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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 2001 1003 CC REG ITEM 10AITEM 1(9-4. Tr! � (II/T GIGO tS77���T�'1� ISG n oppOSt an W= OP7 017 i. , emu. r. -r- 1-T v i LJr, MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL i2en v l2eque.bnn PvaLic t! !/V AGENDA REPORT r"D TO: Honorable City Council FROM: Wayne Loftus, Director of Community Developmentzoc Prepared by: John Libiez, Planning Manager /Advanced DATE: September 26, 2001 (CC Meeting of 10/03/01) SUBJECT: CONSIDER LETTER TO VENTURA COUNTY RELATING TO PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS TO AGGREGATE MINING OPERATIONS IN UNINCORPORATED VENTURA COUNTY FOR GRIMES ROCK (CUP 4874), BEST ROCK PRODUCTS (CUP 4171) AND WAYNE J. SAND AND GRAVEL (CUP 4571); COUNTY OF VENTURA BACKGROUND Grimes Rock, Best Rock, and Wayne J. Sand and Gravel located in unincorporated area of Ventura County between Moorpark and Fillmore provide aggregate resources from operating mineral extraction sites within the City of Moorpark Area of Interest. Grimes Rock and Best Rock have mining sites located adjacent to Grimes Canyon Road (SR -23) southerly and proximate to the City of Fillmore. Wayne J. operates a mineral extraction site northerly of Broadway just north of the Moorpark City limits off of Fruitvale (This was the original Quality Rock mining site) . Each mineral extraction site is operated subject to provisions of a reclamation plan and Conditional Use Permit approved and administered by Ventura County, consistent with State Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA) provisions.. These aggregate producers are now proposing to increase their mining operations that will create additional truck trips, most of which are proposed to travel through the City of Moorpark. DISCUSSION At its September 19, 2001, meeting City Council considered a staff report concerning potential impacts and pending County action on permit modification requests for aggregate mining operations within the Moorpark Area of Interest, and directed staff to prepare a written response to the County of Ventura M:\ JLibiez\ M\ AgencyRevs \AggregateCCstfRpt10.3.0l.doc L�l00 -Il,01 41 Aggregate Mining Permit Modifications Letter October 3, 2001 Page 2 Resource Management Agency for use in the environmental and conditioning processes. Staff has prepared the attached letter for City Council consideration. The letter presents the need for expansion of the environmental analysis and provides suggestions for conditions to be applied to the modifications of the appropriate permits. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Direct Staff as deemed appropriate. Attachment: Letter to County RMA Regarding Aggregate Mines October 3, 2001 Mr. Chris Stevens, Planning Director Ventura County Resource Management Agency 800 South Victoria Avenue L #1740 Ventura, CA, 93009 RE: Major Modification to Conditional Use Permit 4874 (Grimes Rock, Inc.); and, Modification No. 3 to Conditional Use Permit 4171 (Best Rock Products Corporation) Dear Mr. Stevens, The City of Moorpark has completed its analysis of the subject Conditional Use Permit Modification applications and traffic study. These items were presented and discussed before the City Council on September 19, 2001, at their request. This letter provides comments relative to the consideration of the changes to the cited permits and addresses traffic and safety issues of concern to the City of Moorpark. The operations and environmental consequences of mineral extraction uses within the City of Moorpark Area of Interest upon the City due to traffic and related transport issues has been a matter of long standing concern as expressed by the City Council and staff on several occasions. The following comments are provided to assist county staff in preparation of responses to the applications and the environmental issues. In the interest of brevity, issues are identified and comments offered to enable you and your staff to focus environmental assessments and conditioning for the projects. • Passenger Car Equivalencies (PCEs) : The traffic study identifies the use of PCEs as a measure of traffic impact upon the haul routes to which truck trips have been assigned. A truck headed to Fillmore in the morning is credited as three (3) PCEs. The same commercial truck bound for Moorpark at any other time of the same day would be valued at two (2) PCEs. The use of different PCE values is questionable since the truck has not changed its value in length, bulk or weight as defined by the study's assumptions. M:\ JLibiez\ M\ AgencyRevs \GrimesRockMajModBest RockModLtr9.25.01.doc ,0 0 r''0 S1I CUP -4874 (GRIMES ROCK, INC.) MAJOR MODIFICATION CUP -4171 (BEST ROCK PRODUCTS CORPORATION MINOR MODIFICATION 3 September 25, 2001 PAGE 2 This skews the data and creates a false impression of reduced impacts. The manner in which the PCE values are derived is not clear in the study. What is the basis for the determination of the equivalency? The measurable