Dear Editor,
I read with disbelief Serdar Tumgoren’s story about the
development of the Camino Arroyo bridge project Wednesday morning
edition of The Dispatch. I have lived on west Sixth Street between
Princevalle and Miller for 12 years.
Dear Editor,
I read with disbelief Serdar Tumgoren’s story about the development of the Camino Arroyo bridge project Wednesday morning edition of The Dispatch. I have lived on west Sixth Street between Princevalle and Miller for 12 years. During this period, I have witnessed a dramatic increase in traffic as a result of the major development to the west in single family homes, and to the east, the expansion of the outlets, and, more recently, the construction of the “big box” enterprises off Tenth Street.
Have the residents on west Sixth ever received any notification by mail or telephone about any meeting to receive input or provide output concerning the impact all this development would have on the road we live on? No!
The article states that there were a “handful of residents” at a meeting Monday during which the city’s plan was “unveiled.” It also stated that “a few local citizens are concerned” and goes on to say that “officials have organized a citizen’s group to tap into local concerns about the project.”
This is all news to me, and I’m sure would be news to a lot of other people on my street. Moreover, the entire article gives the impression that the focus of concern should be with the residents who live between Monterey and Camino Arroyo (East Sixth Street). The citizen”s group, it states, wants “to engage more residents in the process, perhaps by distributing Spanish language flyers in churches and other public areas.” How about spending an afternoon, walking Sixth Street all the way to Wren Avenue and handing out English/Spanish notices that clearly address the impact of more traffic on all Sixth Street residents. The notices could even be mailed!
What really concerns me is that the city has done a terrible job in abating the already horrible traffic conditions on Sixth Street. More stop signs are needed to slow traffic down. This street is at least 90 percent residential, yet one can hardly back out of one’s driveway. There are accidents caused by people trying to get onto Sixth from side streets, particularly those of Princevalle and Orchard.
And what about the safety of the many seniors who live at Wheeler Manor? They cross the street constantly to catch a bus or visit the senior center. Students, too, are taking chances crossing in will-nilly places to get to the high school, junior high and the elementary schools. I guess the city will wait until someone is either injured or killed before they do anything. Oh, I forgot about those clever little rumble strips that were installed at Princevalle and Sixth. What a joke … and waste of taxpayers’ money. They do absolutely nothing to slow things down.
The city’s responsibility is the safety of its citizens, and to make every effort to inform them of meetings that are held to provide us with information about its decisions that effect that safety and the quality of life we have in our community. Please give us the opportunity to be a part of the decision that will effect us the most. One can easily conclude from what has happened so far that the city wants to give the APPEARANCE that a collaborative process is being followed, when it is not.
Dennis Cigan, Gilroy
