Friends of Mill Valley

We strongly believe the following environmental factors will be adversely affected by this project:

Aesthetics- the scale and height of the development are not in character with the surrounding neighborhood. The scenic views toward Mt. Tam which are cherished by our neighbors and visitors alike would be forever impaired. The open daylight that we now enjoy along the Kite Hill slope would be gone forever.

Air Quality- the substantial increase in traffic congestion from this project equates to increased levels of vehicle emissions and pollutants (recirculation of roadside dust and particulates); this is not a desirable outcome for pedestrians including school children who frequent the East Blithedale and Camino Alto intersection.

I do not think that the Blithedale Terrace project should be approved, because I think the traffic situation engendered by the project will be worse than that estimated in the EIR. Following are just a few specific reasons why I believe that the Traffic section of the EIR understates the problems associated with the Blithedale Terrace planned development.

I. IGNORED OR UNDERESTIMATED FACTORS:

Dear Mike Moore, Planning and Building Director,

I live at 87 Nelson Ave, right down the street from the proposed development at 575 E. Blithedale. I want you to know that I strongly oppose this development, for many reasons.

We have been trying to reduce traffic on Nelson Ave for over twenty years now and adding this new development is only going to make matters worse. Last fall my beloved one-year old cat Emma got run over and killed right outside my house by someone speeding by. It could just as easily been a child. This street has many, many young families living on it. The quantity and speed of the traffic we experience every day has everyone angry and concerned.

Editor: On May 10, developer Phil Richardson is returning to the Planning Commission for the third time, trying yet again to get approval to build 20 three-story residential units on East Blithedale near the Camino Alto intersection, across from Ryan and Nelson avenues.

Of the many problems with this development, three stand out. First, the intersection is already the most congested traffic chokepoint in Mill Valley. Second, the proposed development’s height, density and design totally disregard and disrespect the character of the neighborhood. Third, the property is zoned Professional Administrative, not Residential.

Dear Mr. Moore:

This concerns the recently issued a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the vacant lot on Kite Hill located on the north side of E. Blithedale just west of the corner of Camino Alto (575 E. Blithedale). I wish to draw your attention to significant errors, omissions, and contradictions in the DEIR’s findings that I have identified.

The following is a chapter-by-chapter detailing of the DEIR’s problems. Thank you in advance for reading it in its entirety.

“Chapter 3 - Project Description”

THIS SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN A “BUILDABLE SITE”

We would like to express our concerns on the Richardson project. We have been Mill Valley home owners for over 29 years. We have seen many changes since we arrived in Mill Valley in 1981. We feel that Mill Valley has made many choices during this time period which have retained its character and quality of life.

This project’s strategic position makes it especially important to get this right! We feel that approving this project as proposed would be a grave mistake for the overall look and quality of life in Mill Valley.

Two of our major concerns:

TRAFFIC

Reprinted from the Marin IJ; 05-01-10

Supervisor Charles McGlashan wishes to legislate everything without knowing the events taking place around him.

He wants to outlaw plastic bags in Marin. At the same time, the third largest sportswear and shoe company announces it is going to the "use of corn starch-based product (biodegradeable) to replace paper in shoe boxes, and carry bags in the group's stores."

It is now available and there is no need for the McGlashan group to impose more of his command and control on Marin citizens.

He feels the market has to be government controlled. He is wrong again.

He wants government in Marin to be in the electricity business. At the same time, PG&E is announcing the installation, contract purchasing and authorization of solar energy panels that will produce energy for 400,000 or more homes.

Hello Michael / Planning and Building,

We don’t need any more additional construction in town. I am especially opposed to building at 575 East Blithedale. This is already a over-congested and dangerous intersection. This is insane.

This would also add to the additional traffic cutting through Nelson Avenue. No thank you.

To the last point, the Planning and Building community needs to address the excessive traffic through the family neighborhood of Nelson Avenue before someone is injured.

My car parked on the street was just recently totaled by another car travelling at a speed of at least 50mph. Numerous other cars have been hit on this street by speeding cars.

Keeping this open as a evacuation route is crazy. It takes maybe 10-15 seconds more to travel on the normal main roads Miller to Camino Alto.

Dear Mr. Moore,

I am very opposed to the proposed construction on Blithedale and Camino Alto. This is not what we need in Mill Valley. Area is already too busy and this development is too high and unnecessary. Please do not allow this to move forward,

Thank you,

Ann Mannheimer

Eucalyptus Knoll
Mill Valley, CA

Reprinted from the Marin IJ 04-21-10

It may not have occurred to Suzanne Swift (Marin Voice, April 18) that a large number of Marinites who, in her words, are "loud and persistent" actually do not want a "strong political commitment to build workforce housing".

NIMBYs? Not really. Rather, we do not want more traffic congestion, more crime and more retail.

We know our municipalities should not exist to build housing or to participate in social engineering. People do "have the right to live here" but we should not be under any obligation to subsidize them to live here.

That's socialism at its worst, and we are all getting pretty tired of being put on the defensive by Marin's limousine liberals who can isolate themselves from the real effects of overbuilding in their exclusive enclaves.