HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 2003 0820 CC REG ITEM 08DITEM 8.7D '
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MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL°
AGENDA REPORT�� 3Q
TO: Honorable City Council _h%,4 .,.o
FROM: Barry K. Hogan, Community Development Directo
Kenneth C. Gilbert, Director of Public Work �C
Prepared By: Paul Porter, Principal Planner
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DATE: July 31, 2003 (CC Meeting of 8/20/03)
SUBJECT: Reconsideration of Condition of Approval for Commercial
Planned Development Permit No. 2002 -01 (GreeneWay)
Related to Left -Turns at the Spring Road Driveway, on the
Initiation of City Council (Assessor Parcel No. 512 -0-
180-09)
BACKGROUND
Commercial Planned Development Permit (CPD) No. 2002 -01, located at
the northeast corner of New Los Angeles Avenue and Spring Road, on
the application of GreeneWay Development, Inc., was approved by the
City Council on June 4, 2003. The project consists of three (3)
single -story commercial buildings containing a total of 21,903
square feet, within an existing neighborhood retail center, which
currently contains a McDonalds restaurant, Blockbuster Video, and
Starbuck's Coffee store.
One of the Conditions of Approval of Resolution No. 2003 -2091
(Special Condition No. 11, Attachment 2) required the applicant to
post a "No Left Turn" sign at the Spring Road driveway and to
redesign this driveway to preclude left turns out of the project
site. On June 18, 2003, the City Council voted to reconsider this
condition.. The permitting of left turn egress at this driveway
only during non -peak hours was offered as an option for
consideration.
Although left turns out of the Spring Road driveway would be
prohibited by Condition No. 11, the motion for approval of the
project on June 4, 2003, specifically allowed for southbound left
turn ingress from Spring Road. The design options for the shopping
center driveway and the left -turn lanes and future median on Spring
Road are affected by both driveway ingress and egress, therefore,
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both are addressed in this report. Attachment 1 is an aerial
photograph of the site showing the existing driveway and street
configuration. Attachment 3 shows the turn restrictions under
Special Condition No. 11 as approved by the City Council.
DISCUSSION
The permitting of left turns at the Spring Road driveway raises two
issues discussed below: traffic circulation and traffic safety. In
addition, the Public Works Department evaluated four alternative
designs to accommodate left -turn movements.
Traffic Circulation:
The circulation component that would be most impacted by left turns
to and from the center at Spring Road is the southbound left turn
lane, where traffic waiting for the signal often queues past the
center's driveway location, located about 220 feet from the
intersection. Currently, more than 340 vehicles make left turns
from Spring Road to New Los Angeles Avenue during the A.M. Peak
Hour (generally between 7:00 A.M. to 9:00 A.M.). A Traffic Impact
Study prepared for this project by Linscott, Law and Greenspan
projects this number to increase to 474 left turns by the year
2010.
In order to accommodate this traffic volume, the Public Works
Department is planning a widening of Spring Road to include a
raised median and two (2) southbound left -turn lanes on to New Los
Angeles Avenue. The installation of this double left -turn lane is
in response to the need to accommodate the relatively high number
of staged vehicles (vehicles waiting to turn left). The conceptual
design was approved by the City Council in 1998 and is discussed in
further detail below in the "Analysis of Alternative Designs"
section. The intersection is currently operating at Level of
Service "D ", below the City standard of Level of Service "C ".
Without the two left turn lanes and other improvements planned on
both Los Angeles Avenue and Spring Road, this intersection is
projected to operate at Level of Service "F" during the A.M. peak
hour by the year 2010, exceeding its design capacity. Even with
all the planned improvements, the intersection is still projected
to only operate at Level of Service "D" during the A.M. peak hour.
A discussion with Bruce Chow, the traffic engineer who prepared the
report for Linscott, Law and Greenspan, indicated that non peak -
hour conditions at the intersection would typically be Level of
Service "C" or better.
Allowing left turn ingress and egress to and from the shopping
center along Spring Road during non -peak traffic hours could impede
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the flow of traffic, particularly when double left -turn lanes are
installed. Vehicles making left turns from the shopping center
onto Spring Road could potentially block traffic traveling north on
Spring Road if the queuing at the turn lanes extends beyond the
driveway, as is currently common, even during non -peak hours.
Vehicles queuing in the left hand turn lanes waiting to turn left
onto New Los Angeles Avenue could also be impeded by vehicles
waiting to turn left into the shopping center. Interruption in the
traffic flow will serve to further reduce the efficiency of the
traffic flow at the intersection.
Safety:
The City Engineer has indicated that allowing left turn ingress and
egress to and from the site at the Spring Road curb -cut during non -
peak hours will both create an enforcement issue and confuse
drivers. This will produce a hazardous situation at this
intersection that will increase with time due to the close
proximity of the driveway on Spring Road to the New Los Angeles
Avenue /Spring Road intersection (approximately 220 feet). It is
safer for motorists to turn right and make a U -turn at Roberts
Avenue.
