HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Public Works/Planning - 10/23/1995 0
PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE
OCTOBER 23, 1995
PRESENT: Paul Mann Tom Brubaker
Tim Clark Gary Gill
Don Wickstrom Ed White
Neighborhood Representatives along I00th &-244th
ABSENT: Jim Bennett
Neighborhood Traffic Concerns - 100th Ave &-244th St
Wicicstrom stated that this item has been brought back to Committee from the June
26th meeting. He stated that the issue is - the neighborhood became concerned when
they noticed that construction activity had begun on S. 244th S- 100th Ave per the
development of the Top of the Hill plat. The community believed that both roads
would be opened and with that, there would be a significant traffic impact. Since the
June 26th meeting, 244th is now opened; Top of the Hill has completed their
improvements but have not finalized their plat. Wickstrom said that 100th Ave was
going to be a gravel trail from 244th to East Hill Elementary School to allow a walking
area for school children. He further stated that staff has conducted traffic studies since
244th has been opened; our traffic analysts took a one-week count and over that period
of time, they counted a total of 1700 vehicles using 100th Ave, which equates to 243
vehicles per day. Of those 1700 vehicles, they observed 4 vehicles traveling over 35
mph. which is the lowest speed the police will site vehicles. Wicicstrom said this area is
high density, single family residential with high density being 5,000 sq ft lots which is
what it is ultimately zoned for. Top of the Hill went thru a rezone and that plat is 5,000
sq ft lots. 100th Ave was tied between 240th and 248th Streets and was designed as a
residential collector arterial, tying 240th to 248th together, primarily servicing just the
neighborhood in the area. When you speak of ultimate development, with that kind of
zoning they will be needing other roads of access out of the area.
Wickstrom further explained that with those traffic counts, we looked at our adopted
Neighborhood Traffic Control Plan to see how that criteria would fit with respect to
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what we could do under those aiterias to help resolve the problem. Under that Plan,
they did not even meet some of the basic criteria. He stated that under our program,
there needs to be at least 300 vehicles per day on the street, and this is not met in this
instance. The 85 percentile speed must be greater than 35 mph and this also is not met.
There are also threshold levels which we did not have. There are site distances and
horizontal problems (i.e. physical barriers) to control traffic and closing off 244th would
essentially be construed as a physical barrier. If 244th were to be closed in this
neighborhood, than the criteria that has been established under the Neighborhood
Traffic Control Plan should be met. Wicicstrom said that's what we looked at. We
looked at additional signing and there was one point in the vicinity of 244th at 100th
where additional speed signs could be installed. Basically, because of the need for these
roads, due to the high density zoning, Public Worlcs does not support closing off 244th.
We recommend installing additional speed limit signs;we also recommend that once Top
of the Hill is developed with additional homes, take another traffic study to see if it
meets the minimum criteria so some action could be taken such as "chocicers". This
means narrowing the road down to a minimum of two lanes access. That would take
curb, gutter and certain types of improvements. Wickstrom said that Public Worlcs also
recommends that future developments on either 100th or 244th be conditioned to build
these "chockers"where they meet the horizontal and vertical alignment - where there are
no site distance problems and where no safety issues exists. Wickstrom stated that this
is our recommendation on the issue.
In response to Mann,Wickstrom said that the"action" on this item would be if you open,
up 100th Ave, we get the comments in and either defer this to another Committee
meeting after the neighborhood comments are heard and again review the whole thing.
Wickstrom said that after the citizens give their input, if there is something new that
comes up that we should be addressing which could change our recommendation, we
would want the opportunity to review their input and possibly change the
recommendation.
At this time Mann opened the discussion up to the citizens in the audience.
Vonda Finseth 10006 SE 244th Court asked if we had a copy of the original petition.
She stated that the petition shows there are 55 children in the neighborhood. She did
not agree with the recommendation of waiting until there is future development before
244th is closed. She asked when the traffic control minimum requirements were set and
is there a possibility in having those re-addressed. She felt that 300 vehicles per day
were high. Ed White responded noting that our normal criteria for residential streets
is 1,000 vehicles per day. He went on to explain the procedures on taking the traffic
counts. White stated that with the traffic counters laid out on the street, we do not have
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the ability to determine whether the traffic is "neighborhood" traffic or "thru" traffic and
we can only surmise that the majority is local neighborhood traffic. He said that 300
cars is a very, very small number.
