Thursday, June 18, 2015

Planning Commission confusion last Monday, 6/15/15

 
Pacifica Tribune/Jane Northrop, Staff Writer, 6/16/15. "Commissioners wrestle with highway widening definition."
 
Image result for Circus picture
And for our next driving
highway 1 alternative ...
Image result for Circus picture
Keep listening to our NIMBY jive,
you'll get lost, perfect!
....  "A staff report prepared for Monday's meeting (6/15/15) noted modifications recently made by City Manager Lorie Tinfow and Public Works Director Van Ocampo. Those changes require the city to hold public meetings about the project during the next fiscal year. The other change delays a final decision on the city's preferences about the project until City Council decides those issues about operational and traffic safety improvements.The city has not committed itself to the Calera Creek Parkway project," said Matthew Visick, assistant city attorney with the law firm Burke, Williams and Sorenson.

....  But the majority of the planning commissioners rejected the new definition that would limit their role in approving the city's involvement this year to $6,000 spent on meetings and public forums. They discussed possibly changing the name of the project to fit in with the CIP, but Ocampo said a name change couldn't be done."   Read article.

Reference, Fix Pacifica reprint, Planning Commission meeting, 6/15/15. See Item 2, page 1 from (attachments 1 and 2) pdf pages 10.  "Revised project description. ... The modified description acknowledges that the City plans to conduct a public engagement process regarding the Calera Parkway Project in 2015-16 and also reflects the fact that a final decision on the City's preferred physical operational and traffic safety improvements to this area of Highway 1 has not yet been determined by the City Council." 

Comments.  The revised project description did not appear on the Planning Commission Agenda, and caused a whole lot of confusion at the Planning Commission meeting. However,  the attorney representing the City eventually clarified approval for the $6,000 Calera Parkway project meetings is a Fiscal Year 2015/16 City Budget item period-- not a Planning Commission approval or rejection for the 1.3 mile Caltrans Highway 1 widening project.

On the other hand, not funding these Highway 1 widening meetings would further eliminate the Gang of No/NIMBY circus.  I like it.  After all, there has already been public meetings and documented public comments over 10 years. And it's time to fix the traffic congestion where it exists through Calera Parkway (Rockaway and Vallemar intersections).  If approved, the project will be funded through various government sources, and that's a big plus for this City.

From the  State of CA/Caltrans, Calara Parkway widening Project, District 4 link, "Project Funding: The project will be funded from San Mateo County Transportation Measure A and STIP funds. In addition, potential Federal funding would be used if it becomes available. The total estimated cost of the project is $52 Million dollars, which includes construction capital, Right of Way capital, and support cost."

Note photograph/graphic.  Clowns, #6 from Rankopedia, "Favorite Circus Art".  Graphic cannon, circus clip art graphic from Picgifs. 

Posted by Kathy Meeh

17 comments:

todd bray said...

Read the proposed widening's FEIR. It clearly states the proposal is not a public safety improvement. If your Fixxer Clan wants to call it that knock yourselfs out. But the project is not listed as a safety improvement and calling it such is propaganda, nothing more than propaganda.

Anonymous said...

Four comissioners shilling for the Gang of No. blue smoke and mirrors the entire meeting. Staff made a clear showing that the widening was on the books since 1978 but the comiss didn't want to hear it. But they also did not vote it down, so apparently their extensive complaining was all for show...

Anonymous said...

The city has not held a public meeting about the Caltrans widening project. The city has not approved the project. The city has not requested Measure A funds for final design of the project.

Anonymous said...

Todd, hard to sell a highway. Particularly in this town. It's not exactly a warm, fuzzy. So trotting out the ambulances, firetrucks, yes, even the garbage trucks, puts a human face on it. So far, not real effective--is it the message or the messengers? Maybe Mighty CalTrans could develop a spokesman for their stuff. Bruce still packs a punch, Clint's still scary, Morgan always sounds like The Truth, but I think it's got to be The Rock. Dwayne, not Chris. You worked on movies, you got any connections?

Anonymous said...

10:02. You're either intentionally misleading or you don't understand what's in the documents. Staff did not show that the widening has not been on the books since 1978. In fact the opposite has been on the books since the 1980 General Plan which specifically called for a frontage road and for not increasing capacity of the highway.

Anonymous said...