The Condition of Approval on the GreeneWay project prohibiting left
turn egress onto Spring Road is more permissive than the current
Condition of Approval (Condition No. 98) imposed on Commercial
Planned Development Permit No. 92 -2 (McDonald's Corporation), which
prohibits both left turn ingress and egress at Spring Road.
Analysis of Alternative Designs:
Design Diagrams: Attached are diagrams (Attachments 5 through 9)
depicting alternative design options for the future Spring Road
median and traffic stripping, in the vicinity of the shopping center
driveway. Those diagrams are generally described as follows:
• Option 1 (Attachment 4) shows the approved conceptual design
for the Spring Road Widening Project, including a raised
median preventing left -turn ingress and egress turning
movements at the shopping center driveway.
• Option 2 (Attachment 5) shows a break in the median to allow
left -turn ingress movements into the shopping center
driveway. The design intent for this option would rely on
signing and other physical improvements to prohibit left -turn
egress movements at the driveway. This plan would permit the
ingress left -turn movement approved for CPD 2002 -01 on June
4, 2003. This design option was not recommended by the
Spring Road project design engineer or the City Engineer, nor
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was it approved by the City Council in its 1998 approval of
the Spring Road widening conceptual design for the following
reasons:
1) it is anticipated that there will be traffic staging
conflicts between ingress left- turners and staged
traffic waiting to turn left onto New Los Angeles
Avenue; and
2) the break in the median does not physically prevent
left -turn egress from the shopping center driveway.
• Option 3 (Attachment 6) shows a shortened double left -turn
lane for New Los Angeles Avenue in order to provide for a
"separate" left -turn pocket for the left -turn ingress traffic
into the shopping center driveway. This plan would permit
the ingress left -turn movement approved for CPD 2002 -01 on
June 4, 2003. This plan reduces the length of the double
left -turn lane from 250' to 1501, thus reducing the staging
capability from twenty (20) cars to twelve (12). The impact
of shortening the double -left turn lane is discussed below.
It is anticipated that the shorter double left -turn lane will
cause staging to occur in the number one southbound lane,
which could impede access to the left -turn pocket for the
driveway ingress traffic. The impact of staged vehicles in
the number one lane is also discussed below.
• Option 4 (Attachment 7) shows an even shorter double -left-
turn lane for New Los Angeles Avenue to provide for a free -
flow of ingress and egress left -turn traffic at the shopping
center driveway. This plan permits both left -turn ingress and
egress movements at the driveway. It also reduces the length
of the double left -turn lane from 250' to 100', thus reducing
the staging capability from twenty (20) cars to eight (8).
The impact of shortening the double -left turn lane is
discussed below. It is anticipated that the shorter double
left -turn lane will cause staging to occur in the number one
southbound lane, which could impede access to the left -turn
pocket for the shopping center driveway ingress traffic. The
impact of staged vehicles in the number one lane is discussed
below. This design option is not recommended or approved by
the Spring Road project design engineer, or the City
Engineer, for the following reasons:
1) it is anticipated that there will be traffic conflicts
between left- turners from the driveway and left- turners
for New Los Angeles Avenue staged in the number one
southbound lane; and
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2) it is anticipated that there will be visibility
conflicts between exiting left -turn and right -turn
traffic staged in the driveway.
• Option 5 (Attachment 8) allows for left -turn egress traffic
movements from the shopping center driveway to cross the
double left -turn lanes. This plan permits both left -turn
ingress and egress movements at the driveway. This design
option is not recommended by the Spring Road project design
engineer or the City Engineer, for the following reasons:
1) it is anticipated that there will be traffic staging
conflicts between left- turners at the driveway and
left- turners for New Los Angeles Avenue; and
2) it is also anticipated that traffic flow conflicts will
arise between left -turn egress traffic from the
driveway and vehicles using the double left -turn lanes.
Current and Projected Traffic Volumes: Spring Road currently
handles 13,000 cars per day, with a 2007 projection of 23,000 cars
per day. Much of this increase is anticipated as a result of the
future connection of Spring Road to Walnut Canyon Road, along with
future development anticipated in the northern portion of the city.
It is the view of staff that the original design [Option 11
handles these traffic volumes better than the other design options
discussed herein.
Channelization: The primary purpose of constructing raised medians
is to improve traffic safety by channelizing traffic and
eliminating points of conflict related to left -turn traffic
movements. Option 1 implements this objective by installing a
raised median at the shopping center driveway. If installed, egress
traffic from the driveway wishing to travel south, would be
required to make a "U- turn" at Roberts Avenue.
