CAUTION: This message originated outside of the City of Salinas email system. Do not click on links or open attachments unless you are sure the content is safe.
From: [email protected]
To: Thomas Wiles; _district2; _district1; _district3; _district5; _salinasmayor; _district4 Subject: Addendum to Opposition to Proposed Cannabis Dispensary relocation to 1228 S. Main Street Date: Sunday, June 16, 2024 5:15:41 PM
Attachments: image002.jpg
Dear Mr. Wiles, Mayor Craig and City Council Members,
Please accept this email/letter as an addendum to my previous correspondence in opposition to the proposed cannabis dispensary relocation to 1228 S. Main St. and let it be made matter of record and included in any studies and reports pertaining to this matter.
I admit to being ignorant of the rules pertaining to the proper time frame that such information needs to be posted prior to a hearing however I do feel little time was given to those impacted by this project. I see that the staff report suggests that “interested parties” were cc’d on the report but I again fail to understand how I was not considered one of those parties in light of all my concerns and proximity to the proposed project.
Having just been afforded the documents pertaining to this matter and with little time to review or seek legal interpretation on any of it, I felt it was necessary to question several aspects of the those documents when considering this proposal.
One of my greatest concerns is the information that was provided to Rick Engineering Company, author of the parking demand study. The report estimated a maximum of 7 employees to be present on-site at one time during open business hours. I can only assume Rick Engineering Co. received this information from CannaCruz Co.. On my visit to the existing CannCruz location on June 4th, myself and the Ellis Restaurant owners clearly counted 10-12+ employees working on the show room floor that day. This did not include those working in the back areas that we were not allowed to access for security reasons. This also did not include the alleged four (4) security staff that CannaCruz stated and submitted in their proposed security document. The manager of the store told us that day that a typical daily staff consisted of 10-30 staff members plus security. I sincerely feel that the information provided to Rick Engineering Co. was misrepresented and not a true reflection of the negative impact a cannabis dispensary will have on the community at the proposed location. I certainly feel it is worthy of further investigation.
I also did not know that the 6/18 public hearing was to reconsider the denial of yet ANOTHER business, a furniture store, going into that building which would require even more parking and create even more traffic concerns! The CannaCruz representatives told us at the 6/5 planning commission meeting that the front half of the building was to remain empty in light of our parking concerns. The Rick Engineering parking report conservatively estimated a max of 3 additional employees for the furniture store however it did not allow for delivery vehicles coming and going etc… Both businesses are dependent on such delivery vehicles, especially the furniture store. These facts beg to question, has the city ever allowed a 51% parking reduction waiver to any project, much less a project in a congested traffic area like the corner S. Main Street and Boronda? The Gateway to Salinas from the Monterey Peninsula?
As we witnessed on June 4
th, a cannabis dispensary business is almost equivalent to a drive-through business with over 30-40 cars per hour (based on the numbers provided at the Commission Hearing by the CannaCruz representatives). All of this traffic will be entering and exiting one narrow driveway on a one-way flow of traffic just several feet from existing driveways to parking lots that are already overcrowded and burdened. It will do so just yards from the entrances and exits of existing businesses (restaurant/medical/dental/Bank/and more…) that are frequented by families and children, many on foot from the sidewalk. This proposed additional/negative traffic impact will be extremely dangerous and threatening to people. All that said, I failed to see/find a traffic impact study/report which CLEARLY, the cannabis dispensary business should have had to do due to the extremely busy traffic flow this business generates! The Salinas Police letter on file also voices this concern which should have further stimulated a traffic study/report.
Regarding the CEQA exemption; I feel a valid argument can be made that the exemption would not apply in this situation given the increased traffic impacts and particularly the police letter talking about the congestion in the area and the fact that there’s been no traffic report to the address increased traffic. I do not see nor can I find anywhere that findings to the contrary are presented anywhere. I fact, I see just the opposite.
Finally, after reviewing the information in the staff report regarding FG-3, it seems very questionable to suggest that the extremely increased traffic and parking concerns will create a healthy neighborhood where residents can safely live, work and walk outdoors in this area due to the traffic concerns mentioned by all. It also begs to question how this project will reduce vehicle trips and traffic.
I again beg all concerned to consider all the above carefully and thoroughly before considering the dismissal of the advice offered by the many agencies and the community that have opposed the project thus far. There IS a better, safer and more appropriate location for this business that will be considered upon CannaCruz being required to do so.
Respectfully,
Charlie Sammut
From the desk of
Charlie Sammut ~ President ~ Vision Quest Ranch
400 River Road Salinas, CA 93908
24/7 cell: (831) 809-2919
(831) 455-3180 (800) 228-7382 FAX (831)455-1902 www.visionquestranch.com