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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-04-16 Minutes1 MINUTES OF CITY OF EDINA, MINNESOTA TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION COUNCIL CHAMBERS APRIL 16, 2015 6:00 P.M. ROLL CALL Answering roll call were members Bass, Boettge, Iyer, Janovy, LaForce, Loeffelholz, Nelson, Olson, and Spanhake. ABSENT Campbell and Rummel ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR Member LaForce nominated chair Bass to continue as chair and the nomination was seconded by member Janovy. All voted aye. Motion carried. Member Janovy nominated member LaForce to continue as vice chair and the nomination was seconded by member Nelson. All voted aye. Motion carried. APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA The agenda was revised to do roll call first. Motion was made by member Nelson and seconded by member LaForce to approve the revised meeting agenda. All voted aye. Motion carried. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES REGULAR MEETING OF MARCH 19, 2015 Motion was made by member Janovy and seconded by member LaForce to approve the revised minutes of Mar. 19, 2015. All voted aye. Motion carried. COMMUNITY COMMENT – None. REPORTS/RECOMMENDATIONS Grandview District Update Economic development manager Mr. Bill Neuendorf and consultant Mr. Dave Anderson with Frauenshuh, presented. Mr. Neuendorf said he first presented to the ETC last year and tonight’s presentation would be a summary of ideas since the last presentation. He said the same presentation was made to the City Council and Planning Commission, except the ETC’s presentation would be more transportation related. Mr. Neuendorf described the location of the Grandview area and the process used to arrive at the diverse ideas that they currently have. He said a presentation was made to the City Council last week and they offered suggestions that are being implemented. He said the ideas are very fluid and have changed several times and will probably continue to change for some time. He said an open house is scheduled for Apr. 22. Mr. Neuendorf said three of the seven guiding principles are transportation related. He explained that even though businesses in the area are close to housing, residents feel the need to drive. He said the outcome of an image survey of older residents and high school students showed that both groups had the same preference. Continuing, Mr. Neuendorf said from their discovery session which was attended by over 100 participants, three scenarios have been developed with four popular themes – 1)Multi-general Community Center; 2)Fitness Wellness Center; 3)Arts and Culture Center; and 4)Performing Arts Center. He said they arrived at the layout that they have by using the donut analogy – putting what they want in the ‘sweet spot’ and going further out with things like parking next to the train track, plus a new east/west street that would eventually extend over TH100. He said feedback was not to build up to the street and they’ll have a woonerf-style street primarily for pedestrians and bikers but it will accommodate cars too. 2 Mr. Anderson explained that they have three conceptual designs for the 3.3 acre site. He said concept #1 would include three components -- residential tower, office, and civic plus restaurant/retail, and park and ride. The site will be accessible at five points (Eden, Arcadia (two areas) and Vernon (two areas). Concept #2 is different in that it adds another housing unit; and in concept #3, the office tower is moved to the north and the residential tower to the south. Discussion Member Janovy mentioned the density at 7200 France and said the Grandview area is denser. Mr. Neuendorf said currently, they are looking at the possibilities and have not looked at density which is generally taken into consideration with a traffic study. He said since the public works building closed traffic was significantly reduced but he is aware that the new development will bring traffic and a traffic study will be done. Member LaForce said he was not concerned with density but is concerned with crossing Vernon at Interlachen Blvd and current congestion and considering adding more cars. He suggested extending the traffic study further out to include this intersection. Member Nelson said he too was not concerned with density and asked about parking by the civic center. Nr. Neuendorf said the civic center was on top of a parking ramp and the current Jerry’s Ramp has approximately 200 stalls. Member Janovy asked about parking requirements for residential housing and offices per code. Mr. Anderson said for medical offices it is 5 per 1000; retail is 6-7 per 1000; and residential is based on the product type which could be 1¼ or 1½ vehicles per unit. Chair Bass expressed concerns about directing 1,000 cars to drive through the development while at the same time saying it would be pedestrian-friendly. Mr. Neuendorf said it was a challenge to find the right balance. He said they need to have multiple entrances to the site and they also heard from neighbors about traffic on Eden. He said they do not want the entrances hidden similarly to Excelsior and Grand where it is a challenge to find the parking entrances if you are not familiar with the area. Chair Bass said there is a close connection to parking and transit and she did not want to see a heavy focus on parking to the detriment of pedestrian access to transit. She suggested that they think carefully about locating the residential building so that the businesses are easily accessible by pedestrians so that they do not end up driving. Member Janovy asked about trip generation and Mr. Neuendorf said they have not studied this yet. She said shared streets (woonerfs) works