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HomeMy WebLinkAbout061807 CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND CITY COUNCIL MINUTES OF THE REGULAR SESSION OF JUNE 18, 2007 CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The City Council of the City of Port Townsend met in regular session the eighteenth day of June, 2007, at 6:30 p.m. at the Port Townsend High School Auditorium, Mayor Mark Welch presiding. ROLL CALL Council members present at roll call were Frank Benskin, Geoff Masci, Laurie Medlicott, George Randels, Catharine Robinson, Michelle Sandoval, and Mark Welch. Staff members present were City Manager David Timmons, City Attorney John Walts, Public Works Director Ken Clow, Long Range Planning Director Rick Sepler, City Engineer Dave Peterson, and City Clerk Pam Kolacy. CHANGES TO THE AGENDA There were no changes to the agenda proposed. CONSENT AGENDA Motion: Ms. Robinson moved for approval of the following items on the consent agenda, with corrections to the minutes as noted. Mr. Benskin seconded. The motion carried unanimously, 7-0, by voice vote. Corrections: May 29 minutes incorrectly headed as "March 29" May 21 minutes, page 4, change heading "Public Art Donation Policy" to "Parks Donation Policy May 17 minutes, page 3, add as last line "Masci requested language change". A. Approval of Bills, Claims and Warrants Vouchers 101675 through 101777 in the amount of $431,066.94 Vouchers 101779 through 101939 in the amount of $402,385.65 Vouchers 605071 through 605079 in the amount of $99,612.33 B. Approval of Minutes: May 17, 2007 May 21, 2007 joint work/study BOCC May 29, 2007 Joint work/study PTSD June 4, 2007, business meeting June 4, 2007, workshop City Council Meeting Page 1 June 18, 2007 RESOLUTION 07-016 PROVIDING COUNCIL POLICY DIRECTION CONCERNING PROPOSED UPPER SIMS WAY DESIGN AND IMPROVEMENT Mayor Welch reviewed the process for the meeting. Rick Sepler reviewed the packet material and provided a presentation regarding the Upper Sims Way design and improvement project. He stated that Scott Sawyer of consultants W&H Pacific and Brian Walsh from the Washington State Department of Transportation were present to answer questions or provide more information. City Engineer Dave Peterson clarified technical issues for each scenario. Mrs. Medlicott asked what the basis of the estimate of $15/square foot for right of way purchase was. Mr. Sepler stated this is based on comparable projects in the area. Mr. Randels asked if staff planned to meet with long-term tenants as well as property owners affected by the project. Mr. Sepler answered yes. PUBLIC COMMENT Tony Mitchell stated that size is critical when planning roundabouts, that they must be large enough to give a big round slowdown area. He does not think there is enough room on Sims Way to accommodate a properly sized roundabout. Charlie Arthur read a letter from Bernie Arthur into the record. Mr. Arthur stated his preference for traffic signals and added that upper Sims Way has suffered because of the concentration on other parts of town. He added that center turn lanes will help; traffic lights will be more than adequate and will help businesses but roundabouts will have an adverse impact and discourage consumer trips. Val Johnstone encouraged the choice of roundabouts; stated she chooses not to do business on upper Sims because of the extreme difficulty of making left turns; with roundabouts, one can make a simple right turn and then make a "U" return through the roundabout. She considers roundabouts to be safer for pedestrians due to the split islands; also said that drivers run traffic lights but all cars have to slow for roundabouts. 10-20 vehicles stalled at a light will create pollution and the signals will use much electricity. John Ebner stated he lives in the area and does not know why plans include Thomas, as there is no access for residents from Thomas to Sims. He would prefer a light at Hancock rather than Thomas and possibly a roundabout on Howard where people are gaining access. Mary Lux stated roundabouts are in vogue but not practical around here as breaks rather than smooth traffic are needed. She stated that education must also be considered because many people come to Port Townsend from other places and City Council Meeting Page 2 June 18, 2007 they will not know how to drive in roundabouts and will not return because they will have trouble getting around town. Vi Koenig stated that business owners have a small profit margin and if they lose business it also means fewer tax dollars. She stated she is not afraid of change but is afraid of her livelihood being threatened. Traffic signals will help the town stay unique and not be like towns with traffic circles. She said that over 1100 signatures on petitions should mean something and many people think their comments are falling on deaf ears. She said the cost of roundabouts is equal to traffic signals. Vi Koenig read a letter from John Molsness recommending traffic signals on Sims based on his engineering experience. His calculations reveal lower costs for signals than the costs quoted and 25-50% higher costs for roundabouts. He stated the public majority, particularly commercial businesses, favor signals and no dividers. Letter from Susan Grantham read by Vi Koenig expressed concern that Upper Sims improvements will not be good for the businesses there. She asked that the focus not be on pedestrian access; make the center lane a universal left turn lane. Restriping of lanes would be a quick fix until other solutions have been thoroughly researched. Mike Ryan spoke in favor of signals and expressed his version of Thomas - come to stop sign and flip a u-turn to go downtown. Hancock needs a light. Probably mill traffic is drive for Thomas. Described how he tries to get around on Sims. Traffic lights, left turn lanes, roundabouts have places to cross but Hancock needs to make the break in traffic. Peter Lauritzen, Chair of the Non-Motorized Transportation Advisory Board, stated the NMTAB unanimously supports roundabouts at the two intersections on Upper Sims. He stated that there are many advantages of roundabouts to bicyclists and pedestrians including lower noise and pollution