Target: next hearing and advocate
From Louise Yost:
Dear Friends,
I received a notice in the mail recently alerting me about the next public hearing for the Target store proposal. I would like to invite you to come to the May 20 Design Review Board public hearing at San Rafael City Hall, 1400 - 5th Avenue, San Rafael. The hearing starts at 7pm, but I don’t know yet when the Target proposal comes up on the agenda. I’ll let you know soon.
At the very same hearing is another agenda item of great importance.
Verizon Wireless is proposing to the city that they be allowed to erect 6 panel antennas on an already existing electrical tower on Windward Way near Bellam Blvd in the Canal. This is a public health issue, for it concerns the health effects of Electric Magnetic Fields(EMF) that are emitted from electrical towers such as these upon the surrounding neighborhood. I live at Ecology House which is half a block away from the tower, and where there are 8-10 acutely disabled people who are extremely electrically sensitive.
The tower is also near the soon to be opened Marin Health & Wellness Campus, so I am very concerned for the well-being of all of us.
The Design Review Board is composed of 5 people who are architects, urban designers, or landscape architects. The board’s purpose is to evaluate the above projects based on design issues only. They do not approve or deny permits. An Environmental and Design Review Permit is required for new projects and for most exterior changes to buildings. The application is evaluated based on General Plan and Zoning Ordinance design policies and criteria which require projects to harmonize with the natural environment and surrounding area.
I would like to encourage everyone to either email the city about the Target store and the antennas, and/or to come to the hearing and speak out during the public speaking time, which gives each person 3 minutes to talk. If you come to the hearing, the Design Review Board only will hear us talk about such issues as:
1) the landscaping of the Target, which we’re advocating to have trees on all 3 sides to act as a visual buffer for the nearby Baypoint Lagoon neighbors. The store causes visual pollution to the Canal neighborhood in general, so we need to object to that.
2) the excessive light pollution created by the parking lot & store lights, so we’re asking them to use lower wattage lights, and to use LED lights that conserve energy
3) how close the Target is allowed to be from the nearby bay (37.5 feet!).
We’re urgently requesting that there be at least a 100′ buffer zone between the eastern edge of the parking lot & Shoreline Park boundary line.
4) the enormous lighted “Target” & “Pharmacy” signs on the store which are way too big & glaring, producing light pollution & energy waste,
5) the effect on traffic in the Canal which is already gridlocked during rush hours,
6) objections to the proposed 629 parking spaces they want which is way too many. Target should be environmentally responsible and encourage people to use public transit, bike & walk to the store, so that they don’t need many parking spaces. They should have bike racks too.
7) Target is required to follow San Rafael’s Green Building Ordinance and use green materials throughout the entire building & parking lot. We need to hold them to it.
You can send an email about Target to the City Planner, Sarjit Dhaliwal at:
sarjit.dhaliwal@cityofsanrafael.org And/or you can call him at
415-485-3397.
You can send an email about the antennas to the Project Planner, Jill Pirog,
at: jill.pirog@cityofsanrafael.org Her phone is: 415-485-3392.
Please let me know if you can come to the hearing. It is so important to tell the city & the Design & Review Board that we have many objections to their plans. Public health comes first, as does environmental concerns & socio-economic concerns. Please take time to email the city! Thanks so much!
Peace,
Louise Yost
Environmental Health Network
Events Director
www.ehnca.org
Filed under: community issues, partners, san rafael canal | No Comments »
