TO:   Department of Environmental Review                                                             February 20, 2006
         Sacramento County Municipal Services Agency
         827 Seventh Street, Room 220
         Sacramento, CA 95814

 SUBJECT: Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report for Elverta Specific Plan and Associated Subdivision Map Known as Countryside Equestrian Estates (ESP-RDEIR)

Why Sixteenth Street traffic should NOT be rerouted to Dry Creek Road.

 Currently every morning and afternoon Dry Creek Road between Elkhorn Boulevard and G Street is at gridlock.  One morning while I was eastbound on G Street, I sat through two signal light changes on G Street to turn north on Dry Creek Road because the traffic on Dry Creek Road was at a standstill.  I did not see any traffic accident and when I arrived at Elkhorn Boulevard, traffic was backed up both directions trying to turn south onto Dry Creek Road.  This has become an every day occurrence, both morning and afternoon.  By moving Sixteenth Street and Elverta Villages traffic on to Dry Creek Road, conditions will get worse.

Four schools, Rio Linda Senior High, Rio Linda Junior High, Dry Creek Elementary and Dry Creek West Special Education are accessed from Dry Creek Road between Elkhorn Boulevard and G Street.  Both of these intersections have signal lights.   

The Dry Creek Elementary School has many children from kindergarten through the sixth grade crossing Dry Creek Road at G Street every school day in the morning and afternoon from the Western Acres and Bell Acqua Subdivisions.  The increase in vehicle traffic at this intersection by rerouting Sixteenth Street vehicle traffic to Dry Creek Road will cause an increased risk for the children attending the Dry Creek Schools.

Placer Vineyards development is planning a four lane divided expressway in Placer County from Baseline Road to the Sacramento/Placer County Line to line up with Sixteenth Street in Elverta Villages.  This has the potential of a drastic increase in traffic on Sixteenth Street as Watt Avenue with six lanes can turn into gridlock even before the construction of Placer Vineyards. 

Over 100 Oak trees on each side of Dry Creek Road between the north and south channels of Dry Creek will have to be removed if Dry Creek Road is widened to accommodate the increased traffic.

Most if not all of the homes north of Elkhorn Boulevard have wells and septic sewer systems.  The homes between O and U Streets on Dry creek Road could lose almost all of their front yards if a 4 lane road with a divider planter strip were to be installed as identified in the Placer Vineyards DEIR.  This could require their wells or septic systems to be relocated or the installation of CSD-1 sewer lines and/or Rio Linda/Elverta Community Water District mains to be replacing the septic systems and/or wells.  

The total number of driveways on Dry Creek Road that would be affected is around 150.  However, the number of driveways that would be affected on Sixteenth Street less than one hundred.

The section of Sixteenth Street from Q to U Street has 14 driveways; there are 48 on Dry Creek Road.  This section of Sixteenth Street could be moved to the east to west somewhat to minimize interference with the existing homes. 

By using an extension of Sixteenth Street north of Elkhorn Boulevard to Q Street, no homes would be interfered with within this section.  The same portion of Dry Creek Road has about 46 driveways.

South of Elkhorn Boulevard to Ascot Avenue on Dry Creek Road, about 55 driveways and two major intersections would be affected.  Most of the driveways are for school parking and apartments, that have a higher use than the driveways for homes.  This section of Sixteenth Street has most of the driveways that would be affected by widening the road.  There are about 80 driveways on Sixteenth Street between Ascot Avenue and Elkhorn Boulevard.  This section of Sixteenth could also be moved to the east and west to minimize the interference with the existing homes. 

When Dry Creek Road was raised for an all weather north-south road, it held the water back and caused increased stormwater levels upstream; in particular, at the Dry Creek Ranch House.  It also caused more stormwater to flow south and across Dry Creek Road by The Church south of the south channel.  A low-level extension of Sixteenth Street across the flood plain would not backup the storm water.  It may be closed because of flooding a small number of days each winter.

When Interstate 880, now Interstate 80, was in the planning stages, Dry Creek Road and Rio Linda Boulevards were eliminated for consideration of interchanges.  Raley Boulevard and Norwood Avenue were planned for interchanges for the Rio Linda and Elverta Areas.  Raley Boulevard/Sixteenth Street was intended to an expressway from I-880 to Elverta Road and Norwood Avenue was intended to be extended to Rio Linda Boulevard, eliminating the dangerous curve that has had many accidents. 

I Request Dry Creek Road Alternatives 1, 3 and 4 be eliminated from consideration and Sixteenth Street Alternative 2 be adopted.  This would keep Dry Creek Road as a local transportation corridor and not increase the traffic past the four schools.

-- signed -- 

Erwin E. Hayer
Rio Linda/Elverta Chamber of Commerce, Flood Committee
Rio Linda/Elverta Recreation and Park District, Flood Committee
Rio Linda/Elverta CPAC, Flood Committee
Dry Creek Watershed Council (DCWC), Member
Dry Creek Conservancy (DCC), Member
Urban Creeks Council (UCC), Sacramento Chapter, Member