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LETTERS: Sunrise Mall’s future, ‘road diet’ changes, veterans building

Latest letters from Citrus Heights Sentinel readers include more perspectives on the city’s bike lane experiment on Old Auburn Road and advocacy for a new veterans building to be included in plans for Sunrise Mall.

Sunrise Mall should include a new Veterans Memorial Building
[RE: City takes next step towards major redevelopment of Sunrise Mall; Oct. 13th] In Sacramento, there about 15,000 veterans. Citrus Heights has an many as 1,000 veterans, but no place to call home.

Citrus Heights has had an American Legion Post, Post 637, in the city since the post was chartered in 1957 — but no American Legion building or Veterans Memorial hall, as there is in many cities.

I know that the city is looking for future and forward-thinking ideas, so I guess hoping that a building is built somewhere on the mall property for veterans in this area would be out of the question.

But I guess that if I had a vote — that’s what I would vote for. A Veterans Memorial Building for American Legion Post 637.
-Jim Monteton, Citrus Heights

Make temp changes at Old Auburn/Fair Oaks permanent
[RE: City says it’s evaluating results of ‘road diet’ test on Old Auburn Road; Oct. 31st] I live off Old Auburn Road and Twin Oaks Avenue and go through the intersection at Fair Oaks Boulevard coming in all three directions several time a week, if not daily.

First impression, driving from Twin Oaks toward Antelope Road, I thought it was stupid and what were they thinking? Twin Oaks with left turn onto Fair Oaks, well that’s ok, makes some sense. Fair Oaks making right-hand turn onto Old Auburn, now I get! I like this, so much safer.

Making left-hand turn off Fair Oaks onto Old Auburn, not all the jockeying to get into the left-hand lane, especially if I don’t want to go up Antelope. Bottom line, I like the change and would like to see it made permanent.
-Kit Carlson, Citrus Heights

Protecting cyclists, pedestrians should be priority
[RE: LETTER: City’s traffic experiment on Old Auburn Road is insane; Oct. 27th] The lives of cyclists and pedestrians are often endangered by reckless drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians and encroach on the bike lane. The proposed changes which would provide a safe corridor for cyclists are a means to the end of ensuring public safety, ostensibly the highest priority of government. Concerns about traffic congestion should be addressed by those that are a part of it, which presents no serious grievance if they depart at less congested hours.

Reported sightings of mountain lions and other wild animals instill fear into the heart of some people without an enclosed means of transport, sometimes due to poverty or environmentalism. One must not fail to remark that the hot daytime weather, professional obligations, and a lack of open businesses and amenities at night cause many to depart their places of shelter in the crepuscular hours, elevating the risk of encounters with potentially dangerous wildlife. Given the relative difficulty of obtaining instruments for defense against such wild beasts, cyclists must be provided with the safest routes possible.

Opposition to such changes seem to be motivated by the extreme selfishness of a car-owning majority. Such oppression of the poor and disregard for human life is characteristic of those who threaten public safety by violating traffic laws on the streets and leash laws on the sidewalk. Enough has already been spent to ensure the safe operation of motor vehicles. Beautification projects should be emphasized as they verily benefit residents and tourists regardless of their socioeconomic status.
–Juan Pablo Flores, Roseville

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