Please, no Ramona Street extension

By CHERYL SNYDER

Whoa! Both ears forward. What is that coming at me?

Last year, I finally bought my dream home, an old broken down, bank owned house in the country. It is about the same vintage as the house my dad built in 1949.

I was fortunate enough to get the best general contractor in town, James Cathcart. He is a perfectionist, honest, reliable, reasonable, and an awesome guy, to make it habitable again. He went beyond habitable. It’s beautiful and energy efficient.

I bought some sheep from Katie Cane to help mow the weeds on my 1-plus acre. Wonderful lady. I bought a truck load of road material to fill in the massive puddle in the road from a Ramona-owned company, They knew just the right material to use.

I’m learning to spin the wool from my sheep. I’ve died and gone to heaven.

But, what is this? The Ramona Community Planning Group wants to make Ramona Street a through road to Warnock, widen it to 60 feet wide, change its elevation, and make the speed limit 40 mph. That means the traffic will be going 50 mph, and much, much more of it.

Also, I read that the county wants to increase the density of the area. What?!

Growing up down the hill, our neighborhood was single family homes with large yards. We had 1/3 acre. There were horses down our dirt street.

Everybody knew everybody. At some point in time, the area was zoned for higher density—four units for a parcel 25 feet by 125 feet. Folks began selling out to developers.

It is now one of the highest density areas with the highest emergency response rate. It’s a high crime area, high traffic, no place to park, no place for children to play, so they play in the streets and alleys. It’s a very noisy place—boom boxes, children screaming, people fighting, wheels screeching. Lots of drugs, prostitutes, gun fire, and helicopters flying there. Charming. But the city got more money from the developers.

Unable to get a good price for the place to buy elsewhere, I rented it out and moved here. As I have said, I have died and gone to heaven. Now the planning committee wants to turn this precious community into City Heights? No!

Why do they want it to go through? Because it looks like it should? And why 60 feet wide? Why make it like a highway instead of a residential street, especially going by several schools with children walking to these schools?

Maybe there is a reason the original planners didn’t make Ramona Street a through street. Maybe the aqueduct that will have to be moved if the street is put in was why.

Maybe the deep grading that will destroy some people’s access was it. Maybe the danger to drivers pulling out with horse trailers on to a high traffic, high speed roadway was it. Maybe paving over people’s front yards and coming within feet of houses was it. Maybe the original planners appreciated quiet, safe neighborhoods and streets.

People have moved to this neighborhood for a reason. It reflects their goals and the things they appreciate. The planned changes to Ramona Street would substantially change the neighborhood for the worse, for what? To save five minutes drive to Warnock?

Please, no on the road.

Cheryl Snyder is a Ramona resident.