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● Site access, even with the developer providing new access, remains a significant <br />concern. Both Blomquist Street and Maple Street are at very low elevations and <br />already show vulnerability during high tide conditions. As sea levels and groundwater <br />rise, access constraints will only worsen. This should be carefully considered, and the <br />developer’s responsibility modified as needed, before granting yet another extension for <br />a project located in such a vulnerable area. <br />● Is there an opportunity to include updated sea level rise protection to the proposed trail <br />along the creek? <br />Alternative: If the City chooses to approve additional extensions, we respectfully suggest the <br />following alternative protective condition. Any future units built on this site should be limited <br />to rental housing, owned and maintained by a speculative or institutional entity, and <br />prohibited from converting to private homeownership. <br />When the City grants entitlements in a flood-risk zone, it incurs a responsibility, ethical if not <br />legal, to avoid placing private homeowners in harm’s way. Can the City reasonably guarantee in <br />future decades of rising sea levels and rising groundwater that all necessary public <br />infrastructure (access roads, underground electrical systems, water lines, fire service <br />infrastructure, sewer lines, and potentially gas utilities) serving a small number of homes will <br />maintain safe habitability? <br />Requiring a long-term rental model ensures that the financial and operational risks of sea level <br />rise fall on sophisticated entities capable of managing them, rather than on individual <br />homeowners who would be left vulnerable. <br />For these reasons, we urge the City to seriously evaluate the appropriateness of granting further <br />extensions for this project as currently proposed. At a minimum, any extension should <br />safeguard future residents and public resources. <br />Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your continued service to our community. <br />Sincerely, <br /> <br />Gita Dev, Chair Jennifer Hetterly, Coordinator <br />Sustainable Land Use Committee Bay Alive Campaign <br /> <br />Cc James Eggers, Chapter Director, Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter <br />sierraclub.org/loma-prieta ~ 3921 East Bayshore Road, Suite 204, Palo Alto, CA 94303 <br />