and better aesthetics. He stated that staff and consultants have presented an excellent plan. David Goldman stated that the Council must consider health, welfare and safety as a tipping factor in whatever decision is made. Richard Talbot said he supports roundabouts in principal but is concerned about how that system will work for people who are slow, blind or in wheelchairs; if you are improving the flow by definition, drivers expect to keep moving and they may not be looking in the direction in which pedestrians are crossing. He is not sure how roundabouts can be safe without pedestrian control. He suggested that the city work in consultation with DASH and urged that this issue not be lost in the overall discussion of traffic and traffic flow. Kees Kolff stated he has visited the roundabout in Sequim and driven it several times. He believes that the issue of familiarity driving in roundabouts will take care of itself because so many are being put in. He stated that one of the things that City Council Meeting Page 3 June 18, 2007 stood out is that roundabouts are less expensive and that is important in this time of economic difficulties; also that as a retired health care professional he is very concerned about the statistics showing consistently a 75% injury reduction in accidents for roundabouts versus signals. He urged the Council to support roundabouts at both intersections. Ernest Sauerland agrees with Tony Mitchell. Hank Sukert spoke against roundabouts, stating that Port Townsend is an aging community that is not into change; all the current traffic lights have proven themselves. He also said that every accident he has seen in a left turn lane is a rear ender. Andrew Reding said that the public safety part of the issue should be emphasized - that various studies all around the world have concurred that there is a 30-45% decline in accidents of all types and a 75% decline in injury accidents when roundabouts are installed rather than traffic signals. He added that the costs are roughly equivalent but backage road improvements are necessary if signals are installed. He stated that traffic requires constant police presence for enforcement and this presence must be funded, and that if power goes out the signals become inoperative and could paralyze the city. Todd Wexman questioned why so much time has been spent on this when there are so many other issues; the city should focus on pedestrians, saving trees, and creative programs for affordable rentals and homelessness. We should be protecting our natural setting and natural atmosphere. He asked why not try a stoplight and strips and see what happens. Randy Kline stated he is a property owner on Upper Sims and his property values will increase with the completion of the project. He asked that staff maintain contact with property owners, make sure access during construction is addressed. He favors roundabouts and pointed out that many other cities have done the research and come to the decision to install roundabouts based on the data. Nancy Blackmer stated she works at the PT Business Park; she estimates there are about 100 others who work there and have to exit at some point; she sometimes waits 15 minutes to make a left turn. She spoke against roundabouts because the intersections are not equal in traffic volume; she stated there would have to be a huge break in traffic to get into a roundabout. Deborah Stinson stated that she would like to shop on Upper Sims but does not because of the traffic situation - she stated if she knew there was a simple way to turn back via a roundabout, she would shop there. She added that currently people use "illegal roundabouts" by making u-turns and driving through parking lots. She is also not in favor of continuous left turn lanes as too many vehicles use the left turn lane as an entrance lane from the other direction and it is very dangerous. She said she appreciates the process the city has gone through and the time devoted to this City Council Meeting Page 4 June IS, 2007 issue. Her experience has been that the people who came to the workshops and other sessions and became educated are mostly in favor of roundabouts. Lois Sherwood stated she is a resident and business owner on Upper Sims and likes the way roundabouts slow traffic so people have options. She stated she is in agreement with Ms. Stinson's comments. People now are making illegal moves to try to get to the other side of the street. The pulses created by traffic signals rarely match up and you end up in the same situation. Bob Sokol stated that the aerial photos in the Leader were not correct as they do not show a new building at the Howard/Sims intersection and he believes a legitimate question is how does that building affect the size of the roundabout. He also stated there was no level of service briefing for intermediate street crossings and that is where the problem lies. Accidents, either related to roundabouts or signals are caused by poor drivers not the type of control. He said that stoplights don't speed up traffic but roundabouts do and an efficient flow of traffic is needed to make left turns. Scott Walker stated our culture is facing a significant shift with global warming and the oil crisis; to be planning for more traffic seems ludicrous so choose the intersection control that lets us become the most altractive, safe and friendly. Jeff Randall stated that the one alternative no one has embraced is to do nothing; he encouraged the Council to take action and embrace the alternative they think is best. He added that he recently traveled 26,000 miles around the country and never saw a roundabout that didn't work while many streets dominated by signals had big backups. RECESS Mayor Welch declared a recess at 8:18 p.m. for the purpose of a break. RECONVENE The meeting was reconvened at 8:35 p.m. Ms. Robinson asked if the staff had contacted other jurisdictions to see how their roundabouts were working and if there were things they would have done differently. Dave Peterson stated staff had talked with city staff in Sequim, Bainbridge Island and Bend, Oregon. Sequim is pleased and planning another roundabout; Bainbridge Island is also happy with theirs (located next