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City Council Packet - 04/23/1991 :.a CITY OF TIGARD OREGON TIGARD CITY COUNCIL AGENDA BUSINESS MEETING APRIL 23, 1991 5:30 P.M- PUBLIC NOTICE: Anyone wishing to speak on an agenda Item TIGARD ' CIVIC CEN'T'ER should sign on the appropriate sign-up sheets). If no sheet is 13125 SW HALL' BLVD available, ask to be recognized by the Mayor at the beginning TIGARD, OREGON 97223 of that agenda item. Visitor's Agenda items are asked to be two minutes or less. Longer matters can be set for a future Agenda by contacting either the Mayor or the City Administrator. • STUDY SESSION (5:30 P.M.) Report from Metropolitan Area Communications Commission (MACC) Bruce Crest, MACC Administrator 1. BUSINESS MEETING (7:30 p.m.) 1.1 Call to Order - City Council & Local Contract Review Board 1.2 Roll Call 1.3 Pledge of Allegiance 1.4 Call to Council and Staff for Non-Agenda Items 2. VISITOR'S AGENDA (Two Minutes or Less, Please) 3. CONSENT AGENDA: These items are considered to be routine and may be enacted in one motion without separate discussion. Anyone may request that an item be removed by motion for discussion and separate action. Motion to: 3.1 Approve Council Minutes: March 26, 1991 3.2 Authorize the Mayor to Sign Agreement with Washington County to Accept Community Development Block Grant Funds for Pathways Near Metzger School 3.3 Authorize the Mayor to Sign Renewal of Cooperative Agreement with Washington County Housing Authority to Allow Conventional Public Housing - Resolution No. 91-a O 3.4 Approve Resolution Expressing Support for MacKenzie River Products' Application for an Oregon Business Development Fund Loan - Resolution No. 91-~Z 3.5 Approve Resolution Defining the Public Involvement Process for the Western Bypass Study - Resolution No. 91-T 3:6 Local Contract Review Board: a. Award Construction Contract for the Greenburg Road Street and Storm Sewer Improvements and authorize the City Administrator to Sign a Contract With Eudaly Brothers b. Award Construction Contract for McDonald Street Improvement and authorize the ( City Administrator to Sign a Contract with Northwest Earthmovers CITY COUNCIL AGENDA - APRIL 23, 1991 - PAGE 1 4. APPEAL PUBLIC HEARING: SUBDIVISION SUB 90-0007 VARIANCE VAR 90-0011 WAVERLY CONSTRUCTION/GRANDVIEW (NPO 6) An appeal of a Planning Commission approval of a Subdivision request to allow division of a 2.4 acre parcel into 10 lots between 7,500 and 10,400 square feet in size. Also approved was a Variance to allow less that 25 feet of public street frontage on two proposed flag lots and a Variance to Code Section 18.164.030 (g) (1) to allow a 65 foot centerline to-centerline separation of intersecting streets whereas the Code requires a minimum centerline separation of 300 feet when it is necessary that intersecting streets form staggered intersections. ZONE: R-4.5 (Residential, 4.5 units/acre) LOCATION: East side of SW 97th Street and approximately 400 feet south of SW McDonald Street (WCTM 2S1 11 BA, tax lots 100, 106, and 107) • Continue Public Hearing from March 26, 1991 • Update by Engineering and Community Development Staff • NPO and/or CPO Testimony • Public Testimony - Proponents - Opponents • Recommendation by Community Development Staff • Council Questions or Comments cow- ' • Public Hearing Closed • Consideration by Council 5. APPEAL PUBLIC HEARING: SUBDIVISION SUB 90-0013 VARIANCE VAR 90-0037 LAUTT/DE HAAS (NPO #6) An appeal of a Planning Commission approval for a Subdivision request to divide an approximately 2.05 acre site into seven parcels between approximately 8,554 and 12,025 square feet in size. Also approved was a Variance to Code Section 18.164.030 (g) (1) to allow a 65 foot centerline-to-centerline separation of intersecting streets whereas the Code requires a minimum centerline separation of 300 feet when it is necessary that intersecting streets form staggered intersections. ZONE: R-4.5 (Residential, 4.5 units/acre) LOCATION: 14110 SW 97th Avenue (WCTM 2S1 11 BA, tax lots 101, 105, & 111) • Continue Public Hearing from March 26, 1991 • Update by Engineering and Community Development Staff • NPO and/or CPO Testimony r • Public Testimony - Proponents - Opponents • Recommendation by Community Development Staff • Council Questions or Comments r" • Public Hearing Closed • Consideration by Council CITY COUNCIL AGENDA APRIL 23, 1991 PAGE 2 • 6. PUBLIC HEARING - WESTERN BYPASS STUDY (PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT) The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is conducting a Western Bypass Study. The City of Tigard has entered into a Planning Coordination Agreement setting forth how the City will participate in the Western Bypass Study. The Agreement Requires that the City Consider endorsement of a Purpose and Need Statement prepared by ODOT staff. • Open Public Hearing • Declarations or Challenges • Staff Report - Engineering Department • Public Testimony Proponents (Agree with Purpose and Need Statement) Opponents (Disagree with Purpose and Need Statement • Recommendation by Engineering Department Staff • Council Questions or Comments • Public Hearing Closed • Consideration by Council - Resolution No. 91-.q 7. CONTINUATION OF COUNCIL DELIBERATION ON APPEAL OF SCE 90-0005, VARIANCE VAR-0027 SHERWOOD INN SIGN (NPO 5) A request for Sign Code Exception and Variance approval to allow two freestanding freeway- oriented signs where only one is permitted. Also requested is approval to retain one sign of approximately 1,180 square feet per sign face with a height of approximately 65 feet and one sign of approximately 698 square feet per sign face with a height of approximately 69.75 feet where the code specifies a maximum allowable sign area of 160 square feet per sign face and maximum allowable height of 35 feet. ZONE: C-G (General Commercial) LOCATION: 15700 SW Upper Boones Ferry Road (WCTM 2S1 12DD, Tax Lots 100, 900, 1100) • Continuation of Hearing from the April 9, 1991, Council Meeting • Update by Commui city Development Staff • Public Testimony a. Applicant to Submit Proposal for Sign Area as Requested by Council on 4/9/91 b. Other Testimony (Testimony Limited to Issue of Sign Area) • Recommendation by Community Development Staff • Council Questions or Comments • Consideration by Council ~!a 8. PUBLIC HEARING - COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TRANSPORTATION MAP AND TEXT UPDATE (PUBLIC FACILITIES PLAN) An updated Tigard Comprehensive Plan Transportation Map and associated plan text amendments will be reviewed as part of the Public Facility Plan. This map reflects changes in the area's road network, including completed projects and legislative changes made since the map was first adopted in 1983. The Public Facilities Plan is a support document to the City's Comprehensive Plan which describes water, sewer, and transportation facilities which are to support development within Tiigard's Urban Growth Boundary. The final order completing Periodic Review of Tigard's Comprehensive Plan is proposed to be adopted. Adoption of the final order concludes Periodic Review. • Recommendation by Community Development Staff: Council Motion to Continue Public Hearing to a Date Certain CITY COUNCIL AGENDA - APRIL 23, 1991 - PAGE 3 Z 9. NON-AGENDA ITEMS 10. EXECUTIVE SESSION: The Tigard City Council will go into Executive Session under the provisions of ORS 192.660 (1) (d), (e), & (h) to discuss labor relations, real property transactions, current and pending litigation issues. 11. ADJOURNMENT n cca423.91 l CITY COUNCIL AGENDA - APRIL 23, 1991- PAGE 4 Council Agenda Item T I G A RD C IT Y C O U N C I L MEETING MINUTES - APRIL 23, 1991 • Meeting was called to order at 6:42 p.m. by Mayor Edwards. 1. ROLL CALL Council Present: Mayor Jerry Edwards; Councilors Carolyn Eadon, Valerie Johnson, Joe Kasten and John Schwartz. Staff Present: Patrick Reilly, City Administrator; Liz Newton, Community Relations Coordinator; Tim Ramis, Legal Counsel; Catherine Wheatley, City Recorder and Randy Wooley, City Engineer. STUDY SESSION NOTES REPORT FROM METROPOLITAN AREA COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (MACC) Bruce Crest, MACC Administrator, updated Council on the current status of franchise negotiations between Washington County (WACO) and Tele-Communications, Inc. (TCI) TCI now operates in portions of Tigard (Metzger area with over 800 subscribers); however, Tigard has no franchise agreement with TCI. Cable franchises, with the exception of TCI, are administered by MACC for the County and cities.within the County. TCI (formerly Liberty Cable) operates under a Federal District Court Consent Decree. This Decree has similar provisions to a cable franchise but lacks adequate customer service/construction standards and other provisions of modern franchises. The Decree expires in 1995. MACC expects that any future annexations by Tigard or Beaverton in certain areas will bring large portions of the TCI system into these cities. No franchise fees have been paid to Tigard; however, since annexation of portions of Metzger, TCI advised they were setting fees aside and holding them in an escrow account. For the last year, WACO and TCI have been negotiating a cable television franchise to replace the Decree. MACC is acting as an observer to the development of the franchise and is providing technical expertise. The goal is to negotiate a franchise that would allow TCI subscribers to have a level of service similar to that available to Columbia subscribers. Assistant County Administrator Bob Davis responded to several questions asked by the Council concerning WACO's action in taking l CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES - APRIL 23, 1991 - PAGE 1 the lead to negotiate the franchise agreement. Mr. Davis advised that TCI initiated the process. WACO is negotiating the TCI franchise in order to assure budgetary control. WACO and TCI agree that it would probably not be practical to negotiate separate agreements with each city. Instead, they would like to explore ways that the WACO franchise could be used as the basis for Tigard and Beaverton Agreements. Attorneys for the Cities, WACO, and MACC have been discussing various ways that this type of franchising would be accomplished. At the end of the discussion, council consensus was: • All Tigard residents should be given the same level of cable service at the same cost. • MACC would continue to administer all franchised cable service providers for the City of Tigard, including the collection and disbursement of franchise fees. • The City would continue to monitor, through a reporting system, the costs of administration and the public access/education/government programs. • The City requested an accounting of the franchise fee (20) collected since the annexation of the Metzger area which is serviced by TCI (i.e., how much and where held). • The legal counsels of Tigard, Beaverton, WACO, and MACC should continue to explore ways to provide a franchise for TCI in the two cities through the WACO/TCI Franchise Agreement. However, all parties realize that the actual decision to grant franchises in thee two cities rests with their governing bodies. FIRST BANK OF TIVARD - HISTORIC SITE DESIGNATION The Tigard City Council discussed the request to assign the Historic District Overlay designation to the First Bank of Tigard building which is owned by the City (Chamber of Commerce Building). The Council approved, by majority vote, a motion indicating that they do not support a historical site designation on this property. The Council briefly reviewed the ramifications of such a designation. Their discussion included comments about other buildings in the downtown area which may be more identifiable as historical landmarks. The Council also was concerned about what benefit this would represent for Tigard taxpayers. CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES - APRIL 23, 1991 - PAGE 2 BUSINESS MEETING 2. VISITOR'S AGENDA: No visitors. 3. CONSENT AGENDA: Councilor Eadon requested that Item 3.3 be pulled for separate discussion. (See Item No. 9 on Page 9.) 3.1 Approve Council Minutes: March 26, 1991 3.2 Authorize the Mayor to sign Agreement with Washington County to Accept Community Development Block Grant Funds for Pathways Near Metzger School 3.3 Authorize the Mayor to Sign Renewal of Cooperative Agreement with Washington County Housing Authority to Allow Conventional Public Housing - Resolution No. 91-20 3.4 Approve Resolution Expressing Support for MacKenzie River Products' Application for an Oregon Business Development Fund Loan - Resolution No. 91-17 3.5 Approve Resolution Defining the Public Involvement Process for Western Bypass Study - Resolution No. 91-18 3.6 Local Contract Review Board: a. Award Construction Contract for the Greenburg Road Street and Storm Sewer Improvements and authorize the City Administrator to Sign a Contract with Eudaly Brothers b. Award Construction Contract for McDonald Street Improvement and authorize the City Administrator to Sign a Contract with Northwest Earthmovers Motion by Councilor Johnson, seconded by Councilor Kasten to approve the Consent Agenda with the exception of Item 3.3 which is to be discussed separately. The motion was approved by a unanimous vote of Council present. 4. -APPEAL PUBLIC HEARING: SUBDIVISION SUB 90-0007 VARIANCE VAR 90-0011 WAVERLY CONSTRUCTION/GRANDVIEW (NPO 6) An appeal of a Planning Commission approval of a Subdivision request to allow division of a 2.4 acre parcel into 10 lots between 7,500 and 10,400 square feet in size. Also approved was a Variance to allow less that 25 feet of public street frontage on two proposed flag lots and a Variance to Code Section 18.164.030 (g) (1) to allow a 65 foot centerline-to-centerline separation of intersecting streets whereas. the Code requires a minimum centerline separation of 300 feet when it is necessary that intersecting streets form staggered intersections. ZONE: R- 4.5 (Residential, 4.5 units/acre) LOCATION: East side of SW 97th Street and approximately 400 feet south of SW McDonald C CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES - APRIL 23, 1991 - PAGE 3 r Street (WCTM 2S1 11BA, tax lots 100, 106, and 107) On March 26, 1991, the City Council reviewed an appeal of two subdivision preliminary plat approvals granted by the Planning Commission. The Council continued the hearings on both items to allow additional time for review of Engineering Department conceptual plans for this area. This would also give the applicants an opportunity to revise the subdivision plans to address Council's concerns. a. Public hearing was continued from March 26, 1991. b. City Engineer summarized the staff report (see Council packet material.) C. Public testimony: • Marlin DeHaas, DeHaas & Associates, Inc., Suite 300 AGC Center, 9450 S.W. Commerce Circle, Wilsonville, OR 97070, testified as a representative of the property owner. He advised that alternative plans had been developed; however, none of the options were acceptable to all parties involved. The private easement was the most difficult issue. • Judy Fessler, 11180 S.W. Fonner, Tigard, OR 97223, recommended that the subdivision be approved as forwarded by the Planning Commission. In response to a question from the City Attorney, Mrs. Fessler advised she was a member of the Planning Commission and one of the decision makers in the hearing on this issue when it was heard by the Planning Commission. She advised her comments at this meeting were as an individual. • Aase Otto, 14200 S.W. 97th Avenue, Tigard, OR 97224, testified as owner of the property. Ms. Otto restated many of the points she had noted during her March 26, 1991 testimony. She reviewed the history around the development of the proposed development plan and her hardship as the result of the LID formation. • Sue Carver, Chair of NPO 6, testified as a representative of the NPO which was the appellant on this issue. She referred to the history of the parcel and noted the NPO's concerns with the proposed layout of the subdivision as contained in their appeal document and previous testimony. d. Recommendation by Staff: City Engineer noted that l CITY COUNCIL AGENDA - APRIL 23, 1991 - PAGE 4 the staff was prepared to work on a compromise solution with the property owners for council review; however, it appeared that attempts to do so were not successful. e. Public hearing was closed. f. Council deliberation: Council discussed the issue and the majority consensus was that they were still concerned (as noted in the previous hearing) about the safety problems created by the offset intersection. Motion by Councilor Eadon, seconded by Councilor Johnson, to deny the subdivision application and to uphold the NPO's position on their appeal. Council discussed the motion and issue further. If a compromise could be found, several Councilors expressed willingness to set over the hearing to May 21. Councilor Johnson advised that, in her review of the record, the delay of the development of this property was not due to any inaction on the part of the City. Mrs. Otto remarked that compromise attempts had failed. She did not indicate that further discussion would be helpful. Councilor Schwartz advised he was ready to vote on the issue; Mayor Edwards called for a voice vote on the motion on the table. The motion was approved by a unanimous vote of council present. 5. APPEAL PUBLIC HEARING: SUBDIVISION SUB 90-0013 VARIANCE VAR 90-0037 LAUTT/DEHAAS (NPO #6) An appeal of a Planning commission approval for a Subdivision request to divide an approximately 2.05 acre site into seven parcels between approximately 8,554 and 12,025 square feet in size. Also approved was a variance to Code Section 18.164.030 (g) (1) to allow a 65 foot centerline-to-centerline separation of intersecting streets whereas the Code requires a minimum centerline separation of 300 feet when it is necessary that intersecting streets form staggered intersections. ZONE: R- 4.5 (Residential, 4.5 units/acre) LOCATION: 14110 SW 97th Avenue (WCTM 2S1 11BA, tax lots 101, 105, & 111) a. Public hearing was continued from March 26, 1991. CITY COUNCIL AGENDA - APRIL 23, 1991 - PAGE 5 na b. City Engineer reviewed the staff report. (See material contained in meeting packet.) C. Public Testimony: • Judy Fessler, 11180 S.W. Fonner, Tigard, OR 97223, noted her remarks on this issue were congruent with her testimony on the above hearing. • Marlin DeHaas, DeHaas & Associates, Inc., Suite 300 AGC Center, 9450 S.W. Commerce Circle, Wilsonville, OR 97070, testified as a representative of the property owner. He noted his disappointment with the hearing process in that this hearing and the previous hearing were not held before Council made a decision on either issue. Mayor reviewed the NPO process and noted the Council had specifically asked that a compromise solution be worked out with the property owners and staff for both Agenda Items 4 and 5. There was discussion on the City's continuing offer to meet with concerned parties. Mr. DeHaas responded that he was not able to provide any alternatives which would have been acceptable to his clients as well as the City. • Sue Carver, Chair of NPO 6, advised her testimony for the previous hearing would also apply to this hearing. d. Recommendation by staff: City Engineer recommended denial of the Subdivision proposal. e. Mayor, once again, asked if there was any chance of reaching a compromise. Mr. DeHaas, after conferring briefly with his clients, indicated no compromise was possible. f. Public hearing was closed. g. Motion by Councilor Eadon, seconded by Councilor Kasten, to deny the subdivision proposal because of the safety problems-associated with the street and as provided in criteria outlined in TMC 18.164.030 g. The motion was approved by a unanimous vote of Council present. CITY COUNCIL AGENDA - APRIL 23, 1991 - PAGE 6 6. PUBLIC HEARING - WESTERN BYPASS STUDY (PURPOSE AND NEED i STATEMENT) The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is conducting a Western Bypass Study. The City of Tigard has entered into a Planning Coordination Agreement setting forth how the City will participate in the Western Bypass Study. The Agreement Requires that the City Consider endorsement of a Purpose and Need Statement prepared by ODOT staff. a. Public hearing was opened. b. There were no declarations or challenges. C. The City Engineer reviewed the staff report and outlined the alternatives before Council. (See Council packet material.) d. Bill Ciz, advised he was the Project Coordinator for the ODOT team. He briefly reviewed the study process. He advised that, to date, all jurisdictions had adopted the Purpose and Need Statement. The next step will be the development of implementation strategies. e. Public Testimony: • Judy Fessler, 11180 S.W. Fonner Street, Tigard, OR 97224, advised she supported the Purpose and Need Statement and supports the Western Bypass concept. She said the project needs to go forward with sensitivity and planning. • Cal Woolery, Chair of NPO 7 and member of CPO 4, ad-ised of the need for the Western Bypass and the study to proceed. • Tom Love, 8060 S.W. Churchill Court, Tigard, OR 97223, advised he was representing Sensible Transportation Options for People (STOP). STOP-*s position is that the Purpose and Need Statement is a flawed document. STOP recommends the r-:iturn of the Purpose and Need Statement to ODOT for ;:cavision. Mr. Love also distributed a brochure to the Council entitled "Traffic Calming The Solution to Route 20 and a New Vision for Brisbane." • Bev Froude, 12200 S.W. Bull Mountain Road, Tigard, OR 97224, noted she was on the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Western Bypass. She asked that the Council approve the Purpose and Need Statement. CITY COUNCIL AGENDA - APRIL 23, 1991 - PAGE 7 f. Consideration by Council: l Mayor Edwards advised of his knowledge of recent state and regional meetings on growth and related transportation issues. He noted his objections to modeling transportation and land use decisions after foreign countries. He said that differences in our expectations and pursuit of the "American Dream" was not compatible with examples set by other countries. g. RESOLUTION NO. 91-19 - A RESOLUTION IN THE MATTER OF ENDORSEMENT OF THE WESTERN BYPASS STUDY PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT. h. Motion by Councilor Eadon, seconded by Mayor Edwards, to adopt Resolution No. 91-19. The motion was approved by a unanimous vote of Council present. 