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HomeMy WebLinkAboutComments PLANNER 11/17/2008 Message Page 1 of5 L1MBIRD Andrew From: GRILE Bill Sent: Monday,.,November 17, 2008 11 :45 AM To: GRIMALDI Gino; SMITH Susan; BOYATT Tom; DONOVAN James; PAULY Unda; L1MBIRD Andrew ' Subject: ENTERPRISE CAR RENTAL I'm going to bite my tongue and stay out of this unless the Mayor asks me to jump back in, but I'd like you all to keep this in perspective when George Greer etal start talking about redeveloping East Main St. to increase densities, etc. We will all grow old(er) and grey(er) waiting for access issues to get sorted out with ODOT before that ever happens. . This particular access issue has been reasonably vetted but the dance continues. . Let's see: How man~ new job~ are associated with this small project? Argh. I'm going to go find my Prozac before I think about this much more. ...Bill From: Michael Kaiser [mailto:mkaiser@poage.net] . Sent: Monday, Nove'mber 17, 2008 11:05 AM To: LANGE Jeffrey R, Cc: WARREN.David;CANTRELL Edward W; UMBIRD Andrew Subject: Re: . Jeffrey, I am a little frustrated with this process. I understand you are trying to manage the State Highway system and make it as, safe as possible. However, why are you trying to manage the 44th Street access? An ODOT requirement to elimin'ate parking on the east side of 44th will impact adjacent property owners and not just this applicant. I appreciate the suggestion that maybe the access on 44th won't work and I am working with JRH Transportation Engin'~ering to verify what is needed to allow a WB-67 vehicle to access the site from 44th. However, this is not \he.same approach design that was shown on the original application. In the original application we were using the existing approach that was about 23.4 feet wide (bottom) with 6' wings. Now it is 34.0 feet wide (bottom) with 9' wings. I sent the current design to JRH prior to submitting to ODOT and they did not suggest anything:about parking elimination on 44th. But whether it can or can't should not be ODOTS problem. 44th is a City street that ODOT does not have control over, or at least shouldn't .If a truck were to go down 44th and not be abie to get into the site, what concern is that of ODOT? I am confused with ODOTs priorities. In our August 6, 2008 meeting with ODOT and City staff (at Springfield Development office), ODOT staff suggested we use 44th Street for a truck loading/unloading zone. Now ODOT seems concerned we can't get into the site from 44th. This is after considerable cost to the applicant spent proving that once on the site we couldn't get o,ut of th~ site. ODOT did not seem concerned with the inadequacy of the 44th access when requiring us to close the Main Street access, so why the concern now? I will let you know what I discover from JRH. Sincerely, . Mike --- Original Message --- From: LANGE Jeffrev R To: Michael Kaiser: Cc: WARREN David; CANTRELL Edward W; L1MBIRD Andrew Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 9:~8 AM Date Received: /If.wl1a''' Planner: AL 12/2/2008 Message Page 20f 5 Mike, Ed Cantrell with our Roadway Unit commented under the prior application review that a WB-67 could not make the movements necessary to access the site via 44th Street unless the on street parking on the east side was eliminated. The on street parking will need to be eliminated as a condition of approval or you will need to provide turning templates showing how the WB-67 is able to access the site. Please work with Ed if you feel you are able to show how a WB-67 can access the site with the on-street parking. Per your other e-mail questions, a lowered sidewalk/dustpan type design can be used to construct the right-out approach. If you can submit completed plans as soon as possible we will be able to process your application more quickly. ODOT will need to receive and approve plans incorporating all of the requested design elements prior to issuing a construction permit. Thanks, Jeffrey Lange, ODOT Access Coordinator 644 A' Street Springfield, OR 97477 phone: (541)744-8080 From: Michael Kaiser [mailto:mkaiser@poage.net] Sent: Friday, November 14, 2008 4:28 PM To: LANGE Jeffrey R Cc: WARREN David; CANTRELL Edward W; UMBIRD Andrew Subject: Re: Springfield Enterprise Rent-A-Car Access Design <new Kaiser app 