well with low traffic volume but accessing 600 parking stalls would not be low volume and asked if he’s thought about this. He said this is a balancing act that they are still working through. He said the City has an easement that could be used for a road if necessary but he is hoping that most of the traffic will not go thru the woonerf but instead turn off towards parking. Mr. Anderson added that it will depend on the programming of the civic center – will there be evening performances with 150 residents arriving at that same time or daytime performances? He said it is hard to speculate now but they have options for parking and managing design. Member Janovy asked when a transportation study would be done for this site and the broader area and Mr. Neuendorf said at this time they are only looking at the old public works site. He said the transportation study and the broader study is on his work plan for 2015. He said a traffic study for the 3.3 acre site would probably occur simultaneously with the broader study. Member LaForce asked if there was any possibility the bus garage may move and Mr. Neuendorf said the City has no control over the bus garage but they did briefly look at a design that would include that area but because of the train tracks the options are limited. Neighborhood Roadway Reconstruction Multimodal Traffic Survey Planner Nolan said back in January the ETC discussed the reconstruction survey and it was also on their work plan. He said staff met with the ETC’s communication committee (LaForce/Iyer/Janovy) and member Janovy shared sample questions. Staff reviewed the questions and selected some and called the survey Multimodal Traffic Survey that would be mailed two years before a neighborhood is scheduled for reconstruction. And still continue to use the survey that is sent out one year 3 before a project because it is project specific. The Multimodal Traffic Survey would be mailed out by May 1 to the 2016 neighborhood project areas. Discussion Member Spanhake said the questions seemed clear and she liked that the data would be collected two years prior. She suggested adding another option to Q.4 and Q.5. Member Boettge concurred and said the time of day matters too because she feels safe alone but if she is with the children and there are garbage trucks, school buses, etc. she feels differently. Chair Bass asked if residents would be able to select more than one option from Q.4 and suggested finding a way to capture the views of children related to Q.6 because some of them are out on their own. Member Nelson said using satisfied and dissatisfied in Q.2 may not capture accurate data. Member Janovy said in the original draft, there were choices which would make it easier to quantify the data. Member Iyer said the survey looked good. He said the key thing he wanted clarified was what they wanted out of the process. He suggested that staff communicate to residents the general process that the City is following and explain how the survey data would be used. He asked if the survey would be taken one per household or multiple per household. Chair Bass added that it is a step in the right direction and it is important that they communicate with residents how the data will be used. Member Janovy asked why the streetlight question was not included and planner Nolan said because the PACS fund is limited, but it is important. Member Janovy asked if it could be included in Q.5. She said there is also insufficient lighting and she considered this a safety issue. It could also be added in Q.9. Member LaForce said if a design feature was added because of input it would be good to note it in future feasibility studies. He asked if it was really necessary to collect so much demographic information. Member Janovy said there are gender difficulties in traveling and also for children and those with physical disability. Member Loeffelholz suggested creating benchmarks to test the data. Chair Bass asked if staff planned to edit the pre-project survey and planner Nolan said it would stay pretty much the same except where it asked about sidewalks and other transportation related questions. Member Janovy said she can see the benefit in keeping the two surveys separate. 2014 Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety (PACS) Fund Summary Report Planner Nolan said the report was put together for Manager Neal and was shared with the ETC as an ‘FYI.’ In reference to the Cornelia Drive Sidewalk, member Olsen asked if projects were bidding high or low and planner Nolan said they are coming in lower this year. Member Loeffelholz said it made sense to show 10 years prior for comparison and planner Nolan said 2014 was the first reporting year. Member Janovy asked if public works’ budget was being adjusted for maintenance and planner Nolan said staff has been having this discussion and will be discussing this with Council in an upcoming work session and the public works director will ask for an increase. Traffic Safety Report of April 1, 2015 4 B.1. Member Janovy asked about clearing the brushes and planner Nolan said the current clearing schedule is twice annually and public works will increase this to four clearings. B.2. Member Janovy said it wasn’t clear what the recommendation was. Planner Nolan said the area meets warrants for a flashing beacon but it would interfere with the crossing guard that is there. He said director Millner spoke with the school district about doing a joint traffic study and they are considering it. The cost would be $60,000 split equally between the school district and the City. Member Spanhake suggested moving this to C.1. Motion was made by member Janovy and seconded by member Iyer to forward the April 1, 2015, TSC report to the City Council. All