Published in the July 22 – Aug. 4, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
Cheri Devlin
When I mention to people my involvement in the Morgan Hill Downtown Association, the next topic of discussion becomes either their love or hate for the recent single lanes “road diet” downtown.
Long-time residents and neighbors who have thought of Monterey Road as a highway typically say they want the lanes back. But when I meet anyone who is relatively new to Morgan Hill or have young kids, they love it and are usually shocked that the topic yields such a mixed bag of opinions. The mixed feelings are even reflected at the board level of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association.
The city recently announced that after reviewing and considering the construction schedule for the Monterey Streetscape project, it is necessary to end the data collection and monitoring of the six-month Complete Street Pilot project a few weeks early.
Although Monterey Road will continue to be in a one vehicle travel lane configuration from Dunne to Main avenues for the duration of the streetscape project (From July 13 to Oct. 20), there are too many new variables that come in to play with construction to continue with data collection and have it be a valid comparison.
On Aug. 5, city staff will take a full report to the Morgan Hill City Council with all the data collected during the pilot. Council members will use that report to make a long-term decision on the Monterey Road street configuration.
Since the inception of the Complete Streets Pilot project, the downtown association’s position was not of the outcome, but that the board agreed the project should run for the entire six-month period and then a decision be made. At the mid-way point, the initial pilot program was challenged by various residents and downtown merchants.
A discussion about whether or not the pilot should end early because of some of the negative feedback was presented to council members. The elected city officials decided the pilot should continue through the full term.
Unfortunately, none of this is even relevant with the recent announcement of the pilot being cut short. But it does raise the question: will this all have been for nothing? The downtown association has been questioned about its intentions of stating a position, and it will. However, the realities for something as controversial as this — and a board that is comprised of both business owners and residents, with a mission to be the voice of the downtown community with their best intentions in mind — is faced with a real challenge of finding consensus.
With all the current construction happening, such as the Third Street parking garage scheduled to be finished by the end of the year, maybe the city council will consider delaying making a final decision until there aren’t so many uncontrollable variables that could have impacted the outcome.
The council is set to discuss the issue — and perhaps make a decision — at its Aug. 5 meeting.
Think of these next few months downtown much like living in your house during a major home renovation. There will be many days and nights of frustration. But the results will make it all worth it.
Cheri Devlin is a Morgan Hill resident and president of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association Board of Directors.