8988) Jeff, I will check with the owner and Enterprise but I think all of the iiems are okay, with the exception of the parking elimination on 44th Street. I am not sure if the City can do that nor do I think that they should. That is essentially parking that would be associated with the adjacent property owner on the other side of the street. I will check with JRH to see if we can do a simple modification with the 44th street approach and/or the site layout (for vehicle storage) that would enable the WB-67 vehicle to enter the site without elimination of the 44th street parking. I also sent an e-mail to the City to see what their thoughts were on being able to eliminate parking on the east side. '1 will let you know what I find out. Also, for the record, Andrew Umbird is the City planner on this project now and not Molly Markarian. He is included in the CC.. Thanks, Mike Michael J. Kaiser, PE 56363 POAGE ENGINEERING & SURVEYING. INC. PH 541/485-4505 FAX 541/485-5624 E-MAIL mkaiser@poage.net P.O. BOX 2527 EUGENE, OR 97402-Q152 990 aBlE ST. - Original Message - From: LANGE Jeffrev R To: Michael Kaiser Cc: WARREN David; CANTRELL Edward W; mmarkarian(Q)cLsorinafield.or.us Sent: Friday, November 14, 2008 12:09 PM 12/2/2008 Date Received: 1~1kf" Planner: AL Message Page 3 of5 Subject: Springfield Enterprise Rent-A-Car Access Design (new Kaiser app 8988) Hi Mike, I discussed your concerns with the Traffic Manager and Roadway Designer and they have agreed to modify ODOT's prior design requirements to facilitate your design vehicle. Please incorporate the following design elements into your plans and submit the completed plans to ODOT for our review and approval. _ . Construct a directional approach for right-out only with sufficient width to accommodate the exiting design vehicle. . The approach can be a lowered sidewalk design and must meet all ADA standards. . Install "Do Not Enter" signs facing Main Street traffic. . Install "Truck Exit Only" & "Right Turn Only" signs for exiting trucks.. . Install a lockable gate on the private property that will remain closed except to allow trucks to exit. The design must incorporate a gate, a chain or.bollards will not be sufficient. . ODOT's prior review concluded that to make the movement needed to get a WB-67 onto the site the parking on the easterly side of 44th Street would need to be eliminated. ODOT approval of the right-out approach will be conditioned upon the City approval of removing the 44th Street east side parking. . Onsite striping will not be required Please contact me if you have questions. Thanks, Jeffrey Lange, ODOr Access Coordinator 644 A' Street 'Springfield, OR 97477 phone: (541) 744-8080 From: Michael Kaiser [mailto:mkaiser@poage.net] Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2008 12:26 PM To: LANGE Jeffrey R Subject: Re: Springfield Enterprise Rent-A-Car Access <new Kaiser app 8988) Jeff, Thanks for your response. I think the only thing we have a problem with doing is the mountable curb on Main Street. I had intended to make the plan address all the other items, more or less. I believe traffic flow on Main Street would be better served without the mountable curb for two reasons. First it presents a problel11 for trucks leaving our site and entering Main Street. The mountable curb will cause trucks to enter Main at a much slower speed than without a mountable curb. As you can see in the attached pdf images, the transport truck only has a clearance of about 5 inches. Even if it were a regular semi truck with more clearance, I would wonder about the safety of proposing to enter a fair1y busy road while dropping from a mountable curb and trying to keep in the right lane. The mountable curb wilrrock the transport vehicle and will likely scrape the curb or cause it to high center on the curb. The slow entering truck would present unsafe barriers to traffic flow while trying to manuever into the right <westbound) lane of Main Street. Without the mountable curb, trucks could enter the right lane sooner and with less interference of normal traffic flow. I wonder if there are other similar situations where mountable curbs were used (on busy highways/Main Streets) and found to be safe or unsafe. Does the mountable curb really help the overall situation or are we making a worse problem by trying