Planning Commission Minutes 2015 08 13

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Planning Commission Meeting Minutes August 13, 2015 Page 8 of 22 nice again. I know Robin from that garden club and I see a number of other people in the community who were part of that network in the community. I was also a member of the South Street Cooperative Garden and know Robin from that as well. I have experienced the social network that you build from community gardens. I have travelled through Denver and have been struck by how beautiful the community gardens there. I don't know if any of you have had that experience but I can see the benefits from the community garden. I think the garden itself can act, in some respects, as a sign and visual impact to drivers coming that hill. Currently, there is grass on either side and it opens up, so motorists think they can go fast. Whereas, you can have a garden with people and activities there, and I think people are going to slow down to notice and will think twice. I think there is potential to help the traffic at that intersection. I have another question. I see fences around the community gardens in Denver. I wonder if there is a way to add fences and think about the design if it becomes warranted in the future. Russ says emails received after Staff report were distributed to the PC and also posted on the wall in City Chambers. Christina Stanton, 1411 Garfield Court, Louisville, CO Thank you for giving me the opportunity to state my position. I live in the cul-de-sac on the west side behind this proposed site. I have been a 25 year resident of the City of Louisville and I have lived in this area for that many years. I object to the use of the proposed community gardens at this particular site for these following reasons. I also suggest alternatives. PROPERTY SITE: It is a floodplain. In the City website, it says "keeping floodplains natural minimizes flood damage by allowing water to spread over a wide area". Construction on a flood - plain should be avoided. This site is not on flat land; it is on a curve. There is an elevation and it includes a drainage ditch on the east side. There is a long history of water runoff in this area. Every spring, I have seen flooding all the way down to the LMS. I had a neighbor who said they used to open the doors at the fire department to let the water run through. I have seen it. We've been in years of drought where it wasn't as obvious. TRAFFIC CIRCULATION: The proposed 45 plots will increase traffic in this neighborhood. There is no provision for the safe and efficient circulation of traffic. Cars will use the Garfield Court cul-de-sac where children play, up to 15 of them, as a turnaround. This happened when the leaf drop-off program was at this location for years. VISUAL OBSTRUCTION FOR DRIVERS: Drivers entering Lincoln from Griffith Street face a difficult time seeing over parked cars and structures due to the blind curve. What will the undesirable visual obstructions look like? How tall will the plants be? How big will the fence be? Will there be a fence? Where will the sheds be? Will there be bike racks? Will there be bikes? Will there be people? If not very many people, then why not have it at another location? Can we risk more accidents at this site? Children from LMS turn left on their bikes going to school. We have events at the park for baseball games. There is parade parking. Street parking is already heavy from South Boulder Road to Lafayette Street. Presently, the Housing Authority residential apartments at 1450 Lincoln Avenue, where up to 45 elderly people reside, use Lincoln Street to park, especially on the weekends. There is overflowing parking on the street. The City of Louisville's trucks, flatbeds, and mowers park on Griffith, two in a row, during the mowing season. They are there almost every week. More parked cars, on or near this blind curve, present hazards for drivers, children, and elderly pedestrians. IMPACT: Residents back up to this site. 45 plots will bring many people from dawn to sundown with increasing traffic congestion and noise. Security issues are plausible. Will there be vandalism if there is no fence? Will they be considered trespassers? Will there be theft? PRESERVATION: Neighbors will lose natural space presently enjoyed and accessed by everyone, to be replaced and used exclusively for gardening by a few who can afford plot fees. Some may commute lengthy distances to the neighborhood. Green space has been here for 40 years and has provided a refreshing contrast to surrounding buildings with an element of peace and quiet.