voted aye. Motion carried. Updates Student Members – None. Bike Edina Working Group Member Janovy said Bloomington Public Health has funding for temporary bike parking and they are working out logistics. They are planning a handlebar assessment of bike routes later this month and interested participants can contact her. Living Streets Working Group Planner Nolan said the draft plan was presented to the Planning Commission. He said communications & technology (CTS) is doing the final edits and graphic placement. The plan will be submitted to City Council on Apr. 21 and a public hearing is scheduled for May 6. Feedback will be taken on Speak Up, Edina! Walk Edina Working Group – None. Communications Committee – None. In response to complaints about drivers stopping in the crosswalks on France Avenue, member LaForce wrote an article titled ‘Stop Behind the Crosswalks in South Area’ and asked for feedback. He said Planner Nolan spoke with communications director Bennerotte and she suggested sending it to Edina Sun Current for publication in the guest advisory column or the City’s advisory blog post. Chair Bass said it’s an important message but most traveling on France may not live in Edina. Member Iyer said he lives in the neighborhood and is at these intersections regularly. He said he’s observed that more drivers are stopping behind the marked crosswalks but when they are making a right turn, they do creep into the crosswalk. He asked if the city engineer reviewed the article for accuracy. He feels like things are getting better as time passes and drivers learn the procedures. Member Nelson suggested using a message board for educational outreach. Member Spanhake suggested working with area businesses to put educational signs in their establishment. Planner Nolan said this was a good idea and he’s learned recently that CTS is working on an education video. Member Iyer said staff seemed to be reactive instead of being proactive. CORRESPONDENCE AND PETITIONS Chair Bass said an email received from Mr. Johnson echoed much of the discussion above. Mr. Johnson’s email talked about his concern with the improvements at the intersection of 66th & France – it is now more difficult for pedestrians to walk from the Colony to Southdale Mall even though the improvements were to make it safer. Because drivers do not stop behind the crosswalk pedestrians often have to leave the crosswalk as they go around cars that are stopped on the crosswalk. Mr. Johnson blamed the ETC for designing such a project. 5 CHAIR AND COMMISSION MEMBER COMMENTS Regarding handicap or disability parking at Morningside Church, member Janovy said she is confused because the markings are in conflict with City policy and this issue has come up before. She said a clear policy is needed. Regarding the free range parenting story that has been in the news, she said the current guideline is that children 10 years or younger should not be alone due to development. Regarding riding on sidewalks, she said more people will be doing this and she is still concerned that they are not educating the public. She asked that residents inform their lawn services providers to not blow leaves into the streets and set sprinkler heads so they do not spray the sidewalks. Member Nelson said he was intrigued by student member Rummel’s comment last months about solar roads and wondered if they would consider a test area at the high school on Valley View Road. He said there are solar companies in the community and there may be grant money available. He said the power generated could probably be used to power streetlights or a flashing beacon. Member Nelson also talked about the amount of traffic on eastbound W 66th in the evenings – he said it is dangerous for pedestrians because there is no sidewalk from Ridgeview to TH-100. Member LaForce said on Valley View Road toward Benton where a sidewalk was added, the sod seem to be dead. He asked if a missing segment of sidewalk, about 30 ft., could be filled in near the Grandview Library and planner Nolan said at the end of the year they look to see how much money is left over so he will add this to the list. Member Spanhake said the on-ramp from Tracy to the TH-62 has potholes. Planner Nolan will pass this on to Mn/DOT. STAFF COMMENTS Construction started in Arden Park D; staff received a $318,000 grant from Mn/DOT for the 54th St. bridge. Other neighborhoods are scheduled to start mid-May or June. Interlachen Blvd Sidewalk – staff is evaluating filling in the sidewalk all the way to Mirror Lakes Dr. Feedback from residents have been positive. A transportation study for the greater Southdale area is in the CIP for 2015 pending the small area plan. The Nine Mile Creek Trail east of Tracy is scheduled for construction starting in Aug.; this summer they will find out if they’ll have funding for the western leg. Staff has put together a proposed annual bike rack cost share program; PACS Fund will contribute $10,000 (50% of cost) and participating businesses the other 50%; currently working on how to promote the program and the application process. ADJOURNMENT Meeting adjourned. ATTENDANCE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION ATTENDANCE 6 J F M A M J J A S O N D SM SM WS # of Mtgs Attendance % Meetings/Work Sessions 1 1 1 1 4 NAME TERM (Enter Date) (Enter Date) (Enter Date) Bass, Katherine 2/1/2017 1 1 1 1 4 100% Boettge, Emily 2/1/2017 1 1 1 1 4 100% Iyer, Surya 3/1/2018 1 1 1 1 4 100% LaForce, Tom 3/1/2018 1 1 1 3 75% Loeffelholz, Ralf 1 1 2 100% Janovy, Jennifer 2/1/2017 1 1 1 1 4 100% Nelson, Paul 2/1/2016 1 1 1 1 4 100% Olson, Larry 2/1/2016 1 1 1 3 75% Whited, Courtney 2/1/2015 1 1 100% Spanhake, Dawn 2/1/2016 1 1 1 1 4 100% Rummel, Anna 9/1/2015 1 1 2 50% Campbell, Jack 9/1/2015 1 1 25%