HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmail from Jennifer Schultz – Stanley Avenue Subdivision Opposition Letters Schuman, Amy
From: Menchaca, Clarissa
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2019 9:14 AM
To: Schuman, Amy
Subject: FW: Stanley Ave. Subdivision OPPOSITION
Attachments: subdevelopment letter copy word.docx;ATT00001.htm;subdevelopment letter.pages;
ATT00002.htm; Subdivision letter.pages.zip;ATT00003.htm; Subdivision letter.docx;
ATT00004.htm
Correspondence.
Cla.KiAc.IN 4 c LCC(/
Associate Clerk of the Board
Butte County Administration
25 County Center Drive, Suite 200, Oroville, CA 95965
T: 530.552.33081 F: 530.538.7120
Twitter I Facebook I YouTube I Pinterest
From:Jennifer Schultz<jenniferlschultz@yahoo.com>
Sent:Saturday, December 1, 2018 2:42 PM
To:Connelly, Bill <BConnelly@buttecounty.net>; Wahl, Larry<LWahl@buttecounty.net>; Kirk, Maureen
<MKirk@buttecounty.net>; BOS District 4<District4@buttecounty.net>;Teeter, Doug<DTeeter@buttecounty.net>;
Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net>
Cc: Icgrundmann@gmail.com;jacquechase@gmail.com; rockdonati@aol.com; pjohn7179@aol.com; Michelena, Mark
<MMichelena@buttecounty.net>; Snellings,Tim<TSnellings@buttecounty.net>;Calarco, Pete
<PCalarco@buttecounty.net>;Thistlethwaite, Charles<cthistlethwaite@buttecounty.net>; Mendoza, Louie
<LMendoza@buttecounty.net>;Alpert, Bruce<BAlpert@buttecounty.net>; Debra@debralucero.us;
tamiritter2012@gmail.com; Fossum,Tom <TFossum@buttecounty.net>; DSPlanning<DSPlanning@buttecounty.net>;
DSBuilding<DSBuilding@buttecounty.net>; DSCodeEnforcement<DSCodeEnforcement@buttecounty.net>;
lorettatorres92@gmail.com
Subject:Stanley Ave.Subdivision OPPOSITION
Greetings.
Attached are letters (in Word and Notes formats) to express our opposition to the proposed sub development off
Stanley Avenue.
The first two are most recent in regard to the open space. The latter two are the first letter we wrote, re-sending
in case not all of the recipients were able to read.
Thank you very much.
Jennifer Crowe
(I've also just copy and pasted the letter below to avoid any problems opening attachments.)
1
Bret and Jennifer Crowe
1765 Walnut Tree Lane
Chico, CA 95928
707-365-8347
jenniferLschultz@yahoo.com
bretjcrowe21@yahoo.com
November 20, 2018
Butte County Board of Supervisors
Butte County Planning Commission
To Whom it May Concern:
We write this letter in regards to the"clustered housing development" (TSM17-0001)
proposed for Stanley Avenue and the blatant issues that remain.
May we first please ask that you truthfully read this letter and genuinely take our worries
to heart. Meetings have been conducted, but we don't feel as though our valid concerns
and legal reasons for opposing this sub-development are being heard. I can't imagine it
would be easier to say"yes" to a man with unlimited means, rather than hear out a group
of tax paying, hard-working, home-owning members of an established neighborhood.
However, many board members have indeed easily sided with one man, versus showing
an understanding of the points made by our community. We ask that the issues posed
below(and by other written Ietters) are respectfully and empathetically taken into
consideration, as you are elected officials to represent everyone. The old "put yourselves
in our shoes..."
We'd like more information the "open space". How can you approve a proposal that has
the pages labeled"draft" and has other pages left blank?No one should feel confident
that this document and proposal is complete and ready. We are entitled to a final and
adequately written version before moving forward.
