Letters to the Editor: Issue of April 25, 2013

‘Thank heaven for renovation’

I was surprised to see the April 4 article on Rancho Bernardo losing its historical character, since what we should be saying is “thank heaven for renovation.” No one ever intended, nor do right-minded individuals advocate, that RB remain a community of homes which reflect “the style of the 1960s and 1970s tract homes.” What a sad looking set of homes that would be! Every home which reflects that era is more a dinosaur than an historically significant structure.

Mr. August lives next to a beautiful home which is much more closely related in character with other homes which owners have improved on his street than it is to some invented idea of what RB should resemble (thank heaven). It is a shame that he does not have a couple of hours a week in his busy schedule to volunteer his time to assist with correcting what he sees as wrongs in RB. Actually, he probably does since he has had plenty of time to construct and post many signs on his property making similar points as he made in the article.

Dr. Ernest Price,

Don’t change Espola Road

Our property fronts Espola Road. I have been here since 1978. My office looks directly out on the road. I start my work day around 6:30 a.m.

My observation of traffic flows during the school year:

• 6:30 a.m. – little to no traffic

• 7 a.m. – High school traffic begins to get a bit heavy going north

• 7:10 a.m. – Traffic stop and go northbound

• 7:25 a.m. – heavy traffic moving along

• 7:30 a.m. - noon – light traffic both directions (very easy to merge into the flow)

• Noon – 1 p.m. light to moderate very manageable

• 1 – 4:30 p.m. light to moderate (when high school lets out)

• 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. northbound heavy moving at speed limit

• Evening - light

• Summer traffic light most of the day

I feel safe here because we are not inviting traffic to use our road as a thoroughfare. Widening the road would encourage more travel through our residential neighborhood and possibly an increase in crime.

Widening of the road would allow 18 wheelers to use it, causing noise and air pollution to increase, negatively affecting the environment.

Properties along our road are horse properties. Our children ride across Espola Road safely now. Widened roads encourage faster speeds.

The proposed sound wall will have a negative impact on our quality of life. The breeze that comes from the west every afternoon would be blocked causing the use of more energy to cool our homes; not to mention the aesthetics of our view.

Please, keep our area country as a fine example of the Poway “The City in the Country.”

Marijane Schafer,

No complaint was filed

This letter is in regard to the article entitled “Planning board will elect new leadership” in your April 18 edition. In the article, it states, “according to tonight’s agenda, the March meeting’s acting chairwoman, Robin Kaufman, lodged a formal Brown Act violation complaint against the board for voting the appointments during the meeting over which she presided.”

If a complaint was filed, there would be a record of it with the city. There is no record of it as no formal complaint was ever filed on the matter. After speaking with city staff on the morning of April 19 regarding the above quote, I was informed I may direct any individual to contact city staff if they would like verification that no complaint was ever filed.

Thank you for sharing this updated information with your readers.

Robin Kaufman,