenave@gmail.com>, Mari Tamburo

, Al Wuthnow 

Hello Supervisor Kinsey,

I have received a response concerning the Evergreen Avenue Sidewalk

Plans Currently Pending and have fowarded the message to my groups

list of Homestead Residents.

I would like to thank you for the update through that email on what

your position is and what you are doing to help meet the concerns of

the Evergreen Avenue and neighboring Homestead residents about the

status of the plans, your suggestions for coloring the concrete and

earth tone friendly ramps to blend in with the semi rural character of

the neighborhood, obtaining a written document that clarifies the

source of maintenance funding, and for specifically asking the State

to modify the grant requirements so that the final plan is more

appropriate for the character of the neighborhood.

At this time, I have to disagree with your views about comparing this

street to the Golden Gate Bridge lanes and to other non conforming

streets in Marin when it comes to an "improvement" that would be

intended for our street with the current plans implemented.

Evergreen Avenue is a main thoroughfare in and out of the neighborhood

valley area due to it's current road width, therefore, I agree with

many of the residents in the area that the plans for a sidewalk on

this street should reflect the streets overall positive road

characteristics and aesthetics.

I have some questions that I would like to ask on behalf of the

general Homestead residents who would be using Evergreen Avenue on a

daily basis concerning road safety for motor vehicles, bicycling, and

wheelchair access in particular.

These questions are based on the proposed functionality of the street

after the currently planned sidewalk would be installed:

1). On being assured by DPW that there is sufficient right-of-way

width to accommodate two safe traffic lanes as well as the proposed

sidewalk, does that include the Safe Routes To School requirements for

school students who would be using Evergreen Avenue as a designated

route to bicycle on the street and sharing the road with motor

vehicles?

2). The county easement for the road is currently substandard at

certain sections to the right-of-way in conjunction with what's on

record as being 50 feet in width along the adjacent properties

fronting the roadway from north to south. Therefore, wouldn't an

entire survey of the street (including the north side of county

roadway easement of Evergreen Avenue) and a "road feasibility study"

be able to show that at these substandard sections of the street (due

to property line encroachments, erosion, etc..,) would be a concern

for bicyclists sharing the road with motor vehicles at these

particular points of the roadway with the addition of the 5 foot

sidewalk?

3). The current plans propose a 5 foot wide sidewalk along the south

side of the street, which was reduced 1 foot from the first proposal

of a 6 foot wide sidewalk on the entire lenght of Evergreen Ave and

section of Melrose. Does the current plan allocate for the sidewalk to

be used by the students bicycling to school? If so, is this proposed

sidewalk going to be built and used as a "multi-use pathway?"

[Note: My understanding of a "multi-use pathway" is that they are

usually approximately 10 wide and meant for the use of pedestrians,

bicyclists and other non motorized means all simultaneously sharing

the pathway].

4). Another question I have is concerning wheelchair access on the

north side of the street. When the sidewalk is installed, it will make

the current roadway width narrower. Therefore, wouldn't that cause a

potental hazard for the use of wheelchair access on the north side of

the street, being that there is only one ADA compliant sidewalk to be

built on Evergreen Avenue (limiting all wheelchair access to only one

side of the street)?

Supervisor Kinsey, wouldn't it be more of a complete "street

improvement" on Evergreen Avenue if the current SRTS requirement for a

5 foot wide sidewalk was reduced to 4 feet wide (particularly in these

substandard sections of the street) in order for a "shoulder"

approximately 4 feet wide to be utilized on the north side for the

ensured safety of bicyclists and wheelchair accesss along with general

motor vehicles traveling on this street (avoiding an accident with

another vehicle traveling in the other direction) while trying to

safely pass a bicyclist of wheelchair on the north side of the street?

By reducing the current sidewalk planned to a 4 foot wide

(particularly at the non conforming sections), and with a delineated

shoulder on the north side for a " safety buffer from the vehicles in

the northbound lane," would develope the entire street and accommodate

the safe travel of all who travel this street, while saving all on

street parking and keeping the project within budget, in my estimation

as a building tradesman for the last 20 years. (The road road

feasibility study would also determine if center dots need to be

installed). [I personally think that this would cause a traffic

calming effect with these concepts implemented].

This is only my view and estimation as a concerned resident (currently

in the building trade field) on Evergreen Avenue.

The DPW would have to engineer this concept by figuring if the parking

could be saved on the north side of the street, without the

requirement of losing parking spaces. One suggestion would be to clear

vegetation currently obstructing the shoulder areas of the road on the

north side, and require the owners on Evergreen Avenue with fences

encroaching onto the county easement...to move their fences back to

the surveyed property lines (only if neccessary to ensure sufficient

room for the north side of the street parking). [In my estimation,

there's only a few fences that would have to be moved back

approximately 1 foot each depending on the if it is determained that

there needs to be additional room for parked cars besides the required

8 foot in width].

I apologize for the complexity in the questions that I have concerning

this project,, but I feel that these questions are crucial in

determining the safest possible plan for a general safe route to

school for childern, Evergreen Ave residents, and neighboring

Homestead residents who use this street frequently.

I look foward to your response and thank you again for your

continueous efforts in addressing the concerns of the Homestead

residents about this project.

Sincerly,

Keith Garriott

(Homestead Resident for 15 years)

On 2/3/11, Kinsey, Steven <SKinsey@co.marin.ca.us> wrote:

http://hv94941hearus.blogspot.com/2011/02/letter-from-steve-kinsey-to-homestead.html