There is a clause that states this open space shall not intrude in the privacy of existing
residence. If the open space allows for new residents to walk,play, bike or partake in any
activity at all, I assure you our privacy is jeopardized. We own two acres and a home on
Walnut Tree Lane that borders the proposed"open space." There are already people who
walk their dogs on this border. It is disruptive to our dogs and family. We should not
have to tie up our dogs or worry about them on our owned private land. We should also
be able to walk freely in our backyard on our property without a non-neighbor being able
to see right into our yard. Turning this open space into trails, horseback riding area or a
playground is the opposite of privacy for us, current/existing residents. We are sad our
privacy will be infringed upon. This is not even going into potential safety issues of the
strangers from the public now having the pleasure of coming near our home. Please
provide us with the finalized plan for this "open space".
If this "open space" indeed becomes developed, we politely ask that the developer
contacts us personally so we have a"heads up"on what is being built. We deserve this
respect so we can prepare our family and dogs for new sights, sounds, and other
construction traffic. We also ask that you include us so we can agree on property lines
and make sure our property is not infringed upon illegally. We please ask that there is a
contact number for us to use if the space is not taken care if properly. As of right now the
weeds that grow there are upwards of four feet tall, dry, and have been a fire risk all
summer. Pure neglect. We hope this area will be properly and safely managed.
"Of the three accidents on Dayton only one was close to the Stanley/Dayton intersection
but was not related to traffic trying to turn into or out of Stanley Ave but was related to a
turning movement at a driveway on the west side of Dayton just north of the
Stanley/Dayton intersection." "These changes are not significant in our professional
judgement." So we have to wait for a vehicle accident that injures, or worse kills, an
individual in order to validate an upgrade to our nearby roads? How many injuries or
deaths must happen in order for action to happen to improve the roads? Perhaps there
have NOT been accidents on Stanley because the appropriate amount of people drive
these roads. Now if you increase the amount of traffic needing to use the roads, it doesn't
take a rocket scientist to tell us widening or improving the roads is necessary. We believe
in this case, being proactive rather than reactive on improving roads and safety in and
near our neighborhood will prove to prevent vehicle and pedestrian accidents.
On October 22, 2018, California Highway Patrol reported an accident near the
intersection of Dayton Road and Hegan Lane in Chico, California that resulted in a
rollover of a truck and one badly injured person. This accident happened just south of
Stanley Avenue. This intersection is much larger and has designated turn lanes. Accidents
happen even on appropriately sized roadways. My heart races every time I put my turn
signal on and slow down while approaching Stanley Avenue. All it takes is one sleepy or
distracted driver to rear-end someone on Dayton. We don't think a game of Russian
Roulette is appropriate here. Please require Mr. Leen to provide the funds to improve
Dayton Road and Stanley Avenue if you approve any type of housing development. As a
governing body in Butte County, it is your responsibility to be sure roads and public
safety are maintained.
The absurdity of 18 homes being built on this small piece of land seems financially
gluttonous. Ten homes is more reasonable and would certainly put less of a strain on our
existing neighborhood. It is well known that subdivisions that go up cheap and quick, in
order for the developer to make a quick buck, often turn into rentals or have poor pride in
homeownership. A cul-de-sac of ten homes on larger parcels would more likely draw in
folks who have pride and share similarities to those of us who already live on or near
Stanley Avenue. I can bet none of us existing residents moved out here so we could live
in an over-populated, loud and traffic ridden community. We ask that you please consider
the uniqueness and individuality of the homes in the Stanley Avenue area and continue to
keep this look if homes are to be built. Why should one man{and a few board members)
have the power to change the destiny of our safe and quiet community? It is obvious that
"for the greater good" has gone out the window here, but perhaps meeting in the middle
is still a possibility, a possibility we would be very grateful for.
Thank you for your time and your genuinely thorough reading of our letter. Let me
remind you of the hard-working and legitimate members of society who reside in the
Stanley Avenue area and how our concerns should be heard. Please"put yourselves in
our shoes..."
Respectfully,
Bret and Jennifer Crowe
Cc: Bill Connelly, Supervisor District 1
Larry Wahl, Supervisor District 2
Maureen Kirk, Supervisor District 3
Steve Lambert, Superior District 4
Doug Teeter, Supervisor District 5
Other email recipients
lcgrundmann@gmail.co m;
j acquechase@gmail.com;
rockdonati@aol.com;
pi ohn71 79@aol.com;
mmichelena@buttecounty.net;
tsnellings(a7buttecounty.net;
PCalarco@buttecounty.net;
cthistlethwaite@buttecounty.net;
LMendoza@buttecounty.net;
balpert@buttecounty.net;
Debra@debralucero.us;
tfo ssum@buttecount_y.net;
tamiritter2012@mai1.corn
July 21, 2018
To Whom it May Concern:
Please excuse the delay in our letter, as we recently purchased a home off Walnut Tree Lane,
nearest cross street being Stanley Avenue. We were just made aware of the proposed
development of a subdivision on the south side of Stanley Avenue.
