TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Council Chambers, 1175 East Main Street

Minutes

Attendees: Tom Burnham, Eric Heesacker (Chair), Steve Ryan, Brent Thompson,

                 Julia Sommer, David Young

Absent:     Colin Swales, Corinne Vieville, Matt Warshawsky

Ex Officio Members:  Steve MacLennan

Staff Present:  Jim Olson, Nancy Slocum

I.                CALL TO ORDER: 5:34 PM by Chair Eric Heesacker.

II.              STUDY SESSION

Olson explained various methods of funding public works projects including fund exchanges, grants and LIDs.

Committee suggested expanding the Frequently Asked Questions section on the website and add questions such why does it take so long to get a project done. A suggestion was made to answer the question in a future City Source article.

Some commissioners voiced frustration because their decisions seemed bogged down and government was often blamed. Also, some Commissioners ask questions better suited for the City of Ashland Attorney and received no answer. Olson explained the staff shortage in the Legal Department.

Young suggested a project sign with a timeline. A construction schedule should also be posted on website. There was a suggestion to posting the CIP on the website.

Commission reviewed goals and asked for the status of bike racks on the plaza and the bike corral on Third Street. Olson said the current Miscellaneous Concrete Project included three new bike pads for the downtown core.

Olson distributed a list of more than 27 projects he personally oversaw. He noted that all engineering design work was now contracted out. He asked the Commission to consider calling a Subcommittee meeting only as needed. Commission agreed.

III.            APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

Burnham moved to accept the minutes of December 16, 2010 as amended and the minutes of January 20, 2011 as submitted. Young seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

IV.            PUBLIC FORUM: No one spoke.

V.              ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA: None.

VI.            ACTION ITEMS:

1. Parking Prohibitions on Liberty Street

 Staff recommended, in accordance with Fire Department requests and the requirements of Ordinance No. 2959, that Liberty Street be signed to prohibit parking on the east side from the north property line 676 Liberty to the southerly terminus of the street. This side of the street was chosen as it had 7 driveways (as opposed to 5 on the opposite side) and 7 mailbox structures which naturally prohibited parking. Staff also recommended prohibiting parking on the west side of the street from the north property line of 781 Liberty to the southerly terminus of the street. This section of the street should have no parking as it narrowed from 20 feet to 18 feet to 12 feet at the extreme south end. The general policy for signing skinny streets was not to sign unless there was a complaint. For all future developments; however, parking prohibitions and signage would be put in place as the infrastructure was constructed regardless of the anticipated traffic volume.

Sommer left the meeting at 6:40 pm.

Public Testimony

Richard Hay, 707 Liberty Street, submitted an email dated February 14, 2011. He agreed with Staff’s recommendation, but suggested extending the parking prohibition 21 feet between the driveway aprons of 695 and 707 Liberty to allow safe access for emergency vehicles.

Steve Sincerny, 790 Liberty Street, submitted an email dated February 16, 2011. He also agreed with Staff’s recommendation and suggested extending the prohibition to begin at the north side of the 781/775 driveway.

David Seulean, 696 Liberty, agreed with Staff’s recommendation and asked that signage not be bored into sidewalks and located adjacent to the mailboxes. Olson noted that obstructions are prohibited in sidewalks by code. He estimated a total of three or four signs would be needed.

Scott Kurtz, 554 Fordyce Street and John Baxter, 831 Liberty, both support Staff’s recommendation.

Motion and Vote

Young moved to accept Staff’s recommendation to prohibit parking on the east side from the north property line of 676 Liberty to the southerly terminus of the street and on the west side of the street from the north property line of 781 Liberty to the southerly terminus of the street. Thompson seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

Staff would explain to Mr. Hay the process for requesting permission to paint yellow curb on either side of his driveway to solve his access concerns.

B.  Parking Prohibitions on Patton, Overlook and Stone Ridge

Olson noted that these streets were within the newer Meadowbrook Park II Subdivision. Most streets were 22’ wide and the subdivision’s planning approval included parking on one side only. Staff’s recommendation for a parking prohibition on Patton Lane on the east side of the entire street length, Overlook Drive on the east side of the entire street length, Stone Ridge Aveue on the east and north sides of the entire street length and Camelot Drive on the east side of the street from Nevada Street to the alley were all consistent with Planning Commission approval.

Public Testimony

Karen Machen, 986 Stone Ridge, supported Staff’s recommendation.

Janey Leafer, 994 Stone Ridge supported Staff’s recommendation, but was concerned about enforcement of prohibition. She wondered if a future parking prohibition would be investigated on East Nevada Street. Olson said not at this time as property owners had not been notified. Officer MacLennan said there was currently no enforcement except by complaint outside downtown core.

Mark Abelle, 902 Patton Lane, agreed with Staff’s recommendation, but asked to exempt the portion from the alley parallel to Fair Oaks to a dead end (adjacent to his house) as it is a short block and would hinder has ability to conduct a home business in the future.

Motion and Vote

Heesacker moved to accept staff’s recommendation to add a parking restriction on Overlook Drive on the east side of the entire street length, Stone Ridge Ave on the east and north sides of the entire street length, Camelot Drive on the east side of the street from Nevada Street to the alley and on Patton from Nevada to Fair Oaks only. Ryan seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

C. Revised 2010-11 City Council Goals

Olson explained that the goals were included for informational use only.

VII.          NON ACTION ITEMS

A.    TSP Update: Discussion as stated below.

B.      Road Diet Pilot Project

Olson reported that Staff and ODOT were meeting regularly to discuss the concept of a “Road Diet” on North Main. Ryan suggested studying the use of Hersey Street as a major southbound route during the road diet trial. Burnham wondered if the concept had been studied carefully. He voiced concern as designating A Street as a shared road was stalled. He thought the TSP process was inconsistent in which projects were on hold until the document was adopted. He thought the Commission should hold a formal hearing and vote. Olson noted that the project had been discussed for many years including at several recent joint Transportation / Planning Commission meetings. The Commission agreed that there was a consensus to recommend the road diet.

Nathan Broom, RVTD Liaison, was excited about project. He wondered if access control would be studied and whether the center lane would be a concrete median. RVTD buses make 58 trips per day on North Main and constant bus stops could be an issue if pilot project was successful.

C.     MPO Update

Chapman announced that on April 12^th DLCD staff would present information on the development of greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets for the MPO areas and the proposed planning rule. The session would be from 10:00 am to noon at RVCOG.

D.    Planning Commission Update

Sommer had no update.

E.     Caldera Brewing Annexation Traffic Impact Analysis

The Planning Commission was reviewing an application. There was a proposal to make Clover Lane a right in, right out intersection. The use of a roundabout was also discussed.

VII.      COMMISSIONER COMMENTS 

Burnham asked that police accident report summaries be included in the Commission packets in the future.

Commission asked that a summary of Roberts Rules of Order and a running total of their budget be available at future meetings. They would like to use some of their budget funds for BTA classes and bike helmet give-aways. Kat Smith expressed an interest in helping with this.

Commission also asked that a future City Source article include a scoreboard of completed Public Works projects.

VIII.       ADJOURN:  8:20 PM

Respectfully submitted,

Nancy Slocum, Accounting Clerk I