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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/04/2008 Work Session City of Springfield Work Session Meeting MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION MEETING OF THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4,2008 The City of Springfield Council met in a work session in the Library Meeting Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday, February 4,2008 at 5:37 p.m., with Mayor Leiken presiding. AITENDANCE Present were Mayor Leiken and Councilors Lundberg, Wylie, Ballew, and Pishioneri. Also present were Assistant City Manager Jeff Towery, City Attorney Joe Leahy, City Attorney Matt Cox, City Recorder Amy Sowa and members of the staff. Councilors Ralston and Woodrow were absent (excused). 1. Pioneer Parkway EmX 30 % Design Corridor Review. Transportation Manager Tom Boyatt presented the staff report on this item. He introduced the following people: Stefano Viggiano, Assistant General Manager from Lane Transit District (LTD); Lisa VanWinkle, Assistant to the Project and Public Outreach (LTD); Charlie Simmons, Project Manager (LTD); Jeff Lange, Project Leader from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT); and Ramona Cline, Assistant District Manager (ODOT). He also acknowledged the following people who were in the audience: Jack Gonsalves, from Parsons BrinckerhoffUSA and Brian McCarthy, landscape architect. Mr. Boyatt said that LTD had submitted thirty percent plans for the Parkway EmX project. City and ODOT staff had reviewed the submittal and identified key issues that were further explained in Attachment A, Council Briefing Memo, in the agenda packet. LTD and City staff would present project design, discuss key issues, and answer questions about the project. This review was anticipated to be the final Council review prior to completing design and constructing the project. On November 6, 2006 Council again endorsed the Pioneer Parkway EmX Environmental Assessment Locally Preferred Alternative for design, and ultimately for construction. This corridor is the second phase of bus rapid transit implementation in the metro area, and will connect downtown to Gateway including RiverBend Medical Center, Gateway Mall and the growing employment center on International Way. Council directed that the design and construction of the new EmX facility be reviewed and approved using the City's Public Improvement Project (PIP) process. Council further directed staff from both jurisdictions to pay close attention to the impacts of the new EmX facility on the existing built environment, particularly any impacts to private properties, loss of on-street parking, and changes to the Pioneer Parkway median and median landscaping. The purpose of Council's 30% Plans corridor review is to highlight the proposed treatment of these and other issues along the corridor. Next steps will be for LID to submit 70% Plans to staff, iron out any final details, and then prepare a 100% Plan Set for City PIP approval. Following PIP approval City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes February 4,2008 Page 2 by the City Engineer, the project would begin construction. Construction is anticipated to occur in 2009 and 2010. Mr. Boyatt said that phase I of the EmX project went into service January 2007. Phase II would be a continuation of the route from the Springfield Station north, over to Eugene and back to Springfield. He discussed the funding sources for this project. The EmX team began the design and review process about a year ago. The City had representatives to address Springfield issues and they also made sure the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) was part of the review process. He thanked Civil Engineer Kristi Krueger for leading that project. He noted that the process was similar to the project improvement plan (PIP) process. He referred to the council briefing memorandum in the agenda packet and the issues that were outlined in that memo. Mr. Viggiano said they would work through this quickly enough to allow Council time to ask questions. He said Lisa VanWinkle would discuss the property contacts, Brian McCarthy would discuss the median treatments, and Charlie Simmons, Project Manager, would discuss design engineering and Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) issues. Mr. Viggiano gave a brief history of the EmX project and the choice for this corridor. They had held open houses, sent out mailings, had environmental screenings, and had contacted property owners. The main issues remaining were around Gateway and Harlow Roads. The design shown tonight was consistent with the locally preferred alternative (LP A). He thanked City staff for working through those issues. He discussed the funding for this project. Mr. Viggiano presented a power point presentation on this phase of the EmX project. It showed the direct connection to Gateway from the existing route. Phase 2 would include fourteen new stations, some through mixed traffic, and some in exclusive lanes. He discussed the frequency of the buses and said it would likely be set at a fifteen minute frequency. He referred to the Franklin Corridor and the success with the first phase. The