to use it? It may deter some cars from trying to use it, mainly detering left turns into the site from eastbound traffic, but is that worth making it unsafe for trucks trying to enter Main Street from this site. I think the signs will deter most people: So for a very small percentage of people who will blatantly break the rules, we are making it unsafe for the actual intended user. Second, the mountable curb will present problems for people who, although they see the signs (Do Not Enter, Exit Only), may not see the mountable curb until too late and stop in traffic to maneuver over the curb. The signs alone will keep most people from trying to use the access as an entrance. Also, most others would be '. . Date t~eceived: If/?<Je7F' . Planner: AL /. 12/2/2008 Message Page 4 of 5 detered by its narrow width and design (angle to Main) not seeing adequate room for two way traffic. Instead the mountable curb only seems to add safety concerns for when it is used by those for whom it is intended and by those who are breaking the rules to use it. I did not include "Truck" in the exit only sign because it didn't seem that critical to me for the relatively small number of vehicles that will be using it on a daily basis. The same number of vehicles will be entering Main Street from 44th Street just 157 feet to the east, should they not use this exit. I am not sure if that is better for traffic or worse, just looking at where other accesses to Main Street are located, including flow from S. 44th Street and the businesses across Main Street. South 44th Street (on south side of Main) is located between our alternate access, 44th Street (on the north side of Main), and the proposed access to Main. Therefore the auto traffic we introduce to Main Street will either enter to the east of or to the west of S. 44th Street. I am not sure that will make any difference one way of the other. For entrance onto Main in general I would agree thatdt is easier to do from 44th street, but with the relatively small amount of traffic exiting the site, it just doesn't seem like something to make an issue over. So that said, we will add "Truck" to the "Exit Only" sign even though I am not convinced that it will have any positive or negative impact to traffic on the state highway. If it doesn't matter to ODOT either, we would prefer leaving the "Truck" part off from the sign but will do it if ODOT feels it necessary after reconsidering my argument to leave off. There is an right arrow shown on the plan. Did you need something more for on site striping? Please let me know what you think about my position regarding the proposed access and ODOT requirements. I did try to look at this from an objective point of view and identify any possible concerns there. may be with the proposed access. I certainly do not pretend to have all the answers or know what is best for the State Highway system and would welcome any insight you have on these matters in regards to this specific application. Sincerely, Mike Michael 1. Kaiser, PE 56363 POAGE ENGINEERING & SURVEYING. INC. PH 541/485-4505 FAX 541/485-5624 E-MAIL mkaiser@poage.net P.O. BOX 2527 EUGENE. OR 97402-0152 990 OBIE ST. -- Original Message -- From: LANGE Jeffrev R To: mkaiserla)[1oaqe.net Cc: WARREN David; LINER Duane.....!; SANTOS Dennis N ; DETERING Lvnn Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2008 10:49 AM Subject: Springfield Enterprise Rent-A-Car Access (new Kaiser app 8988) Mike, ODOT'has received your new approach application for the proposed Enterprise Rent-A-Car site at 4396 Main Street. Per our phone conversation this morning ODOT is requesting that you design the right-out only approach to incorporate the following: . A mountable curb design with. a full height sidewalk at the approach. . A directional approach for right-out only with sufficient width to accommodate the trucks exiting . "Do Not Enter" sign facing traffic that may try to enter from the highway . "Truck Exit Only" sign for exiting vehicles. , . . On site striping reflecting a right-out only. Please contact me if you have questions. Date! Received: /0rO.f' Planner: AL 12/2/2008 Message Page 5 of5 Thanks, Jeffrey Lange, ODOT Access Coordinator 644 A' Street Springfield, OR 97477 phone: (541) 744-8080 ~ Ril he .~ Date Received: /;I;/~ Planner: AL 12/2/2008