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HomeMy WebLinkAbout081622-11.01 MATTE, DARREN Marie Sunseri From:Darren Matte <darren@danvilleharvest.com> Sent:Thursday, August 11, 2022 2:36 PM To:Joe Calabrigo; David Crompton Cc:Marie Sunseri Subject:Feedback on DMP ***CAUTION*** THIS EMAIL WAS NOT SENT FROM DANVILLE STAFF This email originated from outside of the Town of Danville and was not sent from a Town Staff member! Do not click on links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Hi Joe & David, I appreciate all of the work that your teams have put into the revised Downtown Master Plan. This is a an exciting opportunity for Danville to build on it’s unique charm while also providing our community a glide path to providing new amenities that are desired in today’s world. As it relates to the proposed projects for the DMP, it seems the Theatre Plaza is a no-brainer for timing and ease of project. I’ve always felt the Village Theatre was an underutilized asset so hopefully adding a Plaza with year-round events would be a great way to activate that resource. Conversely, I am not supportive of the elevated intersections for 3 reasons: 1.The disruption to my 2 businesses would be significant. Theoretically the disruption to all Hartz Ave businesses would be significant since I assume most traffic (vehicle & pedestrian) would just avoid Hartz altogether during the construction at the various intersections (3 as originally proposed or up to all 5). 2.The long-term benefit from these raised intersections is minimal to downtown businesses and property owners. The perceived safety improvements for pedestrians could be achieved in more cost effective ways. Vehicle traffic mitigation seems to be one of the bigger issues. Reducing the speed limit on Hartz Ave (also helps with Google diverting traffic from 680), flashing pedestrian walkways and more red curbs at corners would significantly improve pedestrian safety. 3.The cost of these raised intersections seems incredibly high for minimal benefit to downtown businesses or residents. The above mentioned safety measures could be done at a fraction of the price and arguably could achieve the same or better safety measures. And while I’m sure the construction of these raised intersections would be done to minimize rework, there will undoubtedly be inefficiencies and double costs when the second phase of these projects is completed at a later date whether that be Church Street Plaza, Hartz Ave Sidewalk Expansion or Prospect Ave Public Space. I’m biased but would love to see the Church Street Plaza completed in full. Yes, there would be disruption to my businesses in the short-term but the long term benefits to downtown would be significant. It would connect the Ironhorse Trail, Railroad Ave, Hartz Ave and Front Street to the Village Theatre, Town Green and Library. It would also provide a much needed route for pedestrians and leisure bikers to access our downtown from Ironhorse Trail. I have young children and making that trek from the Trail to Danville Harvest is always a nerve racking experience. And finally, expanding the sidewalks to create a plaza would achieve expanded outdoor seating for 3-5 restaurants along this 1 pathway. This would be a preferred long-term approach to offset the street areas currently assigned to temporary parklets. Thank you for your consideration and ongoing efforts on this important work. Darren Matte 415-516-4089 Danville Harvest, Cocina Hermanas, property at 501 Hartz Ave 2