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Washington Hill residents ask Grass Valley to agendize Doris Drive safety and evacuation fixes
Summary
Neighbors from the Washington Hill area urged the council to act on long-standing evacuation and road-access issues for Doris Drive and nearby streets, citing lost secondary access, narrow single-lane roads, and petitions calling for grading, paving and other safety improvements.
Residents of the Washington Hill and Doris Drive neighborhoods told the City Council the area remains at risk in a wildfire or evacuation emergency and asked that the council add the issue to a future agenda for study and action.
Several speakers from the Washington Hill Fire Coalition described community outreach and petitions. Virginia Whitehead said the coalition now represents about 400 parcels and that residents had met with the fire chief and staff to identify evacuation bottlenecks.
"Doris Street you can get in but you can barely get out," Whitehead said, urging attention to narrow points and limited egress. Multiple residents described a 2017 slide that removed a previously available access route (Bernice Drive) and said GPS navigation and increased traffic have degraded the unpaved portions of Doris Drive.
Longtime resident Irene Frazier recounted promises made at annexation in 1997, partial paving done in 2012 and continuing infrastructure shortfalls including a lack of sewer upgrades and limited emergency access. "In its current state, Doris Drive is not an emergency exit if North Church is blocked," Sabina Hunch said, citing the Camp Fire in Paradise as an example of evacuation failures in similar foothill towns.
Residents asked the council to agendize grading, speed-calming measures, repair of the unpaved upper section, and clearer plans for second-access options. Izzy Martin brought petitions that she said had been signed by neighbors and asked the council to publicly explain plans and timelines.
Why it matters: Speakers stressed that evacuation—more than home hardening or brush clearance—is the community’s top priority because single-lane roads and blind curves can trap residents during a wildfire. The neighborhood includes elderly and mobility-impaired residents for whom the current configuration poses added risk.
What’s next: Multiple residents asked the council to schedule a formal staff report and public discussion at an upcoming meeting; no specific staff directive or timeline was recorded in this meeting’s transcript.
Quotes: "Doris Drive is the alternative out to the north, but it is also single lane around a blind corner and has steep runs higher up," — Sabina Hunch, Washington Hill Fire Coalition. "We have been asking for action on this for many years. Please put us on your agenda soon," — Izzy Martin, Doris Drive resident.
Ending: Residents delivered petitions and asked for a clear public timeline; the council thanked them and continued with the agenda. No vote or staff assignment to resolve the road issues was recorded during this meeting.
