HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter from Amanda Olsen
Dear Mayor DeWeerd and the City Council,
RECEIVED
OCT 2 4 2006
city of Meridian.
City Clerk Offico
My name is Amanda Olsen and I have lived in Bear Creek for almost five years. Our
family was the second family to move into the subdivision and we have watched it grow
and change. We love the quality oflife we receive by living in this neighborhood. We
just recently moved from our first home in Bear Creek to our second home in Bear Creek
on Bear Claw Way. We love living on a quiet street backed up to a beautiful city park
We love the family friendly atmosphere we feel here and the security and safety we have
by knowing so many of our neighbors. It is my purpose in writing this letter to express to
you my feelings about the proposed collector road. I am strongly opposed to this road for
several reasons.
1. It is my understanding that Bear Creek subdivision has operated just fine without
a collector road for the past five years. I don't understand why fifty-five more
home sites would make a significant impact on the need for a collector road. This
area currently has access to Meridian Rd from Overland Rd, Calderwood, and
Victory. To create another access to Meridian Rd is unnecessary. There are
many proposed entrances to Shepherd's Creek through Bear Creek and Strada
Bellissima. Bear Creek has easy access to a signal at Overland and Meridian and
Strada Bellissima has easy access to a signal at Victory and Meridian. Therefore,
it is unnecessary to create a collector road and another signal for Shepherd's
Creek. Since it is unnecessary, it is also a waste of tax payers dollars and yet just
another stoplight for people to speed through.
2. The second reason I am opposed to the collector road is the significant safety
hazard it will create for me and all the residents around me on Cub St, Kodiak:,
Bear Claw, and Christopher. The number of vehicles and the speed at which they
travel will increase the risk of accident and/or injury to our children. There are
many buses that pick up children along these streets, mine included, and I am very
concerned that a collector road will bring in speedy traffic to an otherwise quiet
area. There are hundreds of children who walk to and from bus stops everyday
along Cub, Kodiak, Bear Claw, and Christopher. Please don't put the children at
risk by putting in the unnecessary collector street.
3. The collector road will be a "short cut" street for thousands of vehicles. First of
all there are many athletic teams that play or practice at Bear Creek Park The
collector road will be a great short cut from Meridian road to the park The park
brings in a lot of vehicles everyday, especially during the fall and spring. I would
like to see these cars traveling on Stoddard Road (as was originally intended) and
not on my street. Also, the collector road will be a great short cut for many
residents in the neighborhood to access Meridian Road. If the proposed collector
road is put into place, cars will race to work and from work everyday along this
short cut. The biggest threat that the collector road brings is the amount and type
of traffic that will travel the road once the school goes in on Stoddard. The
easiest and fastest way to access the school for many people will be along the
proposed collector road. However, there are streets already in place that are much
more suitable to carry the amount of traffic a school brings. Why should we
divert traffic from perfectly good thoroughfares to quiet, residential streets?
4. My last reasons for being opposed to the collector road are simply selfish_ I don't
like traffic, I don't like noise, I don't like to worry about the safety of my children
as they play in the driveway, and I don't want to see my property decrease in
value. I love everything about where I live and I don't want to see an unnecessary
change destroy that.
Lastly, I try to be an understanding person but I just don't see the need for this road. I
haven't heard one good reason why this road should be built. There are other alternatives
and solutions. This I know for sure-people that don't live in my neighborhood or on my
street are preparing to make a decision that will significantly impact the lives of me and
my children. It's scary for me to even consider the possibility that this might really
happen.
I consider Bear Creek to be one of the nicest subdivisions in Meridian, if not the best. A
collector road would certainly change all that. To me this issue isn't even a close one.
Do the right thing for me and all of Bear Creek's children and say no to the collector
road. It's a bad idea.
Sincerely,
Amanda Olsen