Food Bin and Workbench, please be good neighbors!

As a blind Laurel Street resident, I see many challenges with the proposed project at 1130 Mission Street.

The first is learning how my neighborhood will change. I even walked downtown to make my voice heard at a City Council meeting on April 30, only to discover that the meeting had been canceled at the last minute.

For years I have served on RTC advisory committees, focusing on pedestrian safety. Because this proposed building is so high, it will cause sound to bounce around, making it unpleasant for Mission Street residents and interfering with navigation for blind pedestrians.

Placing the entrance on Mission means that many bicycles may be traveling on Mission, on the narrow sidewalk as it crosses Laurel Creek. The increase in delivery trucks could mean that I do not hear the approaching bicycles and my guide dog may not be able to get me out of the way. Please lower the building height and keep the Mission/Laurel area safe for pedestrians.

— Veronica Elsea, Santa Cruz

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