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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommunication 5/C 08/03/2015 (3)Document Received After Agenda Distribution - Item 5.0 SAN FRANCISCO SAN JOSE SANTA ROSA WALNUT CREEK GREENBELT ALLIANCE Santa Rosa Office 555 Fifth Street, Suite 300 B Santa Rosa, CA 95401 (707) 575 -3001 August 3, 2015 Mayor David Glass Members of the Petaluma City Council 11 English Street Petaluma, CA 94952 Re: Certification of Rainier Cross -Town Connector Final Environmental Impact Report — May 2015 Dear Mayor Glass and Members of the Petaluma City Council: Greenbelt Alliance appreciates the opportunity to provide these comments for the public hearing on the certification of the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the Rainer Cross -Town Connector. Greenbelt Alliance is not prepared to make a specific recommendation to the City Council on the difficult decision as whether to vote "yes" or "no" on the certification of the final FEIR. We offer these comments and concerns for your consideration in the hopes that they will be helpful in your deliberations on the certification of FEIR and future decisions about this roadbuilding project. As described in the FEIR, the Rainier Cross -Town Connector is a new .65 -mile, 4 -lane arterial roadway connecting North McDowell on the eastern side of Highway 101 to Petaluma Boulevard North on the western side of the City. It includes a freeway underpass and a bridge over the Petaluma River. The Rainier Cross -Town Connector project as described in the FEIR is primarily an auto- centric project that generally conflicts with Greenbelt's mission of protecting open space and supporting transit - oriented development. While Greenbelt Alliance recognizes that bike lanes and pedestrian paths will be included, it is clearly a project focused on continued and increased use of automobiles as the primary way to travel across Petaluma in the long term. Greenbelt Alliance would like to go on record as sharing some of the concerns of the Petaluma Planning Commissioners who voted "no" on recommending certification of the FEIR. As outlined in today's staff report, these Commissioners voted no for several reasons, including that the project failed to achieve its stated objectives. 312 Sutter Street, Suite 510 San Francisco, CA 94108 JI "C-'E'17he/t.org SAN FRANCISCO SAN JOSE SANTA ROSA WALNUT CREEK b Greenbelt Alliance also shares the concerns of the Petaluma River Council about threats from the project to "Petaluma River's most critical remaining riparian woodlands corridor and associated natural resources and geology." The Council is concerned that the Rainier Cross -Town Connector puts a high volume roadway across the Petaluma River, its floodplain, and cuts through the best remaining riparian habitat along the entire river. The River Council has identified the project area as valuable open space area that should remain in open space. Greenbelt Alliance's Interest in Petaluma and the Rainier Cross -Town Connector Greenbelt Alliance advocates for public policy and planning that supports open space conservation and smart growth in the San Francisco Bay Area's nine counties. Greenbelt Alliance supports transit - orient development, walkable and bike - friendly neighborhoods and affordable housing. Greenbelt's North Bay region includes Sonoma, Marin, and Napa and Solano counties. As the Regional Director for the North Bay for Greenbelt Alliance, and a 27 -year resident of Sonoma Valley who often shops, dines in and visits Petaluma, I am professionally and personally interested in planning and land use in Petaluma. The city of Petaluma is a "focus area" for Greenbelt Alliance because of its opportunities and commitment to smart growth, such as its Urban Growth Boundary and the Petaluma SMART Rail Station Areas: TOD Master Plan. Greenbelt Alliance was active in the public process for both of these plans. Currently Greenbelt Alliance is focused on renewing and strengthening voter - backed county community separators that protect greenbelts between our towns and cities; including those designated between Petaluma and Novato, and Petaluma and Rohnert Park. These voter - backed measures need to be renewed with a ballot measure in 2016. Greenbelt's Concerns about Rainier Cross Town Connector Greenbelt Alliance realizes that the Rainier Cross -Town connector is contained in the city's 2025 General Plan and that the lands along the river are zoned for various levels of development. Greenbelt Alliance understands that the main urgency for certifying the FEIR is to accommodate the future raising of Highway 101 at Rainier to allow for construction of the underpass in anticipation of the widening of Highway 101 for HOV lanes along the section where the connector might be built. gr,Pen /)P_ It.org Page 2 45 SAN FRANCISCO SAN JOSE SANTA ROSA WALNUT CREEK GREENBELT ALLIANCE Certifying the FEIR keeps the door open to building and funding Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Rainier Cross -Town Connector, though these funds have not yet been identified or allocated. Among the most alarming, but not