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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-06-2016 Item 11 Review Luneta Street General Plan & Neighborhood Traffic Issues Meeting Date: 9/6/2016 FROM: Daryl Grigsby, Public Works Director Prepared By: Jake Hudson, Transportation Manager SUBJECT: REVIEW LUNETA STREET GENERAL PLAN AND NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC ISSUES RECOMMENDATION 1. Authorize staff to evaluate an amendment to the General Plan eliminating the Luneta Street connection and return to the Planning Commission and City Council with a recommendation. 2. Authorize the use of $10,000 from 2015-16 General Fund carryover for the necessary traffic study and environmental assessment for a potential General Plan and EIR amendment. 3. Authorize the use of $25,000 from 2015-16 General Fund carryover for preliminary design & right of way services to analyze fire turn-around options on Luneta. DISCUSSION Development is currently being proposed at 71 Palomar, and is proceeding through the review and entitlement process. As part of that development, the Subdivision Regulations require construction of the property’s frontage to complete the remaining section of Luneta and provide enough width for the road connection to be opened to thru traffic. The connection is provided for in the City’s Circulation Element Figure 1 and this is the same requirement that has been conditioned upon and fulfilled by all other development on either side of Luneta. During the project review and hearing process, neighborhood residents have raised concerns about potential issues associated with the connection and have requested reconsideration. At its July 19th, 2016 meeting the City Council requested that staff return for discussion regarding a potential general plan amendment eliminating the Luneta Street connection. Staff has been in communication with neighborhood residents and attended a neighborhood meeting. In response to the neighborhood’s concerns and Council’s request, staff is proposing to proceed with the traffic study to inform future consideration of a General Plan amendment to eliminate the Luneta Street connection. Background The Luneta Street alignment and connection was first contemplated as part of the initial large lot subdivisions which established the neighborhoods south of Foothill Blvd in the 1950’s. In the 1970’s the City Council approved the subdivision of lots on the north half of Luneta Dr. At this 11 Packet Pg. 175 time, all of the north half of Luneta was constructed with the exception of the frontage adjacent to 71 Palomar. The developer was exempted from having to construct that piece because 71 Palomar was the remnant parcel of the subdivision and not proposed for development. In the 1980s, the Council approved the subdivision of residential lots on the south half of Luneta and that half of the planned street connection was constructed as those lots developed. Under the subdivision regulations, the properties across from 71 Palomar were also required to construct the last remaining piece on the north side. The developer unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate the purchase of that frontage from the Delta Tau Fraternity. The Council considered obtaining the necessary right of way through eminent domain or granting the developer an exception, allowing them to proceed without constructing the final piece of Luneta. Ultimately, the Council granted the exception and the developer constructed the south half of Luneta. When the south half of the road was completed sometime around 1987, it was opened to thru traffic with parking restricted. In 1994, while Luneta was opened to thru traffic on the completed south half, the City updated its General Plan. The Luneta connection was included in the Circulation Element at that time by being shown on Figure 1 of the Streets map. In 1995, the bollards that exist today were installed at the request of the fire department as part of a work order. In 2014 the City again updated its General Plan. Since there were no changes proposed for the Luneta connection it was carried forward from the 1994 General Plan into the current 2014 General Plan. The combination of General Plan policy and subdivision regulations are now triggering the frontage improvements and Luneta connection as part of the 71 Palomar development project. Consistent with current City Municipal Code and General Plan requirements, staff has included construction of the Luneta connection as a proposed condition of project approval. The proposed condition mirrors the condition previously imposed on the other parcels along this section of Luneta. However, the 71 Palomar project can still proceed through its review process separate from the proposed Luneta connection assessment. In order to separate these two processes there would be conditions on the 71 Palomar project to make an offer to dedicate right of way and deposit the amount of funds necessary to construct the frontage improvements that would otherwise be required under current policy as a through street. In the event the Council later determines, after appropriate traffic and circulation impact analysis, that a General Plan amendment to eliminate the connection is appropriate, the City could take action to ensure improvements consistent with project impact nexus. Policy Constraint: Circulation Element Volume Thresholds The primary policy issue associated with a potential General Plan amendment that needs to be addressed is the share of traffic volumes between Ramona and Luneta. Under the Circulation Element, the maximum daily volume for Ramona is 3,000, and the current volume on Ramona currently is approximately 4,000. The Maximum daily traffic volume for Luneta is 1,500, and the current volume on Luneta is approximately 300. Based on the traffic model used in the general plan update if the Luneta connection is completed as currently planned, it’s anticipated that volumes within the neighborhood would rebalance to levels closer to General Plan policy thresholds; 3,000 vehicles per day on Ramona and 1,300 vehicles per day on Luneta. If the 11 Packet Pg. 176 Luneta Connection is eliminated there may be policy conflicts and impacts to the neighborhood traffic volumes and circulation conclusions that assume the Luneta connection, which would need to be addressed in the course of review of a City initiated General Plan amendment process. The proposed traffic study will be primarily focused on formally forecasting the change of future traffic flows in the neighborhood and evaluating consistency with Circulation Element Policy 7.3, which establishes maximum traffic volume thresholds and speeds on the various classification of streets. If a General Plan amendment