Petition to the Belmont City Council by Belmont City Residents to repair existing erosion damage to lower Marburger Avenue caused by an inadequate and malfunctioning City storm drain system and address a new plan for safe storm water management for the residents of the San Juan Hills Area.

Poorly managed storm water and continuous erosion directly affect our property values, our personal safety, and impact our quality of life. With more severe weather patterns on the rise, we expect our undersized storm drain system to continue failing and our property values to fall as a result.

Facts

By the City's own designation and geological surveys, the San Juan Hills neighborhood is determined to contain areas prone to landslides. With ongoing erosion, these areas carry a high "risk of personal injury and death", "as well as risk of property damage".(Belmont's own San Juan Hills Area Plan 1988)

Marburger Ave is enjoyed by many residents that live in the San Juan Hills neighborhood. Used for scenic hiking, biking, and walking with dogs, it serves an asset to the community.

Erosion has impeded the ingress and egress of personal and emergency vehicles on lower Marburger Ave prompting the need for police assistance for a stranded vehicle in broad daylight during 2013.

The storm season of 2012/13 resulted in the complete flooding of lower Marburger with water cresting over the top of the City's culvert system causing erosion of pavement and road base. A large muddy debris field collecting at the intersection of San Juan and Marburger is a hazard for drivers, dust hazard in summer, and ongoing tax payer expense after each heavy rain.

The City must pass through lower Marburger with heavy equipment and loaded dump trucks to maintain its own infrastructure along and in the road. This causes undue wear and tear compromising the road surface and lateral sewer connections below.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I request that the City Council take any and all actions necessary to repair the damage caused to lower Marburger Avenue pavement, accept Lower Marburger by formal resolution, and insure safety in all public right-of-ways for the residents of the San Juan Hills Area.

I also request that the General Plan for the San Juan Hills be updated with input and alignment with the actual residents who live here in the San Juan Hills area as follows:

- preparedness for severe weather patterns and improving our inadequate storm drain system.

- insure responsible development to preserve the scenic nature of the area.

- limited City regulation which allows our existing properties and structures to be upgraded and reach their full value potential.