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Landscaping on Mission Street threatenedThe landscaping plan for Mission Street that would provide a welcoming, vibrant entrance to the City of Santa Cruz from the North Coast is in danger. This plan was approved by the Mission Street Task Force, recommended by the consultants of the Mission Street Urban Design Plan, survived numerous public hearings, was approved by the City Transportation Commission, passed by our City Council and approved in concept at every step of the way by Caltrans. Now, the Caltrans permit office is trying to hold Mission Street to freeway standards. In 2000, Chris Schneiter, Assistant Director of the city Public Works Department, wrote the following to Jay Walter, then District Director, District 5, Caltrans: "The Task Force has adopted a vision for Mission Street as a key entrance to the City, with a vibrant business district, enhanced by an'urban forest' of evergreen and flowering trees, and streetscape amenities, to welcome visitors and residents to our community. Members of the Task Force have been working with City and Caltrans staff to develop the details needed to implement that vision." At first, the Caltrans permit office disallowed much of the landscape plan. Then, after a visit by Tom Sharp who showed them photographs of the trees Caltrans already allowed the city to plant at the Mission Hill sound wall, they have approved the plan except for the trees in the medians by King and Swift Streets. Steve Senet, District Permit Engineer, has denied permission to plant trees in these medians because the medians are not wide enough to provide the freeway minimum of 1.8 meters from trunk to median curb. The trees at Mission Hill planted with Caltrans permission are not Denial of this vital part of the Mission Street Landscaping project is contrary to the spirit of Caltrans' own policy of Flexibility in Design and Operations for Main Streets which are also State Highways. Quotes from that document follow: "Caltrans remains committed to the notion that people live, work and play in the communities through which our facilities pass. It is our duty . . . to assure that living space is a good space in which to live." "Caltrans is committed to communicating opportunities for accommodating a community's values when discussing the design of projects on main streets with community stakeholders." On page 13 of that document a photograph shows a median strip with a tree with much less than 1.8 meters from trunk to curb. All of the community stakeholders thought Caltrans had agreed to the trees in all the reports and plans that have come before the community and its elected officials. Steve Senet has said that the permit office will allow shrubs in the medians. Our Parks Department does not want shrubs; they will require much more maintenance. In addition, shurbs will not have the traffic calming effect of high canopy trees which appear to narrow the roadway. Perhaps the solution is to call the trees specified in the plans "shrubs." I am asking our elected officials to hold firm and ask Caltrans to honor our Community values. I suggest business owners, and all the residents of Santa Cruz County ask our elected officials to pressure Caltrans to honor its commitment to enhancing this gatewayto our community. Click here for contact numbers and email addresses of the City Council and other relevant officials. -Debbie Bulger
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More info: Main Streets: Flexibility in Design and Operations Is Caltrans following itso own policy? Read this pdf file from the Caltrans web site to find out. Do Something Pass It On: Get It To Go! Mission Pedestrian
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Mission Pedestrian, 1711 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Last updated on Wednesday, 28-Jul-2004 09:16:39 PDT |
