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HomeMy WebLinkAbout102207CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND CITY COUNCIL MINUTES OF THE WORKSHOP SESSION OF OCTOBER 22, 2007 CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The City Council of the City of Port Townsend met in special workshop session the twenty-second day of October, 2007, at 6:30 p.m. in the USO Building at Fort Worden State Park, Mayor Mark Welch presiding. ROLL CALL Council members present at roll call were Laurie Medlicott, George Randels, Catharine Robinson, Michelle Sandoval, and Mark Welch. Frank Benskin and Geoff Masci were excused. Staff members present were City Manager David Timmons, City Attorney John Watts, Planning Director Rick Sepler, Public Works Director Ken Clow, City Engineer Dave Peterson. Also present, consultant Larry Southwick. UPPER SIMS WAY DESIGN WORKSHOP Staff and Consultant Larry Southwick were present to take public testimony and questions from Council members regarding the Upper Sims Way Design. Staff produced a list of comments made and questions posed which is attached. ADJOURN There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:13 p.m. Attest: Pam Kolacy, CMC City Clerk Citv Council Workshop Paae 1 October 22, 2007 Upper Sims Way Open House and Council Workshop 22 October 2007 Comments made during the Oven House Note`. This list is not necessarily complete as no formal note taking was undertaken during these informal discussions. The notes represent those discussions with staff that could be recalled after the meeting. Bob Koenig (Laundromat & Car Wash) -His building is shown as connected to adjacent building; it isn't and property ownership is sepazate. Will signs be allowed in the ROW? Jean Camfield (Habitat for Humanity) -She didn't recall heazing about an LID as a possible funding source for the Sims Way improvements in previous meetings. This is what is upsetting many owners now. Habitat will be adding a freight elevator in the back to lift furniture to the 2nd floor for storage. They will also add a rear entrance and foyer to face the south parking lot and make that their primary entrance. They will still keep the northwest side doorway and the north side doorway facing Sims but that may not be used at all. We discussed the grade problems at their northeast corner next to the roundabout. Manuel told us that they are considering raising the grade on Sims by up to 4 feet, which would make a huge difference in their north and east side walkways as well as the new sidewalk. David McCulloch -I don't like losing the north bike lane on Sims Way (Thomas- McPherson) to the interim striping plan. Sue Gazlinehouse Children's Orthopedic Thrift Store) - She's greatly concerned about accessibility and parking. They moved into the smaller space 9 years ago then into this space when West Bay Auto Parts moved across the street. She's grown the business every yeaz and now makes about $20,000 per month. She needs to make $19,000 to make her budget. She makes a $2 to $3,000 on Sale Saturdays which fills the front and back parking. She rents parking in back from Hank Sukert, Roadhouse Restaurant and needs it all for those sale events. But the back door is just for donations, not retail access; all retail comes in through the front door. She doesn't want any trees or other features that would block visual or physical access to her store front. They only have 3 staff and don't have time to maintain any features or landscaping in front. She's ok with the roundabout at Howard but not at Thomas. There are too many accidents at McPherson, many from going too fast; need to slow it down. Steve Williams (State Farm Insurance) He's greatly concerned that the temporary interim left tum lane at McPherson would also remove 2 current angle parking places in front of his business but it's not shown on the plan (he's just off the picture to the west). He has too little parking now and can't lose 2 vital spaces. Citv Council Workshop Paae 2 October 22. 2007 He would also be opposed to flipping the currently shown left turn from Sims to northbound Cliff to be a west to southbound left turn. The current left turn is vital to making backside circulation work behind all the businesses on the north side between Howard and McPherson. Bob Weidner (Peninsula Floor & Furnishing) On the plan, it shows a new driveway to Howazd that's exit (westbound) only. Bob said that there is still a public right-of--way east-west behind his building that, although not aligned with the pavement around the back, it would allow trucks to exit to Howazd from the other businesses. The trucks that now deliver to their business have difficulty getting azound their front corner. They have to swing wide and sometimes have to get Les Schwab customers to move their vehicles for the truck to cross over the mazked parking stalls (over the water line right-of--way) in front of Les Schwab. They then proceed south on the one-way pavement (over the water line r-o-w) to the back, turn left behind Les Schwab and back into their loading dock, facing east. That will present a problem if they must exit to the west behind the building to a new driveway on Howard. They'd have to turn around on-site in the azea behind their building and Les Schwab. No matter, they would still support a backside access to Howard but they'd like it to be two-way. Public Comments During Meeting Steve Bozak (Crafts Cottag, -Didn't see plans for left turns at Logan St (south or north). Randy Klein (prooertv owner for Holly's Fine Flowers) -Moving forward is good and this plan appears to move us forwazd. Avoid LID financing if at all possible. City should go to Olympia to get money for the project. Shirley Rudolf (McPherson Associates Buildine) -Loss of pazking in front of building will kill the Children's Hospital Thrift Store. 