power point showed the route on a large map. He discussed future legs of this route into Eugene and over to Coburg Road. He referred to the schedule starting December 2006 through the Fall of 20 10 when the system would be operational. Businesses in this area were anxious to get this system completed. L TD would be using a project manager to get it built. Councilor Wylie asked about the public art selection and noted that the Arts Commission had some sculptures that had been donated to them. She asked if anyone from this project had contacted the Arts Commission about those sculptures. Mr. Viggiano said he believed they had been contacted. An art committee would be formed to determine what art would be included in this phase of the EmX. Councilor Ballew asked about eastern routes. Mr. Viggiano said that would be discussed during the Joint LTD Board/City Council meeting scheduled for February 25. Councilor Lundberg confirmed that tonight would be Council's opportunity to provide input and make decisions about the design to this point. Once they got past thirty percent, things were more set. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes February 4,2008 Page 3 Mr. Viggiano said that was correct. At thirty percent, design issues would be settled. Engineering issues would be addressed later. If Council felt comfortable with the thirty percent design, LTD would move forward. Council could review it later, but it would be more expensive to change design later. Mr. Towery said that if at the end of the meeting, more time was needed by Council to sort through the issues so they felt more comfortable with the design, Council could ask to have L TD and staff come back at a future meeting to make their decision. It was important that Council had adequate time to get their questions answered and felt comfortable with their decision. Mr. Boyatt said City staff would be reviewing the plans between the thirty percent and seventy percent and the final review of one hundred percent before issuing any permits to LTD. Issues would be resolved at the stafflevel, but if transportation staff couldn't resolve the issues, they would go to City Manager Gino Grimaldi and Mark Pangborn, LTD's General Manager. Councilor Lundberg said this was the first time she had seen it laid out to resolve issues. She said it was notable they were at this point. Mayor Leiken asked about federal dollars, and if there was a timeline when the federal government could pull the funding. Mr. Viggiano said as long as the funds were obligated within three years, they could spend the money after the three years. Mr. Viggiano introduced Ms. VanWinkle. Ms. Van Winkle distributed two pages to the Mayor and Council showing the current list of property contacts that had been made since summer of 2007 and a map of those properties. Those contacted were people impacted by the service going by their property. She discussed the information on the two documents and summarized reactions from the individuals contacted. She discussed those reactions. She discussed those properties that had issues and concerns and how those were addressed. None of the reactions were negative and the majority of contacts made were positive. There would continue to be ongoing communications with property owners, tenants and the general public. Councilor Lundberg asked where the Justice Center was in relationship to the route. Mr. Leahy noted the location. Councilor Pishioneri noted several residential lots on the south side. He asked about their reactions and if they had been contacted. Ms. Van Winkle said some contacts were made, ll;nd L TD would be re-contacting them. There were no concerns that she was aware of from those citizens. Councilor Pishioneri asked if the residents living in apartments or duplexes along the route had been contacted. Mr. Viggiano said for the multiple housing units, the owners had been contacted and there was a mailing sent out to the residents asking for their concerns. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes February 4, 2008 Page 4 Mr. Boyatt discussed the configuration ofthis route near the residential lots, and noted that most fronted on the cross streets. Councilor Pishioneri said it would be wise to contact the actual residents rather than just the owners. Councilor Lundberg referred to the list and asked about the G Group. Ms. VanWinkle said she had a call into Mr. Smith and she would be working with the G Group. Councilor Lundberg said there was still an issue of the items that had not been resolved. There were enough properties that still had outstanding issues that needed to be contacted. She asked about the issues with the El Charro Restaurant. Ms. Van Winkle referred to the contact list and said those highlighted in yellow had been spoken with, but decisions were still in process. Councilor Lundberg asked where in the design the location of the stations fell. Mr. Viggiano said there was only one station that was not yet finalized and that was at the El Charro Restaurant. There were still discussions about the location of that station. They were exploring a location to the west to resolve that issue. All the other stations were fixed in this design. Mr. Boyatt said staff