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Attachment 2From: Mindi Porebski [Sent: Monday, April 03, 2017 10:26 AM To: Council Subject: Proposal regarding North Santa Cruz Avenue closure To whom it may concern, I understand there is a proposal to close the street at the end of North Santa Cruz Ave for portions of Saturdays and Sundays from Memorial Day through Labor Day. I am a Los Gatos resident and would like to voice my position against this proposal. Living in the Lexington Reservoir area, this closure negatively affects every trip me and my family have to make into town to dine, to shop etc., as it requires us to back -track from the closest highway entrance we would normally take to get home, lengthening the time every errand takes, and deterring us from coming downtown during summer weekends. Public roads are made for public use, and we should not be denied our right of access and use of this highway entrance ramp, and especially given that we are local residents. Please vote against the closure of the on-ramp at the end of North Santa Cruz Ave. Thank you. Sincerely, Mindi Porebski 19350 Beardsley Rd, Los Gatos From: John Brady Sent: Monday, April 03, 2017 9:22 AM To: Council Subject: N. Santa Cruz road closure on weekends Dear Council Members, I want to express my support for the proposal that will go before you this Tuesday at your meeting to close the end of North Santa Cruz Avenue in order for the on-ramp to Highway 17 to not be used by beach bound traffic going cutting through our town. As a resident of Los Gatos, it's absolutely necessary to be able to run weekend errands (and support our local businesses) without a 30 minutes delay to go one mile. I'm including everyday common errands such as swimming lessons, grocery shopping, getting a bike kickstand, ACE hardware store run, etc. not to mention emergencies. I hope that you will all approve this proposal and have it enacted by Memorial Day. Thank you in advance for your attention to this very important issue for our town. John From: joe serrano Sent: Monday, April 03, 2017 8:03 AM To: Council Subject: 17 ramp closure I support the closure of the on-ramp to Highway 17 downtown. Be consistent in closures and people will learn. Be prepared to do more. For instance, I think you should also split east -bound Hwy 9 into a right turn lane (downtown, no highway entry) and a 17- bound lane. Make University one-way (south) from Hwy 9 to Main to prevent cheats. Cheers, Joe Serrano From: Katrine T. D. Fullerton Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2017 9:51 PM To: Council Subject: Support highway 17 closure Hello Want to support the closure of the highway 17 entrance at Santa Cruz Avenue in Los Gatos for the spring/ summer months. We live off Winchester Blvd, Los Gatos, and cannot even go to Safeway with a car when the bea ch traffic arrives. I am also concerned for safety. If we had to drive to the hospital I don't know how we could. Regards, Katrine Fullerton From: darcyhorton Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2017 8:15 PM To: Council Subject: beach traffic Dear Council Members: I am writing you to urge you to close N. Santa Cruz Avenue at Wood Rd on the weekends in order to save our town. I live off of highway 9 near Daves Avenue. My 90 year old mother lives at the Los Gatos Meadows on Wood Rd. Normally, it takes me 5-10 minutes to get from my house to the Meadows. Sadly with commuters and beach traffic jamming downtown Los Gatos, it oftentimes takes me over an hour for the same drive. As I sit in stand still traffic on N. Santa Cruz Ave., I look around and feel very sorry for the merchants. I know that if I didn't have to make the trip, there is no way I would go anywhere near downtown Los Gatos on the weekends during the summer. If I want to have lunch or dinner, I go somewhere else. If I want to do some shopping, it's won't be downtown. Same for a manicure/pedicure, haircut and other services. The traffic is also a huge safety hazard. How will an ambulance get to the Meadows (something that happens frequently with an older population) or any other location near downtown? The people who are clogging our streets are merely trying to shave a few minutes off their trip to the beach. They don't care about the impact on the town, the neighborhoods and the merchants. PLEASE don't let them destroy our charming little town. PLEASE close off the stre et. Thank you. Darcy Horton 18581 Blythswood Dr. Los Gatos, CA 95030 From: Doug Brent Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2017 7:11 PM To: Council Cc: Marjorie Brent Subject: Support for closure of onramp to 17 from Santa Cruz Ave. Hello, My wife and I bought a new house for us in the Almond Grove district of Los Gatos last year. We love our new town, but hate the summer traffic coursing through the neighborhoods. Please close the ramp to 17 from Santa Cruz Ave on a consistent and announced basis so that people naturally route themselves back on to 17 southbound and out of the neighborhoods. I appreciate that there are always multiple viewpoints on any issue, but it subverts the character of the to wn to have it become a freeway access grid. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Doug Brent 24 Clifton Ave. Los Gatos, CA 95030 From: Danielle Snook [ Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2017 5:41 PM To: Council Subject: Support of S Santa Cruz Closure Hello, I am a resident of Villa Ave in Los Gatos and am writing in support of closing the South portion of Santa Cruz Ave near the 17 ramp on weekends throughout the summer months as a solution to alleviate beach traffic gridlocking the area. This issue has made it nearly impossible to leave our home during the weekend by car for the last 2-3 years. Surely there is a solution to ensure mountain residents can still get through. I also advocate for a more longer term solution that benefits the entire town, but am in complete support of a short t erm solution that aids downtown residents and businesses in the meantime. I appreciate your consideration. Kind Regards, Danielle Snook Villa Ave From: Diane Egli [Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2017 5:04 PM To: Council Subject: Beach traffic Hello, Please close off the highway 17 exit and entrance on Santa Cruz Ave. and any other entrance of entrances and exits that will help keep people out of town Who are coming and going to and from the beach. Thank you, Diane Egli From: Bunny Hacker [ Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2017 11:42 AM To: Council Subject: 17 Onramp Closure Good Morning! There are many more joys than inconveniences in living downtown, but we’ve never felt more frustrated than in the past couple of years that “traffic apps” have detoured beach traffic through our beautiful town. We understand that you are re-visiting the idea of closing the southbound onramp to Hwy. 17 at the south end of Santa Cruz Avenue in Los Gatos this summer, and we urge you to vote in favor of this proposal. Living just off of Main St., it is somewhat intimidati ng to look out the living room window to see that our only way out is clogged with traffic; if we can’t walk to it we can’t get to it. And if we can drive on to Main St., we then have only the options of Los Gatos Blvd., University Ave. or Santa Cruz Aven ue heading out of town – all 3 of which have only one lane in each direction and are also gridlocked! With sincere sympathy and due respect for the frustration of beachgoers stuck in a traffic crawl on their way to the beach, we don't think the problem is alleviated by jumping off the freeway into a gridlocked downtown, which may in fact only add to the long drive time and frustration level. As residents of downtown Los Gatos, we strongly encourage you to close ramp access Fridays thru Sundays from Memorial Day thru Labor Day. We also ask that, if CalTrans would permit, you post adequate signage on Hwy.17 to alert southbound drivers who may wish to exit at Camden or Lark. Without adequate warning, drivers detour through town only to have to turn around and clog streets headed back to the freeway. Thank you for all you do for our Town. Sincerely,, Nancy & Greg Hacker 55 Church St. #1301Los Gatos, CA 95030 From: Eddie Wagner Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2017 9:53 AM To: Council Subject: Budget approval to address cut-through traffic [PPW Job No. 16-813-0229] Dear Council Members: I want to express my support for the proposal and appropriation of $300,000 that will go before yo u this Tuesday, April 4, at the Town Council meeting to close the end of South Santa Cruz Avenue at Wood Road in order to prevent the on-ramp to Highway 17 from being utilized by beachgoers cutting through our town . PPW JOB NO. 16-813-0229 – CUT-THROUGH TRAFFIC PROJECT I am sharing my deeply concerning experience from last Memorial Day (below) which was shared with CalTrans before belated action was taken. Regards, Eddie Wagner Begin forwarded message: From: Eddie Wagner Date: May 29, 2016 at 11:42:32 PM PDT Subject: Los Gatos traffic May 29, 2016, 11:00 p.m. Greetings CalTrans Communications Team, My family lives on Alexander Avenue a few blocks from downtown Los Gatos since 1998. This morning at 12:30 p.m. my wife and I attempted to drive from our home to the Farmer's Market downtown to pick up milk and groceries for our kids for the week as we do every Sunday. It's a 3-minute trip there. To our astonishment we found long lines of cars (estimated 50+) backed up on Hernandez Ave. then Pennsylvania Ave. and not moving. I have never seen this before in the previous 20 years though some years we are out of town on Memorial Day weekend. This 3-minute trip would have taken 2 hours round -trip at least if we had waited, so we turned around and went back home. On our way home, an angry driver escaping the traffic ran a stop sign at Alexander and Ellenwood nearly hitting us. Is this what we can expect for the next 12 weekends as residents in downtown Los Gatos? What happens to our downtown merchants including the Farmer's Market losing our business? Keeping the southbound 17 ramp open on South Santa Cruz Avenue is not just an inconvenience, but is now endangering people's lives filling the Almond Grove with frustrated and angry drivers