Background and Preparation for the Public Hearing Decisions:
There will be two actions for the Council at the conclusion of the Public
Hearing on September 7th. The first is the formation of the district boundaries
and the second is concurrence with the 90% design submission.
LID BOUNDARY: The proposed LID boundary
includes lots fronting on Nevada Street (53 properties) from Helman Street
west to and including the new Billings Ranch Subdivision as depicted on the
map attached as Exhibit A. This boundary was selected as these 53 property
owners will be directly benefited by the improvements along Nevada Street.
The Billings Ranch Subdivision (72 properties) was included as a condition
of their planning approvals. This boundary is consistent with other neighborhood
sidewalk and traffic calming LIDs (Helman, Penny/Palmer) as only those properties
directly on the affected streets were included in the LID boundary area.
There has been some discussion that all of the Quiet Village Neighborhood
or at least all of the homes north of Nevada Street should be included in
the LID boundary as all will be affected by the improvements.
The only LID in recent years that went beyond the immediate street improvement
area was Tolman Creek Road. Tolman Creek Road is considered a major collector
/ arterial street and the improvements were full street improvements (street
reconstruction and overlay, new storm drain system, sidewalks on both sides,
traffic calming planters, etc.). In that case, the boundary was extended
to include all homes that directly and indirectly accessed Tolman Creek Road.
Staff recommends retaining the boundary to the properties directly on Nevada
Street.
It may be necessary that the Nevada Street Sidewalk and Traffic Calming LID
be formed by Council initiative in accordance with AMC Section 13.20.020.
Although staff has worked with the neighbors and has received general consensus
for the formation of the LID, actual signed petitions in favor of the LID
have not been collected by staff. It is staff's intention to send information
to each of the property owners within the LID boundary and to have them return
a postcard acknowledging their consent to the LID. This information will
be presented at the public hearing.
DESIGN CONCURRANCE: With the past several
LIDs, Council has participated by concurring with the design process at the
90% design stage. In this LID process, staff has been working toward design
completion since December 2003. This project has been planned and on the
City's Capital Improvements Project list for the past 5-6 years. This project
is a high priority on the City's Transportation System Plan for sidewalks.
As the current 36 foot wide street is wider than the current standards for
a minor collector (residential neighborhood collector). Ashland's current
standards (Ashland Street Standards Handbook) for a residential neighborhood
collector are 32 feet from curb to curb; allows for two 9-foot travel lanes
and parking on both sides. This current wider straight street section encourages
faster speeds and it has been the City's practice to provide traffic calming
elements to slow those speeds down and allow for safe travel of bicyclists,
pedestrians and vehicles.
Initially staff hired an engineering firm (Thornton Engineering) to prepare
a concept design for sidewalks and traffic calming on Nevada Street. This
preliminary plan was shared with the Nevada Street and Quiet Village community
at a neighborhood meeting in December 2003. There were significant concerns
and a diverse set of reactions to this first plan. In the ensuing 5-6 months,
a citizens committee was formed and met several times to help identify the
community concerns and suggestions for improvement. In May, staff was presented
with seven different proposals from this citizen's committee with a request
to incorporate the elements of seven concepts into three plan options.
Staff used the following objectives to meet the primary goal improving safety:
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1. |
Reduce speed of traffic; |
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2. |
Encourage uniform traffic speed; |
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3. |
Provide safe and comfortable pedestrian route; |
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4. |
Provide safe and comfortable bicycle route; |
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5. |
Provide safe motorist route; |
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6. |
Maintain safe and unimpeded emergency access; |
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7. |
Maintain street function as a neighborhood collector; |
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8. |
Increase livability of the neighborhood (noise, trees, sign, clutter); |
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9. |
Balance street function, safety and livability; and |
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10. |
Reduce impact of anticipated traffic increase. |
In June, staff distilled the seven proposals into 3 alternatives that would
meet the critical safety concerns. These three alternatives were presented
to the entire neighborhood during the June 21st meeting, where each was discussed
and the group consensus narrowed the three to one preferred alternative.
At the July 19th meeting, the preferred alternative was again discussed and
the neighborhood group was asked to add elements, but was not allowed to
pull elements out as each provided a critical factor in traffic safety and
traffic calming. The resulting preferred alternative will be presented to
the City Council at the September 7th Public Hearing. There was some discussion
about the need for more traffic calming, especially at the west end of the
project between Laurel and Cambridge. There was also a desire expressed by
some to have sidewalks on both sides of the street between Helman and Voris.
Staff will review both of these elements and the engineer and a discussion
will be presented to Council on the 7th.
TIMING: With Council's approval, the
public hearing will be scheduled for September 7th and final formation of
the LID will be on September 21st. Assuming there will be no major design
changes upon LID formation, staff will finalize design for the September
21st meeting and have the project out for bids at the end of October.
Construction may begin as early as November and should be completed in April/May
2006. |
