Act Now on SB 1256
Tell officials that fire safety should always come first.
To
senator.jones@senate.ca.gov
Cc
SB1256@efhgtc.org, slcl.committee@senate.ca.gov, Anton.Favorini-Csorba@sen.ca.gov, senatefloor.analyses@sen.ca.gov
I Oppose SB 1256 (Jones). Pull or amend to prevent a future evacuation disaster
Honorable Senator Jones:
I live in Community and am your constituent. I’m writing about SB 1256, which you sponsored. I was surprised and disheartened to learn it would allow a specific developer to avoid stringent wildfire safety standards in our community, and that it was advanced through a “gut and amend” process without notifying the impacted community.
Harmony Grove and the surrounding valley is among the most fire-prone areas in the County. Wildfire evacuation here is not theoretical—I have had to evacuate numerous times, including during the Cocos Fire, when over 30 of my neighbors lost their homes adjacent to the proposed HGVS site. Our area has lost hundreds of homes over the years, and even lives.
This is not an excuse to stop housing. Our community supported Harmony Grove Village, which doubled the units in our valley. But being pro-housing does not mean giving developers a pass on wildfire safety.
Over a dozen independent wildfire safety experts have reviewed this project and concluded it would create an entrapment risk during a wildfire due to lack of secondary access. Housing in fire-prone areas must meet today’s standards, not yesterday’s.
I oppose SB 1256 (Jones) as written. If it were amended to require compliance with the latest wildfire safety and evacuation standards that might be acceptable. Anything short of that puts us at risk.
Respectfully,
Full name
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