as we encountered today. The solution is pretty simple. Close the southbound entrance to 17 at the end of South Santa Cruz Avenue on Fri - Sun through Labor Day. Display the closure on the highway traffic signs and notify Google's Waze team to update their algorithm. This was clear last summer. Please do whatever it takes. Just get it done! Deeply concerned, Eddie Wagner From: Sharon Wilson Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2017 9:58 PM To: Council Subject: Closure of Road for Beach Traffic Hi We read on Next Door Monte Sereno regarding proposal to close the road at end of North Santa Cruz ..GREAT Idea.. anything to help what has become not only annoying but increasingly and more importa ntly a safety issue. Thank you Sharon & Steve Wilson 16055 Mays Ave Monte Sereno From: Stephanie Davis Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2017 9:01 PM To: Council Subject: Please close the roads at end of N. Santa Cruz to beach traffic on weekends immediately Dear Council, I am a Los Gatos resident. Our family lives behind Van Meter school. Please, please close the streets by the Toll House on weekends to prevent the Beach Traffic from snarling up the entire downtown as they cut through to get to the onramp at the Toll House. And could you please close it on weekends as soon as possible? If you live in Town, and you were out and about today (Saturday, 4-1) you already experienced the Beach Traffic today. LG Boulevard was total gridlock by our house. I really do believe this prevents folks from going downtown to eat and shop on weekends. It prevents us from doing so! We go out of town towards Campbell instead of going downtown. We try to avoid going on LG Boulevard at all costs. Please help us out and close those streets near the on ramp. And please use Sig Alerts on the freeway to warn beach travelers away from getting off and cutting through Town, as that entrance to 17 South will be closed. Thank you very much. Sincerely, -Stephanie Davis From: susie ferrell Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2017 7:11 PM To: Council Subject: Please stop beach traffic nightmare To Whom it May Concern - The "beach traffic" through our town is out of control. It has become a safety issue. Please do something to correct this major problem/nightmare. Sincerely- The Ferrells 244 Cerro Chico Los Gatos From: Patti Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2017 5:14 PM To: Council Subject: controlling beach traffic through Los Gatos To whom it may concern, I am writing to urge the closure of N. Santa Cruz Ave to control beach traffic through Los Gatos. The beach traffic has made it very difficult to get to businesses in downtown Los Gatos. W e live on Vasona Oaks and the traffic is so backed up on the weekends that we can not get to our street. All the best, Patti Lovetro-Clarke From: glampe Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2017 3:26 PM To: Council Subject: Please close North Santa Cruz at the Plaza to relieve beach traffic gridlock on weekends Please close North Santa Cruz at the Plaza to relieve beach traffic gridlock on weekends Thank you for your efforts on our behalf, George and Linda Lampe 18 Walnut Ave Los Gatos, CA 95030 From: Alina Wright Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2017 12:09 PM To: Council Subject: Heavy traffic in LG Hi Town Council, I have lived in this beautiful town for about 4 years now and I love it. Fairly recently I also started working near Good Sam Hospital. It seems that the past 2 years the traffic in, and around, town has progressively worsened. My comment from work to home should take no more than 15 minutes. One evening after wo rk last summer my commute home took nearly 30 minutes. Mind you this was on a normal traffic night where there were no road closures or other events occurring that evening. During my drive home that particular night I used Lark and when I crossed over the Hiway 17 bridge I could clearly see that the freeway was backed up as far north as I could see. In addition, all of Lark westbound was back up as well as southbound University and Winchester/Santa Cruz. My driving distance from work to home is just under 3 miles. For my drive to take 30 minutes to go that short of a distance is absurd. I am fully aware that there are driving apps that suggest commuters to bypass 17 by going through Los Gatos. I am dreading the upcoming summer season for that very reason. My previous commute was up to Palo Alto area and knowing that I am in for a comment that is 1/10th the distance by 1/2 the time is dreadful and grueling. I understand that there are more people coming into the area to enjoy our beautiful town, but the majority of them, on nights such as the one described, are not here to enjoy our town, they just want to reap the benefits of a shorter commute. Quite frankly, I do not see the benefit and believe that if they remained on th e freeway they would have a shorter drive, but who am I to say. Enough ranting. I support your decision to close the Santa Cruz, on the south side of town, to benefit, not only our visitors, but also our residence. One other thing you