would look for a station location that would provide the safest location for the system and the crossing of pedestrians while weighing in with the adjacent property owners. All those things needed to be balanced. Councilor Lundberg asked for clarification on what Council would be approving. Mr. Boyatt said they would be approving the thirty percent design presented. There was only one station location, that in front of El Charro' s that could be changed. Councilor Pishioneri asked about the driveways going into El Charro' s. Discussion was held regarding the driveway location. Ms. Van Winkle turned the presentation over to Brian McCarthy, landscape architect. Mr. McCarthy said in the thirty years he had worked in this area, he had authored the Comprehensive Plan for Willamalane Parks and Recreation District, and had worked on many sites in Springfield, including the Springfield Station. He was aware of Springfield issues. As this project unfolded, he found that the character of Pioneer Parkway was of high importance and that it remain as a parkway. He intended to provide a design that emphasized safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, cars and trucks and enhanced aesthetics. He wanted it to be comprehensive. In many cases, he was able to enhance the landscaping. He referred to Attachment B, page lOin the agenda packet and other drawings in the Council packet. He City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes February 4, 2008 Page 5 discussed the trees that currently existed, and would remain, along the parkway. He discussed the trees that would be added, and those that would be removed or impacted by the constructed. Mr. McCarthy discussed pedestrian buffers that could include physical and landscape barriers. He referred to the station area lighting and lighting further along the parkway so people could see when walking or biking that the bus station was near. Because the City would like lighting all along the pathway, conduit and junction boxes were being added to allow additional lighting in the future. He discussed the artwork. L TD may look at using art at and away from the stations. He discussed path crossing and the issues surrounding those crossings. He explained how those issues were being addressed. He discussed the review of this design by City and L TD staff. This crossing was still an area that continued to be discussed and refined. They needed to have visual and audible ways for citizens to know there was a crossing. He explained why drop down arms were not being considered. Councilor Pishioneri asked if there was enough sanctuary for a pedestrian if they inadvertently found themselves walking along the EmX guideway and a bus started to drive their way. He was concerned because rails were to be installed along that guideway to keep pedestrians off the guideway. He asked how long the barrier went before there were any gaps. Mr. McCarthy addressed his questions. He said there would be little room between a bus and the barrier. The barrier went all the way to Centennial Boulevard. Mr. Viggiano said the bus drivers would have extensive training on safety and to watch particularly in this section for pedestrians. He felt the drivers would not let anything happen. Councilor Pishioneri said he was concerned that a person couldn't get out of the guideway if they inadvertently got in there. Mr. Viggiano said he felt there were a couple of feet for a pedestrian to get out of the way if needed. Councilor Lundberg said she was concerned there was no barricade at the crossing and people could wander into the bus guideway. She asked what consideration was given for barricade across the walkway. Mr. McMarthy said they would take that into consideration. Public Works maintenance used that path also, so a bollard that separated the crossing could be an issue. Mayor Leiken asked if the Portland Max system had something similar that worked. Mr. Gonsalves addressed that question because he had extensive experience with that system. Mr. Gonsalves said there were strategies. He discussed some of those strategies used in Portland, but noted they were in different circumstances and conditions. Because there were such long site distances along the Pioneer Parkway, pedestrian gates may not be necessary. Blinking lights . notifying people to look both ways at the crossing was an option. Mayor Leiken said a light with a trigger system could be the answer. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes February 4, 2008 Page 6 Mr. Gonsalves said it needed to be established who had the right-of-way in the crossing. There needed to be a sign or something to identify that pedestrians needed to stop. The frequency of the bus would be about five to ten minutes, so there would be ample time for pedestrians to get through the crossing. Mayor Leiken said he appreciated Councilor Pishioneri and Lundberg's questions because this was a different situation. He expected this section would move a lot of people. This was a test case and if there was information out there, it was important to use that information. Councilor Ballew asked about mature trees that would be removed and replaced. She wondered about the timing for growth of the new