From:Barry
To:City Council
Subject:Fw: MARCH 7, 2023 CITY COUNCIL MEETING ITEM 3A
Date:Monday, March 6, 2023 12:41:30 PM
External Email
Dear Councilmember,
We are very distressed after recently reading the agenda for the March 7, 2023 meeting concerning Item 3A as it DIRECTLY IMPACTS our immediate neighborhood regarding safety and property values. And, it is especially disturbing that this item is being discussed in a "closed session" void of any representation by the aforementioned neighbors.
You recently spent millions of dollars on the beautiful Shell Beach Streetscape project designed to slow traffic to 15MPH and enhance pedestrian and bicyclists to better patronize local business, etc.
Why on earth would you want to divert people off of Shell Beach Road onto a 5' path between residential properties, an unsupervised alley onto Vista Del Mar...the most unsafe street in Shell Beach having no sidewalks and speeding vehicles? The whole concept is absurd and reeks of no forethought or concern for the very residents whom this fiasco directly impacts. Think about this for a minute...would you condone such a project if it directly encroached on your privacy, safety and home value? We didn't think so.
Years ago, Mr. Art Davis owned the former Hindler property. He erected a fence across the vacant lot located at the bottom of Terrace Avenue. He did this because people passing through would vandalize his (and our) property. Garage doors and block walls were subjected to graffiti. People used the alley, although privately owned as a toilet for their dogs. I witnessed on several occasions teenage boys urinating as well. During this time, I contacted our esteemed police department about a particular person who brought her dog to my gate two times a day to defecate. I had photographs and the officer citied the lady and required her to pick up what amounted to a 32 gallon trash can full of feces. She was typical of many people who traversed from Terrace to Vista Del Mar.
Again, before the chain link fence was put up by Mr. Davis, motorcycles would often go speeding across the vacant lot at all hours of the day and night. Additionally, Terrace neighbors up the alleyway had several items stolen including kayaks, bicycles and even a small row boat. The alley was
littered with trash, cigarette butts and even a couple of discarded old sleeping bags left by transients. Needless-to-say, neighbors were grateful for the fence as all such incidents were curtailed once it was erected....and although somewhat rusted, it is thankfully still there.
Now you want to subject us to this behavior again? There is a lot more that we could share with you if we were not locked out of this meeting. It is unethical and simply unfair to railroad this project through without our input. Safety, compassion and common sense should be your number one concern. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Barry and Sandra Erlich (Shell Beach residents since 1972) 325 Terrace
Shell Beach, CA 805-550-4213