Re: Agenda Item

Derry Project: In the event that the council approves housing in the hazardous noise/air pollution of the heavy rail and freight railroad, please consider the statement of the developer after the previous meeting that the e.i.r-required sound wall will be erected on the property line and not at the line 15' from the tracks dedicated to Caltrain for extra rail.

The representative stated that if Caltrain wants to put in extra rail the sound wall will have to come down.

Please determine who will replace the sound wall which is a pre-requisite in the acoustical engineers' recommendations for protection of the residents. In fact, a sound wall should be erected the other side of the tracks so that the noise will not bounce off Derry across the rails.

Consider also that the double-paned windows do not adequately protect from the blasts of train horns (special triple-paned noise-reduction windows are necessary) which have a severe impact on residents 660' from the tracks according to the E.I.R. of the Federal Railroad Administration at www.fra.dot.gov. For the other train-related wheel-to-steel, engine, braking and wheel squeal. windows must be kept closed with the Derry project's
required air-conditioning wasting energy.

Again I quote from publication "Transit Oriented Development" NEW PLACES, NEW CHOICES - The Challenges for TOD;

"Some possible TOD sites in the Bay Area may be located near abandoned industrial sites, freeways or busy arterials, and other sources of pollution. All potential hazards must be adequately addressed before development can occur at these sites."

I ask that my letter and that of Kevin Boes of the Public Utilities Commission attached to the draft environmental impact report be reviewed for further comments.

Since the previous approval of the Derry Project, the transportation officials have confirmed their approval of the high speed rail route along the Caltrain Corridor which eventually will result in two years of construction all night and week-ends.

With full knowledge of the foregoing, approving new housing alongside this railroad at this time will be placing human beings in harm's way with malice aforethought.

A moratorium on housing so close to the rail until the railroad's plans are completed and the environment then evaluated would be the responsible step to take by this council and those to come.

Copying other cities of the peninsula is very unwise. Investigation would show that there are complaints of existing residents up and down the corridor.

Respectfully, Margaret Petitjean, Menlo Park Received on Tue Nov 27 13:29:42 2007