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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNB 1 TRAFF EVAL STDY 10-21-91Avia **6*-`* A -)I_,r)\ ATE: OCTOBER 4, 1991 TO: F HO«!: SUBJECT: WILLIAM A. HUSTON, CITY MANAGER NEW BUSINESS N0. 1 10-21-91 PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT/ENGINEERING DIVISION TRAFFIC EVALUATION STUDY - IMPACT OF CONVERTING THREE EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS IN EAST TUSTIN TO GATED COMMUNITIES (ALMERIA, MONTEREY, MARICOPA) RECOMMENDATIONS It is recommended that the City Council, at their meeting on October 21, 1991: 1. Provide the Almeria, Monterey, and Maricopa neighborhoods with a public forum explaining the traffic and financial implications of the proposed conversion of their neighborhoods to gated communities. 2. Deny the request to gate Parkcenter Lane, which serves as a public collector street. BACKGROUND The residents of the three neighborhoods (Almeria, Monterey, and Maricopa) have proposed various alternatives for the installation of unattended gates at locations within their neighborhoods, and the conversion of the streets in the neighborhoods to private streets. These proposals include installation of gates on Parkcenter Lane and conversion of Parkcenter Lane to a Private Street. The City of Tustin staff evaluated the proposals and, based on their initial assessment, developed conceptual designs for retrofitting the entrance streets to accommodate the installation of gates at the identified locations. In addition, City Staff directed the City's Traffic Engineering Consultant, BSI Consultants, Inc. to a) study the traffic issues associated with the concept of installing the proposed gates and the conversion of the streets to private streets; b) identify the traffic operations characteristics, and; c) prepare a report on their findings including appropriate recommendations. A copy of BSI's report is attached. DISCUSSION The traffic distribution under existing conditions is such that approximately 9% of the trips generated are considered internal to the three neighborhoods. The remaining 91% has the following historical patterns; 11-14% northbound, 28% eastbound, 22% southbound, and 30% westbound. The existing traffic operations characteristics and level of services are summarized in the Appendix of BSI's report under ICU calculations for individual critical intersections. In general, all the critical intersections analyzed are currently operating at acceptable level of services "C" or better. The community proposed improvements include gating individual neighborhoods or multiple neighborhoods in order to accomplish a residential gated community. The alternative solutions have been grouped as: Alternative 1 - No gates; Alternative 2A through 2D - Selective gating of individual neighborhoods and combined gating of multiple neighborhoods and; Alternative 3 - Gating of Parkcenter Lane. The traffic analysis of existing traffic operations and future traffic operations, considering development of a synagogue at the northwestern corner of Bryan Avenue and Parkcenter Lane as well as area -wide traffic increases, revealed that there was minimal. or insignificant traffic impact from Alternate 1 and Alternate 2. solutions, but that there was significant redistribution of traffic and traffic impacts with Alternate 3. Traffic impacts associated with the gating of Parkcenter Lane under cumulative conditions, including the synagogue, would reroute all traffic directed to the synagogue to the Bryan Avenue entrance, possibly necessitating a signal at that intersection, and would sever the General Plan concept of a collector street for the broader community. The gates as proposed for the individual neighborhoods do not meet the City of Tustin's minimum standards or those prescribed by the Orange County Environmental Management Agency for several geometric constraints. These are the following: Throat length/stacking length for ingress/egress vehicles Turning radii for the circular portions of the gate entrances Minimum width for the lanes to permit passing vehicles at the entrance From a Traffic Evaluation Study, individual gating of neighborhoods or the combined gating of individual neighborhoods poses no significant impact to the City of Tustin's transportation capabilities for the future. The gating of Parkcenter Lane, however, would significantly redistribute traffic and decrease future traffic capabilities in the East Tustin Ranch area. There are also significant costs and implications to the residents of the communities in terms of future maintenance and the inconveniences of unmanned gates to emergency and delivery vehicles, as well as visitors, that should be presented to the neighborhood for their consideration through a public forum on the gated community issue. Right-of-way acquisition and variance to minimum City design standards should also be discussed. Should the public forum result in continued support by neighborhood communities, it will be the responsibility of the Homeowners Associations to acquire finalized gate designs and locations. The Maricopa Tract would require finalizing gate design and final location as well as obtaining a variance from the City Council for deviation to City Design Standards for Gated Communities. The Almeria and Monterey Tracts would also have to go through a Vacation process as outlined in the State of California Streets and Highway Code to convert public streets into private streets as well as obtaining a variance from the City Council for deviation to City Design Standards for gated communities. Part of the Vacation process includes Public Hearings. Included within these considerations will be the issue of acquisition of additional right-of-way and reconstruction of the various streets to provide new gated entrances. It should also be noted that any variance in minimum design standards would require each affected Homeowner's Association to indemnify the city for any potential liabilities. CONCLUSIONS Based on the findings of the attached report, it is recommended that the City: 1) provide the Almeria, Monterey, and Maricopa neighborhoods with a public forum explaining the traffic and financial implications of the proposed conversion of their neighborhoods to gated communities; 2) deny the request to gate Parkcenter Lane, which serves as a public collector street. Robert S. Ledendecker Sandra L. Doubleday Director of Public Works/ Traffic Engineering Consultant City Engineer GCAGENDA.REP/DT TUS attachments