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Councilmember recuses from 19th Avenue Fashion Island project; residents press for faster traffic calming
Summary
A councilmember recused from discussion of the 19th Avenue Fashion Island multimodal project March 16; residents and councilmembers urged a simpler, better‑funded traffic‑calming process and speed humps while staff outlined project timelines and resource limits.
Council member Spierko Guditsky announced March 16 that she would recuse herself from discussion of the 19th Avenue Fashion Island multimodal project due to proximity and a potential source‑of‑income conflict over the past 12 months. The recusal occurred before staff presented the project and sought feedback on smart activity number 16, which would complete design and seek Caltrans authorization by June 2027.
Staff introduced the 19th Avenue item as part of the city’s broader SMART activities review. "Essentially, we're looking for feedback on a list of smart activities tonight," said Zach Rada, the senior management analyst presenting the package. The council briefly allowed one public comment specific to the 19th Avenue piece; after clarification from the presiding officer, Lori Watanueke of the Central Neighborhood Association spoke in chambers in support of broader traffic‑calming item 54 and asked for a less complicated, faster process and grant funding for speed humps and sidewalk repairs.
Remote commenter Mike Zweier later echoed those requests for expedited, cost‑effective traffic calming and said the petition and notification process has been frustrating for residents. Public works staff cautioned that relaxing petition thresholds alone may not yield faster results if program staff and funding are not increased.
No formal action was taken on the 19th Avenue item at the special meeting; staff said they were seeking feedback to refine the SMART activities list ahead of the June adoption tied to the budget.
