HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo from Pete Friedman
CITY OF MERIDIAN
Planning Department
Memo
To: Mayor De Weerd
City Council
RECEIVED
MAY 1 8 2007
From: Pete Friedman
City Of Meridian
City Clerk Office
Date: May 18, 2007
Re: ACHD Comments - Ten Mile Interchange Specific Area Plan
The Ada County Highway District (District) has submitted comments on the draft plan in
advance of the adoption hearing scheduled for May 22, 2007. Staff has reviewed the letter and
prepared this response for your consideration of the four major points raised by the District.
As you know, the planning process that was utilized in the development of the plan was
inclusive of the public as well as other agencies. City staff and our consultant worked closely
with both the District and Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) staff to coordinate the
transportation components of the plan with the interchange and road improvement plans for the
new Ten Mile Interchange. This coordination continues as evidenced by the recent work
session with the Council regarding median design.
After reviewing the letter, we believe that the District's concerns do not fully recognize that
this is a general plan which is a guideline for future development and provides the basis for
implementation actions. In addition, a similar letter was provided to the Planning and Zoning
Commission. As evidenced in the hearing record, the Commission considered the District's
comments but did not include the requested actions in their recommendation for approval of the
plan.
The following is staffs response to the District's comments:
)0. First Signalized Intersection Location
The District's comments would be more appropriate for a specific engineering plan.
The Ten Mile Interchange Specific Area Plan is an amendment to the City
Comprehensive Plan. Comprehensive plans are policy documents intended to form the
basis for future actions such as zoning and capital facility expenditures. They are
inherently, general statements of policy and while the Ten Mile Plan purposely provides
more detail than many plans, it is still a goal and vision document as opposed to a
specific engineering plan.
As mentioned above, City staff and our consultant continuously coordinated our
planning efforts with the District, ITD staff and the engineer for the interchange project
through agency coordination meetings, participation in the charrette, and in post
charrette discussions. Some these discussions were specifically related to the
interchange and Ten Mile Road design, resulting recommendations in the plan.
Through an agreement with the District, ITD has assumed responsibility for the design
of both the interchange and segment of Ten Mile Road from the interchange to Franklin
Road. Presently, neither ITD nor their engineer has expressed opposition to the
general location of the first intersection north of 1-84. The location of the
intersection as illustrated in the plan has been adjusted as a result of post charrette
meetings with ITD staff and the engineer. The meeting notes are attached for your
reference.
The District also has indicated that it will only support one signalized intersection along
Ten Mile Road between 1-84 and Franklin Road. This is consistent with the plan. Of
the two planned intersections, the first one north of I -84 is intended to be signalized
and the one south of Franklin Road is intended to be unsignalized, right-in, right-out.
)0. Impact Fees and Funding Mechanisms
The recommendations for funding the future collector road system were based on
information provided to our consultant by District legal staff. They are intended to
provide options for consideration and future conversations for implementing a
coordinated, connected collector road system in the planning area. There is no single
preferred alternative and it is our intent to work cooperatively with the District and
property owners to examine options to achieve this goal.
)0. Overland Road
The City and ACHD have been communicating on several separate but related matters
in the Ten Mile Study Area. These include: plan currently being considered; the South
Meridian Area Plan; the South Meridian Transportation Plan; and the South Ridge
Subdivision. Throughout all of these, the City has consistently taken the position that
the realignment of Overland Road is a preferred alternative for planning purposes, but
the designation in the plan is not specific to precise location.
In written comments on the South Ridge Subdivision which included the realignment of
Overland Road consistent with the draft Ten Mile Plan, the District stated that" acting
on the proposed application would be premature due to the fact that the City of
Meridian has not completed the public process for the Ten Mile Area plan and has
not yet formally adopted the plan ". In addition, the District cites the pending status of
the South Meridian Plan and Overland Road Realignment Study as another reason to
remove or add qualifying language regarding the proposed realignment.
