The flier in the photo just went up around 2nd/North Main (potential Amy's Drive-thru...) announcing a joint Planning Commission and Design Review "Study Session Meeting"/Public Hearing next week on Thursday, July 18 at 7 pm in the THIRD FLOOR Conference Room at Walnut Creek City Hall: 1666 North Main Street (there is also a non-related Transportation Commission meeting that night that will likely be in the normal 1st floor room).
Interestingly as of today, this meeting is not showing on the City website list of upcoming public meetings, but the flier is attached if you'd like to read it over for more information.
We do have a call in to Alan Carreon (the City's lead Planner for this project) asking for more details, and we will update you if/when we hear back with any pertinent information.
Some of us will be out of town on this date, but we encourage everyone who can't attend to send your comments via email ahead of this meeting. If you send comments, commissioners and staff will read them and enter them into the record. You can even edit or just forward a letter you previously wrote to Amy's or one sent regarding In-N-Out two years ago.
Anyone who can show up that night to make a public comment (typically 3 min max), or show solidarity/strength in numbers should make an effort to be there in person.
It's our impression that in person comments at meetings typically carry the most weight and are top of mind when the Commissioners provide feedback. The best case is doing both: email and show up to make a public comment or show support for those who are making public comments.
UPDATED PLAN INFO:
Some of us have had a chance to recently hear from Hall Representatives regarding their current plans for Amy's Drive-thru and they definitely show a barrier in the center of North Main that will block the North Main driveway to Amy's and instead direct Northbound traffic to ENTER Amy's/the drive-thru line USING the driveway on SECOND AVENUE.
Think of the back ups from the drive-thru line on to the roadway, from Hall Equities' previously approved drive-thru project across the street, and how this new plan might affect access to your home when you write your letters.
ADDITIONALLY, the barrier would prevent people leaving Amy's driveway on North Main from heading Northbound on Main, so that would ALSO force any northbound traffic LEAVING Amy's ON TO SECOND AVENUE (backing up the light residents use to exit our neighborhood and/or encouraging more drivers to go through our neighborhood as an alternative route).
NONE of Hall Equities/Amy's Drive-Thru plans show there is a residential neighborhood directly behind Amy's on Second Ave. The diagrams conveniently cut off at the wall they intend to build to try to hide the drive through and mitigate noise from the speaker. Nor do they show the current unsafe conditions (lack of usable connected sidewalks, total lack of bike-lanes or most other forms of striping...) for pedestrians who primarily are required to walk in the narrow roadway on Second Avenue when leaving their homes to walk pets, access trails, the park, the pool, local shops, etc.
As we've stated previously and repeatedly, this site is not suited for a drive-thru and allowing a conditional use permit variance for it should not be allowed.
Here are the above mentioned email addresses: we recommend copying them all on your correspondence:
Most important is the Planning Office:
Assigned City Planner is Alan Carreon - carreon@walnut-creek.org
Planning office general email - planning@walnut-creek.org
A CUP (Conditional Use Permit) for a drive-thru will likely also need to be approved by the City Council, so they should be well aware of all our concerns as well:
Matt Francois: Francois@walnut-creek.org Loella Haskew: Haskew@walnut-creek.org Kevin Wilk: wilk@walnut-creek.org, Justin Wedel: wedel@walnut-creek.org Cindy Silva: Silva@walnut-creek.org Mayor/All City Council: mayor@walnut-creek.org Here is an condensed and easy to copy/paste list of all the emails above: carreon@walnut-creek.org, planning@walnut-creek.org, Francois@walnut-creek.org, Haskew@walnut-creek.org, wilk@walnut-creek.org, wedel@walnut-creek.org, Silva@walnut-creek.org, mayor@walnut-creek.org
Thanks everyone for any way you are able to contribute to ensuring this hearing next week really represents our point of view as the public most affected by these plans!
Even if Amy's ends up with a drive-thru at this inappropriate location in the end, it is imperative we do everything we can to make our City aware of our concerns now and encourage them to do everything they can to mediate the traffic/health/safety issues for our adjacent neighborhood.