Dangerous U-Turns
Drivers are constantly making illegal U-turns at the intersection of Madrone Avenue and Cochrane Road. I see this as a very dangerous practice and needs some corrective action by the city.
- Dear traffic-observer: U-turns on Madrone Avenue at the Cochrane Road intersection are indeed illegal, as you’ve rightly indicated. The “No U-Turn” signs are clearly posted, but Red Phone can only guess that the scofflaws are just too lazy or too hurried to drive further to make a safe U-turn. The Morgan Hill Police Department has been made aware of this and will step up enforcement at this location, according to Karl Bjarke, director of Morgan Hill’s Public Works and Engineering Department. Red Phone is happy about the beefed up enforcement as this is just a serious accident waiting to happen because of the dangerous and stupid practice. We hope Morgan Hill’s traffic enforcement unit will post an officer there to write up everyone who makes the illegal U-turn. If problem continues, maybe the city should consider installing a camera there. Red Phone estimates dozens would be nailed on a daily basis.
Central opening to Butterfield
When is Central Avenue going to open up to Butterfield Boulevard? Why on earth didn’t they move the power poles before they paved?
- Dear Caller: According to Karl Bjarke, deputy director of Morgan Hill’s Public Works and Engineering Department, Central Avenue will open up to Butterfield Boulevard when the new traffic signal at that intersection is installed by the residential developer in March. There are no power poles in the street at this time. Caller, you must have observed poles in the newly paved area prior to their removal. This is fairly common and when the final lift or layer of pavement is placed it will cover up any indication that the poles were there.
Shut up about the smell already
I can’t believe all the complaints about the smell of the mushroom farm on Condit Road. All you people that bought homes near this area should have known about the smell before you bought. Stop whining about pre-existing conditions.
- Dear Smell Tolerant: For Morgan Hill residents such as Patricia L. Peterson, it’s difficult to “shut up” about the mushroom farm smell on Condit Road, because, well, the smell is just awful.
Peterson, who was quoted in a story we wrote about this smelly issue in May, e-mailed the Red Phone in September complaining about the response we had given then about the stench. She pointed out that there are two other mushroom farms in Morgan Hill that do not smell.
Peterson, who lives on Belletto Drive, complained that the farm is in the middle of million dollar homes, businesses that sell food, etc. and the smell is deplorable. She wants the city to require the farm to enclose the business like other farms. Perhaps our city leaders should have a meeting in the parking lot next to the farm to see what they think of the stench. We agree with Peterson that it’s not fair homeowners should be restricted from sitting in their yards or opening their windows. They’re taxpayers, too and Morgan Hill reaps from them a lot more than they do from the mushroom farm on Condit Road. We, once again, stress mushrooms are Morgan Hill, but the smell isn’t.