Dennis Ryerson of 10012 SE 244th Qt. stated that he has not yet heard one reason why
244th should go thru. He said that it was unanimous in two different petitions that no
one wanted this. Wickstrom responded by saying when we look at streets we have to
plan for the long term - we are talking about full build-out of the city; in order to meet
the Growth Management Act and that's what we use in planning streets. For a high
density single family lot we need to service the area. Before 244th was opened, you were
in a long cul-de-sac which has problems in itself - it exceeds the length beyond our
standard length (600 feet) for a cul-de-sac. In response to Ryerson, Wickstrom stated
that the neighborhood would benefit by opening 244th from better access, as well as
better emergency access. Ryerson stated that they are 100% satisfied with the present
access. Wickstrom stated that there are several undeveloped properties adjacent to this
street. You may be satisfied today but when they develop you may not be satisfied
because the neighborhood will be cluttered with vehicles. Wicicstrom stated that we do
have to plan for roads to service an area especially when high density zoning is added.
Rob Dempsey 10021 SE 245th PI stated that reference is being made to the "overall
plan" which could be the root of all this and, is there a way to get that plan changed?
Wickstrom said that the overall plan is the Growth Management Plan which can be
changed once a year and has just been adopted. It would address I00th Ave because
100th is in the Transportation Plan which is a part of the Growth Management Plan
that Council has adopted. It is part of the road system that was developed to address our
concurrency issues related in the Transportation Plan. 244th is the local access street
simply being opened as part of the normal process of development of the area.
The Committee hard additional comments from other neighborhood residents all in
opposition of opening 100th Ave and 244th Street.
Mann explained that as a Committee, they do listen to the citizen concerns and if they
feel that those concerns are good for the city as a whole, then the Committee will take
action. He noted that the next step is for the Council members to consider what has
been said at this meeting and then if we feel that the right thing to do would be to shut
down 244th or install a barrier so that emergency vehicles could still get thru, or put
speed humps on 100th Ave., we will take action.
Clark stated that at the Council meeting he heard the Mayor very specifically state, they
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would not run 100th Ave directly thru. That would be restricted in terms of dealing
with fire and emergency vehicle service. Clark also said that the Growth Management
Act is binding and it basically says that we need to plan for the future; we have to deal
with the growth and there has to be a certain level of service to accommodate those
people. In other words, the new people coming in also have rights just as your property
carries a certain amount of rights to it. The fact is there will be greater density and
there is absolutely now we can do about that. Clark said that there is a tendency to
tie 244th and 100th and treat them as if they are identical issues when in fact they are
not. Clark said that right now 244th is connected. He asked Wickstrom what the
status is of housing in the Top of the Hill development. Wickstrom said they haven't
final-platted yet but that is coming up at the next Council meeting for final approval
which essentially complies with the conditions established in 1994 and 1995 when they
rezoned and platted. Clark said that within the framework of that final plat, are the
roads already set? Wickstrom said that the roads they built were strictly the roads that
were conditioned. They built the roads as part of the plat and that is how 244th St. was
opened. Clark asked,what are the potential number of residences that will feed out onto
244th? Wickstrom said that Canterbury can feed out that way and Top of the Hill will
feed out onto 244th. If you close it,they will go out to 104th versus taking an alternate
route thru 100th and Canterbury. Gill stated that was one of the considerations -
trying to provide ingress and egress and not forcing all trips out onto an arterial street
and thru intersections that are already at level of service at peal-,hours.
Clark stated there was an agreement among councilmembers and somehow that
agreement has not reached staff. He said that the point was, will 100th Ave be opened?
Wickstrom said that when a development comes in, we condition that development at
that point in time. He stated that until we get a property developer coming to us, we do
nothing. Clark noted that the original plan basically called for 100th Ave to actually be
thru at one point, because there was to be an access road for emergency vehicles.
Wickstrom said that was suppose to be a collector arterial. Gill said that is why
Canterbury was developed the way it was. He said those lots were not allowed direct
access onto 100th because 100th has always been planned as a collector arterial.
Mann asked if we could place a barrier up that would be acceptable for emergency
vehicles. John Bond noted that both Fire and Police Chiefs should concur on this.
Clark stated that the one thing we can do right now is temporarily close 244th St.
Eventually we need to deal with access in and out of Top of the Hill development and
that is tied to the issue of 100th. Clark stated that we have no interest in turning 100th
Ave into a straight "shot" arterial. However there are some other concerns tied to that
and part of it is a piece of land not in the Top of the Hill development but immediately
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adjacent to it. Clark said what we would like to do now is go back.to staff, ask them to
try and make that approach, at the very least, to make sure that 100th is not a straight
"shot". We can temporarily close 244th but we cannot leave those people at risk.