factors used to reach the conclusion of the equivalency should be included in the traffic analysis and any authoritative reference in support of the conclusion incorporated. • Missing or omitted data: The traffic report does not include quantitative data on the impacts of San Cristabol and TMC mining on the haul routes. The traffic report while intended to focus on the three referenced permits is inadequate due to this omission. While not a part of the applications under review the relationship of all aggregate /mineral producers and haulers should be clearly identified and discussed in the truck traffic impact analysis. Data within the executive summary and the report body do not agree as to the total trips per day requested by the three quarries. The quarries are requesting permission to exceed the daily trip totals by as many as 140 trips per day and that discussion is absent from the executive summary. This would result in corresponding increases in peak hour trips. Actual trip counts will be higher in morning hourly periods than afternoon hourly periods due to the nature of the mineral extraction service needs and should be reflected in the report and quantified. No actual counts appear to have been done to verify this condition and should be done before final analysis is complete. • Haul Routes: The County of Ventura defines proposed haul routes for the delivery of mining operation materials. Two routes have been designated. These are the Northern and Southern haul routes. The Northern route leaves the designated production facilities and proceeds north on Grimes Canyon Road (SR -23) to Highway 126 in the City of Fillmore. The Southern route departs the facilities and follows Grimes Canyon Road south to Broadway, east on Broadway to Walnut Canyon Road, south on Walnut Canyon Road to its transition as Moorpark Avenue, Moorpark Avenue to 00G-1 'AL 61 CUP -4874 (GRIMES ROCK, INC.) MAJOR MODIFICATION CUP -4171 (BEST ROCK PRODUCTS CORPORATION MINOR MODIFICATION 3 September 25, 2001 PAGE 3 SR -118, SR -118 to Spring Road, Spring Road to East (old) Los Angeles Avenue to the existing Ready Mix concrete plant. The County also allows for "local delivery" routes, but has not provided a clear definition for these routes other than they utilize local streets and the two described basic haul routes to deliver products to community areas. Under a previous application for Permit Adjustment granted by the County Planning Director, and objected to by Moorpark, the Grimes Rock use of Grimes Canyon Road and SR 118, was determined to require creation of a left turn lane and traffic control measures. It was felt that this need exacerbated traffic conditions at that intersection and along the SR 118 corridor and would create unsafe conditions. This haul route segment was abandoned and trips reassigned to Walnut Canyon Road. This was not an issue recognized by the County Public Works Department in a response letter to the City regarding special improvement requirements for Grimes Canyon Road and the SR 118 related to impacts of a Minor Modification to the CUP, Tract 4928 (Toll Brothers /Bolling.er's Moorpark Country Club Estates), and RPD after an EIR had been certified and the project approved. No additional impacts were created by the Minor Modification, however, adjustments to circulation design and layouts were required in order for the developer to acquire an encroachment permit even though previous responses to the EIR and applications by the County were mute on that issue and a nexus is not clearly demonstrated. Grimes Canyon Road should be reinstated as a portion of the Southern route and impact fees /improvement fees should be assessed to the mine operators to provide a necessary share of signal and lane improvements on Grimes Canyon Road and Highway 118. • Impacts: The shifting of the truck trips from Grimes Canyon Road to Walnut Canyon Road has increased impacts within the City. Physical conditions along the route are different today than when the first permits were approved. The route passes two elementary schools, the civic center, the downtown commercial district, the senior center, major commercial centers and single and multiple family housing projects. Walnut Canyon Road is every bit as curving, narrow, impacted by intersections and cross traffic as Grimes Canyon Road. Safety CUP -4874 (GRIMES ROCK, INC.) MAJOR MODIFICATION CUP -4171 (BEST ROCK PRODUCTS CORPORATION MINOR MODIFICATION 3 September 25, 2001 PAGE 4 impacts are greater on Walnut Canyon Road due to mix of school traffic, buses, pedestrian, and commercial uses which share the roadway with the trucks. While the mining use peak period may differ from most other users, a more detailed discussion of the overlap of the truck trips into commuter peak periods, school traffic peak periods and shopping peak periods must be evaluated to gain a true perspective as to the total impact created. The assignment of trips along the southern route indicates that an increase of almost 60a above current levels