HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-09-19 Public Comment - B. Blythe - Cottonwood Road Construction PlanFrom:Beth Blythe
To:Agenda
Subject:Cottonwood/Classical Way intersection
Date:Monday, September 09, 2019 9:39:18 AM
Thank you in advance for reading my letter, and for your thoughtful consideration to the
proposed Cottonwood design.
It is my understanding that the current plan for Cottonwood disallows a left turn onto ClassicalWay, opting instead for a left turn onto Waters Street.
My concern, as a Valley West resident and parent of 2 biking students, is the increased traffic
that has been in our neighborhood since construction began on Cottonwood, and will continueif northbound drivers are not allowed to turn left onto Classical Way.
Valley West is in a school zone, with a lovely city park, and the increased amount of traffic is
a liability. The improvements on Cottonwood are appreciated, and understandably trafficneeds to be temporarily detoured while construction is underway. But with this temporary
detour, our neighborhood has seen a large influx of traffic, and residents of Valley West havebeen taking steps over the summer to try to encourage drivers unfamiliar with the speed limit
of our neighborhood to slow down by displaying a variety of brightly colored "slow down"markers. The police department has had a temporary flashing speed detector across the street
from the park, and the city has posted signs in the neighborhood reminding drivers to slowdown in the school zone.
My family frequently attends events at both the Bronken Fields and the Petra Academy
facility, and we see the heavy use that area gets. Petra may be a small school, but their gymand auditorium are rented out regularly to large crowds. Sundays alone draw 500 plus people
to the Petra facility, and Bronken Fields is a regular home of soccer and lacrosse games, pickup soccer and baseball practices and games, hikers, and the occasional cross country skiers. If
half of these folks are driving northbound on Cottonwood, and are not given the opportunity toturn left onto Classical Way, those drivers will look for short cuts to reach their destination,
either with U turns in the Durston intersection, or back through Valley West, a neighborhoodnot designed for such heavy flow. The opening of the new high school will only compound
these liability concerns.
Please consider allowing left turns to be made onto Classical Way, and foregoing the left turnonto Waters Street.
Respectfully,
Beth Blythe
406-498-0511