Continue bypass conversation
EDITOR: Thank you to Amie Windsor for her well researched article; “Bygone Sebastopol bypass sees new life” (12/22/16).
After being interviewed for that article, it was brought to my attention by Sebastopol city staff that on Dec. 12, 2016, the State of California released a CalTrans Traffic Concept Report (TCR) for State Route 116, District 4. The following quote is from Page 9 of that report:
Segment A-MP: Sebastopol – At Sebastopol, SR 116 and SR 12 converge. Consistent with the 2014 SR 12 (West) TCR (2014), the concept sees the removal of the current one-way street system as a way of restoring a better balance between livability and vehicle throughput in the downtown area. An eastern bypass route that would be compatible with the surrounding area may also be a future solution, moving a large proportion of SR 12 and SR 116 traffic out of the downtown.
The reason for this letter is to continue our conversation about the State of California, CalTrans recommendations.
First, any action to direct the City of Sebastopol to enter into communication with the State of California and the County of Sonoma must be approved by a majority of my Sebastopol City Council colleagues. The only step taken in that direction to date is that I have been designated as Sebastopol’s alternate representative to the Sonoma County Transit Authority.
Second, and of equal importance is with regard to environmentalists’ concern [with whom I concur] for protection of the Laguna de Santa Rosa Preserve. Often times when we speak about protecting the species living in and around the Lagoon, we leave out consideration of the human species.
Utilizing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data; the 1,950 cars and trucks passing through the 1-mile radius of Downtown Sebastopol at its peak hour daily, discharge 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide pollution into Sebastopol [and the lagoon] during that one hour.
Now consider the 24 hour, 7 day a week toll of carbon dioxide pollution and that in that 1-mile radius, the cars and trucks are accelerating from a stopped position, thereby increasing their CO2 emissions. To make things worse, diesel exhaust consists of particulates so minuscule that they penetrate deep into the lungs, which can cause irreversible damage.
As Amie’s article rightly points out, my objective is only to begin the process of discussing the CalTrans proposed recommendations. If we proceed with due diligence and care, and if we adopt the stricter state regulations for construction of any proposed bypass [which is actually an alternate route for trucks and thru traffic], I am confident that the Laguna de Santa Rosa will not only be preserved, but that its condition will improve.
Finally, any of the proposed recommendations by CalTrans should only be executed in conjunction with implementation of a Sebastopol Downtown Specific Plan that will make our city center a safe, healthy, walkable, bikeable and economically prosperous place for our residents and neighboring communities to gather.
Michael Carnacchi
Sebastopol City Council Member
Amazing service
EDITOR: I am writing to respond to the mean-spirited, nasty letter written about our two outgoing council members, Jacob and Eder. Besides being embarrassing and unprofessional, it is full of inaccuracies. The main one is that the city never sued CVS. A group called Small Town Sebastopol sued CVS due to an inadequate traffic study. Also CVS sued the city over the drive-through measure. These two councilmen were not following any personal agenda; they were following the agenda of the majority of residents that elected them precisely to oppose CVS. As a result of their efforts, we now have a hugely improved design for the project. The council and design review board and also the Small Town Sebastopol group should be thanked.
Now instead of having a cookie-cutter, shopping center style store that could only be entered from the parking lot with no solar and no windows you could see through, and two left turn lanes crossing major state highways, we have a pedestrian-friendly store with wide sidewalks and a walk in entrance from town, with solar electricity, with real windows where you can see into the store, with room for a second story to be more useful when CVS inevitably leaves town. In addition, the left turn lanes from Highway 12 and Petaluma Avenue were eliminated.
Also, Eder did not promote an effort to fix the ridiculous intersection at Willow and Jewell. The meeting was called by a number of neighbors and the police chief. I know, I was there. Even though there are few accidents reported there, I have witnessed many near accidents and the pedestrian crossing is a nightmare.
Councilmembers Jacob and Eder have contributed four years of amazing service to our community and I will miss them greatly.
Marty Roberts
Sebastopol
Holiday poem
EDITOR: Humpty Trumpty / Built a huge wall
Raised a great debt / Many lives were wrecked
Then big Trumpty / Had a great fall
No one cared to put / Trumpty together again
Frank Baumgardner
Santa Rosa