5th Street in the front of Vintage Hardware is still a city street and she resents it being used as a private parking lot. She suggests the real U-tum route should be to block left turns at McPherson with curb or rubber posts (like Safeway) and force those wanting to turn left to go to Thomas, make a left turn and then onto 5th Street in front of VH and then turn right onto McPherson. It would work, take very little work and would save a lot of money. Steve Williams (State Farm Insurance) - In general this area is not a pedestrian zone, businesses are predominantly auto oriented. Need a Plan B (more pazking - offsite, back connections (Cliff -McPherson). Without pazking in the right-of--way, his business will suffer. David Pratt (property owner of Akamai Art & Glass Supply at Sims and Cliff) -Keep speed limits where they are now -don't lower or raise them or there will be negative impacts to traffic flows and access. He has never observed an accident in the "suicide" City Council Workshop Paoe 3 October 22. 2007 lane in front of his building. Traffic at Mill Road is bad and will back up to Howard Street and block the roundabout. With construction and traffic changes, traffic on Discovery Road will increase and it isn't really capable of handling more traffic now. What impacts will there be to Grant Street School and the students? Scott Walker - Likes the plan so far. This is our uptown not the state's. Controlling access is good in the long term. Don't curve sidewalks unnecessazily, remove non- significant trees if need be to keep sidewalks straight. On-street parking is good. Howard Street needs bike lanes on both sides which would require 62' of ROW. Vi Koeni¢ (Laundromat & Car Wash) -Their customers can't use the on-street pazking in front of the building as shown on the plans; too hazd to get loads to/from the building. Don't like losing up to 6off-street pazking spaces in front of building. Alder Street access won't work for the caz wash as their business was designed for front access; no room to turn around. Interim striping plan is good; do it. If 5`h Street is to be used for access (as Shirley Rudolph suggests) signage needs to change -remove the No Left Turn sign on 5th St. Medians and roundabouts will cause more miles to be driven and emit more greenhouse gasses. Linda Pfaffman -Discovery Road does need improvement as noted eazlier. There may be grants available for some of the work. There will be a meeting at 1330, 5 December at the Jefferson County Library to discuss grants for Safe-Routes-to-School. Jim Boyer (Developer on 6th & Thomas Streets) - An LID to fund Sims Way improvements will not be supported. We need to see the boundaries of the LID and the costs. He wants to see grading plan for intersection. Given the terrain at Thomas and Sims, it seems that ADA access for the roundabout won't work. The cost estimates for the project seem low. Lois Sherwood (Sherwood Veterinary) - In general I support the concepts as shown. The devil is in the details. Signage for businesses is critical. Need to know how that will be addressed. Theresa Goldsmith (John L. Scott Real Estate Office) -Our parking lot is small and it gets crowded. Their driveway is too small to accommodate trucks. Trucks can't turn around in the lot. It looks like the roadway is being narrowed which reduces escape routes for motorists in emergencies. We need a left turn lane south onto Cliff Street. Don't block accesses to businesses. Who will maintain the vegetated areas shown on the plans? I don't like the idea of an LID for this project. David McCulloch - I support the interim striping plan with a left turn at McPherson if the bike lane between Thomas and McPherson can be kept open. The median with two left turn pockets is a compromise already since the State didn't want any turn pockets. You should look into the details of the cross walk design to ensure they aze safe. Citv Council Workshop Page 4 October 22. 2007 Shirlev Rudolf (McPherson Associates Buildine) -Why does the State want the Council to take action for the interim striping plan? Scott Walker -You could make the north bound tum pocket at Cliff Street smaller and add a second turn pocket to the south. Jim Blair (Urgent Care Facility, Madrona Building) - We need ingress and egress to and from Sims Way to allow patients and ambulances to exit our facility and go to the hospital. You could shorten the median west of Howard to accomplish this. Hank Sukert (Roadhouse Restaurant) -Didn't the State say that if traffic counts were under 25,000 ADT they did not require a median? If it is our option then we should not include the median. Council Questions Michelle Sandoval - I just want to confirm that WSDOT requires the elimination of the angled pazking (neaz McPherson Street) for the interim striping? Staff Response (Dave Peterson): Yes. Catherine Robinson -Please clarify the median issue, is it required by WSDOT? Staff Response IRick Senler): - It is correct that a median may not be required for a state highway with less than 25,000 ADT, however, this is high accident corridor already. The median helps reduce the number of conflict points that cause accidents. Even now we can't really get 25,000 ADT on Sims. The cazs just don't fit. Laurie Medlicott -What about the access and turn-outs for Jefferson Transit? Staff Resnonse (David Peterson) - We will be meeting with Transit to go over their concerns and ideas as we refine the design. Curtis Stacev (Jefferson Transit) - We tend to like pairs of stops on opposite sides of the road although that isn't a necessity. We moved the stop to in front of the Jiffy Lube and it seems to work well. People seem to like that area. If you allowed a left turn south onto Cliff Street, we would have to move the bus stop shown on the plan further to the west. Overall it looks good to me. Citv Council Workshop Paoe 5 October 22. 2007