7. CONTINUATION OF COUNCIL DELIBERATION ON APPEAL OF SCE 90-0005 VARIANCE VAR-0027 SHERWOOD INN SIGN ( PO 5) A request for Sign Code Exception and Variance approval to allow two freestanding freeway-oriented signs where only one is permitted. Also requested is approval to retain one sign of approximately 1,180 square feet per sign face with a height of approximately 65 feet and one sign of approximately 698 square feet per sign face with a height of approximately 69.75 feet where the code specifies a maximum allowable sign area of 160 square feet per sign face and maximum allowable height of 35 feet. ZONE: C-G (General Commercial) LOCATION: 15700 SW Upper Boones Ferry Road (WCTM 2S1 12DD, Tax Lots 100, 900, 1100) a. On April 9, Council consensus was to allow a variance in sign height to 65 feet. Council requested the applicant consult with an expert to determine the minimum sign size required to be readable by freeway travelers. The public hearing was continued to the April 23, 1991 Council meeting. b. Mr. Hal Hewitt of Greenhill Associates Ltd., 9999 S.W. Wilshire presented two letters from separate sign companies. (See packet for letter from Oregon Sign and a letter from Ramsay Signs). Essentially, their advice was that if the present size of both signs was reduced, readability would become difficult, even impossible. Therefore, the applicant was requesting that the existing sign not be reduced whatsoever. C. Community Development Director advised he had contacted a sign consultant who was asked to make recommendations CITY COUNCIL AGENDA - APRIL 23, 1991 - PAGE 8 for signage required to support a motel at this location. The consultant presented several sign alternatives, the largest of which was about 653 square feet per face. d. Ian Harding of Robert Bailey Incorporated reviewed information and conclusions as outlined in his letter dated April 23, 1991. (Letter has been filed with the packet material.) Council asked questions pertaining to criteria and national standards. e. After discussion, the Council consensus was to continue the meeting to May 21, 1991, to give the applicant time to review the material presented by the Robert Bailey Inc. consultant. The Council emphasized that it was their desire for the staff and applicant to work together on this issue. The applicant is to give staff ample time to review information which will be submitted to the council. Councilor Johnson advised that it was her understanding that the Council desires to have documentation of what the absolute minimum of sign size is necessary for this property. The burden of proof outlining the criteria for a variance rests with the applicant. f. Motion by Councilor Johnson, seconded by Councilor Kasten, to continue the hearing to May 21, 1991; the applicant is to have their recommendations to City staff at least ten days prior to the meeting. The motion was approved by a unanimous vote of Council present. 8. PUBLIC HEARING - COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TRANSPORTATION MAP AND TEST UPDATE (PUBLIC FACILITIES PLANT Continued to June 11, 1991. 9. CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 3.3 - AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR TO SIGN RENEWAL OF COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH WASHINGTON COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY TO ALLOW CONVENTIONAL PUBLIC HOUSING a. Bill Purl, Development Manager with the Housing Authority answered Council questions. He described the Housing Authority Program. The properties would consist of scattered-site housing with no more than six units in one neighborhood. The program provides home ownership opportunities for low-income individuals. CITY COUNCIL AGENDA - APRIL 23, 1991 - PAGE 9 r b. RESOLUTION 91-20 - RESOLUTION OF THE TIGARD CITY COUNCIL APPROVING THE ENTERING INTO OF A COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF TIGARD AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY AND AUTHORIZING ITS EXECUTION. C. Motion by Councilor Eadon, seconded by Councilor Schwartz, to approve Resolution No. 91-20. The motion was approved by a unanimous vote of Council present. 10. EXECUTIVE SESSION: Canceled. 11. ADJOURNMENT: 10:02 p.m. 4 Catherine Wheatley, City Recorde Attes Co President Date: C ccm423.91 i CITY COUNCIL AGENDA - APRIL 23, 1991 - PAGE 10 CITY OF TIGARD OREGON TIGARD CRY COUNCIL MEE NG APRIL 23, 1991 RECAP Report from. Metropolitan Area Communications Commission (MACCI Bruce Crest, MACC Administrator, updated Council on the current status of franchise negotiations between Washington County (WACO) and Tele-Communications, Inc. (TCI) TCI now operates in portions of Tigard (Metzger area with over 800 subscribers); however, Tigard has no franchise agreement with TCI. Cable franchises, with the exception of TCI, are administered by MACC for the County and cities within the County. TCI (formerly Liberty Cable) operates under a Federal District Court Consent Decree. This Decree has similar provisions to a cable franchise but lacks adequate customer service/construction standards and other provisions of modern franchises. The Decree expires in 1995. MACC expects that any future annexations by Tigard or Beaverton in certain areas will bring large portions of the TCI system into these cities. No franchise fees have been paid to Tigard; however, since annexation of portions of Metzger, TCI advised they were setting fees aside and holding them in an escrow account. For the last year, WACO and TCI have been negotiating a cable television franchise to replace the Decree. MACC is acting as an observer to the development of the franchise and is providing technical expertise. The goal is to negotiate a franchise that would allow TCI subscribers to have a level of service similar to that available to Columbia subscribers. Assistant County Administrator Bob Davis responded to several questions asked by the Council concerning WACO's action in taking the lead to negotiate the franchise agreement. Mr. Davis advised that TCI initiated the process. WACO is negotiating the TCI franchise in order to assure budgetary control. WACO and TCI agree that it would probably not be practical to negotiate separate agreements with each city. Instead, they would like to explore ways that the WACO franchise could be used as the basis for Tigard and Beaverton Agreements. Attorneys for the Cities, WACO, and MACC have been discussing various ways that this type of franchising would be accomplished. r" COUNCIL MEETING RECAP - APRIL 23, 1991 - PAGE 1 At the end of the discussion, Council consensus was: • All Tigard residents should be given the same level of cable service at the same cost. • MACC would continue to administer all franchised cable service providers for the City of Tigard, including the collection and disbursement of franchise fees. • The City would continue to monitor, through a reporting system, the costs of administration and the public access/education/government programs. • The City requested an accounting of the franchise fee (2%) collected since the annexation of the Metzger area which is serviced by TCI (i.e., how much and where held). • The legal counsels of Tigard, Beaverton, WACO, and MACC should continue to explore ways to provide a franchise for TCI in the two cities through the WACO/TCI Franchise Agreement. However, all parties realize that the actual decision to grant franchises in thee two cities rests with their governing bodies. First Bank of Tigard - Historic Site Designation The Tigard City Council discussed the request to assign the Historic District Overlay designation to the First Bank of Tigard building which is owned by the City (Chamber of Commerce Building). The Council approved, by majority vote, a motion indicating that they do not support a historical site designation on this property. The Council briefly reviewed the ramifications of such a designation. Their discussion included comments about other buildings in the downtown area which may be more identifiable as historical landmarks. The Council also was concerned about what benefit this would represent for Tigard taxpayers. Consent Agenda: The following agenda items were approved: .1 Approve Council Minutes: March 26, 1991 .2 Authorize the Mayor to Sign Agreement with Washington County to Accept Community Development Block Grant Funds for Pathways Near Metzger School .3 Authorize the Mayor to Sign Renewal of Cooperative Agreement with Washington County Housing Authority to Allow Conventional Public Housing - Resolution No. 91-20 .4 Approve Resolution Expressing Support for MacKenzie River Products' Application for an Oregon Business Development Fund Loan - Resolution No. 91-17 .5 Approve Resolution Defining the Public Involvement Process for the Western Bypass Study - Resolution No. 91-18 .6 Local Contract Review Board: a. Award Construction Contract for the Greenburg Road Street and Storm Sewer Improvements and authorize the City Administrator to Sign a Contract with Eudaly Brothers b. Award Construction Contract for McDonald Street Improvement and authorize the City Administrator to Sign a Contract with Northwest Earthmovers r' COUNCIL MEETING RECAP - APRIL 23, 1991 - PAGE 2 Auneal Public Hearing: Subdivision SUB 90-0007 Variance VAR 90-4011 Waverly Construction/Gran view (NPO 6) An appeal of a Planning Commission approval of a Subdivision request to allow division of a 2.4 acre parcel into 1.0 lots between 7,500 and 10,400 square feet in size. Also approved was a Variance to allow less that 25 feet of public street frontage on two proposed flag lots and a Variance to Code Section 18.164.030 (g) (1) to allow a 65 foot centerline-to-centerline separation of intersecting streets whereas the Code requires a minimum centerline separation of 300 feet when it is necessary that intersecting streets form staggered intersections. ZONE: R4.5 (Residential, 4.5 units/acre) LOCATION: East side of SW 97th Street and approximately 400 feet south of SW McDonald Street (WCTM 2S1 11BA, tax lots 100, 106, and 107) On March 26, 1991, the City Council reviewed an appeal of two subdivision preliminary plat approvals granted by the Planning Commission. The Council continued the hearings on both items to allow additional time for review of Engineering Department conceptual plans for this area. This would also give the applicants an opportunity to revise the subdivision plans to address Council's concerns. The applicants were unable to reach a compromise on a revised plan. The Council, by unanimous vote, denied the request and upheld the NPO's position on their appeal of the proposal. Appeal Public Hearing Subdivision SUB 90-M13 Variance VAR 90-003-7 LauttjDeHaas (NF-0 #0 An appeal of a Planning Commission approval for a Subdivision request to divide an approximately 2.05 acre site into seven parcels between approximately 8,554 and 12,025 square feet in size. Also approved was a Variance to Code Section 18.164.030 (g) (1) to allow a 65 foot centerline-to-centerline separation of intersecting streets whereas the Code requires a minimum centerline separation of 300 feet when it is necessary that intersecting streets form staggered intersections. ZONE: R4.5 (Residential, 4.5 units/acre) LOCATION: 14110 SW 97th Avenue (WCTM 2S1 11BA, tax lots 101, 105, & 111) The development proposal was denied by a unanimous vote of Council present. (See agenda item above.) Public Hearing Western Bnass Study (EMose and Need Statement) The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is conducting a Western Bypass Study. The City of Tigard has entered into a Planning Coordination Agreement setting forth how the City will participate in the We.iern Bypass Study. The Agreement Requires that the City Consider endorsement of a Purpose and Need Statement prepared by ODOT staff. Public hearing was opened. The Council heard several people testify in favor of the Purpose and Need Statement and one person representing Sensible Transportation Options for People (STOP). CS-TOP's 0 position is that the Purpose and Need Statement is a flawed document. STOP recommends the return of the Purpose and Need Statement to ODOT for revision- I. 'D approved Resolution No. 91-19 endorsing the Purpose and Need Statement. i CITY COUNCIL AGENDA - APRIL 23, 1991 - PAGE 3 M -Continuation of Council Deliberation on Appeal of SCE 80_0005, Variance VAR 0027 Shcomo Inn Sig„ (NPO 5) A request for Sign Code Exception and Variance approval to allow two freestanding freeway-oriented signs where only one is permitted. Also requested is approval to retain one sign of approximately 1,180 square feet per sign face with a height of approximately 65 feet and one sign of approximately 698 square feet per sign face with a height of approximately 69.75 feet where the code specifies a maximum allowable sign area of 160 square feet per sign face and maximum allowable height of 35 feet. ZONE: C-G (General Commercial) LOCATION: 15700 SW Upper Boones Ferry Road (WCTM 2S1 12DD, Tax Lots 100, 900, 1100) On April 9, Council consensus was to allow a variance in sign height to 65 feet. Council requested the applicant consult with an expert to determine the minimum sign size required to be readable by freeway travelers. The public hearing was continued to the April 23, 1991 Council meeting. The applicants presented two letters from separate sign companies. Essentially, their advice was that if the present size of both signs was reduced, readability would become difficult, even impossible. Community Development Director advised he had contacted a sign consultant who was asked to make recommendations for signage required to support a motel at this location. The consultant presented several sign alternatives, the largest of which was about 653 square feet per face. The applicant is proposing approximately 1,584 square feet. The hearing was continued to May 21, 1991, to provide opportunity for the applicant to review the City's sign consultant's informatioAO:i'he applicant will notify staff and/or submit proposals at least ten days prior to the meeting. Public Hearing - Comprehensive Plan Transnortation Mag and Test Update (PUBLIC FACILITIES PLAN) Continued to June 11, 1991. Adjournment: 10:02 p.m. 1 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA - APRIL 23, 1991 - PAGE 4 Z No- SRI 0-ow dwmmmm'~_ iegalTT 7939 jjNIG COMPANY 140tfce ~ P"014E (503) 66q_0360 _ BL+S P Q ~ 370 pREGQN 97075 ' V_ O11t I~a~811 BEAVERTQN• a¢ory 1312SSga. jai Notice Aclverti Le( r ; gin, - C~tycec~39-~1'1t ~ hest Notice Ine folk►vMB i 0 /am01 ~ t y ON . p Tears ~~~gendaS~~T~' `Ore$o°97~~~,} TING Affidavt gpaleYat'.~ USIS 2. ! ©pupiicato FsJ~~rz C~II.23.1,,,1GQjNI!'~`lx~ 01, WAL of Tig~d iGAR¢«~ pRD,?i.G?' m) ~kcity i~ f,. •P Q Box 23397 _ 13175'S'.W, ~ } cesto° Com Tigard, OR 97223 munic..... j Study _ tnz~ ptea s t f0 n Br~C.. ~ f S CANlON a~ cn} o GT Y,tinn;' t. PUBI.I 30p r On App VIT OF AFPIOABusn'o~C~ t~, Si 3 )as Contu~ x ~gp27, S IOniet :f . F GON, ri AS411NG esPlan 3 z STATEOF ORE TON COUNTY OF W ler a Advertising } f; ~k~ ~d ~a~up w~~M , Uc . •h 1~ ]S"eCJ -I ~~YL,+t d~X Fi p {'WIM 1t KOeh and S`ayat g 193.010 c Cow S 1. sworn, dePose a of the ,n OR 13N aveY r first duty al clerk, ddefined ` in the I 7N.. being or his princip t circulati as i efu~>l , z a nera ms`s j Icl n~ Direct r+r of ge 4 newgPaPe blished a 193apo P sate3; an coup a d d ~k p ed in the to , f~ QW1 S rieS t` 8tit1 ~ ~ 3 u Ubt;sh 3 ' u11~ ~US7 gd. was 7Y"' yf rs~rrF:°3 eCj£~ 5. d eSal afQit and anex ct;; hereto a essivg ~g which is a succ , of On a printed copy s aper for.-- entire issue of said llowtn9 issues nsecutive in the fo a.,~,, thep,, IR Co 18th da` of Aril 1991 to before Me this- savor t Subscribed and Public for Oregon Natary es' xPir MY Comrnissi AFFIDAVIT r TIMES PUBLISHING COMPANY Legal T 7926 P.O. BOX 370 PHONE (503) 684-0360 N.,,,r BEAVERTON, OREGON 97075 Legal Notice Advertising s Mm, ' • D TearsheetK' a ti 'r• sue„ fy~~ ^3 ~ ~ O".~~ w ~'n~ Cw• ~~..4~r?$y y' p~,~f3 • City of Tigard • 0 Duplicate P.O. Box 23397 • Tigard, 0 R 97223 • ' a~ y~ fy S'r U I`. AFFIDAVIT OF PUBLICATION It Z STATE OF OREGON, ) E" ['S'u tic trc c_ COUNTY OF WASHINGTON 0,"s~``~'"~` ; Judith Koehler >.~w being first duly sworn, depose and say at I a T ,Advertisin g Y ~ ,~i rq 9 Director, or his principal clerk, of the llgar(1 Mmes 0~ D~'a3 geo~;. a newspaper of general circul ion as eflned in ORS 193.010 dsg.s-'°#,_a d SQ;a and 193.020; published atigar~ in the aOU ° " dam`" .w a ~a afotegaid Unty and si to at the I , ~j d ~ 11 Iz 0M. CD bear. - e th xtern Bypass a printed copy of which is hereto annexed, was published in the $60 w E~+~ entire issue of said newspaper for One successive and eoa o _ m Q' consecutive in the following issues: a°. c`. April 11, 1991w IIWIII Subscribed and. sworn o before me this 11th day of A ril 1991 Notary Public for Oregon My Commission Expires: AFFIDAVIT r~ ~~~Ld~JI"~IN~7, COMPANY Le9a► TT 793 TIMES ptiONE (503) 684-0360 Notice p,o. 130) (370 BEAVERTON. OREGON 97075 Legal Notice Advertising ❑ Tearsheet Notic PtJB3__ t~P redby the Tigard City Council on ni Town Hall-9 bin' 3125 $ W . r , f?upticate Affida, a following will b6-cons, Ufe . 1 44:30 P -W at Tigard Civic Cent, beabtazned and Boulevard, Tigard+ Oregon :Further mforination may • City o € Tig , Hatt ; eiopn►ent Duectar or City Reporder atWe same m:theCotnmurutyDev_ • P .O Tigard, OR 97 23397 223 fmlocation ar by calling G39-4171 You areand Daln: ublic hearitg~ z y Tig , , timony tn_adyanee o P -the ublie iearin$ conduf ec in ac be considered at the heanrtg p e~Gitagt~er 1,32 of the Ttgaid Mumcipai Code by op le atG:ty ,w Cite sgiplt hit uncil and availab M1 antic rules of prroc~ ad' tbd by~the Co OF TION~ , R pUBLICAr t= W AFFIDAVIT : A.