may find interesting. I was speaking with a shop owner last summer and I mentioned that it must be nice to have an increase in business since there is so much town traffic. She said it was quite the opposite. She reported that there was a stark decrease in profits since the increase in traffic. For the benefit of our residence, the local shop owners, and our visitors who are not ‘just passing through,’ you should strongly consider closing that onramp, not only for busy weekends, but for every day during the entire summer an d possibly fall seasons. Thank you for your time in reading my experience and thoughts. A valued resident of Los Gatos, Alina Wright From: Rich Obermeier Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2017 11:42 AM To: Council Subject: Closure of the ramps downtown. This is Rich and Pat Obermeier of 109 Vasona Oaks Dr. Los Gatos 95032. Please vote for closure of the downtown ramps on April 4th. The pilot test was a great improvement last summer. Sent from my iPhone Sincerely, Rich Obermeier 408-966-7908 From: lorraine blackburn Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2017 11:40 AM To: Council Subject: On-ramp closure I live on Overlook Road, all access was totally blocked, including Ridgecrest, Hernandez, Main and Bachman etc. I totally support the closure and if the temperatures go up before Memorial Day, close it sooner. From: Vlado Herman Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2017 11:23 AM To: Council Subject: Upcoming Council Meeting - Beach Traffic Dear Council Members, I want to express my support for the proposal that will go before you this Tuesday at your meeting to close the end of North Santa Cruz Avenue in order for the on-ramp to Highway 17 to not be utilized by beach going cutting through our town. As a resident of 235 and 237 Glen Ridge Avenue in Downtown Los Gatos my family was severely impacted by last year's gridlock in the Almond Grove . Also when passed I hope that this closure being will be widely publicized so everyone knows this will be done consistently and visitors will once again be able to come to Los Gatos on the weekends and enjoy all that the downtown has to offer with it's parks, shopping and dining without the traffic nightmare. Thank you in advance for your attention to this very important issue for our town. Vlado Herman From: brcarr Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2017 11:27 AM To: Council Subject: Urgent Request for 17 Off Ramp Closure Hello, My name is Bryan Carr I've owned the property at 17566 San Benito Way Los Gatos for 13 yrs and I am literarily horrified of what's happened to our beloved town during Spring and Summer Months due to beach traffic. We urge you not only take 1 or 2 measures to address this but to quickly adapt a program to directly address this problem. It's completely ruining our quality of life and it's only a matter of time before someone loses their life due EMS not being able to respond due to gridlock. Pls contact me if I can help with ideas. Sincerely, Bryan Carr From: susan burnett Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2017 11:12 AM To: Council Subject: Suffocation of Los Gatos Thank-you for taking dramatic steps in keeping our town alive! I think Los Gatos is showing leadership to other towns on how to handle the intrusion of out of control traffic to a small downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. I live on Ellenwood and know for sure the impact beach traffic has on my quality of life. I only hope this is the first step in altering cut through traffic on the weekends! Alerting the pu blic in all ways possible, well in advance, is vital for the success of this closure program! Thank-you, Susan Burnett 85 Ellenwood Ave 408-781-0045 From: Nancy Fischer Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2017 7:55 AM To: Council Subject: Beach traffic Good morning, I thought the town did an amazing job last year of conducting a pilot for controlling beach traffic with the closure of the Santa Cruz Ave. onramp to Highway 17. We live on Vasona Oaks Dr. Our only access in or out of town or to go downtown is via University Ave. The beach traffic coming through town is a nightmare for us and our neighbors. The closure of the onramp made a huge difference to us in our ability to access our beautiful downtown and in our ability to come and go from our house. We are pleading with you to a pprove the closure of the onramp on the weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Thanks you for considering this request and keep up the good work. Nancy and Ted Fischer 105 Vasona Oaks Dr Los Gatos From: Carolyn Harnish Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2017 12:01 AM To: Council Subject: Beach Traffic Dear Council Members, I want to express my support for the proposal that will go before you this Tuesday to close the end of North Santa Cruz Avenue in order for the on-ramp to Highway 17 to not be utilized by beach goers cutting through town. As a resident of downtown Los Gatos and mother of three young active kids, not only is it frustrating when our town comes to a stand-still but dangerous to