AgdaPkt 2012-07-09 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

8.A. - Page 293 Statement on Fin�er Avent�e Aesthetics T am a Finger Avenue resident ar ne�ghbor,wlio walks, bicycles or otherwise erijoys the Finger Averrue streetscape, 1 have seen the pians for tl�e McGowan nine-lot development,and conclude that it wi�i substantially degrade die existing visUal character and quality of the site a�d its surmundings, What is irnportant aesthetically about my neighborhood is tlie semi-rurat character of the north side of FingerAvenne,with many homes set far bacic from tlie street, The appearauce of large amounts of open space with mahue, oId gi�owth trees,provides a striking backdmp to the homes. The contrast betrvsen tl�e nartEi side af Fi�gerAvenue ar�d its south side, W1tI1 1t5 many quaint, eatly 2UEti century bungalows and cattages, is something that's unique to Redwood City and ti�easured by its residents. Facamples of ilow the Finger Aven�e�roject sigiiif cantiy degi�ades the aesthetics of our neighborhood are: • Construction of two homes with wide two-stary facades set back the minimunn al�owable dista�nce from the sa�eek.There are no houses tliat targe set that close to the street anywhere in our neighborhood. - • Nowhere else on Finger Avenue are homes ti�is large placea on lots �iis srt�all, • All of the homes are of similar size and aIl two�stary, as opposed to the mix of home sizes and heights that are representative of the r�orth side of Finger Avenue, • Most of diese nine homes will be viewable fi•om the pub�ic street. Tliere is little open space and the�omes ax�e on�y set back a small distance fran� the r��rrow tliat serves t�em (some from 3ft—6ft from tlie alleyway,) Nowhere in pur neighborhovd are houses situated in this fashior�, • A de��elopmant this densely packed is incompakible with the presence of large mahue trees on the site.The eventual Ioss of these trees will be irreversible. � The brealcup of the north side of Finger Ave, by creating two new intersections. The narrow alleyway built for the development fails tn integrate witl�Finger Avenue by not having a sidewalk ar planting strip a�ainst the roadway. • The one-way alleyway will requue street signs on Finger Ave to direct t�•affc,further compromising the chai�acte�•of the nartli side af the street. The overall mass and scale of this devel�pment is completeZy out of place in our neighborhood, ovt of cliaracter for tl�e nortl�side of Finger A��enue and it wil� orily lead to further degx�adatian of the unique character and quality of our street. N�7Ix4e ��,nw_��iGGri�' �� , A�dress .��, ��,li,�.� r�r.4c— Date }l,�/!/