~m and as rtso'Mae Public STATE OF OREGON, lss. An updai lanttgextdamendnentsriti beev ewedasi3r l~ COUNTY OF WASHINGTON,) sociated p, to she area s road nvlurk Tfus mag reflects dhange _t►iae Satre dt~ map 4 Judith Koehler Advertising Iaciltty Plancom feted. rogects-and le et;., MCW, t, and say at l a t►i• SlatC s sworn, depose1 ar` a mes cittdtng i? s ilrti lan`~s auPi? being first duly+as firsfadb tedia;1983'ThS Ph-~vvate;,ewer, anj Director, or his principal clerk, of the d efined in ORS 193~d pp endt3unTigands~;' d the anent to die City's Cormpre devetopfi, ign as rtdEton fs iiittes which are~3o $t► a newspaper of genera, circulq, c UrbanGrowtn a P1ari riSl Ve d i3oundary ' t ~ ibltettsive , and 193A2o Publ~shed ty and 'state-, th the rehe 3 at e d untyar6 ~ s Gom u~~ic was published in the gnai order compiennariodi~ R~v~ew;oTtgfiatreFciude: hereto annexed sed to be a~optedYdopaodfw~the,;z,, f a printed copy of which is One successive and ;Plan rs p , Po , f v , r a er for._--- PeaodtcRevtew :ati"'^ entire issue of said newsp P 1.- Pubhsh'ApniA3,-1991 T793 consecutive in the following issues: A ril 11 1991 of Aril 1991 before me this 11th da-- Subscribed and.. sworn , Notary public for Oregon my Commissio xpires: 11r AFFIDAVIT AGENDA ITEM NO. 2 - VISITOR'S AGENDA DATE: 4/23/91 (Limited to 2 minutes or less, please) Please sign on the appropriate sheet for listed agenda items. The Council wishes to hear from you on other issues not on the agenda, but asks that you first try to resolve your concerns through staff. Please contact the City Administrator prior to the start of the meeting. Thank you. NAME & ADDRESS TOPIC STAFF CONTACTED PLEASE PRIM t Please sign in to testify on the following: AGENDA ITEM NO. 4 DATE s 4/2391' APPEAL. PUBLIC HMUM: SUBDIVISION SUB-90-0007 VARIANCE VAR 90-0011 - WAVEBLY CONSII7LSCTIQN COMPANY PLEASE PRINT & ADDRESS NAME & ADDRESS For Subdivision) ( ~ vaabdivisiaan) t t 2 l Please sign in to testify on the following: 5 DATE: `'4/23/91 AGENDA ITEM NO.. APPEAL PUBLIC ° HEARING: SUBDIMION: SUB , 9G-0013'. VAR 90-0037.LAUTTODE.HAM (NPO #6) PLEASE PRINT 1 NAME & ADDRESS NAME & ADDRESS (For Subdivision) (OVposinq Subdi ion) l~ /,a /~ccr.•S . r C SIGN UP SLUM - OF ORGANIZATIONS .ANDAR nRKWT~GPDUFSPlease sign in to testify on the following: AGENDA ITEM NO. 6 DATE : 4/23/91 PUBLIC SEARING - WMTEW BYPASS STUDY (PURPo06F AND-NEED STATEMMP) PLEASE PRINT NAME & ADDRESS NAME & ADDRESS Agree with Purpose & Need Disagree with Purpose and Need amen Statement TIGAPD SIGN Ctn.' SSA l on the f allowing =~3~91 ~n to test-if-Y pNTE = please Sim 6 PRO I SS Am Z`lEM Np' ASS ST t P,GEND~' B71p App SS & Nees N ash purpose pSS D gr~ v N purpose %eed Ac3-' II Please sign in to ltestify on the following: J AGENDA ITEM NO. (a( DATE : Ar Yl I Z 3 , /,9 9 f PLEASE PRINT NAME & ADDRESS NAME & ADDRESS t Metropolitan Area MACCICommunications Commission Cable TV Franchise Regulation a Tualatin Valley Community Access (TVCA) • Public Communications Network (PCN) April 22, 1991 Mayor Edwards and Members of the Tigard City Council P.O. Box 23397 Tigard, OR 97223 RE: STATUS OF FRANCHISE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN WASHINGTON COUNTY AND TELE-COMMUNICATIONS, INC. Dear Mayor Edwards and Members of the Council: In this letter we want to provide you an update on the current status of franchise negotiations between Washington County (WACO) and Tele-Communications, Inc. (TCI). We also want to discuss with you the problem of current unfranchised TCI service in annexed areas of Tigard and how the WACO/TCI negotiations may produce a solution. BACKGROUND =i 4 Formal franchise negotiations between WACO and TCI began in early 1990; however, the issue of TCI service in the unincorporated County, as well as in annexed areas of Tigard and Beaverton, go back to the late 1970s. During that time, Liberty Cable (now TCI) operated cable systems in portions of unincorporated Washington County, Clackamas County, and Lake Oswego (the Lake Oswego system was later sold to Storer Cable, now Columbia). The Liberty (TCI) service area in Washington County generally bordered the western limits of the City of Portland and included areas in the West Hills, Cedar Mill, West Slope, Raleigh Hills, and Metzger. In 1979, prior to the formation of MACC, the County attempted to establish uniform cable franchising standards via ordinance. During this process, a dispute arose with Liberty and the County over franchising the existing Liberty service area mentioned above. This dispute eventually went to the Federal District Court which issued a Consent Decree in 1980 establishing the current TCI Service Area. This Consent Decree (hereinafter Decree) has similar provisions to a cable franchise but lacks adequate customer service/construction standards and other provisions of modern franchises. Liberty, and now TCI, have operated under the Decree since that time (the Decree expires in 1995). The current TCI system in Washington County consists of an older 35-channel cable plant originally built by Liberty in the 1970s. This system is totally surrounded by a modern TCI cable plant of 60 channels in Portland, as well as the 60-channel Columbia system in the MACC jurisdictions. In addition, the Decree does not provide the levels of other services provided by Columbia such as extensive Public, Education, and Government (PEG) Access, customer service standards, construction, or system/franchise monitoring. Their is no Providing service since 1980 1815 NW 169th Place, Suite 6020 • Beaverton, Oregon 97006-4886 a 629-8534 or 220-0689 • FAX: (503) 645-8561 Representing the communities of Banks, Beaverton, Cornelius, Durham, Forest Grove, Gaston, Hillsboro, King City, Lake Oswego, North Plains, Rivergrove, Sherwood, Tigard. Tualatin, Washington County, and Wilsonville. TIGARD CITY COUNCIL APRIL 22, 1991 PAGE 2 question that the 13,000 TCI subscribers in the Washington County Service area receive considerably less service than areas served by adjacent cable systems. Effects of Annexations In 1987, the City of Tigard annexed the area more commonly known as Metzger (Washington Square area). As a result of that annexation a portion of the TCI service area was brought into the City, along with a few hundred subscribers (the Embassy Suites Hotel and several surrounding properties). At about that time, our office received a call from the local TCI Manager asking where he should send "Tigard's check for the franchise fees in this area?" We declined to accept the check knowing that such acceptance would help to establish TCI's rights to operate in the City. TCI indicated that this money would be put into escrow until Tigard decided what to do with it. We then discussed that situation with City Manager, Bob Jean, who was interested in having MACC negotiate a TCI franchise in this area. But because MACC, WACO, and TCI were also discussing a new franchise to replace the Decree, it was felt we should wait on a Tigard/TCI franchise until the WACO negotiations were completed. Following that annexation and several others by both Tigard and Beaverton, additional portions of the TCI service area were incorporated into these cities. Recently, during the WACO/TCI negotiations, we discovered that TCI now has over 800 active subscribers in the Metzger area (252 in the Embassy Suites Hotel alone) that are now within the City of Tigard. Also, our recent investigation of Beaverton annexations shows that seventeen (17) TCI subscribers are active in that City. We expect that any future annexations by Tigard or Beaverton in the neighborhoods listed above will bring large portions of the TCI system into those Cities. CURRENT WACO/TCI NEGOTIATIONS As mentioned above, for the last year, WACO and TCI have been negotiating a modern cable TV franchise to replace the Decree. The goal of these discussions has been to negotiate a franchise that would allow TCI subscribers in the County to have a level of service similar to that available to Columbia subscribers. Toward that end we have used the Columbia Franchise as a model for the discussions and expect the final TCI document to reflect this parity. Specific areas agreed to in the current draft franchise include: - A state-of-the-art 60-channel system capacity, possibly using fiber optics technology - Modern customer service standards - Enforceable construction standards and build deadlines - Technical standards 4 ` TIGARD CITY COUNCIL APRIL 22, 1991 PAGE 3 - Support for the current PEG access program - A five percent franchise fee Based on the current time table, they expect to complete these negotiations before summer 1991. It has now reached the point where both WACO and TCI need to discuss the iss~ies of annexations with Tigard and Beaverton. TCI naturally wants to protect their current and future investment in these areas through obtaining legal status to operate in the areas annexed into the two cities. Because of the high potential that their entire Decree Service Area may someday be annexed into either Tigard or Beaverton, it is imperative for TCI that the issue of operating in these two cities be resolved to protect that investment. WACO and TCI agree that it would probably not be practical to negotiate separate agreements with each city. Instead, they would like to explore ways that the WACO franchise could be used as the basis for Tigard and Beaverton agreements. Attorneys for the Cities, WACO, and MACC have been discussing various ways that this type of franchising would be accomplished. LEGAL ISSUES From a MACC staff viewpoint, this situation brings forth several legal issues for consideration. Grant of Franchises in Tigard and Beaverton WACO cannot grant TCI a franchise to operate in Tigard or Beaverton. This action is reserved to the respective City Councils. However, this does not preclude WACO from negotiating a form of "master franchise" that both Tigard and Beaverton could agree to accept as theirs. These cities and WACO also have the right to grant more than one franchise to serve an area. TCI Operation Without a Franchise It is our position that TCI cannot operate in these cities without a franchise and/or the payment of franchise fees. However, evicting TCI would probably be met with some legal challenge which would further complicate this situation and only serve to totally confuse cable subscribers. Also, the MACC/Tigard/Columbia Franchise prohibits us from forcing Columbia to overbuild the TCI system (or any other system) which might have been considered an alternative to granting TCI a franchise. TIGARD CITY COUNCIL APRIL 22, 1991 PAGE 4 More specific questions on these or other legal issues should be addressed by your City Attorney. MACC'S ROLE IN THE NEGOTIATIONS Since WACO decided to hire their own cable consultant for these negotiations, MACC has served as the technical advisor to the County. In that capacity, and in our role representing MACC jurisdictions, we have: 1) Provided the technical expertise necessary to ensure that the TCI franchise closely follows the existing Columbia Cable Franchise Agreement. This should ensure that all County subscribers receive a comparable level of cable service; and, 2) Protected the interests of the MACC member jurisdictions, especially Tigard and Beaverton, who currently have TCI subscribers within their boundaries. MACC STAFF RECOMMENDATION That the legal counsels of Tigard, Beaverton, WACO, and MACC should continue to explore ways to provide a franchise for TCI in the two cities through the WACO/TCI Franchise Agreement. However, all parties realize that the actual decision to grant franchises in these two cities rests with their governing bodies. MACC and WACO are interested in hearing from Tigard and Beaverton about any specific concerns or issues that they may have with this process. We also look forward to answering any questions you have about this process or our recommendation. Si rely, 1'fuce rest Administrator cc: Tim Ramis, City Attorney, Tigard John Junkin, WA. County Counsel MACC Commissioners TIGARD.LTR COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM: 3.02 CITY OF TIGARD, OREGON COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY AGENDA OF: 4123/91 DATE SUBMITTED: 4/8/91 ISSUE/AGENDA TITLE: Agreement with PREVIOUS ACTION: The City Council Washin on Count to accept CDBG funds authorized submittal of this CDBG for athwa s near Metzger School. proposal in October, 1987. PREPARED BY: Duane Roberts Adm Plan DEPT HEAD 01CITY ADMIN O REQUESTED BY: Ed Murphy, CD Director P LICY ISSUE To enter into an agreement with Washington County accepting $60,732 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds for the construction of pedestrian pathways in the vicinity of Metzger School. INFORMATION SUMMARY The Community Development Block Grant Policy Committee has recommended that the City be awarded $60,732 for the construction of pathways in the vicinity of Metzger School. The project involves the construction of 5-foot wide asphalt pathways along SW 90th Ave. between SW Locust St. and SW Oak St. and along SW 90th St. between SW Hall Blvd. and SW Locust St. The pathways will meander along the right-of-way following an alignment that would require the least clearing and impact to adjacent properties. Because the right-of-way along the streets are irregular in width or are narrower than would be required for full width improvements, not all of the proposed pathways can be constructed in locations compatible with future road improvements. However, there are no roadway improvements along these streets planned within the foreseeable future. The project will alleviate serious safety concerns of children walking to school in the street or along the shoulder of the road. Copies of the full, 28-page contract are available for review at City Hall. Award of the construction contract will require separate Council action. Contract award is tentatively set for July. 1991. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED - sign the agreement to accept the CDBG funds. - Not to accept the grant. FISCAL IMPACT All of the design and construction costs are chargeable to the Community Development Block Grant. Local sources of project funding are limited to in-kind staff administrative time (estimated at $1,200) and the cost of legal and public notices ($150). SUGGESTED ACTION Authorize the Mayor to sign the agreement. dr/ccsum COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM 3'3 CITY OF TIGARD, OREGON COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY VGENDA OF: April 23, 1991 DATE SUBMITTED: April 12, 1991 SSUE/AGENDA TITLE: Renewal of Cooper- PREVIOUS ACTION: Council adopted ative agreement with Washington County, Res. 81-48 on 5/11 81 which approved Housing Authority to allow Conven / an identical agreement. tional Public usin in Tigard. / PREPARED BY: D. Roberts,R. Bunch DEPT HEAD O CITY ADMIN OK REQUESTED BY: Ed Murphy, CD Dir. OLICY ISSUE Should the City enter into an agreement with the Washington County Housing Authority to provide 50 new public housing units in Tigard over (approximately) the next ten years. P•-ovision of these units would be consistent with comprehensive Plan Housing Implementation StratF,Zy #ti7 which states that "The City shall coordinate with the Washington County Housing Authority, HUD, and other Federal, State and regional agencies for the provision of subsidized housing programs in Tigard." The Housing Authority's plan to disperse single family homes is consistent with Comprehensive Plan Policy 6.1.2, which states that subsidized housing units located within any single family zoning district shall not be geographically concentrated. INFORMATION SUMMARY The Washington County Housing Authority desires to enter into a "Cooperation Agreement" with the City of Tigard. The agreement is necessary for the Housing Authority to receive funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide 50 new public housing units in Tigard. These units would consist of multi-family housing for the elderly and dispersed single family homes. The City of Tigard has cooperated with the Housing Authority in helping to provide iublic housing opportunities since 1978. A previous 1981 Agreement between the Housing .uthority and the City applied to a 22-unit program, which has been completed. Based upon anticipated funding, the proposed 50 new units will be what Tigard can expect to receive for the next ten years. Housing units provided under this program are owned and operated by the Housing Authority. The Housing Authority currently owns 29 conventional public housing rental units in Tigard. A representative from the agency will be present to answer any questions the Council may have. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED 1. Not to approve the agreement. 2. Approve the agreement, but reduce the number of housing units authorized. FISCAL IMPACT Approving the agreement will cause a small reduction in total assessed value. it will not result in a reduction in tax revenues. Rather, properties that are on the tax rolls will pay a small amount more than would have been the case had these public housing units not been removed from the tax rolls. An annual payment in lieu of taxes and special assessments will be paid by the Housing Authority. This typically amounts to about 10-12% of the tax assessment had the property been on the tax rolls. ~ SUGGESTED ACTION Approve the attached resolution which authorizes the Mayor to sign the agreement. dr/ccsumhse.aut HOUSING AUTHORITY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY P.O. Box 988 - 560 S.E. Third Avenue, Hillsboro, Oregon 97123-0988 Phone: (503) 648-8511 FAX: (503) 648-8123 March 27, 1991 Mr. Duane Roberts, City of Tigard P.O. Box 23397 Tigard, OR 97223 Subject; Cooperation Agreement - Conventional Public: Housing Explanation and Intent of Restrictive Conditions Dear Mr. Roberts: Per our telephone conversations and my direct communication with the HUD Area Counsel, there are very few changes, if any, that HUD would authorize in the Cooperation Agreement between the Housing Authority and the local jurisdiction. There is a question if HUD will continue to fund this type of project. As I explained in the beginning, the need for the Cooperation Agreement applies only to the provision of funding under HUD's Conventional Public Housing Program which is the original program established by HUD in 1937. The Housing Authority and the City of Tigard had entered into this Cooperation Agreement in the past on three separate occasions, and have come to no disagreement in regards to the use or the construction of Housing Authority property in the City of Tigard. It is the Housing Authority's policy to provide, using this funding source,, primarily large family housing. We do this by building or acquifing scattered site housing in traditional neighborhoods. At present, we have 29 conventional public housing units in your jurisdiction; 17 of them are in an elderly small family project on 95th; the remaining are 3- bedroom, single family homes, scattered throughout your jurisdiction. Our intent on future projects would be to continue providing 3-bedroom scattered site, large family housing through the use of the Conventional Public Housing funding source. We have made application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development this year for 22 units in the City of Forest Grove and for 22 units in Washington County unincorporated areas. Funding over the last few years has resulted in funds for approximately 20 units per year. Subject to your Counsel's approval of the Cooperation Agreement, we will be submitting next year to HUD an application for between 20 and 25 units of scattered site, 3-bedroom, either new construction or acquisition without rehabilitation. It is the Housing Authority's policy not to put more than 6 units in any one location. It is a HUD restricter, under scattered site housing, not to allow any more than 8 units in one location. Addressing Section 4 of the Cooperation Agreement which provides the restrictions and potential liabilities for the City, I would have to say first that each and ' every one of these is either a legislated right of the Housing Authority or comes only after consideration by your Counsel. The language provides that you will Equal Housing Opportunity 2 r Mr. Duane Roberts, City of Tigard March 27, 1991 Page 2 provide for the Housing Authority that which you would normally provide for other residents in the City. It states insofar as municipality may lawfully do so, and then makes specific requests if, in fact,-those are needed to make a project financially feasible. All of the requests that we would make would have to be brought to your Board for approval. Section 4A provides that you will if you provide water and sewer now, you will in the future provide water and sewer to the tenants to the same extent as they are furnished to other residents. Section 4B refers to the building of complexes where there may be dedicated streets now, and that if we were to build a complex (under scattered sites this is not a possibility) you would support the vacation of such streets within that complex. It is the Housing Authority's policy to only construct scattered sites, except in the case of elderly housing. Under normal conditions, we would only build scattered site projects on existing, platted lots, with all facilities currently present. If we were to deviate from this policy, it would not be under this funding source, nor carry the regLirement of a Cooperation Agreement. Section 4C asks for the granting of deviation in building codes and other municipal standards that would make the project financially feasible. In past performance, we have not asked for any variance from the UBC, and in our new construction projects in the City of Tigard, we have cooperated with the Building Department in all matters required. Section 4D accepts grants of easement necessary for the development of such a project refers to the dedication of roadways or access to a project, and again, we would only request this in compliance with city ordinances and under the same conditions as currently granted to private citizens. Section 4E is the catch-all which merely states that you will cooperate with the Authority in lawful actions that promote the development of such a project. We have completed in the past, three cooperation Agreements which have been acted upon and have represented the development of 29 existing rental units. It is the Housing Authority's policy to development from this funding source, scattered site, single family dwellings, except for elderly housing. We classify duplexes also as being single family housing. So in some cases, zoning permitting, there would be the possibility of the development or the acquisition of duplexes under this category. It is the policy of the Housing Autho i.ty to provide anonymity for our clients so that they become part of the neighborhood as opposed to being classified as project or lower income families. In order to accomplish this, we cannot ask for special considerations that would cause a specific property to stand out different from those in the neighborhood in which it is located. 3 Mr. Duane Roberts, City of Tigard March 27, 1991 Page 3 I can foresee no reason to change the policies that the Housing Authority has established to date. It is my understanding that the funding for Conventional Housing will continue to be at a rate that would be most appropriate for the development of scattered site housing. If you need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Sincerely, WILLIAM R. PEARL Development Manager WRP/Jas k r. MEMORANDUM CITY OF TIGARD, OREGON TO: Pat Reilly, City Administrator FROM: Ed Murphy Community Development Directo DATE: April 10, 1991 SUBJECT: Agreement with Washington County Housing Authority for Dispersed Public Housing in Tigard There were several concerns that I asked planning staff to address in regards to the proposed agreement with Washington County. These are issues which needed additional clarification and/or which implied that the City might be obligated to do things contrary to its interest. Staff has worked with Bill Pearl, Development Manager for the Washington County Housing Authority to develop additional information. A letter from Mr. Pearl in response to my concerns is attached. I am satisfied that the agreement does not pose any problems for the City and should be entered into. The following is a summary of Mr. Pearl's response to my questions and information received from staff: Section 2.A.: Does the term "Local Authority" or "Government" imply that the City of Tigard will in any way be involved in securing funding for low-income housing? How will funding be provided for this housing, and how are the number of units determined? "Local Authority refers to the Washington County Housing Authority. "Government" refers to the government of the United States of America. Funding for the proposed housing will come from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The fifty units referenced in the summary sheet is the number of units that the Housing Authority expects to build over the next ten years based on anticipated federal funding during this period. Section 4.b.: Does this section obligate the City, at the Housing Authority's request, to vacate roads and utility lines? This provision applies to large projects. It is inoperative, because the Housing Authority does not intent to build any large- scale projects inside the City. Since this document is a standard HUD local agreement form, the Housing Authority is reluctant to modify or delete this or any other particular provision. However, they have to committed in writing that their intention is to not site a large project in Tigard. This commitment is expressed in the attached letter from the Washington County Housing Authority. Section 4.c.i: Does this section mean that the City will have to agree to deviations from the building code or change the zoning in an area to allow this type of housing to be sited? This provision refers to any special building code regulations imposed by the City. It is not meant to apply to the state Uniform Building Code or to the Washington County electrical code, both of which the City has no authority to waive. Since the City has not adopted any building code regulations of its own, this provision would be inoperative. Furthermore the Housing Authority has, in the past, not asked for any variances from the UBC, and have cooperated in all matters in regards their previous housing projects. The provision which refers to zoning addresses "up-zoning" which would be necessary to allow large multi-family ,projects. As indicated above, the Housing Authority has no plans to undertake large multi-family projects. Moreover, the phrase "reasonable and necessary" means the City is not automatically required to grant a zone change request. The City would be in a position to not support any request it feels would not serve the best interests of the community. Section 4.e: What does cooperate mean in this context? Does the City run risks of being involved in the development and administration of the low income housing project? This is a catch-all phrase which merely states that the City will cooperate with the Housing Authority in lawful actions that promote the development of the project. It does not financially obligate the City. Section 5.b. and c.: Do these provisions mean that the City will provide sidewalks and water, storm and sewer facilities? These provisions are included in the agreement because in some parts of the United States, the municipality is the provider of sidewalks and utilities. The intent is to ensure that assisted housing is treated exactly the same as a private housing. Whomever the service provider may be, the Housing Authority is obligated to pay the costs involved in providing sidewalks and utilities. rb/house.rb2 C -f r, COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM • CITY OF TIGARD, OREGON COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY AGENDA OF: 4/23/91 DATE SUBMITTED: 4/12/91 ISSUE/AGENDA TITLE: Mackenzie River Pro- PREVIOUS ACTION: none ducts Oregon Business Develo went Fund Resolution PREPARED BY: Duane Roberte Admin. Planner DEPT HEAD OK CITY ADMIN OK/',d 11. REQUESTED BY: Ed Murphy, Community i Development Director POLICY ISSUE To adopt a resolution expressing support for Mackenzie River Product's application for an Oregon Business Development Fund loan. INFORMATION SUMMARY Periodically, the City of Tigard is asked by local businesses to endorse their applications for low interest loans from the Oregon Business Development Fund. This endorsement in the form of a resolution is a required part of the loan application package. Mckenzie River Products, located in the Oregon Business Park II is seeking a $16,000 low interest from the Oregon Business Development Fund to assist in the financing of additional production capacity. If this and other financing is secured, the company plans to employ additional sewing machine operators and other production workers. In order for the firm to qualify for a Development Fund loan, Tigard must pass a resolution expressing its support. Mckenzie River Products, was created in 1990 to manufacture quality outdoor clothing and equipment. Its garments are now sold in nine states. This project is consistent with City economic development policies and implementation strategies. Economic Development Plan Implementation Strategy #22 states that the "City shall continue to demonstrate support for local industry Business Development Fund and Industrial Revenue Bond applications for low interest financing." ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED 1) Adopt the attached resolution expressing support for the firm's loan application. 2) Not to support the application. FISCAL IMPACT The passage of the resolution will not obligate the City in any way. With regard The Oregon Economic Development Department does a thorough credit check before taking any action on requests for development fund loans. SUGGESTED ACTION Adopt the resolution. ( rb/DRMacRes c` u" j1 COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM~ CITY OF TIGARD, OREGON COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY AGENDA OF: April 23, 1991 DATE SUBMITTED: ISSUE/AGENDA TITLE: Public involvement PREVIOUS ACTION: t in the Western Bypass Study f PREPARED BY: City Engineer DEPT HEAD OK CITY ADMIN OK REQUESTED BY: POLIC ISSUE INFORMATION SUMMARY In the Western Bypass Planning Coordination Agreement, approved by the Council on April 9th, the City agreed to adopt the attached resolution within 30 days. The resolution defines the public involvement process for the Western Bypass Study. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED None FISCAL IMPACT Publication costs for the public notice. SUGGESTED ACTION Adoption of the attached resolution. rw/iga-pub C. f COUNCIL AGENDA. ITEM NO. ~.IOa. CITY OF TIGARD, OREGON COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY LOCAL CONTRACT REVIEW BOARD AGENDA OF: April 23, 1991 DATE SUBMITTED: April 10. 1991 dc_ PREVIOUS ACTION: ISSUE/AGENDA TITLE: Bid Award .LOP Greenbur Road Improvements PREPARED BY: Gar Alfson DEPT HEAD OK CITY ADMIN O / REQUESTED BY: PO ICY ISSUE A-ward of construction contract for the Greenburg Road Street and Storm Sewer Improvements. INFORMATION SUMMARY This project provides for the street and storm sewer improvements to Greenburg Road from Pacific Highway to Cascade Boulevard. Previous construction provided for the undergrounding of utilities and offsite storm sewers. A continuous turn lane, bus turnouts, bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides of the road, and an improved storm drainage system will be provided with this final phase. Bids were opened on April 9, 1991. Twelve bids were received as follows: Eudaly Brothers, Inc., Portland, OR $ 987,852.00 Northwest Earthmovers, Tualatin, OR $1,032,165.80 Coffman Excavation, Oregon City, OR $1,032,633.50 Eagle Elsner, Tigard, OR $1,111,611.20 Fabricators, Inc., Salem, OR $1,141,137.50 Oregon Asphaltic, Portland, OR $1,166,960.00 Jerry Brundidge Const., Boring, OR $1.188,814.20 Clearwater Construction, Portland, OR $1,193,547.00 Morse Brothers, Beaverton, OR $1,200,458.00 Copenhagen Utilities, Clackamas, OR $1,264,490,50 Gelco Construction, Salem, OR $1,275,940.00 Pipe Tech Inc., Salem, OR $1,285,864.50 The Consultant Engineer (Wilsey & Ham, Inc) estimate was $ 1,003,642 - ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED 1. Award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder. 2. Reject all bids. FISCAL IMPACT This project is funded through the Major Streets Bond approved in November 1988. Approximately $80,000 will be paid by Tri-Met to cover the costs of transit facilities, in accordance with the agreement previously approved by the council. SUGGESTED ACTION That the Local Contract Review Board, by motion, authorize the City Administrator f to sign a contract with Eudaly Brothers. di/H:\engdoc\council\se-ba-gs.GA COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM NO. 3.(D b, CITY OF TIGARD, OREGON COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY LOCAL CONTRACT REVIEW BOARD AGENDA OF: April 23, 1991 DATE SUBMITTED: April 9. 1991 ISSUE/AGENDA TITLE: Bid Award for /PREVIOUS ACTION: McDonald Street Improvements PREPARED BY: Ga Alfson 14 DEPT HEAD OK CITY ADMIN OK REQUESTED BY: OL CY ISSUE Award of construction contract for the McDonald Street Improvements Project. INFORMATION SUMMARY This project provided for the regrading of McDonald Street from Hall Boulevard to west of 93rd Avenue to improve the sight distance. A turn lane at Hall Boulevard, bike/pedestrian paths on both side of the road, and an improved storm drainage system will also be provided. Pipe lines will be installed under the new roadway to provide for future extension of the sanitary sewer system. Bids were opened on April 3, 1991. Eight bids were received as follows: Northwest Earthmovers, Tualatin, OR $ 516,756.88 Jerry Brundidge Const., Boring, OR $ 529,186.95 Rutan Construction, Beaverton, OR $ 535,723.00 Copenhagen Utilities, Clackamas, OR $ 563,351.30 Gelco Construction, Salem, OR $ 586,704.90 Roy L. Houck, Salem, OR $ 603,385.25 Eagle Elsner, Tigard, OR $ 617,317.34 Clearwater Construction, Portland, OR $ 668,232.70 The Consultant Engineer (Westech Engineering, Inc) estimate was $ 500,500.00 - ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED 1. Award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder. 2. Reject all bids. FISCAL IMPACT This project is funded through the Major Streets Bond approved in November 1988, and is within the original estimated project budget. Approximately $114,000 of the project cost will be charged to the Sanitary Sewer CIP account. It is intended that sewer costs will be repaid through a reimbursement district as properties are connected to the sewer in the future. - SUGGESTED ACTION That the Local Contract Review Board, by motion, authorize the City Administrator to sign a contract with Northwest Earthmovers. dj/H:\engdoc\couneil\sa-ba-m.GA s 1 COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM f f ® CITY OF TIGARD, OREGON COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY 3 AGENDA OF: April 23. 1991 DATE SUBMITTED: April 14, 1991 ISSUE/AGENDA TITLE: Appeal of Subdivision PREVIOUS ACTION: Council hra. on 3/26791- approval SUB 9Q-0007. VAR 90-0011 (Wavotlvl/ hra continued to allow revisions to plans PREPARED BY: Jerry Offer, Assoc. Planner DEPT HEAD OK CITY ADMIN OX REQUESTED BY: Ed Murphy, Comm. Dev. Dir. ' POLICY ISSUE Should additional time be permitted for the applicants on subdivision approval requests on ' adjacent properties to reach consensus on development plans? Y INFORMATION SUMMARY 3 On March 26, 1991, the City Council reviewed on appeal two Subdivision preliminary plat approvals granted by the Planning Commission. The Council continued the hearings on both items to allow the parties in both of these applications to review Engineering Department conceptual plans for this area and to allow the applicants to revise the subdivision plans in light of the Council's concerns expressed with regard to the current plans. Subsequent to the March 26th Council meeting, staff have had numerous contacts with the engineers working on both of these projects, although at this time the engineers of the two projects have not met with regard to redesigning their respective projects. Both engineers request that the City Council further continue the hearing on these matters to allow them to work out differences of opinion that could result in revisions to the subdivision preliminary plats. C memorandum from City Engineer, Randy Wooley, regarding progress in dealing with the applicants as well as additional information on sewers on the Otto/Waverly property is attached. In addition, a letter from Marlin DeHaas is also attached. The packet material for the March 26, 1991 Council meeting is attached. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED 1. Continue the hearing on this subdivision application until May 21 1991, or another date acceptable to the Council and the involved parties, in order to allow the applicants for both subdivision proposals to develop an acceptable plan for development of both sites. 2. Deny the subdivision and variance requests and direct staff to prepare a corresponding final order. SUGGESTED ACTION Continue the hearing on this subdivision application until May 21, 1991, or another date acceptable to the Council and the involved parties, in order to allow the applicants for both subdivision proposals to develop an acceptable plan for development of both sites. CCSUM.ZC S ~ 5. MEMORANDUM CITY OF TIGARD TO: Pat Reillv, Citv Administrator April 15, 1991 FROM: Randy Wooley, City Engineer J SUBJECT: Grandview and Lautt Subdivisions On "larch 26, 1991, the Council heard appeals of the Planning Commission's approval of proposed Grandview and Lautts Subdivisions. The hearing was continued to allow the applicants to consider revisions. Alternative Plans After the March meeting, I contacted the engineers for the two subdivisions and offered to meet with them to discuss alternative plans, including the ideas sketched out by City staff. Mr. De Haas indicated that he was working on an alternative plan of his own and did not need to see the Citv staff ideas. Mr. Burton indicated that he was interested in meeting but had a very full schedule and did not know when he could meet with us. As a result, we have not had anv discussions about alternatives with either party since the March 26 meeting. No alternative plans have been submitted by either applicant. Side Sewers At the March 26 meeting, there was some discussion of existing side sewer locations. The information which I provided was incorrect as to the Grandview subdivision. I apologize for any confusion caused by incorrect information. A review of the as-built drawings indicates that side sewer stubs were constructed in 1981 to serve all of the lots now proposed as Lautts and Grandview subdivisions. These stubs are generally 5 to 10 feet in length and would need to be extended at the time that homes are connected. Where the sewer main is located under a street pavement, the stubs are generally longer, so that the stub is clear of the street area. I agree with the information submitted by Mr. De Haas in his April 8th letter to the Council. This additional information does not change my recommendations regarding these two subdivisions. I feel that the location of existing side sewer stubs should not be a major consideration in evaluating the current subdivision applications for two reasons. First, the revised plat concepts which we would suggest would allow most of the existing side sewer stubs to be used. Perhaps one new side sewer would need to be constructed for the Lautts subdivision and possibly two for the Grandview subdivision. The existing sewer mains would all be fully utilized. Second, the cost of constructing side sewer stubs is usually a minor portion of the total cost of providing subdivision improvements. It appears that the existing stubs cost less than $100 each when they were constructed in 1981. Adding two or three side sewer stubs now would still be a relatively small cost if done at the time that other subdivision improvements are constructed. In both proposed subdivisions, the developers will still be required to construct the street improvements and to provide the other underground utilities (water, storm, power, telephone, etc.?. Any required sewer stubs could be added at the same time. rw/lautt f _ ~ _ a . _ 4 , . ~ v _ } x . - s _ O _ - ~ - - . ~ r i } _ ~ s. ~ is , 3 i ` • r R ~ iii P.i ~~~r ~ u ~ rf° _ ~ - _ _ h• : - ~ ~ - ~ _ ~ ~ ~y ~P h S 'LL9t ~ .:aipi~, w~, I w 1a111T11i<.iF!E y s P ~ - r r s ~ e~ ~se.+cc _ iTtlfdM ~~r ) d # ' _ 1 ~ ~ Std CIO!{>\` - - - - ~ .~8r1Y', ~ 'T R ~ ' t t I . • '3 r _ ' ~ YtfINITY MAP LQ ATi MAP I , F~( TO DRAWINGS EYi, N0. 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MC DONALD STREET MAIN A c.~eH01YN IR N0. 114 EL-248.76 ~ y• NH SANITARY SEWER LID RR$ N0. 115 EL-279.75 ~ ~-1• o.om Harrif•MeMo 0 oei0hs 23'00 1~ 15f 2.3 . a g• Ass I q 3 ~°J I~, JRH ar, eesna as .wa ua :!C ~'Vll', an 1vW yw CO5111@f LAT. A3 18spiVpgp7 U767 JNI.IBBI 7g4M, OIIFCON 477)7 n - V 4-23-91 ....AGENDA p4 ~ . 4. . a...,:,. i ~ . . y • u ~ - r: _ _ - r ~ NOIE• IF 1H7A NICACFi . i t , J, . ~ fir. - - - ova ts_r~a6 ~ , , . ~ ~ _ 7 . M ,,..M , n+u. • , • • -oFTIE aaGnw:' a~ t - , R ~ _ • - _ . r . , . . a _ , r. , , r . . { ~ts I , :~~Ki'. r - ~~t µ - o - I F i ~ ~ ~ C~ >»atrrr / _ ~ ~ I ~ ~ ~fioo $ t o~ ~ - AYE. . K ~ F i " a w i ,I - ~ y ~p ~ I ~ _ / ~ ~ .o „ - ~ ~ 1 I ~ ~ J I b~ , ,13 r k I ~ 1 r ~ r ~ ~ ~ ~ 1 ~ Ei I t - _ LAT. Az I ~ ~ ~ LAT. A2.2 ~ LAT. A4 ~ t,AT A ~ ~ LAT A2 AT A 4 u A W J ~ f t 1 t 0. 00 I ' 2 3 4 5 00 B. ~ 0+00 f 2 Of I 2 3 4 I. AS BUILT 4M. d•11 uu"~a~~o~wnonwq"om ,s„ s.u • CITY OF TIGARD OREGON VERTICLE DATUM CITY OF TIGARD TOPOGRAPHIC MAPPING ;p S.W. Mc DONALD STREET ~AT.AZ 0+00 TO 6+93 IR N0. Ila EL-208.76 NH SA ITARY SEWER LID LAT. AZ-Z D OO TD ~ RRS N0. IIS EL-279.TS 1 Harril-McMonap ~ Alsotiot"s + +75,10 .w SEE SHT. 2 FOR SIDE SWR. JRH ? 9 ~t~ y/I 4-23-91 AGENDA„_~4____._.,,.. ~Rn ~ro nms.w~cowwaam~r LAT.A4 O+OOTO 3+59.3 v .9 el na+o. aeca mn ~ . i , „ ~ - t - NJ1E. - .I141N20'MI~IIOFI r ' dW1A6 Td tEES. , .r ' s.. ,7: , a`~ ~ - r„ . ~ . OF.TiE 0A20IMAl' 1. , . ~ r ~ n a. ..e w . . _ LL_ .w.r.._.~ _ M , ~ ; r • I a. _ { ~ , v ~J» 't A,.. . t ~ i ~h. a _ ~ 5 I ~ l.~ . ( ' ^~h: J ~ v E ~A~ Suite 200 - AGC Center % n 9450 S.W. Commerce Circle Wilsonville, Oregon 97070 (503) 682-2450 ssociates, Inc. (503) 682-2451 FAX Consulting Engineers 8 Surveyors l April 8, 1991 Honorable Mayor and City Council City of Tigard P.O. Box 23397 Tigard, Oregon 97223 Re: March 26, 1991 Council Meeting Item 4 - Appeal Public Hearing - Waverly Subdivision Item 5 - Appeal Public Hearing - Lautt Subdivision During the subject public, hearings there was confusion as to whether sanitary service lines had been run out to each of the planned lots as part of the 1981 SW McDonald Street Sanitary Sewer Local Improvement District (LID). City staff testified that they believed the services had not been extended.to the individual lots. We exhibited excerpts from the City's Sanitary Sewer construction plans that illustrated that the service had, in fact, been extended to each lot. Council asked us to provide copies. Six copies are attached for Council and staff. f The cover sheet, sheet 1 of 9, shows properties in green that had been divided before the formation of the LID and properties in red that were planned as subdivisions as a part of the LID with service laterals provided and each lot assessed. The second colored illustration is a composit of sheets 2 of 9, 3 of 9 and 4 of 9 of the City's as-built construction drawings which show the location of sewer mains and service laterals, including the length and depth of each service lateral as constructed. Sheets 2 of 9, 3 of 9 and 4 of 9 from which the composite were made, are also attache r information. Respec lly s m d, Marlin J/. De as, P.E., P.L.S. Presidnt Attachments RECEIVED cc: 90.023.546 1' P..R 10 1991 Lautt ti COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MJD/sd 023LTR.A8 COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM CITY OF TIGARD, OREGON COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY AGENDA OF: April 23, 1991 DATE SUBMITTED: Aril 14, 1991 ISSUE/AGENDA TITLE: Appeal of Subdivision PREVIOUS ACTION: Council hra. on 3/267-91; approval for SUB 90-13 VAR 90-37 Lautt hra continued to allow revisions to plans. PREPARED BY: Jerry Offer, Assoc. Planner DEPT HEAD OK CITY ADMIN OK REQUESTED BY: Ed Murphy, Comm. Dev. Dir. POLICY ISSUE Should additional time be permitted for the applicants on subdivision approval requests on adjacent properties to reach consensus on development plans? INFORMATION SUMMARY On March 26, 1991, the City Council reviewed on appeal two Subdivision preliminary plat approvals granted by the Planning Commission. The Council continued the hearings on both items to allow the parties in both of these applications to review Engineering Department conceptual plans for this area and to allow the applicants to revise the subdivision plans in light of the Council's concerns expressed with regard to the current plans. Subsequent to the March 26th Council meeting, staff have had numerous contacts with the engineers working on both of these projects, although at this time the engineers of the two projects have not met with regard to redesigning their respective projects. Both engineers request that the City Council further continue the hearing on these matters to allow them to work out differences of opinion that could result in revisions to the subdivision preliminary plats. ._-he packet material for the March 26, 1991 Council meeting is attached. - - - ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED 1. Continue the hearing on this subdivision application until May 21, 1991, or another date acceptable to the Council and the involved parties, in order to allow the applicants for both subdivision proposals to develop an acceptable plan for development of both sites. 2. Deny the subdivision and variance requests and direct staff to prepare a corresponding final order. SUGGESTED ACTION Continue the hearing on this subdivision application until May 21, 1991, or another date acceptable to the Council and the involved parties, in order to allow the applicants for both subdivision proposals to develop an acceptable plan for development of both sites. CCSUM.ZC t COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM CITY OF TIGARD, OREGON COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY AGENDA OF: April 23, 1991 DATE SUBMITTED: ISSUE/AGENDA TITLE: Endorsement of PREVIOUS ACTION: the Statement of Purpose and Need or _ the Western By ass Study PREPARED BY: City Engineer _ DEPT HEAD OK CITY ADMIN OK REQUESTED BY: POLICY ISSUE Shall the City endorse the Western Bypass Study Purpose and Need Statement? INFORMATION SUMMARY On April 9, 1991, the Council approved the Planning Coordination Agreement for the Western Bypass Study. The Agreement requires that the Coun-1 hold a public hearing to consider endorsement of the Statement of Purpose and Need prepared by the ODOT staff. Notice has been published for the required public hearing to be held on April 23, 1991. Attached is a copy of the Statement of Purpose and Need. Also attached is a 3--page summary provided by ODOT. The Statement of Purpose and Need has been reviewed and approved by the three Western Bypass Study advisory committees. The Statement defines the "No Build" condition. It also outlines the population and transportation growth assumptions which will form the basis fc1r identifying and evaluating various transportation strategies. The Statement does not identifv alternatives. Based on the Statement, the ODOT study te,im will study, develop, and refine strategies to meet the goals defined in the Statement. After strategies are identified for further study, the City Cour.cil will have the opportunity to endorse or reject the strategies recommended. Consideration of final alternatives cannot proceed until each City in the study area has had an opportunity to endorse or reject the recommended strategies. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED The Planning Coordination agreement provides that, following a public hearing, the Council shall adopt a resolution responding Lo the Statement and shall either: 1. Endorse the Purpose and Need Statement; or, 2. Propose certain changes to the City's comprehensive plan and zoning; or, 3. Reject or recommend revisions to the Statement t a A FISCAL IMPACT None SUGGESTED ACTION Staff recommends adoption of the attached resolution endorsing the Statement of Purpose and Need. Staff finds that the Statement is based on the existing Comprehensive Plan for Tigard and that the background material contained in the Statement forms a reasonable and appropriate basis for the study. rw/p&n-s C { i 01 , APR 2 3 1991 April 23, 1991:,..... Li Li v L~ To: Tigard City Council Subject: Western By-Pass From: Jon Fessler 11180 SW Fonner Tigard, OR 97223 Please include my recent article in the Tigard Times as testimony in favor of a very limited access Western Bypass. Thank you. J n Fe Islr 1 80 SW Fonner Bard, OR 97223 F 4 -TG&e, -r1mz- hpx4t- z/--/o, / J / Paciric Highway plan a threat to Ti and By JON FESSLER local shoppers when they discover through, I would suggest that the If this project they got their roads back from grid- eastern portion of Washington For the Times lock! County be realigned into what is allowed to go through, Arid if there is a commuter would be a more logical political It is my understanding that the it will build a concrete problem, let's not fix it with con- situation. The city of Tigard should Oregon Department of Transporta- tion, crae and cars let's leapfrog be abolished, dividing r u the tit Tigard City hail and the Tigard wall - a la a Berlin Wall p y ahead to light rail from downtown to Everything now in Tigard cast of Chamber of Commerce are pushing right down the middle I a plan to widen and reclassify Tigard and -Tualatin via Barbur Scholls Ferry Road and north of Pacific Highway from Highway 2l7 of Tigard Boulevard or sonic other route. In highway 217 should be annexed ! to the Tualatin River. this new age of "pod" thinking (al- into the city of Portland. Fverydhing lowing mcighborhoods to be more south of Highway 217 and north of This proposed project appears to very poor access, and most would self-sustaining), let's not put a con- laacific Highway should be annexed place severe restrictions on access to appear to lose frontage access to the crete wall down the middle of the to Beaverton, and everything south and from Pacific Highway. It will in highway. It boggles my mind to Tigard pod of I Iighway 217 and south of Pacific effect make it near the classification think the chamber of commerce Highway should be annexed to of a limited-access highway - just would have any part of this. I hope Isn't this another nail in the Tualatin. This is rational from both a one step down from a freeway. this is not correct information. weslside bypass coffin. If this geographical and a political sense. From what I've seen, it involves If this project is allowed to go project is allowed, the argument will In reality this I"acific Highway through, it will in effect build a con- be we don't need it now. So we to in m opini concrete barricades down the middle proposal, y on, will erase Crete wall a la Berlin Wall - tally kill a neighborhood (Tigard) to what little is left of Tibg hrd's iden- of the highway, with access to most t right down the middle of Tigard save something else. Maybe it's not tit Do you reap think the state businesses via col de sacs off a very s littin the city in half. This is the worth saving. y~ y y limited number of cross streets that p g will allow the Cruisin' Tigard will have }00-percent access to and same kind of thinking that has Ard let's make it clear: If there is parade to go down a limited-access from the highway. devastated California and why they a westside bypass, it should have highway? And how will people on all want to move up here. Why must very limited access and NO com- one side of the street see any of [tic In my opinion, this limited access we repeat their mistakes? mercialization, just like I-205 from floats and participants through the will have disastrous effects on busi- A more conventional and widely 1-5 to Willamette. Does it make en- concrete barricades, let alone walk nesses along ft highway, displac- accepted process to deal with vironmental sense to make people across to the other side? ing (tearing down) up to 200, some small-town congestion is to bypass drive from Aloha to Tigard to get to of historic significance. And we all the city. Initially this usually has a the Coast? More miles means more I feel like I'm in sonic kind of know how well people are compen- small negative effect on business gasoline. Another subject, but re- tithe warp here. This must be the sated in the condemnation process. along the highway, but they quickly lated. late '50s or early '60s, not 1991! The remaining businesses will have bounce back with an increase in But if this is allowed to go help the back, please! SENSIBLE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS FOR PEOPLEt 15405 SW 116th Ave. - Suite 202E Tigard, OR 97224-2600 (503) 624-6083 RESPONSE TO ODOT'S STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND NEED SUMMARY ODOT's Statement of Purpose and Need (SOPAN) is a flawed document. It does not clearly identify the Western Bypass Study's purpose and it ignores its own Goals and Objectives in describing the study's needs. STOP recommends the return of the Statement of Purpose and Need to ODOT for revision. ARGUMENT In December of 199L?, ODOT's Western Bypass Study released its Statement of Purpose and Need (SOPAN). According to ODOT, this document "identifies the need for major transportation improvements within the Western Bypass Study Area, and describes the context in which the project planning is being carried out." STOP believes this document to be flawed and incomplete for the following reasons: 1. SOPAN defines future travel needs in terms of automobile trips, since they are the predominant travel mode in 1988. We question the wisdom of this logic, since it projects our current problems into the future. In essence, it confuses trend with destiny. A better alternative would be to define the future we want to have, then to develop transportation solutions to help create it. 2. SOPAN does not address significant state and federal regulations. a. According to the Federal Clean Air Act, the Portland metropolitan area is currently only a "marginal" air quality zone - and getting worse. Locally, 1990 was the worst year in a decade for air quality. It won't take much of a decrease in air quality to place the region in a "non- attainment" area, resulting in strict federal sanctions and effectively prohibiting continued dependence on the automobile. b. The Transportation Planning RuIe developed by ODOT and the Department of Land Conservation and Development (scheduled for adoption by LCDC on April 26) requires local jurisdictions to reduce both parking spaces and Vehicle Miles Traveled SOPAN Response April 15, 1991 Page 2 over the next 20-year planning period. Local jurisdictions are also required to adopt ordinances to provide better pedestrian, bicycle, and transit access to new residential, commercial, and retail developments. Certainly, there are numerous state and federal regulations to be met by any proposed transportation solution. Both the Clean Air Act and the Transportation Planning Rule will have a significant impact on transportation choices in the year 2010 - yet neither 13 included as part of the description of the 2010 No-Build Scenario. The result is a highly inaccurate picture of our future choices. 3. SOPAN does not reflect the current thinking of decision-makers in the region. a. Metro's Regional Growth Conference last month focused on new development patterns to reduce our current auto-dependency. b. Governor Roberts' Symposium on Growth last month also emphasized the need to move away from an auto-dominated transportation system. In his address, Mike Nollern, Chair of the Oregon Transportation Commission stated "We can no longer expand capacity to meet demand". Keynote speaker Anthony Downs of the Brookings Institute spoke of the dangers inherent in continuing to develop automobile-dependent communities. C. Metro's Regional Urban Growth Goals and Objectives, currently under discussion throughout the region, emphasizes mixed-use zoning and increased density to reduce the Vehicle Miles Traveled throughout the region. Because ODOT's 2010 No-Build Scenario does not incorporate any of these ideas, travel projections remain the same as they have always been: auto- dependent. Apparently the year 2010 will not be very different from 1991 - except that we will have more traffic. In short, SOPAN focuses on the projected increase in automobile trips, ignores key state and federal regulations that will impact future transportation choices, and disregards locally supported alternatives to continued automobile dependency. The result is a poorly defined problem that can have nothing but a highly auto-dependent solution. SOPAN Response April 15, 1991 Page 3 C By framing the discussion around the increasing number of automobile trips, SOPAN confines the problem statement to accommodating these trips. In essence, the purpose of the Western Bypass Study is to accommodate more cars. If this is the case, pouring more concrete is probably the best solution. The result will undoubtedly be new freeways, huge interchanges, wider urban arterials, and bigger intersections. The impact of these "improvements" will be profound: the destruction of productive farmland, valuable open space, and vital neighborhoods. And, of course, more traffic, since building more and bigger roads has never reduced traffic. STOP, however, believes the purpose of the Western Bypass Study should not be to accommodate more cars, but to address the Study's own Goals and Objectives. These Goals and Objectives were compiled from public workshops and agreed upon•by all the study committees. Yet the Statement of Purpose and Need fails to address a single one! Following are brief summaries of the Western Bypass Study Goals and objectives, compared to the "Summary of Purpose and Need" (page 41 of SOPAN): (Full descriptions of the adopted Goals and Objectives from the SOPAN are attached.) Goal 1 addresses the study process, requiring ODOT to allow input from the community; keep citizens, local, regional, and state agencies and organizations informed; identify future travel needs; identify and evaluate the widest range of alternatives that comply with local, regional, state, and federal plans and regulations; andmaintain the study schedule. As addressed by SOPAN: A. SOPAN includes the Goals and Objectives, but never addresses them as part of the purpose of the study. Therefore the study has not fulfilled Its objective of allowing input from the community. B. Future travel needs are not accurately described, because SOPAN has not included a description of key federal and state regulations. C. SOPAN does not mention that traffic in the study area is mostly short local trips taken within the urbanized area and that fully half of these short trips are less than 4 miles in length. i If this travel component is not identified in the SOPAN, how can it be addressed? SOPAN Response April 15, 1991 Page 4 Goal 2 addresses the objectives of a transportation solution: * To reduce congestion * To improve access * To reduce through-traffic diversion to local roads and streets * To improve safety for both motorized and non- motorized traffic * To reduce reliance on the private automobile * To develop alternatives that will meet long-term as well as immediate needs. As addressed by SOPAN: A. "The purpose of the study is not to solve every traffic congestion problem in the study area." (SOPAN, p. 41) B. SOPAN makes no mention of improving access, reducing through-traffic diversion, or improving safety. C. SOPAN provides only a tentative reference to reducing reliance on private automobiles: "Consider opportunities to potentially reduce demand in the study area". D. Future travel needs are described in SOPAN as heavily auto-dependent. In fact, language in the SOPAN would have the reader believe that longer and more frequent trips are a desirable aspect of a growing region. For instance, in describing the projected travel growth, SOPAN concludes "As the study area grows more quickly in both employment and population, there will be more opportunity to travel for work, commercial, retail and recreational activities...." [emphasis added]. E. Only one of the generalized strategies itemized on page 41 of SOPAN addresses alternatives to automobile travel: "Consider opportunities to not only increase capacity but also potentially reduce demand in the study area, recognizing that there is currently a very heavy reliance on the private automobile." The other strategies focus on meeting the projected automobile demand: "Address the demand for north-south or circumferential travel...." - "Recognize the diversity of trip types and trip lengths... Including work versus non-work and local, regional, interregional, and through trips." SOPAN Response April 15, 1991 Page 5 "Consider travel demand in the northeast and in the southeast portions of the study area, as well as travel demand b-stween the northern and southern ends of the study area and through the study area." Goal 3 addresses the need for the solution to be sensitive to environmental issues, community needs, the built environment, urban services, and the Urban Growth Boundary. SOPAN does not include the Federal Clean Air Act, the Transportation Planning Rule, or Metro's Regional Urban Growth Goals and Objectives as part of its statement of need. Therefore, it fails to meet this Goal as well. Goal 4 addresses the economic and social factors of a solution, including costs, impact on the social fabric of neighborhoods and business communities, and the economic health of the study area communities. ff SOPAN does not address this goal at all. l CONCLUSION The Statement of Purpose and Need plays a critical role in the Western rypass Study, for it defines the framework for the discussion a,.d selection of alternatives. The ultimate solution to the transportation problems in the study area can only be as creative and effective as the identified needs; a poor definition of the problem has no chance of generating a successful solution. Therefore, STOP urges you to take the following actions: 1. Reject the Statement of Purpose and Need as written, for it does not present an accurate or complete foundation for the Western Bypass Study. 2. Return the Statement of Purpose and Need to ODOT for revisions. Require ODOT to: a. Include all applicable local, regional, state, and federal regulations, including the Federal Clean Air Act and Oregon's Transportation Planning Rule. b. Describe the probable effect each will have on the i 2010 No-Build scenario. f C. Include a complete description of the Western Bypass Study's purpose and need, based on the study's own adopted Goals and Objectives. ti M'yw jo, ~f b ~p i 4 q>..:- {1~Jrf .'2Jf y'++ ."4 fit. .hex' ~firL, -y~ ^{:c~f+ ~i4, ~l 1~ f ° Y ~ k c gal RMF ,L, i P , ip ~ AC ~ !~•.-s,.. ~ ~2~ Yafi J:'SZ ~;yy'~ R r T• ~,(ey~r~d'i~ ° . r . ~~y.~ ~F.ry~H -t~._y .yam, { p' - t + {~-~,J .i~a.~.,{ Jl.,yr[.i kT 'dy' ~ k` 11 ~y'v: 'N4~ ~3\• Y• > 1 _ 1 t. •+,rt s 'tin . n/ ,r _ \ -y„r F THE SOLUTION TO ROUTE 24 AND A NEW VISION FOR,. I"ART ION To ROU'r THE SOLU N F T IS ANE NEW VISIT SR- AND A M ~K • 4 a . ~ SAk : p~~K d.. F ~1~"'" • t Citizens Route Twenty Published by CART 50 Exeter Street Ashgrove Qld 4060 Published 1989 ISBN 0 7316 5414 5 © Copyright CART 1989 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, storea in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher. ~`•r ,53 cl~ t 4 lN•!F i, .itf'- IIIIIIIII illlilf Illlllillll IIII yc' r 'p"•a t~ r v »7~:rX,' . i ~`F•,y`~ ~,k .,y\. _ x w } nom. . , '.t ~ .t _"",7.;N ~Yn `,R'~'.:~4f J ,..fin :t'Vi.i~ 'rn ~ ~CfCLt%~t'.'~i~.~" ~i•..: it3►.....t.}a?~•.''aa _ M ,a ' I Contents Preface 4 1. How CART Discovered Traffic Calming 5 2. Eight Myths of Traditional Traffic Planning 9 3. What Is Traffic Calming and How Does It Work? 17 4. Traffic Calming - A New Planning Ethos Emerges 21 5. Why Traffic Calming Is The Best Solution for Route 20 27 6. Implementation - The Road Ahead 31 A Final Word 38 References 39 Bibliography 39 Just one of the historic Bardon valleys the MRD suggested should be filled for the "Route 20 Freeway". y • y<'rFr7¢ ' +tR 5- r.; s~~++p.. .r I I ~ i a. ..~t~t 11 •c. rL ~ F A. M~ i i Preface When residents started fighting the Main Roads Department proposal to build a Western Arterial Bypass (The Route 20 Freeway) - they were faced with a dilemma. t Should they tackle the root causes of the problem which were: no ' regional, long-term plan; piece-meal planning; outdated, paternalistic planning; and lack of creative, forward thinking? Or should they take the easy course and simply try to push the road into someone else's back yard? To their credit, residents chose to tackle the root causes. The result is this book... a visionary plan, that not only addresses the problem of Route 20, but will take Brisbane into the 21st century. The research contained in this book shows that if this plan is adopted, the following results could be expected: • Up to 60% drop in deaths and serious injuries. • Up to 50% drop in noise and pollution. • Up to 50% less peak-hour traffic. • Dramatic drops in public transport deficits. "naff fic Calming: a solution for Route 20 and a new vision for Brisbane" is written for the following people: 1. LOCAL RESIDENTS. This book is part of the ongoing process of community planning. It is to provide a basis for rational discussion and i :The decis,on¢madenosru»d in the next debate about the future of our suburbs and neighbourhoods and our few years.ika determine foiiever whatquality of life. bnd of piece we become 2. LAY PEOPLE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR CITY. Although some `.`a Lord Irtsyn sections of this book are specific to Route 20, the bulk of the material is Sailgenae ntlnnson~ ; relevant to anyone concerned about the future of their city. u 3. PLANNERS AND POLITICIANS. Although the material in this book is k presented in layman's language, it is based on a wide range of technical reports from around the world. For those wanting to go further there is a comprehensive bibliography included. A SPECIAL THANKS This book would not have been possible without input from thousands of i local residents who attended one or more 'of the 21 public meetings and workshops held over the last two years. Those who have made a special contribution to putting this book together k, It include the following: Sharon Channer (design), Alan Carew (photos), Phil Day (detailed review and invaluable comments), Sandra Finster (planning' consultation), Di Glynn (translation work, research and hundreds of hours of leg work) John Hetherington (review), Phil Heywood (invaluable feedback), Jeff Kenworthy (our man in Perth who pointed us in the right direction, sent us voluminous reports and gave us invaluable leads), Martin Lack (adviser and reviewer), Prof Rolf Monheim (our man in Germany who sent us so much material we are still translating it), Monique Negus (translation work) and Philip Taylor (typesetting). The writing of this book was a joint effort of the following people: Phillip Bevan, Thom Blake, Jeff Channer, David Engwicht (editor), Mark Finnane, Maureen Finnane, Nathalie Heymann, Mark McCurdy, and John Negus. 4 How CART discovered Traffic Calming A protest rally in just one of the parks earmarked for destruction. I1 BRISBANE'S EARLY DEVELOPMENT WAS CONCENTRATED along the A rat-run legitimised tram and train tracks that radiated from the city centre. There was very little need for cross movements between these radial routes. In any case, the natural geography of Brisbane discouraged the building of major cross links. As car ownership rose and the city spread out, motorists discovered their own "short-cuts" or cross links. These routes were "rat-runs" - a zig-zag course Along residential streets.that were never designed to carry the extra load of through traffic. One such rat-run existed through the inner-western suburbs of Brisbane - providing a de-facto north-south link between Ipswich Road, Milton Road, Waterworks Road and Stafford Road. In March 1976 the Brisbane City Council published the "Map of They even erected signs to show y Numbered Traffic Routes". In it, the BCC "legitimised" this north-south rat-run by people how to find their way along giving it a name... Route 20. They even erected signs to show people how to find the rat-run. their way along it. The families living on these streets were never asked if they wanted their residential streets turned into a major through-route; nor was this decision part of some overall regional plan. It was an ad-hoc decision and the ramifications were never properly considered. CONSEQUENT PLANNING DECISIONS funnelled traffic onto this Secrecy, subterfuge and more "legitimised rat-run". ' ad-hoc planning In 1983, the Brisbane City Council and Main Roads Department decided a major north-south bypass arterial was needed. "Route 20" would form part of this bypass, linking the Western Freeway and a future Northern Freeway. As a result "Route 20" was placed under MRD control. The intentions of the authorities were clear. Initial property purchases were paid for from the "Brisbane City Freeway (Jindalee-Everton Park) Account". But authorities became nervous about the word "freeway". The "Western Freeway" was renamed, becoming the "Western Arterial". The total north-south bypass became known as the"Western Bypass Arterial". Much to the annoyance of authorities, residents referred to it as the "Route 20 Freeway". More •ecently the MRD recommended that the Route 20 section of their proposed bypass be called the Ashgrove' Sub-.'arterial Road". 5 HOW CART DISCOVERED TRAFFIC CALMING ; G PNyuyk vv /1 ~ , C.B.D. C.B.D. A cartoon in the first - - - ` - . - newspaper published by C• _ = - CART depicting the kind of family lifestyle local residents want to protect. Semantics aside, both the MRD and BCC were locked into a course of action because of their basic planning approach - allowing the past to dictate the future. By legitimising the rat-run additional traffic had been encouraged to use the "route". This made it "necessary" to "upgrade" sections of the route - which encouraged even more traffic to use it. The snowball which started when the rat- run was first legitimised was allowed to roll on. In fact the authorities felt it their duty to keep it rolling - mainly because it was rolling. To try to stop it or o change its direction, was to stand in the way of "progress". To make matters even worse, the paternalistic attitude of those in authority at the time deemed it necessary to keep residents in the dark. The Minister for Main Roads at the time kept claiming that the works were only "a modest upgrade". C~m~ury ' On 21 September 1987 the Deputy Commissioner had a meeting with Sir ® C.B.D. Job Bjelke-Petersen and was able to report that the Commissioner had taken ° action "to defuse the Route 20 issue and to try to eliminate public comment". FX~~T The Route 20 rat-run. The method? "This has been achieved by officer level discussion with community groups". (Leaked memo dated 22/9/87) CART bites the bullet DURING 1987 AND 1988 there were a series of public meetings attended by up to 1000 people which resolved to fight the MRD plans. At these public meetings, community action groups were formed in Bardon and Ashgrove. In November 1987 these community groups combined and became known as CART (Citizens Against Route 20). The previous community action groups and CART took their direction from the public meetings and continually referred back to the people to have their mandate confirmed. CART's mandate to fight for a stopping of an upgrade was confirmed by an independent QIT survey in March 1988 which indicated that 86% of residents in The Gap and Paddington Wards did not support the upgrading of Route 20. CART recognised early in the campaign that unless there was a basic change in the planning attitudes of the State and Local Government, any "win" on Route 20 would ultimately be a hollow victory. In January 1988, CART produced a document2 which called for a comprehensive, independent inquiry into Brisbane's transportation requirements. This call was backed by other community action groups and academics. After a strong citizens' campaign opposing the MRD plans for "Route 20", the Brisbane Regional Transport Planning Policy Committee met on 17 February 1988 and decided all work should be frozen on Route 20 and an environmental and social impact study conducted. A key element of this study was to be "community consultation". 6 HOW CARP DISCOVERED TRAFFIC CALMING In May 1988 the Sydney branch of SKP (Sinclair Knight and Partners) was contracted to conduct a social and environmental impact study because of their experience in this field and their reputation of being leaders in the area of "community consultation". WHILE CART WAS CONCERNED about the underlying planning Perceptions change - not just a iroblems, the chief concern was to have the upgrading stopped. Residents were future threat adamant that they did not want the extra traffic, the extra noise, the extra pollution and the spread of urban blight. So when SKP had their first meetings with CART in June, the message CART relayed on behalf of most residents was that Route 20 should not be upgraded apart from fixing any possible safety problems. However a dramatic change of perception took place in July 1988 at the very first community workshop conducted by SKP. A resident insisted they did The problem as perceived by these not want SKP merely looking at what might happen in the next 20 years - they residents was not just one of a wanted SKP to look at what had already happened in the last 15 years - and they future threat - they felt that their wanted some of the damage already done reversed. quality of life had already been SKP said this was utopian, but this resident's concerns were confirmed by seriously eroded by traffic others at the workshop and echoed in all subsequent workshops. People were intrusion. not just worried about a future threat of traffic increasing along Route 20, they insisted that present noise was too high, present traffic volumes were causing social dislocation and posing significant safety problems (especially for children), present levels of pollution were too high and there was too much industrial traffic on residential streets now. The problem as perceived by these residents was not just one of a future threat posed by the "upgrading" of Route 20. They felt that their quality of life had already been seriously eroded by traffic intrusion - an intrusion encouraged by past planning decisions. CART treated these expressions of concern from the community seriously believing that any proposal for Route 20 or its environs must address these problems. AFTER 21 PUBLIC MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS CART finally felt in a Consensus reached on problems )osition to articulate these problems. At a public meeting in November, CART to be solved was given a mandate to search for a scheme that met the following requirements: • Reduce noise* _ • Reduce pollution levels** i • • Less heavy traffic through residential areas , - • Less rat-running traffic • Greater safety for children and motorists . • Enhancement and preservation of the unique character of the area • No new traffic corridors through established residential areas • Scheme to be part of regional plan for whole of Brisbane. 4 T ar * SKP recommended that 63 dBA L10 should be the maximum day-time level for residential ~f l areas. They report that "significant exceedences of 8-11 dBA" occurred at all locations tested along Route 20. M ~ru 1~1 K i ~8 The recommended night time level was 50 dBA. Four of the five locations tested exceeded this d y.'~ limit by 8-11 dBA. The level recommended for schools is 60 dBA. Marcellin School was 15 dBA over, Enoggera State School 6 dBA over and Oakleigh and Mt St Michaels equal or slightly over.3 ~n These figures are disturbing given the latest research which shows that apart from the physical and psychological ill-effects that excessive noise has on some people, it can also retard the learning process of children. * * While SKP have concluded that air pollution along Route 20 is half acceptable levels, 4 many residents claim that present levels already cause nausea and aggravate bronchial and asthma conditions. Research shows that children exposed to What SKP have failed to address so far is the environmental damage caused by present levels of excessive noise suffer retardation in their :xhaust fumes - most notably their contribution to the greenhouse effect. learning processes. It seems unjust to ask that the children accept this retardation in learning - For both health and environmental reasons local residents want present levels reduced. just so some motorists can go further faster. 7 HOW CART DISCOVERED TRAFFIC CALMING r The search begins SKP'S RESPONSE TO THE RESIDENT at the first workshop was indicative of the current planning ethos in Queensland: noise, air pollution and social disruption were just part of the price of "progress". The car must be given complete, unfettered freedom of the city. All demands must be met - no matter what the social or environmental consequences. CART dared to question this conventional "wisdom". Was it possible to provide a high level of mobility and at the same time reduce the undesirable Many cities and countries around side-effects of that mobility? CART didn't have any immediate answers but the world have adopted policies believed there had to be a better way. that, while still providing the same Hundreds of hours were spent in libraries, making phone calls around level of mobility for their residents, Australia, writing letters around the world, and poring over the research have dramatically cut the amount documents uncovered in the search. of traffic and its effects on CART discovered that as far as traffic planning is concerned, Queensland residents. is using out-dated methods. (There is one notable exception which will be discussed later.) Many cities and countries around the world have adopted policies that, while still providing the same level of mobility for their residents, have dramatically reduced the amount of traffic and its effects on residents. i Some have even closed lanes on major roads and freeways, turning them into ` boulevards and parks. One term for these planning techniques is "Traffic Calming". But before we discuss traffic calming we first need to talk about another important discovery made in CART's search; the paucity of past planning policy and practice in Brisbane, Queensland and probably in the rest of Australia. What became apparent is that a large proportion of current planning is based on myths and incorrect assumptions. + ~Y.. t !rry • CARE o ABOU OUR kin Residents demonstrate their determination to stop the Route 20 Freeway with a 100 hour vigil beside the proposed route. - a=i CART demonstrates the impact of Route 20 on ~,*y• Norman Buchan Park ;rasra, ' t i Eight Myths of Traditional `traffic Planning t' A world designed by engineers. r' 31 This chapter is not an attack on planners, bureaucrats and politicians. The bad planning of the past was not deliberate; it was the result of tunnel vision and an appalling lack of accountability. This chapter attempts to expose eight of the most common myths upon which traditional traffic planning is based. IT IS A CONVENTION FOR TRANSPORT STUDIES to forecast future MYTH 1: traffic by projecting current trends, population growth and present travel habits, Traffic projections are important in then use these projections to decide what roads are needed for the future. deciding what roads are needed. Such an approach looks eminently sensible and forward thinking, until one realises it makes a prior assumption. It assumes the present is ideal and that present travel habits are worth projecting into the future. As Plowden observes: 71•ansportation studies hardly ever contain an explicit analysis of the problems of the town under study. There is a very particular view inherent in the whole method of approach... even though very few practitioners seem to have realised quite what they have implicitly committed themselves to... Deeply embedded in this procedure is the idea that the present situation is satisfactory.5 A classic example of this kind of traffic study is a document produced by SKP which "proves" via computer-generated predictions that traffic on Route 20 Such an approach looks eminently will increase by 57% by the year 2006.6 But the study in no way addresses the sensible and forward thinking, hard questions about the desirability of encouraging this massive increase in until one realises it makes a prior traffic or how and why present traffic patterns have developed (the basis of the assumption - it assumes the present predictions) and whether what has been encouraged to develop is good or bad. is ideal... The myth that traffic projections are important in deciding what roads are needed is closely related to Myth 2: planners are not responsible for how much people want to use their cars, and Myth 3: predicted traffic growth must be provided for. 9 EIGHT MYTHS OF TRADITIONAL TRAFFIC PLANNING MYTH 2: PRESENT TRAVEL HABITS WERE NOT FORMED IN A VACUUM. Nor Planners are not responsible for were they inevitable. They are the results of choices and policy decisions by how much people want to past and present governments and councils. Other cities have developed in use their cars. entirely different ways. In every city of the world the volume of traffic is limited, intentionally or unintentionally, by measures adopted by governments. If these measures were relaxed, there would be more traffic, if they were strengthened, there would be less. In other words the volume of traffic in a city is not something like the rainfall that has to be accepted..? The volume of traffic in a city is not Paris and Los Angeles are good examples of how past policies shape something like the rainfall that has travel patterns. Both have almost identical populations. Yet roads and sidewalks to be accepted... in Paris only occupy 87 sq km while in Los Angeles they occupy 1201 sq km. Roads and sidewalks represent 24% of the total area of Paris, 37% of Los Angeles. (Off-street parking accounts for another 23% of the Los Angeles central business district) ,8 Houston residents consume two and a half times more petrol per person than Brisbane residents, six times more than London residents, and eight times more than Amsterdam residents .9 Are we really expected to believe that these dramatically different levels of car use are to be attributed solely to some unseen force that decrees that people in Houston or San Francisco will have a greater desire to use their car than people in London or Amsterdam? Even in Australia, Sydney and Melbourne have very different patterns of public transport and car usage to Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. MYTH 3: TRADITIONAL PLANNERS CLAIM it is irresponsible not to build bigger Predicted traffic growth must be roads to cater for forecasted traffic growth. But it is universally acknowledged provided for. that new or upgraded roads generate new traffic for the following reasons: 1. New trip destinations are made possible. (For example, the Gateway Arterial opened up the Gold Coast as a more attractive day trip for those on the north of the city.) Traffic expands to fill the available 2. The frequency of some trips increases because access is now easier. road space. 3. People take jobs further from their homes. 4. Some people shift from public transport to private car due to the trip time for the car being reduced. 5. As patronage for public transport decreases public transport becomes less viable and service deteriorates encouraging even more people to use their cars. What have we learnt Mayer Hillman in taking a critical look back 20 years after the landmark Traffic in Towns vstudy s placed on London, had this to say: from hastory••. Heavy emphasis wap forecasts offutua levels of vehicle. ownership and traffic so that these could be used to determine what scale of road network and parking provision should be planned for. These forecasts necessarily required a confident view of the medium-to- long-term future. However, it was certainly erroneous to make no provision for a future in which economic growth and population did not rise at the anticipated rate. To some extent, an optimistic forecast can be seen as a self-fulfilling prophecy, for it is clear that more traffic is generated by a network of roads designed to accommodate high levels of vehicle ownership. Perhaps the primary objection that can be levelled at the use of traffic forecasts in the Report was that no change in public policy on car use or policy influencing ownership was assumed of sufficient magnitude to affect previously observed behavioural links... Instead forecasts simply 10 RIGHT MYTHS OF TRADITIONAL TRAFFIC PLANNING 01 6. New or upgraded roads displace people, spreading the city and If therefore requiring that more people travel longer distances, again s. New study j reducing the viability of public transport. based on A f new trends This has caused many planners to talk of a Parkinson's Law of traffic: "Traffic expands to fill the available road space". 10 Or as Porter has commented, i~ "Ironically enough, most communities are trying to overcome the traffic crisis in r41 ways that actually it."" 3. Road space A 4. Traffic expands perpetuate created now - - - - - - a Even more serious was the failure [of planners] to realise the connection - r AVP~ between road-building and traffic volumes: the fact that providing more 2. Past trends road space itself generates more traffic... 12 1. Study ® projected dons into future With this phenomenon in mind we can see why acceptance of the myth that all predicted traffic demand must be met results in more and more of our cities being handed over to roads. This is best summed up in the diagram to s o s to ss 20 zs opposite. YEARS 1. A traffic study is done (year zero) basing future traffic predictions on past trends and travel habits. These trends have not occurred in a vacuum but have been the result of catering for predicted traffic demand. 2. These traffic predictions show that in 20 years time the present road will not cater for the predicted traffic. 3. So the road space for that traffic is created now. This road, by its very design has spare capacity to take traffic for the next twenty years. Broadly speaking, the amount of traffic is governed by what is regarded as a 4. But the generated traffic fills the road to capacity within a couple of tolerable level of congestion. If the years of its completion, causing the traffic planner to congratulate himself capacity of the road network is increased, for his foresight in foreseeing the need for the new road or upgrade. whether by road construction or by traffic management measures, the mileage will 5. It also causes the planner to do a new traffic study based on the higher increase until the same conditions obtain. than expected road usage. This of course leads to the conclusion that the If the capacity of the road network is not road will be hopelessly inadequate before the twenty years is up so it increased, the mileage performed will must be further upgraded. stabilise, and if the capacity is reduced, the mileage will be reduced This type of planning is termed "predict and provide". It is spiral planning correspondingly14 that encourages an exponential growth in traffic. Understanding this process is the key to why some local residents are so opposed to even a "minor" upgrade of "Route 20". They know as sure as night follows day that unless planners reject "predict and provide" planning, the upgrade will be "minor" today, "major" tomorrow, and "mammoth" soon after. included the caveat that "...no proper allowances can be made... for possible changes in Government policies, for instance on restraint and road provision", even though these obviously influence traffic levels. It is not surprising that forecasts of traffic levels and of vehicle ownership have been notoriously unreliable. Had the 1965 forecasts of car ownership in the Reportfor 1980 been realised, there would have been an additional 15 million cars rather than the actual additional 8 million. Moreover, the reliability of more recent forecasts has tended to deteriorate. It is not surprising that a TRRL sponsored study led researchers to conclude that British transport studies which have relied heavily on these forecasts have "a chronic tendency to over-predict almost everything".13 Sinclair Knight and Partners, in their review of Route 20, continue the above 25 year old tradition of'chronic over-prediction' with predictions of a 57% growth in traffic on Route 20 by the year 2006. They, too, claim they cannot i,- take account of future social trends or political decisions. ...nothing? 11 EIGHT MYTHS OF TRADITIONAL TRAFFIC PLANNING MYTH 4: IF IT IS TRUE as many planners claim that "bigger roads are safer roads". Bigger roads are safer roads why does the road toll keep escalating? The answer is simple. Planners are ignoring two fundamental factors. Firstly, while "upgraded" roads decrease the number of accidents per vehicle kilometre, researchers such as Jeff Kenworthy and J. Michael Henderson While planners build roads that show that such figures are misleading. They do not take into account the extra encourage greater speeds they must trips which such upgrades encourage or the increased length of trips encouraged. Accident rates per trip or per hour spent on the road remain much bear some of the blame for a rising the same. road toll. Urban freeways have lower crash loss rates per unit vehicle mile travelled, but may have little effect on the total number of casualties.ls According to German researchers, from 1960 to 1980 the number killed in relation to the number of cars has increased by 72% and in relation to the number of trips by 71%. In relation to the number of pedestrian trips, pedestrian deaths have risen 49%.16 Secondly, straighter wider roads encourage greater speed. Accidents that do happen are therefore more severe, resulting in more injuries or a greater likelihood of death. The death rate for pedestrians hit in a 30km/h zone is only New speed 15%. In a 50km/h zone it is 60%.17 There is also a large body of research which suggests that increasing the Old speed Added safety of a car or road simply encourages the driver to take greater risks.1e ® ® risk factor Drivers are willing to take a certain amount of risk in exchange for the benefit of Added ® upper faster travelling time. This risk is added to safety limits of the car or road. The risk factor safety limit new safety features also lull the driver into a new sense of security. Vigilance, Uppar safety limit concentration and attentiveness wane. Kenworthy argues that the most successful measures in reducing the road toll are those which "force a level of car use in a direction away from the available limits of the car and its driver".19 In other words, force drivers to drive at speeds and in a manner which are below the safety limits of the car and road. During the 1974 fuel crisis, America reduced its speed limits to 55 m/h. Before new After new The result was an estimated saving of 3000 to 5000 lives - basically because safety feature safety feature people were forced to drive below the design speed of the highway. Denmark, Finland, France, New Zealand, Ontario, Sweden, UK, West Germany and why new safety measures can be self defeating. Victoria have all experienced drops of up to 48% in fatalities on major roads with a reduction in speed limit.20 Of course there are those who complain that reducing the speed limit is an infringement of people's freedom. But imposition of early death on another is an even greater infringement of freedom, and while planners build roads and streets that encourage greater speeds, they must bear some of the blame for a rising road toll. MYTH 5: IT IS WIDELY ACCEPTED that the more roads a city has the greater the Bigger roads increase people's level of mobility the residents enjoy, but one researcher claims that since 1950 mobility the average number of trips made by each person has hardly increased.21 It sounds unbelievable until you think about it. Building bigger roads has a number of consequences which we have already mentioned. • The city is encouraged to spread out. The result is that people must travel further to reach facilities - for example their jobs. Instead of a fifteen-minute tram ride from an inner-city suburb, it becomes a 45 The net result of bigger roads is minute commute in stop-start traffic from a new residential development, that we are condemned to spend through the inner-city suburb which has been carved up for roads and more and more time behind the parking lots. wheel of a car to reach fewer and • Compact, functioning communities are destroyed by the new roads. fewer destinations. Believing the Instead of a five-minute walk to the local shops it becomes a twenty- myth that "bigger roads improve minute drive to the large regional shopping complex. mobility" has put us on a • Larger roads encourage a decline in public transport. This puts more technological treadmill. We have to cars on the road. Each new car requires 30 times more road space to move run faster just to stand still. each person than a bus or tram it replaces. The result is that the new road__ quickly becomes just as clogged, or even worse, than the old one. In spite'z of all the new roads in Brisbane, in the last ten years average speeds have' '12 EIGHT MYTHS OF TRADITIONAL TRAFFIC PLANNING largely remained the same. In many cities the average speed has gone down as road space has increased. The net result of bigger roads is that we are condemned to spend more and more time behind the wheel of a car to reach fewer and fewer destinations. is-i" Believing the myth that "bigger roads improve mobility" has put us on a technological treadmill. We have to run faster just to stand still. This myth is based on confusion about what "mobility" really is. As one writer puts it, "Mobility is being able to achieve many destinations, not being able to travel faster further",22 For example, Person A who spends two hours driving to and from work is less mobile than person B who spends 30 minutes busing to work and with the 90 minutes saved has time to walk to the shops, call in at the library on the way, cycle to see a friend and then stop off at the local park for a jog. Mobility is being able to achieve many destinations, not being able to trove! faster further. PLANNERS ARE FIRMLY CONVINCED that bigger roads benefit society MYTH 6: overall - otherwise they would stop building them tomorrow. So let's look at Bigger roads advantage more those who don't benefit from bigger roads (groups usually ignored by traffic people than they disadvantage planners) and see whether they are a majority or minority group in society. 1. Those without cars - the poor, the elderly, the handicapped, the disadvantaged. Roads provide mobility for those with access to cars. Those who cannot drive, cannot afford a car, or choose to do without one must rely on other forms of transport: public transport, shared rides, bikes or walking. Each increase in the provision for private motor vehicles is usually made at the expense of the only means of transport available to these people. • Increasing road provision expands the city making public transport less Contrary to popular belief, bigger viable. roads disadvantage everyone and advantage road provision encourages more people to use their cars more no-one - except for the • often making public transport less viable. planners and engineers who build them. • Road provision is usually made at the expense of walking and cycling space. • Increased traffic volumes make walking and cycling conditions increasingly unsafe and unpleasant, making these modes difficult or impossible. • The elderly, the poor and the disadvantaged are usually over- represented along major traffic routes. They are therefore the ones who are uprooted to widen roads, usually having to move to places with lessz , viable public transport. The elderly, poor, handicapped and disadvantaged in our society suffer a - double disadvantage. Not only is their own mobility limited by increasing car usage, but they also bear the major costs of other people's mobility - the noise, the air pollution, the invasive grime, an unsafe environment for their children, restricted access to their property, parking restrictions and a degraded outlook. pM Those who can afford a car can also usually afford to buy a house divorced from J ' its negative effects. IN While it may not be possible to turn this injustice around overnight - it is ® s! a moral responsibility of planners and local communities to at least try. The least ROT we can do is to avoid adding to the disproportionate amount the poor and elderly pay for something from which they receive little benefit., Present planning tends to pander even further to those of us who can afford a car while restricting the already limited mobility choices of others. To any fair-minded person, this must seem both immoral and unjust. 2. Children. Like the above groups, children must rely on walking, cycling, public transport or shared ride. Bigger roads have the following disadvantages for children: • Loss of mobility. (Parents restrict movement for safety reasons.) Doris Hams protesting the Hale Street Ring Road "Development". Another classic example • Loss of play space. (Remember when children played in streets - safely?) of all that is wrong with Brisbane planning. 13 EIGHT MYTHS OF TRADITIONAL TRAFFIC PLANNING ~`""/J • Increased chance of death from traffic accident - the number one killer of children aged 1 to 16 in Australia. • Retardation in learning skills if exposed to excessive traffic noise either at home or school. r 3. Residents. The landmark "Livable Streets" study by Appleyard demonstrated the dramatic effects traffic has on the quality of life in a neighbourhood. It showed, for example, that people living on a light traffic stret ' (2000 vehicles per day) had an average of 3 friends and 6.3 acquaintances in rw a their street. On moderate traffic streets (8000 vehicles per day) this dropped to + 1.3 friends and 4.1 acquaintances. On heavy traffic streets (16,000 vehicles per 1i day) it dropped even further to .9 friends and 3.1 acquaintances. Other effects on quality of life included: less time spent gardening and relaxing outdoors, greater fear of crime, greater noise and pollution (with its medical consequences) and a shrinking of the area considered by residents to be their "home territory". Appleyard concluded his study by saying, "People had withdrawn altogether from HEAVY street, leaving it to the traffic... The contrast between the two streets [heavy and light] was striking. On the one hand alienation. On the other friendliness and involvement." 