can be expected on a routine basis. This does not include the opportunity for maximum load days, which could add as many as 140 additional trips in any one day. The analysis does not appear to clearly identify and evaluate that difference. Currently aggregate and mining transit occurs Monday through Friday. The permit requests would add Saturday to the permissible haul periods. The City objects to the additional truck trips on Saturdays when many sports, civic events, commercial shopping trips, recreational pursuits, charitable activities and respite from the weekly truck impacts for residents along the corridor occur. The increased truck activity will result in additional pavement damage and warping (rutting) of the asphalt surfaces and distortion to rail crossings. The mining uses should contribute to road maintenance and facilities repairs related to the level generated by these trips. The mining operators should contribute mitigation fees on an ongoing basis for State Route 23 and State Route 118 as well as local roadways (Spring Road and Los Angeles Avenue east of Spring Road) affected by the assigned route. The increased trip generati to noise and air quality. appropriate mitigation fees The mining uses should construction of sound walls the haul route. on will create additional impacts Mining operators should provide to address air quality impacts. provide funding or physical for residential uses adjacent to • Relationship to Other Traffic Analysis: Several traffic assessment studies have been prepared for various residential projects which contribute trips along the Walnut Canyon Road corridor (SR -23), Moorpark Avenue (SR -23), CUP -4874 (GRIMES ROCK, INC.) MAJOR MODIFICATION CUP -4171 (BEST ROCK PRODUCTS CORPORATION MINOR MODIFICATION 3 September 25, 2001 PAGE 5 Spring Road, and Los Angeles Avenue (SR 118) . The conclusions as to impacts at key intersections over a build out period through 2010 to 2020 do not appear consistent with those previous reports which the author of the traffic report has been referred copies previously. The analysis should include a submittal and run of the City traffic model. • Suggested Mitigation Measures /Conditions 1. Applicants shall contribute a proportional share of the costs for school crossing guards at intersections affected by the truck trips resulting from use of the southern haul route. 2. Mineral /aggregate operators shall contribute on -going maintenance fees for State Routes 23 and 118 and local arterial roadways affected by the mineral transport activities. 3. Mineral /aggregate operators shall participate in sound wall construction to reduce impacts to single family and multiple family residences affected by transit along the haul route. 4. Transport vehicles shall not use "fake brake' /engine exhaust retardation systems within the city limits. 5. Mineral /aggregate operators shall contribute a mitigation fee for air quality impacts within the southern haul route area that shall be utilized within that area for traffic and air quality improvements. 6. Mineral /aggregate operators shall contribute fees to support the CHP safety inspection costs for trucks and to offset increased patrol costs. 7. Mineral/ aggregate operators shall participate in signal improvements at all intersections impacted by the truck traffic generated and shall participate in the construction of lane improvements within and upon Grimes Canyon Road, and Highway 118 necessary to return truck trips to Grimes Canyon Road and reduce use of Walnut Canyon Road. ell. 0�.��.4, CUP -4874 (GRIMES ROCK, INC.) CUP -4171 (BEST ROCK PRODUCTS September 25, 2001 PAGE 6 MAJOR MODIFICATION CORPORATION MINOR MODIFICATION 3 8. Mineral /aggregate operators shall provide for street sweeping upon state and local streets affected by the haul route determination. 9. Saturday transit shall be prohibited. 10. Mineral /aggregate operators in conjunction with the County Transportation Department and City of Moorpark shall study the development of a new transit corridor that utilizes an extension of Broadway to the California Transportation Commission adopted alignment of State Route 23 and its potential connection to old Los Angeles Avenue. The study shall include horizontal and vertical alignments, grading, improvements necessary to make the route a divided arterial of not less than one 14 foot lane in each direction with a 14 ft median, 10 foot shoulders, turn pockets, and any required intersection improvements at Los Angeles Avenue at the North Hills Parkway (SR118 bypass), Broadway and SR -23 alignment, Broadway and Walnut Canyon Road to effect the new route. Should you have any questions or wish to discuss this matter, please feel free to contact me at (805) 517 -6258. Sincerely Yours, Wayne Loftus Director of Community Development WL /JL C: Honorable City Council Steve Kueny, City Manager Superintendent, Moorpark Judy Mikels, Supervisor, Grimes Rock CUP 4874 file Best Rock CUP 4171 file Chroni Unified School District District 4, Ventura County ,,, 0 0