trees. Mr. McCarthy said they had tried to route the major route around the big trees. A lot of the trees that were coming out were less than five inches and young trees. They would be replaced with two inch trees. The gentleman who maintained the trees on Pioneer Parkway had told Mr. McCarthy that those trees had grown very quickly. Mr. McCarthy pointed out that the deciduous trees that would be the replacement trees met the guidelines for City trees. In some cases, such as areas that were narrow, they were looking at trees that had a strong center trunk and could be trimmed so they didn't grow out horizontally. He further described current tree strip regulations. They would be working from the list of trees the City used and also using native shrubs. Councilor Ballew asked about the watering system. Mr. McCarthy said at first they looked at this as having no irrigation system. Some existing systems would be damaged, however, and would be replaced. There were different standards between ODOT and the City, but it was best to have irrigation. Councilor Lundberg said she was not concerned about landscaping. The landscaping that had been done along the EmX corridor on Franklin Boulevard looked nice. The issue was that buses came every ten minutes, and she was concerned about pedestrians. She expressed concern about lighting along the pathway. Mr. McCarthy said staff had conveyed that concern to LTD. When the City first approached LID about adding lights, they were told ofa new standard oflights every seventy-five feet. To add those lights would add another $.5M to the project that wasn't budgeted. He eXplained how they were trying to put in as much lighting as possible and work together with the City to make it happen, including placing electric boxes along the routes where lights could later be added. Councilor Wylie said the Metro in Washington DC had lights flashing. She suggested lights and something audio announcing bus. Mr. Gonsalves noted the concern of having something loud near the neighbors. Mr. Boyatt said the idea of flashing lights would be explored. Bollards created additional fixed objects that could cause collisions. He discussed low raise barriers and the visual distance in that area. Councilor Lundberg asked about the distance from the barrier to the bus. City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes February 4, 2008 Page 7 Mr. McCarthy said the barrier would be between thirty-six and forty-two inches. There would be two types of barriers depending on the location. Mr. Boyatt noted that there were ten minutes left in the meeting. He asked Council if they would like staff to review some of the other issues quickly. Mayor Leiken referred to the intersection at Gateway. He asked how that was affected by the EmX. Mr. Boyatt said Gateway remained north and southbound and EmX would be in mixed traffic. The City would need to provide design data to LID to look for an opportunity for a bus-only lane that could go through the signal. Staff was focusing on an intersection solution. Mayor Leiken asked about having the EmX in mixed traffic and whether or not that defeated the purpose of the EmX. He asked why they didn't put exclusive lanes off of Royal Caribbean Way, with feeder busses from Gateway and to the EmX station. He was not sure an exclusive lane could be put down Gateway or Harlow Road. He asked if they had gone through the different scenanos. Mr. Viggiano said they had thought about the feeder bus idea. They found that with transfers, they lost a lot of ridership. The Gateway Mall was a major destination and they wanted to create connections to Gateway without transfers. They hoped that over time, they could work out some other options to get through the most congested areas. This is what the customers wanted. Cou~cilor Lundberg said she wasn't completely comfortable making a decision until all the property owners on the list were o.k. with this route. There were a lot of issues including big intersections, locations of stations, and pedestrians crossing Harlow Road and Gateway. She wanted more clarity about how the discussions with property owners highlighted in yellow were going. She didn't want to go forward until she knew people were comfortable and on board. She was looking forward to the project, but said there were still a lot of issues to be resolved. Mr. Viggiano said LID wanted Council to be comfortable. They would bring this back to Council as soon as possible. L TD would finish contacting the property owners and bring more information back to the Council. Mayor Leiken agreed and said that Council was not quite ready to agree to the thirty percent design. He appreciated the presentation and said it was very informative. This would be a good project once they go everything worked out. Mr. Towery outlined some options for a date for this to come back to Council. Mayor Leiken said coming in early on February 19 (5:30pm) would be the best option. Council thanked L TD for the presentation and information. ADJOURNMENT City of Springfield Council Work Session Minutes February 4,2008 Page 8 The meeting was adjourned at 7:04 pm. Minutes Recorder - Amy Sowa -sidneyW:-t;eiken Chris ~O~- Council President dberg Attest: ~ City Recorder