be housebound, unable to get home or get help in case of an emergency, etc. Also many of the neighborhood streets are not built to withstand the amount of traffic caused by the highway 17 overflow. I hope that you will all approve this proposal and start it as soon as possible...the weather is already getting nice and I fear that the traffic jams will begin well in advance of Memorial Day. When passed, I hope that this closure will be widely publicized so everyone knows this will be done consistently and visitors will once again be able to come to Los Gatos on the weekends and enjoy all that the downtown has to offer with it's parks, shopping and dining without the traffic nightmare. Thank you in advance for your attention to this very important issue for our town. Carolyn Harnish From: Sarah Colyer Sent: Friday, March 31, 2017 10:14 PM To: Council Subject: Proposal Dear Council Members, I want to express my support for the proposal that will go before you this Tuesday at your meeting to close the end of North Santa Cruz Avenue in order for the on-ramp to Highway 17 to not be utilized by beach going cutting through our town. As a resident of Los Gatos I feel we need to end the gridlock of downtown. I hope that you will all approve this proposal and start it as soon as possible...the weather is already getting nice and Memorial Day is a quite far away for all us residents and business owners. Thank you in advance for your attention to this very important issue for our town . Sarah Colyer 101 Ohlone Court, Los Gatos, CA 95032 From: John Connolly Sent: Friday, March 31, 2017 9:40 PM To: Council Subject: Beach Traffic Dear Council Members - I have lived in Los Gatos for 14 years. I have seen the traffic problems evolve over the last several years. I live in the Almond Grove area and can't leave my house on summer weekends. This is a problem, as I am a physician and take call. I hope you will consider closing the North Santa Cruz on ramp at Wood Rd on weekends. Safety is the primary concern, but allowing for shoppers to get to the downtown businesses is important as well. John Connolly From: Ronald Weiner Sent: Friday, March 31, 2017 9:37 PM To: Council Subject: Closing of Santa Cruz Ave to beach traffic Dear Council Members, I want to express my support for the proposal that will go before you this Tuesday at your meeting to close the end of North Santa Cruz Avenue so that the on-ramp to Highway 17 will not be utilized by automobile traffic heading to beaches in Santa Cruz. As a resident of downtown Los Gatos living in the Almond Grove, the gridlock that occurs is not only annoying but potentially dangerous to residents who may need emergency help. Thank you Ron Weiner 101 Massol Ave Los Gatos From: Laura Miri Sent: Friday, March 31, 2017 8:49 PM To: Council; Shahram Miri Subject: South Santa Cruz Closure Proposal Hello Los Gatos Town Council, We are writing to express our support of the South Santa Cruz avenue closure to prevent beach traffic from eroding the quality of life in our town. The sad truth is that most of the cars driving through our town on summer weekends do not intend to stop in Los Gatos for shopping or dining. At most, we are a "pit stop" on the way to the beach. Clearly, our roads (many of which are in dire need of repair) are not made to handle such a high volume of cars. I knew things had reached a tipping point last summer when my neighbor had to knock on car windows and ask the idling drivers to let her back out of her own driveway (since nobody was allowing her to merge in to the long line of cars). Obviously, emergency vehicles have trouble getting around town in such extreme gridlock. Being a pedestrian or cyclist in such traffic conditions is also very dangerous. In short, something must be done. Closing the on-ramp to highway 17 on summer weekends seems to be the best solution. Sincerely, Laura & Sha Miri Almond Grove residents From: Anita VanHall Sent: Friday, March 31, 2017 8:47 PM To: Council Subject: support for closure of ramp to Highway 17 during summer We support this closure. Thank you, Anita 16951 Placer Oaks Rd Los Gatos, CA 95032 From: Kathleen Buchanan Sent: Friday, March 31, 2017 8:27 PM To: Council Subject: Beach traffic I am writing in support of the closure of S. Santa Cruz Ave at the 17 on- ramp on weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day from 10 to 3. This would prevent traffic backup in the streets of Los Gatos. I live on Walnut Ave between Hernandez and Pennsylvania Aves. During the past two spring/summer seasons an increased amount of traffic has clogged the streets leading up to the south entrance to hiway 17. I must leave home before 10:00 a.m. and return after 3 p.m. on weekend days in order to literally get to downtown LG and neighboring towns to go about my business. Having the on ramp closed during these high beach traffic times would greatly improve access to downtown streets and other towns. When the streets were blocked and ramp closed, it was so nice to be able to drive downtown and enjoy the summer up in our beautiful town. Thank you. Kathy Buchanan 41 1/2 Walnut Ave. From: teresa.johnson@gmail.com