to high school so many pedestrians coming and going); Bend has 16 roundabouts and they handle trucks and emergency vehicles well. Ms. Sandoval asked about controls and safety for pedestrians in roundabouts. City Council Meeting Page 5 June IS, 2007 Mr. Peterson noted there is one lane of traffic to cross and vehicles will be going about 15 mph and tend to stop for pedestrians. There is a refuge island in the middle. Brian Walsh of the Washington Department of Transportation noted that ADA rules would require signalization on multi-lane roundabouts but single-lane roundabouts such as those proposed would be exempt. He also stated that there is not a working model in the US of this type of control so the ADA and traffic community need to work together. In regard to the visually impaired, he stated that generally they can realize when a car has stopped in the roundabout and that the slower rate of speed is beneficial; there are problems at traffic signals with visually impaired people because of the "right turn on red" which is not expected. Mr. Masci asked for a definitive answer on medians from the Dept. of Transportation; Mr. Walsh stated that medians are a professional planning issue but that the Department has supported the median concept as it makes sense for access and safety; however it does matter what controls are on either end. Ms. Sandoval followed up on a public comment, asking whether the roundabouts as sized will be large enough to work effectively. Mr. Sawyer stated they would be effective. In answer to another question from Ms. Sandoval, Mr. Sawyer stated that because of the gradient on Thomas, some small retaining walls would be required for a roundabout there. Ms. Robinson asked whether there are other devices that can be installed to promote pedestrian safety. Mr. Sawyer stated that there are no options that have not been discussed. He said that anything we can do to promote slower speeds helps pedestrians overall; he added that the busier and more vibrant the street is, the slower the traffic will go so that plantings, etc., promote slower speeds. Mr. Welch stated that he first thought the city should put in a stoplight and move on, but the more information he has seen, the more he has thought about safety factors as a prime concern. He also said that traffic signal installation requiring the use of backage roads would put the businesses in an awkward situation, as people would have to travel blocks out of their way to return to the other side of the street. He stated that the decision has to be made on balance and he believes roundabouts on balance are the best solution. Motion: Mr. Welch moved for adoption of Resolution 06-016 with option a, roundabouts at Howard and Thomas. Ms. Robinson seconded. Amendment: Mr. Randels proposed the following clarifying amendments, which were accepted unanimously: Page 2, Item F: rewrite last sentence as follows: "Transportation planning includes planning for current and future traffic, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, City Council Meeting Page 6 June IS, 2007 includinQ attention to the special needs of persons with disabilities that mav limit locomotion or raise particular safetv concerns." Page 2, Item G: Change "Discovery Way" to "Discovery Road." Page 2, Item I: In the first line, change the order to read as follows: "... .Council workshops and meetings with........" Page 3, item L.f: Change "that" to "than." Ms. Sandoval stated this has been a difficult decision, but that in the end safety and cost are the primary concerns and she will support the motion. Mr. Masci spoke against the motion and stated that a broken median for the next few years would help adjust to this drastic change. He would support a series of steps which would make the public more educated and provide a way to accommodate the businesses to this change. Ms. Robinson stated she would support the motion because the data regarding safety within the intersection shows roundabouts to be safer. She added she is concerned about the speed limit on Upper Sims and the interface among cars, pedestrians and bicycles. She would like the following policy elements emphasized in the planning process: pedestrian and bicycle safety, particularly ADA pedestrian crossings; safe local access to be considered during the process; speed control throughout Upper Sims; clear signage for direction and safety. Mr. Randels stated he was involved with the issue as a member of the Planning Commission, where discussions centered on this area and this decision as having a major impact in terms of future affordable housing and economic development opportunities for the City, providing impetus for new zoning, an increased tax base, a new neighborhood and an attractive place in the Howard Street corridor. He stated he is now looking at this from a totally different perspective and has educated himself from that perspective. He stated that the debate has brought on a heightened sensitivity on the part of the community to the unique needs of small businesses; he believes the business community will be consulted and every effort will be made to make sure any problems from construction, etc., will be minimized as much as possible. He noted that safety is the tipping issue for him and he will support the motion. Mr. Benskin spoke against the motion, stating his opinion that the Council is missing an opportunity to listen to the citizens of Port Townsend; he believes that the public overwhelmingly prefers traffic signals. He also said that pedestrian safety is not served by roundabouts and that stoplights are a proven solution. Mrs. Medlicott spoke against the motion, noting that it is difficult for her to ignore the number of people who have spoken and signed petitions against roundabouts; she also believes the tipping point is safety. She added that she also couldn't support the motion because the city does not have the money to accomplish the project. City Council Meeting Page 7 June /S, 2007 Vote: motion carried, 4-3, by voice vote, Benskin, Masci and Medlicott opposed. ADJOURN There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:49 p.m. Cln q{~ Pam Kolacy, CMC City Clerk City Council Meeting Page 8 June 18, 2007