Neighborhood Residents Against Through Street Connection to Western Hills Subdivision
Neighborhood Residents Against Through Street Connection to Western Hills Subdivision
The Issue
To: Mayor Jim Miller, Saratoga Springs City Council, and Saratoga Springs Planning Commission (Kendal Black)
Date: December 17, 2024
We, the residents of Western Hills, hereby submit this petition to formally request that no through street be connected to our subdivision from Redwood Square, the adjacent commercial development currently under development at 1750 N Redwood Rd, Saratoga Springs, Utah 84045. Also, that the application for the same development be void.
Our concerns are as follows:
1. Safety: Our neighborhood is home to over 30 children aged 0-12 who regularly play, ride bicycles, and enjoy the safety of Western Hills Drive and adjacent streets. The proposed through street would jeopardize this safety by introducing increased vehicular activity. The proposed commercial development, which includes restaurants and retail shops, is expected to bring thousands more cars into Western Hills Drive each month. This influx of traffic would significantly erode the sense of security that defines our community.
2. Unnecessary access: According to our discussions with the planning office, Redwood Square already has two access roads as required by UDOT (Redwood Rd. to the east and an office park to the south) and a planned third access road to Aspen Hills Blvd. via a future medical office building directly north of Redwood Square. Considering this, adding a fourth access point through Wester Hills Drive appears unnecessary and excessive.
3. Lack of Proper Public Input: The Site Plan application was approved without proper public input from the Western Hills neighborhood. A Neighborhood Meeting regarding this development was not held as required per Title 19.13.04. Additionally, a Neighborhood Canvas was not completed as mandated by the same title. The Planning Commission cited a meeting held 1 year prior, on August 7, 2023, as meeting this requirement. This meeting was not sufficient to meet the requirement for the recent site plan application approval for the following reasons:
- Only 53% of the neighborhood residents that will be impacted by the development resided in the neighborhood by August 7, 2023. Therefore, 47% of the neighborhood did not have the opportunity to comment on the proposed site plan.
- Additionally, the Western Hills residence expressed concern over the connection to Western Hills drive as part of the August 7, 2023, Neighborhood Meeting (see meeting notes from Developer). These concerns were never addressed or acknowledged by the City Council.
By signing this petition, we respectfully demand that the Site Plan application for Redwood Square be immediately nullified. The approval process must be restarted with full and proper public input, as mandated by Title 19.13.04. The voices of our community have been neglected, and the safety and well-being of our residents, especially our children, are at severe risk. We insist that the City Council provide a transparent and inclusive opportunity for the Western Hills neighborhood to voice our concerns and have them addressed comprehensively.
Sincerely,
The Residents of Western Hills Neighborhood
References:
413
The Issue
To: Mayor Jim Miller, Saratoga Springs City Council, and Saratoga Springs Planning Commission (Kendal Black)
Date: December 17, 2024
We, the residents of Western Hills, hereby submit this petition to formally request that no through street be connected to our subdivision from Redwood Square, the adjacent commercial development currently under development at 1750 N Redwood Rd, Saratoga Springs, Utah 84045. Also, that the application for the same development be void.
Our concerns are as follows:
1. Safety: Our neighborhood is home to over 30 children aged 0-12 who regularly play, ride bicycles, and enjoy the safety of Western Hills Drive and adjacent streets. The proposed through street would jeopardize this safety by introducing increased vehicular activity. The proposed commercial development, which includes restaurants and retail shops, is expected to bring thousands more cars into Western Hills Drive each month. This influx of traffic would significantly erode the sense of security that defines our community.
2. Unnecessary access: According to our discussions with the planning office, Redwood Square already has two access roads as required by UDOT (Redwood Rd. to the east and an office park to the south) and a planned third access road to Aspen Hills Blvd. via a future medical office building directly north of Redwood Square. Considering this, adding a fourth access point through Wester Hills Drive appears unnecessary and excessive.
3. Lack of Proper Public Input: The Site Plan application was approved without proper public input from the Western Hills neighborhood. A Neighborhood Meeting regarding this development was not held as required per Title 19.13.04. Additionally, a Neighborhood Canvas was not completed as mandated by the same title. The Planning Commission cited a meeting held 1 year prior, on August 7, 2023, as meeting this requirement. This meeting was not sufficient to meet the requirement for the recent site plan application approval for the following reasons:
- Only 53% of the neighborhood residents that will be impacted by the development resided in the neighborhood by August 7, 2023. Therefore, 47% of the neighborhood did not have the opportunity to comment on the proposed site plan.
- Additionally, the Western Hills residence expressed concern over the connection to Western Hills drive as part of the August 7, 2023, Neighborhood Meeting (see meeting notes from Developer). These concerns were never addressed or acknowledged by the City Council.
By signing this petition, we respectfully demand that the Site Plan application for Redwood Square be immediately nullified. The approval process must be restarted with full and proper public input, as mandated by Title 19.13.04. The voices of our community have been neglected, and the safety and well-being of our residents, especially our children, are at severe risk. We insist that the City Council provide a transparent and inclusive opportunity for the Western Hills neighborhood to voice our concerns and have them addressed comprehensively.
Sincerely,
The Residents of Western Hills Neighborhood
References:
413
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Petition created on 23 December 2024