Sent: Friday, March 31, 2017 6:43 PM To: Council Subject: South Santa Cruz Ave summer closure Dear Council Members, I am writing in support of the proposal to close the end of South Santa Cruz Avenue on summer weekends to prevent cut-through beach traffic gridlock. I am a resident of Los Gatos who is frequently in the downtown area and have seen first hand the effect of the gridlock on both residents and businesses. Last summer's weekend closures, once sufficiently publicized, had a very positive impact on the ability of residents to get to and from their houses, and to shop and dine downtown. I urge you to approve the closure, along with continued investigation into longer -term solutions. Thanks, Teresa Johnson From: Lance Jacobson Sent: Friday, March 31, 2017 6:38 PM To: Council Subject: Strongly Support Closure of N. Santa Cruz Due to Beach Traffic Through Town Dear Los Gatos Town Council, We strongly support regular and well-publicized weekend and holiday closure of N. Santa Cruz Avenue. Beach goers who cut through Town snarl traffic, which unacceptably diminishes Town families' safety, health, and quality of life, and keeps others from enjoying and supporting our Town's businesses. As our civic leaders, please do not implement half -measures because of pressure from some who are somewhat inconvenienced by this closure. To effectively address this issue, we need beach goers to know that N. Santa Cruz access to Highway 17 will not be an option all during beach season. Many of my neighbors share our viewpoint. Respectfully, Lance Jacobson & Roopak Patel 220 Bersano Lane Los Gatos, CA 95030 From: danny rompf Sent: Friday, March 31, 2017 4:54 PM To: Council Subject: Santa Cruz ave Please do not close the Santa Cruz exit on the West side of town this is the only exit that the people from Lexington Hills Black Rd., Oakmont and many other areas that have been cut off by Highway 35 can access town to come to the farmers market another weekend activities by closing this and not allowing residents who live in this area to come through it is really hurting our weekend and ruining our experience with the children: if you do plan to close it you should have someone there that can allow residents to pass through and you could still restrict the beach traffic 😊 From: Carol MacKinlay Sent: Friday, March 31, 2017 4:34 PM To: Council Subject: Closing the entrance to 17 in town Please approve the proposal to close the onramp to 17 for the summer months. The traffic in town is horrendous during the summer months and its clear that we can fix some of this by closing down an option and keeping them where they belong on the hi way. Thanks Carol MacKinlay 24 Fillmer Avenue Los Gatos From: Marlene Ferrigno Sent: Friday, March 31, 2017 1:56 PM To: Council Subject: Beach Traffic Dear Council Members. I would like to thank you for all your hard work in regards to the beach traffic nightmare in our downtown and surrounding areas. I urge you to pass the ordinance to close the street before the freeway entrance on South Santa Cruz Avenue. We live on West Main Street and are completely gridlocked from 10 AM to 6 PM during the summer. We are prisoners in our homes when this kind of insane traffic is allowed to takeover our community. We have dealt with rudeness from some of the drivers and those who feel they have the right to urinate on some of our properties. St Mary's church has also been a victim of this behavior. We also fear that emergency vehicles will not be able to reach us in a timely manor. Last year brought us welcome relief from this problem. We know that everyone will not be pleased with this solution. It is our area th at is most affected by this traffic. Our downtown businesses have also suffered. We love Los Gatos and and chose to retire here because of its small town atmosphere and charm. Please help us to keep it this way. Sincerely, Marlene & Lou Ferrigno From: sandy vaurs Sent: Friday, March 31, 2017 12:06 PM To: Council Subject: Closure of SB 17 Exit To All Council Members, Please vote FOR the proposal that will go before you this Tuesday to close the South Santa Cruz Avenue exit to SB hwy 17. A permanent closure is needed because, in addition to the summer "beach traffic" there are frequent traffic accidents on the highway which cause motorists to try to shave a few minutes off their trip by cutting through town. As a resident of downtown Los Gatos, I can see Highway 17 from my home and I am well aware of the high number of accidents that occur along it. They frequently cause traffic backups all the way into Campbell. i will find it assuring to be able to tell my visiting friends that they can come to, and leave from, my home without horrendous traffic snarls. These well known gridlocks leave me housebound, unable to get home in case of an emergency, and is a definite safety issue in case of a fire or a need for EMTs here in my neighborhood. This is really a nightmare and I hope that a death is not the result of it. I am hoping that, in the future, the public will be aware and my visitors will once again be able to come to Los Gatos without enduring a traffic nightmare