1029 I love politicians. Can't keep track of our money, but they're math wizards when it comes to votes. Just two real priorities #1 get elected #2 get re-elected. And this highway plan is vintage 1978. Wow. Not going to happen.

Anonymous said...

This meeting was a total joke.
It really showed how inept and dysfunctional our staff and Planning Commission is.
More importantly it shows how incompetent this Council is. After all, this is their staff and their Commission. Which ultimately leads to the problem with Pacifica.
We don't pay attention. We are swayed by Bumper Sticker politics and we are allowing the unwashed NOBIES to take our town down the bankruptcy rabbit hole.
The only good that came out of this embarrassing mutual admiration society meeting was the outing of the Planning Commission on this issue. The smug bantering between the groups led by Commissioner Campbell was disgusting. What a prick.
Wake up Council! Digre and Keener have already cast their vote. Are you going to stand up for our City or are you going to join the ranks of Lancelle, Vreeland and deJarnutt and watch another nail be pounded into Pacifica's coffin.

Kathy Meeh said...

From the Caltrans, District 4, Calera Parkway project web page.

"Scope. Provide operational improvement by adding one lane in each direction." Todd 815, more traffic lanes and broad road shoulders in this congested convergence access/exit traffic area does increase driving safety. That's a fact, researched and studied. Logically, it's kind of like the the sky is usually blue when the sun shines (think).

"Purpose & Needs. Improve traffic operations, decrease traffic congestion and delay, and improve peak-period travel time." That's more safety and efficiency language, plus avoidance of vehicles idling has got to be good for the environment.

"Project Funding. The project will be funded from San Mateo County Transportation Measure A and STIP funds. In addition, potential Federal funding would be used if it becomes available. The total estimated cost of the project is $52 Million dollars, which includes construction capital, Right of Way capital, and support cost." 1029, sure the highway 1 widening project is delayed due to expected Gang of No spoiler tactics, the lawsuits, etc., what else is new.

At the 6/15/15 Planning Commission meeting there was confusion with the Calera Parkway Item 2 modified language to approve $6,000 for the proposed project related meetings. But in Commissioner discussion, Chairman Richard Campbell said he understood this is a Budget item-- yet, he commented why should he vote to approve the meetings when "some of us don't want the project". There was no further effort from him to clarify or support the item.
(FMV fine, don't fund these additional public project meetings. Let the project move forward from its prior 10 years of research, public meetings and public comments.)

Anonymous said...

spare me the drama- sell a highway--how about a tunnel anyone? warm and fuzzy, and needed... and it got done. You folks should go lose another lawsuit... this snide and casual opposition to a historically congested stretch of highway is wrong.

Anonymous said...

Highway One is a Regional traffic artery. There is no other way to populations south of Pacifica other than by 92 which is already beyond "traffic nightmare" conditions most of the time.
Now the whole bay area is getting a dose of our selfish and silly NOBIES.
Please GO AWAY and wreck someone else's city!

Anonymous said...

1:44
If they moved away who would stroke their egos?
They need the rubes in this town to give them relevance.
This is their stage and we get to pay for it.
They crave the spotlight and the free ride.

Anonymous said...

What a funny sight!
All the NOBIES in their little red wagons hooked to the back of Toddler's sharkmobile leaving for another town to wreck.
That, I'll pay for.

Anonymous said...

128 Brilliant! Taking a cue from the decades long real story of how the tunnel got to be a tunnel, perhaps the highway opponents need only persevere with their lawsuits and public campaign and they too will triumph. Or maybe they'll get a tunnel? Don't give up now!

i really don't get it said...

I find it amazing. Either our town windbag has a bad memory or is starting to lose his marbles. The "princess crews" saved his life twice. Me, maybe even If I took the oath to save lives, I would think a little different.

SOB's who don't even appreciate people who run into burning buildings to save people, cut people out of car wrecks, and bring flat liners back to life, deal with dangerous people on drugs, deal with domestic violence and the worst that society offers, have to really really have anger issues. I mean you painted backdrops and the worse that would happen to you, is you would get a little paint on your clothes.

For the love of god and all things sacred, dip your tongue in your brain before you talk.

Anonymous said...

2:41

blahahahahaha the post of the month!!

bravo bravo

Anonymous said...

5:47
Well said. This entitled little brat really has no respect for anyone.
He has no clue.

big brat said...

2:12

He is a big brat!