surprising, findings in the FEIR is that the project will contribute to "the significant and unavoidable impacts" from Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the city of Petaluma. The project does not estimate how the project increases vehicle miles traveled (for technical and timing reasons described by staff in the FEIR), so it is possible that the GHG and air emissions increases may be higher than projected. It is mostly an "old school" roadway infrastructure project that will forever change the profile of the Petaluma River and the city of Petaluma. It is not clear to me if the FEIR has addressed the question of "latent demand" and research that demonstrates that building new roadways often increases automobile use and associated impacts rather than relieving congestion. Building the Rainier Cross -Town Connector could actual decrease cross- town mobility, as the FEIR describes for several intersections (including the project's east side intersection at North McDowell). The FEIR's findings on GHGS should be considered in light of the new assessment of Sonoma County's Greenhouse Gas Emissions that determined that while these emissions were reduced 14 percent since the peak in 2007 and 4 percent since 2011, the county will not meet its goal of reducing emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels in 2015. Sixty five percent of the county's GHG emissions come from transportation, mostly cars and trucks. Building and widening roadways to accommodate more vehicles undermines these important GHG reduction plans at the county and city level. Given the need to reduce, rather than increase GHGs, and due to the other environmental impacts identified in the FEIR for the Rainier Cross -Town Connector, Greenbelt Alliance suggests that the City of Petaluma consider rethinking the project entirely, whether or not it certifies the FEIR. Rethinking the Project Here are some initial and general thoughts for your consideration on how to revise the project to make it align better with smart growth and open space protection: • No project — Don't build the Rainier Cross -Town Connector. • Dedicate the Petaluma River lands as a city park, build the walking and biking trails. • Invest in Petaluma Transit to provide frequent service around town that all residents find convenient to use. o Ensure frequent bus connections to the SMART Train when it begins operation. • Modified Project greenbelt,org Page 3 ol'5 SAN FRANCISCO SAN JOSE SANTA ROSA WALNUT CREEK GREENBELT ALLIANCE • Construct just the bike and pedestrian lane components of the project which would provide multi -model connection without the GHGs and far less environmental damage. • Construct the Rainier Cross -Town Connector, but limit its use to transit buses, bikes and pedestrians. • Invest in Petaluma Transit to provide frequent service around town that all residents find convenient to use. • Make the Rainier Connector a toll road that is free to Electric Vehicles. Use the funds to invest in GHG reduction measures such as investing in Petaluma Transit. Additional Observations and Questions • With SMART train service on the way, the city of Petaluma may better decrease cross -town traffic by providing frequent bus service that connects to the SMART line. • The city may also want to weigh in officially on the location of the proposed second SMART station to ensure that it serves the needs of the residents of Petaluma and does not increase traffic or vehicle miles traveled. • The aesthetics and safety of the proposed highway underpass are another concern. Working in downtown Santa Rosa, I have found walking to the West End under the highway to be unpleasant and unsafe. The passages are dark and dirty. How will Petaluma ensure that the Rainier Underpass does not fall into the same category? • The bridge over and through the Petaluma River poses a visual challenge. Right now as you drive north from Petaluma on Highway 101, the Petaluma River and surrounding wetlands around the proposed project serves as greenbelts between the shopping malls, outlet factories and auto malls. Does the city really want to build infrastructure and develop this area and forever change the profile of the riverfront and scenic view shed? • In talking to people in Petaluma during last year's election (before joining Greenbelt Alliance), I learned that many Petaluma residents on the East Side really enjoy the creek walking area and dog park that was built at the new Friedman's Center on the North McDowell side of the Rainier Connector. What impacts will the completion of the connector and increased traffic and noise have on the community who use the creek walking area and the dog park? Thank you so much for your consideration of these concerns, observations and questions. Depending on your decision and the future of the project, Greenbelt Alliance is interested in engaging in the public process for environmental permitting and further review of Phase 1 and Phase 2 as appropriate. Sincerely yours, Page 4 45 SAN FRANCISCO SAN JOSE SANTA ROSA WALNUT CREEK Teri Shore Regional Director North Bay 707 575 3661 gi Penbe It, org GREENBELT ALLIANCE Page 5 of*5