Residents urge council to block proposed road link from Redwood Square to Western Hills Drive

Chris, a Western Hills Drive resident, told the Saratoga Springs City Council on Jan. 21 that he opposed plans to connect Redwood Square Shopping Center to his neighborhood via Western Hills Drive, saying the change would endanger children and degrade the neighborhood’s tranquility.

"The proposal to turn the residential street ... into an access point for commercial traffic is not just concerning. It is dangerous and is unacceptable," Chris said, adding that residents had asked for a sound barrier and dark-sky-compliant lighting and that they wanted a working session because they had not seen progress from the city.

The concerns were echoed by several neighbors who spoke during the public-input portion of the meeting. Dakota Rasmussen, a Western Hills teenager, described the neighborhood as a "safe haven" and said additional traffic, noise and litter would threaten children’s safety and the area’s quiet character. Robert Draper said residents felt dismissed after prior meetings and urged councilmembers to listen.

Councilmember Lance Macomber (addressing procedural options) suggested a meeting between two council members, staff and residents would be the appropriate next step so the group could exchange information without triggering the public-notice requirements that apply to larger gatherings. City staff agreed to coordinate that meeting.

Mark, a city staff member, asked the residents to provide a contact name to coordinate the meeting; he told council the staff would follow up. Councilmembers did not adopt a formal policy change or approve a project at the meeting; they authorized staff to arrange the smaller, two-council-member working session.

Why it matters: Western Hills Drive is a narrow residential street adjacent to a school and used for student pick-up and drop-off, residents said. Connection of commercial traffic onto the street, they warned, could increase the risk to children, change neighborhood character and generate additional noise and light. Residents asked the city to consider alternate access routes through commercial parcels and for the city and developer to discuss mitigations including sound barriers and dark-sky lighting.

What happens next: City staff agreed to set up a meeting with two council members (as allowed under the city’s open-meeting rules) and representatives of Western Hills and nearby neighborhoods to discuss the concerns and potential alternate access routes. The council did not vote on the development or change any permits during the Jan. 21 meeting.