A stern letter drafted by the Point Reyes Station Village Association calls on Caltrans to repair and maintain the Green Bridge rather than replace it, citing potentially “devastating” impacts to traffic and businesses that could arise during the proposed multi-year construction of a new crossing. “[T]he PRSVA is adamantly opposed to a replacement of the Lagunitas Creek Bridge and strongly requests that Caltrans works to repair/retrofit the bridge to achieve necessary seismic safety,” states a draft of the letter, which was presented at last week’s village association meeting to garner community input. This spring, Caltrans proposed four options for the replacement of the 86-year-old bridge; a retrofit option was not proposed, though a no-project alternative—which would do nothing—was included as part of the requirements of an environmental review. Despite Caltrans’s assertions that a retrofit is not a viable option—the agency has cited uncertainty over the strength of the piers, among other problems—the association hopes Caltrans will enlist an independent engineer to evaluate it, and study the environmental and traffic-related impacts of a retrofit or repair. The association is advocating against all four replacement  options—which include two versions of a steel truss bridge, a concrete bridge and a suspension bridge—in large part because of the long construction period, estimated to take at least two or three years. During that time, Caltrans proposes a temporary, single-lane bridge controlled by a light, a plan that is spurring visions of traffic jams and cars backed up Levee Road on weekends and holidays. The group particularly worries about the affect on local businesses; the veterinary office, owned and run by Inverness resident Mary Whitney, is located just beside the bridge. Yet the aesthetics also pose a problem. Ken Otter, the association president, wrote in the letter, “The replacement designs in all 4 proposals are disruptive and disturbing to the historic and rural character of the town.” At last week’s meeting, attendees asked Mr. Otter to also prod Caltrans to assess how pedestrians and cyclists would fare during the ordeal. Mr. Otter told the Light this week that the final letter would also ask Caltrans, in the event that a new bridge is built, to somehow avoid the feared one-lane temporary bridge. He hopes to finalize the submission next week.