The other design options discussed herein provide for a break in
the median at the shopping center driveway. Those designs would
allow left -turn conflicts at this location to continue. Those
design options which allow for both left -turn ingress and egress
movements, increase the number of those traffic conflicts and
increases the complexity of cross - traffic turning movements at this
location.
Currently, left -turn egress movements from the shopping center
driveway during the morning peak hours cause much confusion and
congestion. Design Option 1 would eliminate those problems.
Double Left -Turn Lane: Option 1 provides for a double left -turn
lane at New Los Angeles Avenue which is two hundred and fifty feet
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(2501) long and accommodates twenty (20) vehicles. This design was
prepared based on traffic counts demonstrating the need to provide
for the staging of this number of left -turn vehicles. Some of the
other design options discussed herein call for a reduced length for
the double left -turn lane which will diminish the Level of Service
(LOS] for the intersection by reducing the number of "double -
stacked" vehicles turning left on to New Los Angeles Avenue.
Reduced LOS equates to increase traffic congestion.
Staging in the Number One Lane: It should be noted that the
shortened double left -turn lanes shown on Options 3 and 4 will
increase the incidence of left -turn vehicles staged in the number
one southbound lane. These staged vehicles will block access to the
left -turn lane for ingress traffic to the shopping center driveway,
and also block left -turn egress traffic coming from the driveway.
These obstructions could even cause a "blocked" left - turner from
the shopping center driveway to block northbound traffic on Spring
Road. A worst -case scenario would be a condition which could lead
to "gridlock" affecting traffic on New Los Angeles Avenue.
Although a "KEEP CLEAR" stencil could be installed in the
southbound number one lane to help prevent this type of blockage to
traffic flow, experience has shown that such markings are not very
effective. Also, even if drivers observed the stencil, staged
traffic south of the stencil (at a RED light) would impede the
advancement of left -turn egress traffic, at times then blocking
northbound traffic.
On -Site Congestion: The above described congestion on Spring Road
could lead to congestion on -site. Presently this is a common
occurrence as vehicles waiting for an opening to turn left onto
Spring Road, block and prevent right -turn traffic from exiting the
Center. Although future improvement may include two (2) exit lanes,
a design which allows left -turn egress (Options 4 & 5) is expected
to continue to cause on -site congestion for traffic exiting the
center at the driveway.
Left -Turn Lane Cross Traffic: It is not a common design practice
to provide for or encourage cross - traffic across a double- left -turn
lane, as shown by Option 5 (Attachment 8). The installation of a
double left -turn lane is in response to the need to accommodate a
relatively high number of staged vehicles. The anticipated high
number of staged vehicles is in conflict with and would potentially
block egress left -turn traffic from the shopping center driveway.
This design option is not recommended by staff, the Spring Road
project design engineer or the City Engineer.
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Summary of Alternative Design Analysis:
• As was stated by staff on June 4, 2003, the preferred option
recommend by staff was Option 1. This design option
implements the original Conditions of Approval for the
McDonald's project by prohibiting left -turn ingress and
egress traffic movements from the shopping center driveway.
• The preferred design option for accommodating left -turn
ingress at the shopping center driveway (per approval of CPD
2002 -01 on June 4, 2003) is Option 3. Although this option
does not provide sufficient staging for left- turners at New
Los Angeles Avenue, it does a better job than Option 2 of
handling or preventing cross - traffic conflicts.
• Should the City Council direct that left -turn egress traffic
also be permitted at the shopping center driveway, it is
recommended that Option 4 be selected. Although this Option
also does not provide sufficient staging for left - turners at
New Los Angeles Avenue, it does a better job than Option 5 of
handling or preventing cross - traffic conflicts.
• Should the City Council choose any alternative other than
Option 1, the intersection could be changed at any time based
upon actual field conditions (i.e., long waits for left turn
movements, impacts to through traffic and /or the number of
accidents).
STAFF RECOI&ZNDATION
Affirm the Conditions of Approval that were adopted on June 4,
2003, utilizing Design Option 3. Should the City Council wish to
amend Special Condition of Approval No. 11 related to the left turn
movements, direction could be given to the Community Development
Director to process a Permit Adjustment.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Aerial Photo of
2. Special Conditic
3. Conceptual Plan
4. Option 1 Design
5. Option 2 Design
6. Option 3 Design
7. Option 4 Design
8. Option 5 Design
Project Site
)n of Approval No. 11 of CPD Permit No. 2002 -01
of Spring Road as Conditioned
Alternative
Alternative
Alternative
Alternative
Alternative
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Resolution No. 2003 -2091
11. Prior to the issuance of a Zoning Clearance for occupancy
of the first building the Applicant shall install a "No
Left Turn" sign at the Spring Road curb -cut and redesign
the existing driveway to preclude left -hand turns onto
Spring Road. The design is subject to the review and
approval of the Community Development Director and the City
Engineer.
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