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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Public Works/Planning - 01/15/1991 PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE U JANUARY 15, 1991 C Feg � 19,91 0 r f ( IrAf� PRESENT: Jim White Ed White Leona Orr Tim Heydon Steve Dowell Jerry McCaughan Don Wickstrom Mimi Castillo Roger Lubovich Barbara Brumbach Jim Hansen Patricia Roemmich Gary Gill Anne Timlick Carol Morris Jim Timlick Tom Brubaker Jon Brumbach Dennis Byerly Jim and Joy Dickson Harry Venables ENTRY SIGNS Mr. and Mrs. Timlick addressed the Committee with their comments regarding the design of the Entry Signs. They indicated they felt the sign did not have real eye appeal and violated good design principals and felt it should be developed graphically. Mr. Timlick stated they have not seen the actual sign only what was printed in the paper. A color copy of the intended design was shown to the Timlick's. Mr. Timlick pointed out areas he felt were problems - shading of colors, letter spacing, etc. Steve Dowell stated that inasmuch as the Council as a whole has already/approved this sign, the Timlick's should come before the Council and ask for a reconsideration of the sign. Jim White stated his concerns were how much longer this would take, how much more it will cost. Wickstrom stated that if it is determined the sign should be reworked we would have to open it up for other designers as well. Dowell stated a time line could be set and perhaps this is important enough to receive more community input. White stated he felt the sign has already been through a process. Orr stated that in that process we used staff time saving a considerable amount of money. Starting over means that time has been wasted and a waste of taxpayers dollars. If we reopen it we will have to reopen it not only to the Timlick's but the community at large and that could take months and months. Dowell suggested the Timlick's volunteer to work with our graphic designer to make suggested changes. Mr. Timlick stated he could reiterate what he has already said but basically his living is made in the graphic design field. Heydon stated that a major process was involved in the development of this sign, thinking of the things in Kent that make it unique and trying to incorporate them into this sign. Dowell stated that if it involves a commercial enterprise situation where dollars will have to change hands he has difficulty with it but if it could be a voluntary thing on the part of the Timlick' s to cooperate with our graphic designer he could support that. After further discussion, i Public Works Committee January 15, 1991 Page 2 White stated that if the Timlick's would like to they could bring it to the entire Council to see what their feelings were. Dea Drake made comments regarding the Timlick's concerns. Mr. Timlick said he would be willing to spend an hour or so with Dea. Mrs. Timlick added she still didn't feel it was a proper sign design. White reiterated they were welcome to bring it before Council at their meeting this evening. PARKSIDE DIVISION #2 WALKWAY - MRS. BRUMBACH'S CONCERNS Harry Venables, as Mrs. Brumbach's father, addressed the Committee on this issue. Mr. Venables referred to incidents that occurred during development of the plat and establishment of the walkway which may be the reason for the fences being in the wrong place. Mr. Venables read to the Committee a document he had prepared regarding the rights and duties of cities to property owners stemming from a 1972 request from the City for a garage to be moved from right of way. Mr. Venables continued his presentation referring to the plat for Parkside Division #2 . Mr. Venables stated the City has been putting in new 8-foot tall fences without authority and that the plat states no fences should be over 5-feet tall. It was later determined that the City has not installed any fences at all in this area so if the existing fences are 8-feet tall it is what the property owners have themselves installed. Mr. Venables presented photos of the area which he indicated demonstrated that the jogs in the fences provided places for muggers to hide. Staff clarified for the Committee that the jogs are there because the property owners have constructed their fences in the easement beyond the existing property lines and these jogs would be eliminated when the fences are moved back to the property lines. Mr. Venables stated that his daughter had been a victim of a burglary in which the burglars had escaped over the fence and through this walkway. He stated a chain link fence would be preferable and would like the idea of a walkway terminated entirely. Mr. Dickson referred to times when things have been thrown into his backyard from the walkway. He thinks it would be a waste to improve this area. Dowell and Wickstrom indicated that this proposed improvement was predicated by a vacation request from property owners in the area. This vacation request was denied by Council because it is the only access to Military Road between Reith and 248th. White added that there were citizens who requested the walkway be kept open because it is their only access to Military Road. Wickstrom clarified that the fences on the west half are constructed on the property lines. The ones on the east half (those three who received the notice) are those that the City planned to relocate. The December 21st notice gave the property owners until January 11 to respond so that we could address any Public Works Committee January 15, 1991 Page 3 concerns they had. The City would pay for the costs of relocating those fences and the property owner would be responsible for removing any landscaping they may have placed in the right of way. Heydon indicated the only work the City has done to date has been to clean it up, take out some of the brush, and install a catch basin to eliminate a place where people would trip. Responding to White's inquiry, Roger Lubovich indicated he felt that the City does have the right to maintain the area as a walkway. As to the fences, the City is only relocating the existing fences along the property lines. The height of the fence is probably a private covenant and a matter between the property owners. Leona Orr reiterated her concern about setting a precedent of moving the fences for private citizens. Mrs. Roemmich stated that what they wanted in the first place was to close the walkway but that the City staff has been very nice and cooperative in working with her. Dowell moved that a recommendation be made to the Council as a whole that the action taken be reconsidered and that the Public Works and Legal Departments meet with the property owners to determine a solution to this problem. White asked that staff then come back to the Committee with some alternatives. The Committee unanimously approved the motion. LEFT TURN - REITH AND SR 516 Ed White stated the issue of left turns backing up the traffic is probably not valid at this time. Recent traffic counts indicate that only 8% of the total traffic were making left hand turns. This equates to 85 vehicles turning left, 723 going through and 196 turning right. Eight percent does not justify modifying the signal to include a left turn phase. The cost for that would be approximately, $50,000. Signal timing changes have been investigated and the State will be requested to make these. City funds have been approved in the 1991 budget to add a right turn lane channelization. These two modifications should eliminate the left turn backups. White stated he has observed that when traffic backs up at this intersection it is usually doing so in all directions which would indicate that volume is the primary reason. White stated he would recommend that staff contact the State to extend the cycle length for that phase of the signal. Dowell moved that staff continue to work on the timing with the State and to pursue additional funding for the right turn lane. The Committee unanimously approved. SEWER FRANCHISE - FEDERAL WAY WATER AND SEWER DISTRICT Wickstrom explained that Federal Way Water and Sewer District can provide gravity sewer service to property in the vicinity of 272nd Public Works Committee January 15, 1991 Page 4 and 42nd Avenue South. The City can only provide sewer service to this property by pump and it is not financially feasible to do that. In order for Federal Way Water and Sewer District to service the property, they are requesting a franchise agreement be developed and signed by both cities. The Committee unanimously recommended the franchise agreement be developed allowing Federal Way Water and Sewer District to provide sewer service to the property in the vicinity of 272nd and 42nd Avenue South and that the Mayor be authorized to sign same. UTILITY CONSTRUCTION AGREEMENT SR 516, 160TH AVENUE S.E. TO S.E. WAX ROAD Wickstrom stated that the State will be improving Kent Kangley (SR 516) in the Covington area between Wax Road and 160th. The City's Kent Springs Transmission Main lies within the alignment of this road improvement. The City has budgeted $650, 000 to contruct a new main in this area. It is proposed the State include the replacement of the Kent Springs Transmission Main in their contract. The State has prepared an agreement whereby the City will reimburse them for the construction costs. It is recommended the Mayor be authorized to execute same. The Committee unanimously recommended approval. OTHER ITEMS Leona Orr asked about the status of the Downtown signs that have been previously approved. She stated she has been contacted about drainage problems at 120 North State Street and asked if staff would investigate and report back to her.