HomeMy WebLinkAbout20162534.tiffPublic Works Department
1 1 11 fl Street, PO Box 758
Greeley, Colorado 80632
Website: www.co.weld.co.us
Phone: (970) 304-6496
Fax: (970) 304-6497
July 27, 2016
Dr. Shirley Smithson
1224 E. 20`h St.
Greeley, CO 80631
Dr. Smithson,
Thank you for your letter of concern dated July 20, 2016. The issues that you listed, as well as
others, will be considered when determining impacts to the roads in the area.
Please contact me if I may be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
L Jay McDonald
Director of Public Works
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July 20, 2016
To: Jay McDonald
Director of Public Works
Weld County, Colorado
Dear Mr. McDonald:
I am writing with my concerns about the proposed Gas and Oil project by Extraction near Bella
Romero School just outside of Greeley and the use of Cherry Avenue. I am sure you have
received prior letters of concern and know of the concern stated by the School Board. I truly
appreciate your attention to this matter.
I have lived on the corner of East 20th Street and Cherry Avenue for over 35 years. I know of the
changes in the area and the present everyday use of Cherry Avenue. I am aware of the daily
rhythms of the community and the school that include the use of the Avenue.
The following concerns come from my direct experience and concern as a community member
and a teacher.
1. The children are a high priority. The present population of the school is 4th through 8th
grade. With the change to the older children there are a lot more children that walk to
and from school. Many children walk down Cherry Avenue to the communities on 24th
and near former East Memorial/now Bella Romero 1.
2. The children use the street to and from school for regular school hours, after school
activities and sports that go into the early evening. There are children that use the
street for before school times as well.
The track program uses the street to practice running daily during season, and there are
weekend events that include races that incorporate Cherry Avenue as part of the race to
and from the school. Wellness programs are part of this.
3. Bella Romero for early years and the older years are connected schools. There are
activities that take place during the school day that call for whole classes or whole
schools to walk to the other down 20th and across Cherry Avenue.
4. Bella Romero is a community center. Evening parent meetings, community ball games,
use of the playground and grass areas continue throughout the school year. The school
grounds are used on weekends and through the summer as well. Very often groups of
children on bikes, walking, skateboarding and running use the street to get to the school
for activity. Parents are sometimes with them and sometimes not.
5. East 20th Street and Cherry Avenue are the access streets to the school from the
community that is nearby. This is a daily occurrence throughout the year.
6. East 20th Street and Cherry Avenue are residential streets. They are not built for high
volume heavy truck traffic. There are no sidewalks on Cherry as there is irrigation and it
is zoned country. All foot traffic is on the road itself. All residential traffic is on the road
itself. Increase in speeds and volume of heavy truck traffic would be extremely
dangerous. The trucks would also inhibit the positive present use of the road.
7. School traffic on 20th and Cherry is heavy at the beginning and end of the school day. It
is also heavy during after school events and school gatherings in the evening. Without
added traffic those times have the streets at full capacity. The corner of East 20th and
Cherry is truly bogged down with traffic, sometimes calling for a traffic police to
monitor. Any addition to what is already here would be unreasonable. Safety needs to
include times beyond the school day. Night truck traffic is equally dangerous with
higher risk of collision, particularly on the corner.
8. Heavy trucks are diesel, emitting more fumes which impact the environment and health
of children and community. Oil trucks are flammable. It is dangerous and unreasonable
to have the trucks on Cherry Avenue. The highest concern being for the children who
have it as part of their recreation and neighborhood.
9. The school busses a great number of children. Cherry Avenue is part of the route for a
number of the buses. A collision would be disastrous.
10. Although the community I live in is looked at as low density, it really isn't. It ranges from
large yard areas to small acreages, most being under five acres. The length of Cherry
Avenue between East 18th Street and 24th Street is under a mile. Within that mile are 22
residences (two duplexes) with addresses either directly on Cherry or with part of the
property directly on Cherry. My address is East 20th Street, a full side of my property is
on Cherry, others have the same layout. The possibility of heavy, dangerous truck traffic
on Cherry invades our wish for safe, quiet and family based living. This is not a highway.
It is residential. The risks are high. The quality of living that we have now would be
destroyed. Our properties devalued.
11. Lynn Grove Cemetery is at the beginning of Cherry off of East 18th. The entrance is right
there. Heavier, turning trucks would effect that access and memorial. Again, increased
risk of accidents is present.
12. Many people live in this community near the school because they have animals. The
use of Cherry Avenue for heavy trucks would affect the safety of the animals as well as
their use.
13. The community near the school and the communities within the school area have this
area as their place of gathering. Families and individuals walk and ride bikes, push
babies in strollers, jog, walk their dogs, ride their horses, stop to enjoy the animals along
the way, and share in positive ways on Cherry Avenue and at the school. The activity is
daily and ongoing. This asks to be honored and protected.
I sincerely hope that these and other concerns can help evade an extremely dangerous
and invasive action by Extraction Oil. Our community is of great matter.
Thank you for your attention and time.
Dr. Shirley Smithson
1224 East 20th Street
Greeley, Colorado 80631
970-353-1708
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