As mentioned above, we just purchased our dream home. Among our"must haves" when
looking for our home was a safe and spacious neighborhood in which we could raise a family
here in Chico. This home on Walnut Tree Lane, just off of Stanley Avenue, provided that
necessity. With this recent knowledge of a new subdivision being built frightfully close, about
300 yards, from our home, our dream seems to have dwindled. We are now burdened with fears
of a less safe, and over-populated community.
Our first fear is the increased vehicle traffic this subdivision will bring. Stanley Avenue is a
narrow, barely two lane road that already services several homes. More traffic could mean the
chance of more unsafe driving along a road where we envisioned taking walks with our dogs or
our future children in strollers or on bikes. This is a road that doesn't have sidewalks and people
must be driving slow to safely pass one another. More traffic on an ill-sized road means
increased risk for collisions between cars and even worse, pedestrians.
Another fear is decreasing home value, thus potentially increasing crime. We saw this first hand
in a subdivision in North Chico, the negative effect of this "housing bubble" phenomena. Several
homes went up VERY quickly. It seemed as though many people bought these homes and
couldn't truly afford them, or certainly weren't able to upkeep them. Perhaps their priority was
feeding their family versus owning a lawnmower, financially restricted by their new mortgage
payment. Many of the homes turned to rentals, lacking any pride of ownership, and the
neighborhood went downhill. I woke up multiple times to flashing police lights and law
enforcement with flashlights looking for burglars or criminals hopping fences on the run. These
low rent flopped homes were an embarrassing hazard. Please don't allow this to come near our
safe, well-established and well-cared for homes.
Lastly, this subdivision is VERY out of place. Each home off Stanley Avenue is unique. Putting
up multiple "cookie cutter" homes, one of top of the other, is very out of place and doesn't
belong in our community of one of a kind homes. Many of us residents moved out here to get
out of the boxy neighborhoods. We value our space, privacy, and individuality. Dozens of
stacked up homes on a plot of land out here is like a can of smashed sardines in an ocean full
of tropical vibrant fish.
"From the first years of my residence on Rancho Chico a sadness has at times oppressed me
as the thought that has been borne in on me that someday the beloved Chico Creek would be
destroyed by the diverting of it waters and the slaughter of its trees." -Annie Bidwell. Can we all
please remember the two people who influenced the development of our"beloved" town of
Chico?Annie encouraged people to hold the refuge and wildlife in "sacred trust" and to "teach
your children" to do so, as well. I doubt their vision included subdivisions and the demolishing of
green space. Instead, their legacy was to keep Chico "open", "sun-warmed" with "old style" and
a "grand scenery." Our City of Trees has already seen a spike in new subdivisions; we don't
need this one off Stanley Avenue, too. Ironically, one reason John Bidwell left Missouri in 1839
was because he lost his farm to claim-jumpers, so he moved west. John Bidwell championed for
agriculture in California. Please don't allow greedy, deep pocketed "claim-jumpers" to develop
this precious land. John and Annie Bidwell should be an inspiration to us all in their quest to
preserve Chico's beauties.
We write this letter to express our personal concerns for our neighborhood of which we were so
blessed and proud to have recently joined. Please keep us and our neighboring friends in mind.
Let us keep our roads free of traffic, let us keep our small neighborhood free of crime and over-
development, and let us keep our neighborhood spread out and unique. Please keep our streets
safe for our children to grow up on so we can help them become prosperous and productive
future adults in society.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read our letter. Please feel free to contact us with
any questions.
Sincerely,
Bret and Jennifer Crowe
Bret Crowe Jennifer Crowe
(530) 624-1892
(707) 365-8347
1765 Walnut Tree Lane
Chico CA 95928