Commuter-Street Plan Reconsidered

After dozens of residents voiced concerns over the future of Presidio Drive and Yosemite Avenue, the City Council told staff members to examine several options for completing the city’s arterial-street network.

Marr Ranch developer Robert Friedman had asked the city to amend its General Plan to make the streets two-lane roadways instead of expanding them into four-lane thoroughfares.

But residents attending the meeting want the streets kept out of the commuter-street network altogether, fearing property values would drop and neighborhood children would be put at risk.

“We’d like to maintain our quality of life and make sure that our children aren’t in danger,” Presidio Drive resident Jim Murphy told the council.

According to the General Plan, Presidio Drive and Yosemite Avenue have long been designated as part of the arterial street network--a large interconnected loop of roadways--to provide access to different parts of the city.

The four-lane widening was conceived to accommodate development in the northeastern Simi Valley, specifically the Marr Ranch project.

But since that project has been scaled back to less than 1,000 homes, developers believe a two-lane road is adequate.

Residents, however, have asked that a new road be built to serve as an expressway for cross-city commuters.

However, the rugged topography north of the Ronald Reagan Freeway may put the brakes on any new roads.

“These people have enjoyed a certain quality of life they don’t want to lose, and that’s understandable,” said Bill Golubics, the city’s traffic engineer.

“But it looks like there will have to be a compromise.”

Council members, who authorized that a draft of the amendment be developed, said they want a plan that addresses residents’ concerns while serving the needs of commuters.

“There are a lot of options that need to be investigated before anything is decided,” Mayor Greg Stratton said.