Safe Passage Along Lucas Valley Road
Project Update
January 9, 2014
As you can see in the photos, Safe Passage is an “6-year
overnight” success! Giant leaps of
progress are being made daily in the construction of the pathway on Lucas
Valley Road between Las Gallinas and Los Gamos.
All of the curbing (below) was laid in a single day!
As the project nears the home strech, we anticipate two ribbon-cutting
ceremonies! The County of Marin will
hold an event during the week, probably in the afternoon and Safe Passage along
Lucas Valley Road will schedule weekend festivities for those who cannot attend
during business hours. As soon as we are
able, we will let you know the time/date.
Let us know your ideas for the celebration!
P.S. If you are going to miss
pulling broom, let us know!
What’s next?
A group of
our supporters wants to do more!
Next, we are
endorsing Lucas Valley Road as a California Scenic Highway! We would like your support and will include
you unless you ask to be removed from our database. We expect this project to only take 2-3
years, so we will keep you up to date and offer ways for you to get involved.
Why?
The stated intent
(Streets and Highway Code Section 260) of the California Scenic Highway Program
is to protect and enhance California's natural beauty and to protect the
social and economic values provided by the State's scenic resources.
Benefits!
1. A scenic highway designation protects the scenic values
of an era. Specifically:
·
Protect from
encroachment of inappropriate land uses such as junkyards, dumps, rendering
plants and gravel pits.
·
Mitigate uses which
detract from scenic values by proper siting, landscaping or screening.
·
Make development more
compatible with the environment by requiring building siting, height, colors
and materials that are harmonious with the surroundings.
·
Regulate grading to
prevent erosion and cause minimal alteration of existing contours and to
preserve important vegetative features along the highway.
·
Protect the hillsides by
allowing only low density development on steep slops and along ridge lines.
·
Prevent the need for
noise barriers (sound walls) by requiring a minimum setback for residential
development adjacent to a scenic highway.
2. A scenic highway
designation can enhance community identity and pride, encouraging citizen
commitment to preserving community values.
3. By preserving scenic
resources, a scenic highway designation will enhance land values and make the
area more attractive.
