| | Published June 8th, 2011
| Popular Process Works
| | By Sophie Braccini | | |
By all appearances, Moraga residents who favor traffic calming measures are more likely to get their wish for new stop signs on Campolindo Drive than on Larch Avenue. Two groups of neighbors followed the same process of public meetings and petitions outlined in the Traffic Calming Guide. A group of Larch residents were stopped in their tracks because half of the abutting neighbors opposed new stop signs; but some Campolindo residents will proceed to the Town Council with a favorable recommendation.
It's been eight months since Rebecca and Christopher Maher started expressing their interest in having two new stop signs added at the intersection of Campolindo Dr. and Calle La Montana-at this time, there are stop signs only on Calle La Montana. The Mahers, who live a short distance from the intersection and have four young children, communicated concerns about the excessive speed of vehicles traveling on Campolindo Dr. and about the grade and bend in the roadway near the intersection that limits visibility for drivers entering Campolindo from Calle La Montana. A report from Chief of Police Bob Priebe supported their concerns.
The Mahers were informed by the Town of the requirements set by the Traffic Calming Guide: The owners of at least 75% of the properties abutting the sign area must approve of the new stop signs; and 70% of those who own nearby properties must approve. "For us it was a matter of getting signatures from 65 homes, and it was quite a challenge with 4 young children," said R. Maher, "that's why it took so long."
Although 100% of the owners of properties abutting the intersection approved of new stop signs, they came up two signatures short of 70% approval from nearby properties.
"Some neighbors further away said they would not be affected (by new signs) because by the time drivers reached their homes they would already have sped up," said R. Maher, "so they declined to have their name and phone number listed."
Traffic Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC) member Rev. John Valentine expressed the concern that approving the project could set a precedent. "The document (Traffic Calming Guide) requires that 70% approve via petition," he said, "We need to be alert to the fact that in the future ... we might get a resident would refer to today's decision." Valentine nonetheless moved to approve sending the project to the Town Council for discussion; the Committee agreed, demonstrating a willingness to abide by the spirit of the Guide rather than the letter.
If the Council approves the new installation, the cost of the signs and related red curbing will be borne by the project proponents with no net cost to the Town.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA