HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmail from Jennifer Schultz - TSM 17-0001 Stanley Avenue Proposed Subdivision Menchaca, Clarissa
From: Jennifer Schultz <jenniferlschultz@yahoo.com>
Sent: Tuesday,July 24, 2018 7:35 PM
To: lcgrundmann@gmail.com;jacquechase@gmail.com; rockdonati@aol.com; pjohn7179
@aol.com; Michelena, Mark; Snellings, Tim; Calarco, Pete;
cthistlewaite@buttecounty.net; Fossum,Tom; Mendoza, Louie; Clerk of the Board;
Connelly, Bill;Wahl, Larry, Kirk, Maureen; BOS District 4;Teeter, Doug;
debra@debrlucero.us; info@ritterforsupervisor.com
Subject: Stanley Ave. Proposed Subdivision
Attachments: Subdivision letter.docx; Subdivision letter.pages.zip
Hello,
My name is Jennifer and my husband's name is Bret.We just moved into a home off Stanley Avenue and were made
aware of the proposed subdivision to be built.Attached is a letter expressing our concerns.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
We really appreciate your time.
Thank you.
Jennifer and Bret Crowe
1765 Walnut Tree Lane
Chico CA 95928
(530) 624-1892
(707) 365-8347
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