HomeMy WebLinkAboutPZ - Public Testimony by Julie Geisbush - 11.201
Machelle Hill
From:Julie Geisbush <juliegeisbush@yahoo.com>
Sent:Sunday, November 20, 2016 6:11 PM
To:bwong@achdidaho.org; kgoldthorpe@achdidaho.org; mwallace@achdidaho.org; Caleb
Hood; Joshua Beach; Machelle Hill
Subject:Mount Etna Drive extension to Eagle objections
To Whom It May Concern,
This is an e-mail concerning the construction proposal of Mount Etna Drive connecting to Eagle
Road. As a resident of the Tuscany neighborhood, living on Mount Etna Drive, this would impact me
directly. I have no concerns about a shopping center coming into the area however I am adamantly
against my street becoming a thoroughfare to Eagle Road. I have several logistical arguments as to
why this is a bad idea.
First, when we bought our house, there were signs saying that Santo Stefano (the street to the north
of us) and Taormina (the street to the south of us) would eventually go through but there were no
signs stating that Mount Etna would go through, especially to one of the busiest roads in Idaho. If I
had known that our street, which was never labeled as such, was going to be connected to a busy
road like Eagle Road, we never would have bought that house. The traffic passing by our quiet little
street would be atrocious.
Secondly, the traffic expected to use our street to get to Eagle Road would be a safety issue for the
60+ children that live on our street. In the Tuscany neighborhood, there are several main streets
leading to busier roads, like Eagle and Amity- Montague and Zaldia are the two roads that most
people use. These streets were planned to be main roads to get out of the neighborhood. The plan
included having no houses facing these busier streets and being constructed wider. That way, when
people speed out, as we all know they do, there are no kids out playing in the street in front of their
houses. Mount Etna is completely lined with houses facing the street. There are constantly children
playing out in front of their houses. There are children walking to bus stops from 6:45 a.m. (high
school) to 8:00 a.m. (middle school) plus all the children walking, biking, and scootering to and from
our neighborhood school, Siena Elementary. The safety hazard of having my kids walk down our
street as a main road is unacceptable to me, as a parent of three children. Not to mention the fact that
the road is narrower than the main roads that lead out of the subdivision. Mount Etna Drive is NOT a
wide road and cannot handle the amount of expected traffic. And the traffic would increase
significantly.
Thirdly, there is no need to make Mount Etna go through to Eagle Road because the customers
going to the shopping center can come in through their entrances and leave through their
entrances. However, because there is no light there, which will turn into a nightmare for turning left
out of the shopping center onto Eagle, it will force drivers to come through the neighborhood streets
(MY street) to find a way to get onto Eagle safely.
As you can see, extending Mount Etna Drive to connect with Eagle Road is not in the best interest of
the neighborhood for many reasons. The safety of our children, excessive use by people cutting
through, and Mount Etna NOT being a road built for this much traffic are just a few reasons why this
is not a good idea. Please take these and all the other ideas of concerned citizens living in Tuscany
into consideration. I know you are interested in making traffic easier for customers but please try to
remember that this severely impacts our quiet neighborhood and street. There are other ways to
make it easier for shoppers and keep the neighborhood peaceful as well.
I appreciate your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Julie Geisbush
2
2734 E. Mount Etna Drive
Meridian, Idaho 83542