and I will be able to run my errands and summon help when needed. l hope that you will all approve this proposal and start it as soon as possible. Thank you in advance for your attention to this very important issue for our town. Sandra Vaurs From: diane hunter Sent: Friday, March 31, 2017 11:39 AM To: Council Subject: Support for closure of North Santa Cruz Ave. Dear Council Members, Thank you for continuing to explore a solution for our town during the days when traffic grid locks our neighborhood streets. My family lives on Pleasant Street near Los Gatos High School and we have a special needs child who requires 24 hour care. On the days when traffic is grid locked on North Santa Cruz and Main Street, his have a very difficult time arriving on time and if we want to leave the house to run errands or go to an appointment, it can take hours to get home when it would normally take 15 minutes. My husband purchased our property in 1989 and we’ve rebuilt to support our growing family and we LOVE living here. The last two years though have made us question the longevity of staying here as we feel confined and restricted for the months between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend. I am writing this letter to express 100% support for the proposal that will go before you this Tuesday at your meeting to close the end of of North Santa Cruz Avenue in order for the on -ramp to Highway 17 to not be utilized by beach going cutting through our town. As we all know, it takes time to change patterns and if and when this proposal passes, we fully support a consistent effort of communication to expand awareness. We understand this may take time and look forward to the time when people interested in visiting business in downtown Los Gatos on the weekends will be able to get here easily. Please approve this proposal and consider starting before Memorial Day to start the repatterining process so the Memorial Day traffic gridlock will be a nightmare of the past. Thank you in advance for your thoughtful consideration to this very important issue for our town and I will see you Tuesday night. In gratitude, Diane Diane Hunter From: Twyla Hughes Sent: Friday, March 31, 2017 11:36 AM To: Council Subject: Beach Traffic Proposal Dear Council Members, I want to express my support for the proposal that will go before you this Tuesday at your meeting to close the end of North Santa Cruz Avenue in order for the on-ramp to Highway 17 to not be utilized by beach going cutting through our town. As a resident of downtown Los Gatos who wants to support local businesses as much as possible, I find the downtown gridlock very frustrating. I frequently feel trapped by the traffic, and we often decide not to run errands or go out to eat on the weekend. I feel this decision will strongly impact my quality of life and that of my family. Also when passed I hope that this closure being will be widely publicized so everyone knows this will be done consistently and visitors will once again be able to come to Los Gatos on the weekends and enjoy all that the downtown has to offer with it's parks, shopping and dining without the traffic nightmare. I hope that you will all approve this proposal and start it as soon as possible...the weather is already getting nice and we are beginning to see the impact of beach traffic. Thank you in advance for your attention to this very important issue for our town. Twyla Hughes Los Gatos Resident From: larry vertin Sent: Friday, March 31, 2017 11:09 AM To: Council Subject: Beach Traffic in Town Dear Council Members, I want to express my strong support for the proposal that will go before you this Tuesday at your meeting to close the end of North Santa Cruz Avenue in order for the on -ramp to Highway 17 to not be utilized by beach goers cutting through our town. As a resident of downtown Los Gatos for over 10 years living at 115 University Avenue, my quality of life in Los Gatos has been negatively impacted by all the beach traffic driving through town . The cars line up in front on my house for hours on end. Getting to and from it is virtually impossible unless I have an hour or more to invest. It used to by my longest commute was from my home to my work in Sunnyvale . But on summer weekends, my longest commute is simply getting from Safeway to my home. This is really intolerable. The serene town of Los Gatos is no longer. I'm certain my great uncle and former Mayor of Los Gatos, Marc Vertin (1932 - 1940), would support voting for this proposal as well (yes, I am a shameless name dropper). Please please please vote to pass this proposal. And when passed, let’s widely publicize it so everyone knows this will be done consistently and visitors will once again be able to come to Los Gatos on the weekends and enjoy all that the downtown has to offer with its parks, shopping and dining without the traffic nightmare. I hope that you will all approve this proposal and start it as soon as possible. Thank you in advance for your attention to this very important issue for our town. Feel free to contact me directly at 650-804-9908 if it would be helpful. Lawrence Vertin