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Pleasanton resident warns gated neighborhoods could hinder evacuations
Summary
At the Oct. 22 meeting Sharon Pekarski, a volunteer with the community emergency response team, told the Planning Commission that restricted exits and locked emergency gates in newer subdivisions could delay evacuations in a major disaster.
Sharon Pekarski, a volunteer with Pleasanton’s Community Emergency Response Team, urged the Planning Commission during public comment on Oct. 22 to address traffic circulation limits and locked emergency gates in newer developments.
Pekarski cited Jensen Track (blocked curb‑to‑curb), the recently approved senior living development on the Merritt property and neighborhoods like Ironwood, saying limited exit points could create evacuation bottlenecks in the event of wildfire, hazardous materials releases or major earthquakes. "If a similar derailment occurred in Pleasanton, how would we quickly evacuate the Jensen Track along with 2 schools on Santa Rita?" she asked, referencing the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment cited during her remarks.
Pekarski said locked emergency gates and gated subdivisions create both day‑to‑day traffic congestion and potential delays for first responders during a major incident. She asked the commission to "quit limiting traffic circulation in housing areas" and said residents should not assume "it can't happen here." The commission heard the comment during the public comment period and closed that segment without scheduling a follow‑up action; staff and commissioners did not indicate a specific policy response during the meeting.