Staff is of the opinion that there is sufficient language in the Ten Mile Plan to support
the general or conceptual nature of the recommended alignment. The Guide to the Plan
states " This element ( the Transportation Element) establishes the desired location
of the arterial and collector roadways, key pathways connections, and the location of
regional transit center" The Transportation Element further states" the collector
arterial and collector systems should be planned, designed and built in partnership
with the City, ACHD and private sector"
)0. Median and Right of Way Costs
The median designs are part of a vision for the future streetscape in the planning area.
The City is aware of the current District policy on maintenance; however, the plan is a
policy document rather than a project specification.
Staff is of the opinion, that the cost sharing agreements referenced in the District's
letter and street typologies and requirements currently being discussed in the District's
TLIP process will actually support the City in achieving the vision contemplated in the
plan.
In summary, we appreciate District's concerns and will continue to work with them to
implement the plan in the same spirit of cooperation as we did in developing the plan.
However, the four major issues identified in the letter need not preclude adoption of the Ten
Mile Plan as recommended by the Commission.
Date:
Time:
Location:
ATTENDEES:
Anna Canning
Matt Ellsworth
Sue Sullivan
Vance Henry
Cortney Gibbs
Pete Friedman
Charles Rountree
Miguel Gaddi
Audra Manion
ITEMS
07 November 2006
Meeting commenced at 2:00 PM
Meridian Planning Department
City of Meridian
City of Meridian
ITD
Lochner
Lochner
City of Meridian
City of Meridian
HDR
HDR
City of Meridian
Ten Mile Specific Area Plan
Meeting Minutes
884-5533
884-5533
334-8955
336-2983
336-2983
884-5533
888-2731
387-7007
387-7037
canninga@meridiancity.org
ellsworm@meridiancity.org
sue.sullvan@itd.idaho.gov
vhenry@hwlochner.com
cgibbs@hwlochner.com
friedmap@meridiancity.org
rOUUltreecm@Dlsn.coDl
Dliguel.gaddi@hdrinc.com
audra.manion@hdrinc.com
1. Staff members and consultants from ITD and the City of Meridian reviewed and agreed on the
proposed concept for intersections and underpasses on Ten Mile from the Interchange to Franklin
Rd (see attached).
2. The collector road systeDl established by the Specific Area Plan represents a new approach for the
City. Getting it built without relying on traditional, piecemeal funding by developers is a challenge.
City staff will explore options such as Public/Private Partnerships or an LID (Local Improvement
District).
3. Ten Mile Rd will be an access control type V (no approaches) facility between the interchange and
the first signalized intersection to the north; between the signalized intersection and Franklin Rd it
will be a Type III.
4. ITD staff agreed to consider the realignment of Overland to the south in the agency's environmental
and design process. Resolution of existing Ten Mile and Overland intersection is still pending, as is
the Southridge application.
5. ITD expressed interest in the possibility of exchanging land for needed right-of-way in
consideration of early phase construction of the collector system (Ten Mile intersections and
immediate vicinity).
6. Major landowners and developers should be involved in building collector road access before the
interchange is functional, so that there is connectivity once access to Ten Mile and other roads is
restricted, and to ensure follow-through on the transportation portion of the plan.
ACTION ITEMS
1. HDR will estimate length of proposed collector system and provide planning staff with a map
showing the collector system and affected property owners.
2. City staff will look into Public Private Partnerships or an LID (Local IDlprovement District).
3. The City will discuss with ACHD the possibility of jointly working with landowners to broker the
collector road system among the property owners. They will organize a meeting for these groups.
City of Meridian
Ten Mile Specific Area Plan
Meeting Minutes
4. HDR will send Locllller the linework for Overland realignment as provided by developer.
MEETINGS
1. Lochner will hold a meeting of the Advisory Committee on November 28. They have invited
rougWy 20 people who expressed interest in serving on the committee.
Submitted by:
Audra Manion