Residents sound off on proposed 49ers stadium

By Denis C. Theriault
Mercury News
Too much noise and traffic. Not enough parking. Worry about terrorist attacks?

Asked for their feedback on how a new 49ers stadium in their midst might affect their lives, dozens of neighbors from Santa Clara and beyond didn't hold back Tuesday, offering city planners a broad list of concerns ranging from the obvious to the unthinkable.

The meetings, coming as the city begins the state-required environmental assessment of the proposed $916 million project, are meant to help guide planners during an evaluation process that could take as long as a year. The report would be completed before a public vote next November on whether Santa Clara should spend as much as $136 million in redevelopment funds on the project.

And while that amount is what most often sparks debate when it comes to the stadium plan in City Hall, for one afternoon it was off-limits, at least publicly. Instead, worries about choked freeways, taxed utilities, booming cheers on otherwise quiet Sundays and air and light pollution took center stage for the 70 or so people, including team and city officials, who attended afternoon and evening sessions.

Residents sound off on proposed 49ers stadium....