is recommended it likely would consist of modifications to Figure 1 of the Circulation Element and amendment of the proposed traffic study into the General Plan EIR, with any necessary findings, modifications or mitigations disclosed by the analysis. Below is a conceptual project plan & schedule for this potential general plan amendment: September Neighborhood Kick off Meeting October – January Traffic Study, Environmental Review, & Fire Access Analysis February-March Neighborhood Follow Up Meeting(s) March Finalize Findings & Recommendation April-May Planning Commission Review May-June City Council Review & Action Physical Constraint: Fire Department Turnaround Accommodating fire access requirements would need to be addressed as part of permanently eliminating the Luneta connection. Fire Department standards dictate that dead-end streets longer than 150’ in length require an approved turn around as shown in Figure 1 below. Permanent closure of Luneta would create a dead-end block length ranging from 500’ to 750’. The Fire Department has allowed the current configuration of Luneta (closure with bollards & no turn around) to exist to date because it has been considered a temporary condition until the remaining frontage of 71 Palomar is constructed. Typically Fire Department access standards would have to be satisfied when the street is put in its permanent configuration. Luneta has been planned as a thru connection and, as a result, the additional right of way necessary to construct a fire turn around was not acquired when properties in the area subdivided. Potential options for achieving a Fire Department turnaround range from the Fire Department granting an exception to the turnaround requirement or obtaining an access easement on a private driveway, which could be relatively inexpensive, up to acquiring right of way and constructing a turnaround as depicted in Figure 1 below, which would be very costly. 11 Packet Pg. 177 Figure 1: Types of Fire Turn Arounds The 71 Palomar project would only be legally obligated to dedicate the right of way and construct frontage improvements per the current plan and policy, which assumes the Luneta connection. Any additional right of way or easement acquisition, and construction costs associated with a fire turnaround, if the Luneta connection is eliminated, would be the City’s responsibility. City Public Works and Fire Department staff will work in conjunction with neighborhood residents to identify a preferred option for accommodating fire department access. Staff is recommending that the Council authorize $25,000 for preliminary design and right of way services to assist in evaluating fire turn around options. CONCURRENCES The Fire Department has reviewed the staff report and concurs with the staff recommendation. The Community Development Department has reviewed and concurs with the staff recommendations. The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed and concurs with the staff recommendations. FISCAL IMPACT The total cost for the proposed studies to evaluate of potential general plan amendment is estimated at $35,000, $10,000 for traffic studies and $25,000 to evaluate right of way and estimate construction costs for the required fire turn around. Staff is proposing to fund this cost from General Fund carryover. There is adequate funding for this allocation with savings that occurred in the 2015- 16 Fiscal Year. ALTERNATIVE Direct staff not to proceed with an evaluation of a general plan amendment eliminating the Luneta St. connection. The 71 Palomar project, if approved, would be required to fulfill its requirements, completing the Luneta St. Connection. 11 Packet Pg. 178 Luneta Drive 1950 & 60’sFirst SubdivisionsAlignments- Ramona- Luneta-Verde- SerranoTract 134 –Luneta curvature established to facilitate future connection toPalomar.09-06-2016 Presentation, Item 11 1970’sLuneta North HalfSubdivisionsNorth half of LunetaConstructed as Required by Subdivision Regs71 Palomar Frontage not required to be constructed under regsbecause it was original lot. (Not a Part)Reduced Original 71 PalomarLot09-06-2016 Presentation, Item 11 1970 - 90’sLuneta South HalfSubdivisionsSouth half of LunetaConstructed as Required by Subdivision RegsCouncil granted exceptions deferring construction of the north half along 71 Palomar09-06-2016 Presentation, Item 11 Late 1980’sSouth Half LunetaConstructedOpened to Thru traffic.09-06-2016 Presentation, Item 11 1994Circulation Element1995 Bollards installed at request of Fire Department09-06-2016 Presentation, Item 11 2014Circulation Element09-06-2016 Presentation, Item 11 General Plan Amendment: Policy ConstraintCurrent Neighborhood Traffic FlowGeneral Plan Buildout Neighborhood Traffic Flow09-06-2016 Presentation, Item 11 Current Neighborhood Traffic FlowMax. Volume: 3,000 ADTCurrent Volume: 4,000 ADTMax. Volume: 1,500 ADTCurrent Volume: 300 ADT09-06-2016 Presentation, Item 11 General Plan Amendment: Physical Constraint150’ +REQUIREMENT150’350’400’600’09-06-2016 Presentation, Item 11 Recommendations1. Authorize staff to evaluate an amendment to the General Plan eliminating the Luneta Street connection and return to the Planning Commission and City Council with a recommendation.2. Authorize the use of $10,000 from 2015-16 General Fund carryover for the necessary traffic study and environmental assessment for a potential General Plan and EIR amendment.3. Authorize the use of $25,000 from 2015-16 General Fund carryover for preliminary design & right of way services to analyze fire turn-around options on Luneta.TENTATIVE PROJECT SCHEDULESeptember: Neighborhood Kick off MeetingOctober – January: Traffic Study, Environmental Review, Fire Access AnalysisFebruary – March: Followup Neighborhood Meeting(s)March: Finalize Findings & RecommendationsApril – May: Planning CommissionMay – June: City Council Review & Action09-06-2016 Presentation, Item 11 PROCESS FOR KEEPING LUNETACLOSED09-06-2016 Presentation, Item 11 09-06-2016 Presentation, Item 11 1980 & 90’sLuneta South HalfSubdivisionsSouth half of LunetaConstructed as Required by Subdivision RegsCouncil granted exceptions deferring construction of the north half along 71 PalomarLuneta opened to thru traffic on the south half in early to mid 1990’s. Then closed due limited street width.Reduced Original 71 PalomarLot09-06-2016 Presentation, Item 11 ~1 min. 50 Sec~2 min. 30 Sec~2 min. 45 SecCut-thru Traffic09-06-2016 Presentation, Item 11 09-06-2016 Presentation, Item 11 09-06-2016 Presentation, Item 11 1970’sLuneta North HalfSubdivisionsNorth half of LunetaConstructed as Required by Subdivision Regs71 Palomar Frontage not required to be constructed under regsbecause it was original lot.Reduced Original 71 PalomarLot09-06-2016 Presentation, Item 11