Public can’t park in private day care parking lot

Parking day care dilemma

What is the name of that day care across the street from the VTA park and ride on Main Avenue? And who do they think they are to chain off the parking lot? I don’t understand why they do this. They have to understand that Morgan Hill is a wonderful community and before they took over that building parents were able to park there in order to accompany their children to games and practices at Britton School. I don’t think it’s right, they should be kind and take those chains off. The only time parents park there are on the weekends and after-hours when the day care center is already closed so it does not in any way interfere with them. I just think it is plain rude on their part. We have always been able to use that parking lot why do they have to be so greedy?

• Dear Parking Lot restricted: Angelina Fernandez, owner of the new Big Red House Learning Center, 174 W. Main Ave., said the parking lot at the day care facility is restricted to outsiders due to security reasons and because the center is opened late, sometimes up until 11 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, which requires it to be available to parent customers picking up their children. Fernandez said the center used to be called Countryside Day Care-Preschool Center Inc. That facility shut down in April of 2006 and the Big Red House Learning Center opened in April of this year. As Fernandez pointed out, the center is a private business with rights to the property and as such has the right to close access to its parking lot to outsiders. Fernandez also indicated the center only has about 15 parking spaces, which isn’t really a help when considering the many parents who sometimes need parking during practice games at Britton Elementary School. Caller, perhaps you need to call the city about the need for additional parking in the downtown area. Red Phone knows this is an issue that’s been discussed in the past by city officials. If anyone wishes to speak to Fernandez directly about this concern, please contact her at (408) 782-2100.

Dangerous intersection

The residents of Mission Ranch and Coyote Estates have been complaining about this half-completed intersection ever since it was “finished” as part of the new Target shopping center project. Well, on Sept. 18 we had our first fatality and part of the cause is the poor design of this intersection. When will the city of Morgan Hill realize that this intersection needs to be properly widened and signalized? This should have been mandated as part of the shopping center development. It is only a matter of time till the next tragedy happens!

• Dear Intersection Worrier: A few clarifications are in order. First, your assertion that there was a fatality at this intersection on Sept. 18 because of the configuration of the street pattern is wrong. According to Morgan Hill police, the accident you’re referring to happened at the intersection of Cochrane Road and De Paul Drive and was allegedly caused by a drunk driver heading the wrong way on the eastbound lane of Cochrane Road. The tragic result was the death of Douglas Wollaston, who was pronounced dead at the scene and the arrest of Juan Mendez Martinez, who was booked into jail on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, felony drunken driving and driving without a license. Police said his blood alcohol level was three times higher than the legal limit.

Morgan Hill senior traffic engineer Scott Creer informed the Red Phone that the widening and signalization of the Mission View Drive and Cochrane Road intersection will be completed by the developer of the new retail center with the second phase of the project, which will see the extension of Mission View Drive north of Cochrane Road and the development of the easterly half of the new retail center. However, there is no schedule for the development of the second phase of the project. 

Regarding the present configuration of the Mission View Drive and Cochrane Road intersection, the interim improvements included pavement widening, striping, flashing red beacons and the installation of stop signs on all three legs of the intersection, Creer said. The intersection was further enhanced with additional striping and delineators and markers following the Sept. 18 accident. Since the installation of these latest improvements no new complaints have been received by the city nor have there been any new accidents reported at this intersection, according to Creer.