Clark moved to temporarily close S. 244th Street, that motion being contingent upon
approval of Police and Fire for their respective roles in the community; that we come
back and revisit this issue of access on S. 244th Street 18 months from this time and
that directions are given to staff that 100th Ave. be so designed that it cannot be a direct
access arterial thru and that other access routes tying Top of the Hill be provided in
whatever plan is involved in that particular process.
Mann seconded the MOTION.
Discussion: Brubaker noted that the developer of Top of the Hill was not in attendance
and we don't know if 18 months is an appropriate time frame.
Committee concurred with the motion.
King County Interlocal Agreement for Solid Waste Management - Amendment
Wickstrom stated that there was an interlocal group that overviewed the development
of the Comp Plan and the County wants that group to become-one of their committees.
Committee recommended authorizing the Mayor to sign the Amendment to the King
County Interlocal Agreement for Solid Waste Management and also, to adopt the
resolution appropriately numbered concurring with this action.
Downtown Sidewalk- Street Trees
Wickstrom said the trees on Harrison St. and 1st Avenue were not saveable and as a
result we had to remove them and this added a significant amount of work. to the
contract. The total cost is $57,000. We have some left over money in one of our
project funds; we want to transfer that money out of there to pay for this additional
work. In response to Clark, Wickstrom said that all trees are being grated. There was
opposition the first time when we reconstructed the sidewalks; we left some large
openings to give the trees some breathing and root growing room. Since then, we have
had our landscape architect design a grate system that works along with a special type
of soil which allows the root to grow into the ground without heaving the sidewalks up.
He said the problem was that these tree roots were all surface roots and needed to be
pruned so bad that the tree wouldn't survive or it would be subject to a wind blow over,
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which left us no choice. There isn't enough room in the sidewalk to do it without grates
and still provide an area to walk. Clark asked if the merchants were upset about the
sudden appearance of these large grates. Wickstrom said the merchants were upset
about the work, but recognized that it had to be done. In response to Clark, he said that
the people on 1 st Avenue were informed in advance of any work.being done.
Committee unanimously recommended Council authorization of transfer of funds of
$57,000.
Added Items:
Charlie Kiefer - Interim Funding Agreement with City of Tacoma
Kiefer said that in the agreement it states that Tacoma will build a water line and Kent
and other water districts in South King County will help fund the building of that
project and it also says ... "and to construct other facilities as would be necessary to
reliably maintain the agreed level of water supply for delivery to the Utilities....."
Kiefer asked if there is a list of these other facilities. Wickstrom said that those are
Tacoma's projects. The Impoundment project is our own project. Those referred to in
the agreement are Tacoma's such as Conservation and the Developing of Wells in the
Tidelands. Those are projects that Tacoma has identified to firm up the Green River
water supply. Wickstrom said that our project is not referenced in this agreement; that's
for our future supply needs. We are getting 4.6 mgd per day out of Tacoma and that's
not-all the water-we need for ultimate build-out. Tacoma's supply is firm. Between the
Green River and what they have to do to male that year round 4.6 mgd they will
provide the firming and will pay for the firming sources that they develop.
Tom Brubaker: Meridian Annexation Garbage Service
Brubaker said that when we annex into the Meridian area, they currently have the
option under their existing franchise to choose not to have garbage service and to self-
haul. He said in I(ent, a resident is required to pay the minimum garbage hauling service
whether you self-haul or not. Brubaker said that when we annex into an area, state law
requires us to renew the existing franchise holders contract for five years. He said that
under the contract in effect for garbage hauling in the Meridian Annexation area, we
should give the citizens the right to continue self-hauling without a minimum charge.
Committee unanimously recommended that the City Code Section referencing Garbage
Collection by a collection company be modified to take care of the problems of those
people currently being serviced in the Meridian Annexation Area-and, they be allowed
to continue their service for the maximum five year period.
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James Street - Paul Mann
Mann asked why we are never considering widening James St and create another lane.
Wicicstrom will again review the cost of doing this.
71 st Street Vacation - Don Wicicstrom
Wicicstrom stated that we are coming back for approval of the final adoption of the
ordinance on vacating a portion of 71 st Avenue near 180th and West Valley Highway.
We will be receiving about $8,900 for a small amount of right of way being vacated. He
asked that this money go into school sidewalk project funds rather than the street
operating budget.
Committee unanimously recommended that the money acquired from the street vacation
on 71st Ave be transferred into school sidewalk project funds.
Meeting adjourned: 6:1 S P.M.
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