It seems to never end. Here is the content of an objection letter sent to the City Clerk about the development czar's latest law erasure: the total elimination of a specific set-back law on Bidwell.
To: City Clerk, Development Dept.
CC: FCUSD for distribution to board & oversight group of parents
PN 15 240 is a hearing on the abolition of a section of law: FMC Chapter 17.02.360B
“Setback line” means a line established by this title to govern the placement of buildings with respect to streets and alleys. This section governs setback lines on the particular streets and public ways set forth herein:
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B. Along Bidwell Street, between the intersections of Folsom Boulevard and Riley Streets, 62 feet from centerline of Bidwell Street in R-1, R-2, R-3, and R-4 districts; and 92 feet from centerline in all other zonings;
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With the exception of a very SMALL percentage of the parcels in question on Bidwell Street, it is all zoned Residential. Four shallow parcels are zoned for Business Usages of an Intensive Nature. They comprise about 4% of the frontage, but have the potential for building out commercially and totally obstructing the access, the nature of the area, and the safety of our children and residents. No changes have occurred in these business zone usages for years. The quonset hut parcel sold by the FCUSD school district is still zoned Residential Usage according to city map. If that bogus new "mixed zone" wording is applied here, there will be NO height limit on buildings with a parking space "underground." Mixed use also means multi-family residential & commercial in the same structures, and no enlarged roadways. https://www.folsom.c...spx?blobid=7400
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ZONING CONSIDERATIONs: Public access to school; two lane major thru-way for 3 county traffic; total alteration of Residential nature (for no good reason)
The most significant impacts of erasing this setback law is to complicate the accessibility, sightlines, public works access, sidewalks, and traffic lanes which serve the FCUSD middle school. This is also an intersection impacting the most significant in-city route for traffic between Highway 50 and all traffic routes to the north (such as 80).
What unknown commercial buyer wants to have the laws erased so they can build something much more massive on Bidwell St. at Riley St.?
Why would the city development czar even permit this proposal to advance without first consulting the school district about public safety. Ditto, police and fire access experts.
What type of city would NOT include a full Certified opinion by a Licensed Engineer, stating this setback law -- which controls the road size, width and access -- should be erased?
We know what type of city council would do this. It means also a huge additional sewage burden on pipes above the American River and old city districts, which already cannot contain the sewage directed at them.
PN15-240 is just another example of city council poor choices of employees, organization, erasing vital laws, and their obvious disdain for Public health, safety and welfare.
I have reported sewage overspills at this very location and the city told the water board: "that's just ground water forcing itself upward at the sewage manholes" which are at the top of a steep hill.
Repeal of FMC 17.02.360B is an outrage against the public welfare, and in particular the youngsters attending the adjacent school, and all users of the public land there.
If the police and fire unions do not object to eliminating the widths -- the only access to the school which is more than two lanes wide -- then something is very wrong here.
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sent to FPD Chief, FFD Chief, others