23 4. The small businessperson. Large road developments carve up compact local communities. The viability of small businesses which rely on local trade - for example, the small corner store - is seriously eroded. Some close. Local The social costs of freeways fall on the employment opportunities decrease, further affecting the viability of the poor.24 remaining businesses. The automobile has given improved 5. Motorists. We have already shown how motorists are worse off in real mobility primarily to the middle class, terms once a road network develops past a certain size. This is not to mention middle-aged. But these owner-drivers have not merely gained new mobility through the problem of a rising road toll and increasing congestion. the car, they have also rearranged the 6. T"ne City. A spread-out city is much more "expensive to service with physical location patterns of society to water, sewerage, roads and electricity than a more comp act cit In addition, suit their own private needs, and y y unwittingly in the process destroyed and roads often destroy historic buildings, parks and natural features that give a city severely limited the mobility and access of its distinctiveness. This loss reduces the attractiveness of the city for both all others.25 tourists and businesses. Contrary to popular belief, bigger roads disadvantage everyone and advantage no-one - except for the planners and engineers who build them. MYTH 7: WHEN SKP WERE ASKED BY LOCAL RESIDENTS to consider broader It is not the job of traffic planners to issues such as the Greenhouse Effect, they replied that this was not their job. In look at wider social, political and fact most traffic planners are not "planners" at all. They are traffic "facilitators" or environmental trends road "builders". Generally, these "planners" passively defend the status quo and are committed to'its continuation. They do not examine the eventual results of continuation of present directions or how appropriate these results may be in a changing world. A narrow prognosis on future traffic growth is allowed to dictate "solutions". The attitude is, "What is, shall be". Planning which merely reacts to the past will leave the city ill-equipped to handle the social, environmental and political changes of the future. While we cannot predict the future we can map out a range of possible scenarios based on current trends and knowledge. In the words of Friend and fessop, we can then design "robust" planning solutions, "ones that leave the widest possible set of full solutions still available by providing flex.?bility in the face of uncertainty".26 Planning which merely reacts to the Unfortunately current planning does not first look at possible future past will leave the city ill-equipped economic, social, environmental and political trends, and then creatively shape to handle the social, environmental solutions that allow for the maximum flexibility. For example, it is considered and political changes of the future. by many residents to be planning lunacy to be planning for increased car usage in the light of the threats posed by the Greenhouse Effect. As a recent CSIRO publication, "Greenhouse - Planning for Climate Change" says: "To continue to plan on the basis of perpetuating the current profligate use of the private car can no lonRrr be justified... 27 Or as the USA Senate hearing on the environment was told: :t 14 EIGHT MYTHS OF TRADITIONAL TRAFFIC PLANNING We cannot negotiate with the climate. Instead, the nations of the world must make choices, unilaterally and collectively, to adapt our behaviour in order to have the stable climate on which so much human endeavour depends... Motor vehicles are responsible for 50% of all the carbon dioxide generated released into the atmosphere in this country by human activities. That is a segment of the problem which cannot be ignored.28 A recent conference on world climate change convened in Toronto by the Canadian Government called for a 20% cut in global emissions of carbon dioxide by the year 2005 with the ultimate goal of reducing emissions by 50% - the cut needed to stabilise the amount of gas in the atmosphere.29 Many residents consider it prudent to voluntarily restrict growth in traffic before such measures are forced on us. There are fears that changes such as shrinking oil supplies may leave us with a massive infrastructure which will only serve as a monument to our stupidity and lack of foresight. Even though governments in Australia are discovering "community MYTH 8: consultation" there is still a strong belief, both in the community and amongst Planning should be left planners, that planning should be left to the experts. to the experts. "Community consultation" as seen by these people consists of "experts" presenting a prognosis for the future and telling the community what three alternative solutions there are. The "consultation" is allowing the community to chose one of the solutions which are simply three variations on the same theme. It's like being condemned to death and being "consulted" about whether you want to be shot, poisoned or hung. In the case of Route 20, residents were told they would be getting a 57% increase in traffic and "consulted" about how it could be accommodated. The community m ust have an If "community consultation" is genuine and not merely an exercise in opportunity to undo some of the tokenism or manipulation, then ultimately it must be the wishes of the mistakes of the past and to community - those whom the decisions directly affect - which prevail in forging creatively shape theirfuture. a solution. After all it is our lives, and the future of our children which are at stake. A paternalistic attitude on the part of planners, engineers or politicians is indefensible. An imposition of values by these people on local E communities breaks a basic principle of natural justice - the right to A WINDSCREEN VIEW OF decide one's own future.30 THE WORLD The job of highway engineers has Or as Stephen Plowden put it when discussing the role of "experts": been to build highways. They have not generally been asked to first arrive at some The most important questions that arise are not matters of expertise. The understanding of the form of a city and see problem is to establish values and priorities and to decide what lines of what effect their road would have on it.32 attack are legitimate and what are not, in other words, to define the Most planners still have a false, car-oriented concept of travel patterns. In framework and terms of reference within which experts should work. an expert questionnaire traffic planners This is a problem for society, not for the experts themselves.31 and engineers were asked to estimate the percentage of total trips undertaken by car. If community consultation is to be "fair dinkum", the first step must be a on the whole they overestimated the critical review by the community of the results of past planning. This includes percentage of car travel, and put trips by discussing what kind of city we will have in 20 years time if current trends and bike and foot at half their real level. The are olicies are continued. And the community must have the opportunity to say a reason is obvious. 7raffin planners p Y Y almost all professional menen, , ma maki ng a firm "yes" or "no" to these trends. The community must have an opportunity to good income. They are all motorists. Many undo some of the mistakes of the past and to creatively shape their future. drive big, sporty cars. Many local residents feel they have been denied this opportunity. In daily life they have hardly any Projected figures are presented (implicitly or explicitly) as being public inevitable. public trarannoftrsport.. They are am foot, bike or Th seldom When residents say they don't want to encourage a 57% growth in traffic shoppers, and do not generally look after running through their neighbourhood - particularly when there is no projected children. Because of this, their own growth in population in their local area - they are told they are being private, windscreen view of the world "unreasonable" or "unrealistic". To this point SKP have been unwilling or unable influences all their planning.33 to grasp the nettle and put tha problems of Route 20 in their widest context - a re-evaluation of where our city is going. WE CANNOT CONTINUE PLANNING on the basis of these eight myths. Time for a fresh start To do so will create a sterile city in which quality of life has been strangled by an ever-increasing road network. There is an obvious need for a new approach. One of these new approaches is "traffic calming". 15 1 I Y X41 1 ~ i11 1 M1 1 11 1 1 1 11 X111 -IIOMEHTFI'SLACKPOW •f 11 _ III 1 11 11 1 ~ i I sr ~ i- 2 3 Exan_ples of LATM treatment (Local t, Area IYaffic Management) - one of the techniques used in Traffic Calming. y Driveway link. Road has been closed mid- block , block and is connected by a driveway. 2.Offset intersection and roundabout. Notice how sight lines are interrupted. 3. Slow points. Provides protected parking, visually narrows the road and provides regular changes in direction. i i 16 i What is Traffic Calming and hove does it work? 1 ' Where them was a perceived Head, it was r Crl tM satisfied regaadless of the impact upon the community as a whole. The growth of technology clouded vision. 1,• Quality of life was sacrificed to that equally hackneyed label, "progress". None of it was deliberate. Most other cities have suffered similarly. The thing - now is what to do about those eroded features of ourlife which might be salvaged, and to decide what kind of city„ we want to be in the future. { Don Petersen 34 I'j,i !j s ; ; Fs We have lost the feeling for quality in everything we do: we must win the feeling. back and base our lives again in quality... - s Dietrich Bonhoffer 394235 .r It is obvious that traditional planning techniques don't work. Cities can t not go on indefinitely handing over more and more of their living space to cars. Many city and state planning authorities overseas have abandoned these destructive planning methods and in their place have adopted a new planning outlook. In some countries this new planning approach has even been enshrined in federal law. A broad term that covers this new approach is "Traffic Calming". Traffic calming is a holistic, integrated traffic planning approach based on common sense which seeks to maximise mobility while creating a more livable city by reducing the undesirable side effects of that mobility. One definition of traffic calming is "environmentally compatible mobility management". This chapter discusses the nuts and bolts of how traffic calming actually works. It looks at the principles of traffic calming, the techniques used in traffic calming and the results of employing these techniques. The next chapter traces the history of how this new approach developed. The Principles THE FUNCTION OF ROADS is not solely to act as a corridor for traffic. PRINCIPLE 1: They are also for social interaction, walking, cycling and playing. Different roads Roads are not just for cars. will have these ingredients in differing proportions - but no one function must dominate to the exclusion of all others. RESIDENTS HAVE A RIGHT to the best quality of life a city can provide. PRINCIPLE 2: This includes the least noise possible, the least pollution possible, the safest Residents have rights environment possible and an environment which fosters a rich community life in which each individual is free to reach their fullest potential. All residents regardless of age, financial status, or social standing, have rights to an equal share of the mobility which a city can responsibly provide for f 17 WHAT IS TRAFFIC CALMING AND HOW DOES IT WORK? its residents. No i)erson or group has the right to increase their mobility at the expense of another person's mobility. This means recognising that an over- emphasis on car transport discriminates against a large section of society. PRINICPLE 3: TRIPS ARE USUALLY ONLY A MEANS to achieving a desirable end. Maximise mobility while Therefore a, trip is a "cost" we must pay to enjoy a "benefit" at journeys end. That decreasing the costs "cost" involves time, money, energy and social and environmental ill-effects. It therefore makes sense to minimise the "costs" a city and its residents must pay tc enjoy access to a wide range of destinations. This principle involves managing the already existing road and public transport resources of a city with maximum efficiency. It means maximising the efficiency of a grossly inefficient road and public transport network before new infrastructure is built. Techniques The following techniques are some of those employed to achieve results consistent with the above principles. It must be emphasised that this lisi is not exhaustive as part of the challenge of traffic calming is to find new ways of fulfilling the above principles. TECHNIQUE 1: REDUCING SPEED has the following effects: Reduce the speed limit 1. Slower traffic emits less noise and fumes 2. There are less accidents io 3. Accidents that do happen are less 30km/h severe 611 4. The capacity of existing road space p Cl an is increased. BO The latter point surprises many • as people. It is natural to think that the 60kM/h p faster traffic is travelling the more d pp ao traffic the road would be able to 10 20 ~ud..s30 o••x40 rt so sa handle in an hour. What is overlooked 1 is that as you increase speed you must 3. increase the safe travelling distance 30km/h 30km/h between each vehicle. There is an co optimum speed for all roads. At • speeds below or above this optimum level the number of vehicles the road 60km/h can move in an hour d cops. The 60kM/h optimum level for most roads lies a~ e m between 25 and 40 kph. Lila L~100= 2. 4. TECHNIQUE 2: ROAD DESIGN METHODS employed to slow traffic include: Change the road design to force • Narrow traffic lanes. Wide lanes encourage greater speed. traffic to travel at a slower, more • Interrupted sight lines. If motorists can see a long way into the distance, their even pace speed increases. The interruption of sight lines with changes in the roads direction, roundabouts, "neck-downs" or breaking the road into smaller visual units with paved strips across the road causes the driver to slow down. It also means they widen their vision field becoming much more aware of pedestrians and cyclists. F • Changes in road surface. Paved or cobblestone strips across the road cause a t = i , slight vibration in the car which causes the driver to slow down. Y • Paved speed tables. A speed table is a slightly raised section in the road. It • varies from a speed bump in that it must be wide enough for both sets of wheels 18 WHAT IS TRAFFIC CALMING AND HOW DOES IT WORK? to be on the top of the table at once. They can be placed at pedestrian crossings or whole intersections can be raised to the same level as footpaths. These speed tables can be crossed at 30-40 km/h quite comfortably, but not at higher speeds. ' Besides slowing speed this measure gives cyclists and pedestrians easier access across intersections. • Protected parking. The carriageway can "appear" to have been narrowed simply by building landscaped islands out from the footpath to provide,.,, , protected parking bays. • Neck-downs. Landscaped islands intrude into the carriageway to forma narrow "gate" through which the driver must pass. • Changes in direction. Forty-five degree bends can be introduced into the road by having end-in parking on alternating sides of the road. Other methods include Neck-down roundabouts and offset intersections. To encourage traffic to move at a more even pace, traffic lights and signs are removed and replaced with strategically placed landscaping and paving to regulate the traffic flow. Because the traffic is moving at a slower pace the risks of collisions at intersections is reduced and traffic can enter the traffic stream much easier than at higher speeds. WIDE EXPANSES OF BITUMEN say to a motorist, "This is your turf'. TECHNIQUE 3: Streets using paved strips, landscaping and narrowed lanes have a relaxed, Change the psychological feel of pedestrian feel that says to the driver, "Beware! This is a shared space". the street A recent Australian Bureau of Road Transport publication entitled "Children and Road Accidents"36 reported the following: • The higher the speed the more drivers put the onus on the pedestrian or cyclist to get out of their way. • The attitude of drivers at marked pedestrian crossings is "astoundingly ruthless". • Skills of judgement required to interact with traffic are only acquired by experience. Young children do not have these skills. Safety education is only of limited value - it cannot impart these skills. The report concludes: Solutions to the problems require countermeasures which look beyond the child, being primarily aimed at other road users. The only way to do this is not by legislation or regulation (speed signs) but by physical measures. Professor Stina Sandels, a world authority on children and road accidents, argues that "even the best road safety education cannot adapt a child to modern traffic, so that traffic has got to be adapted to the child".37 PRIVATE CARS USE 30 TIMES MORE ROAD SPACE to move each person TECHNIQUE 4: than trams or buses. This means more efficient use can be made of existing road Increase incentives to space and the existing public transport network by encouraging people to use public transport transfer to public transport. This is done by increasing the efficiency of public transport, by giving it a time advantage over cars and by offering an attractive fare system which may include discounted passes for particular markets. . DISCOURAGING THE USE OF PRIVATE MOTOR VEHICLES is usually TECHNIQUE 5: used in tandem with incentives for using public transport. Measures that can be Discourage use of used include parking restrictions in the central business district, higher parking private motor vehicles. fees or banning cars from the central business district altogether. A combination of these two management techniques was employed by authorities to move an extra 15 million people over a 6 month period in and out of Brisbane's inner city during Expo without creating any traffic chaos and using only our existing public transport network and facilities.38 IF IN THE PEAK HOUR the average number of people in each vehicle is TECHNIQUE 6: C only 1.2 then traffic levels can be halved by doubling the number of people in Optimise the number of people each vehicle to 2.4. This can be done through car and van pooling programmes. using each car 19 WHAT IS TRAFFIC CALMING AND HOW DOES IT WORK? TECHNIQUE 7: THROUGH THE COMBINATION of a public education campaign and the Encourage people to organise their introduction of traffic restraint measures, authorities can encourage people to own travel more efficiently organise their own travel more efficiently. This may mean making a greater effort to find a job close to home or when buying a new home, to buy one which is close to a number of high use activity centres (job, school and shops). It may mean combining a number of trips into one, or using public transport for work instead of buying a second car, or organising a car pool. TECHNIQUE 8: IF AUTHORITIES ARE GOING TO ENCOURAGE new patterns of travel, Optimise choices for travel viable alternatives must be provided: improved public transport, and increasing the attractiveness and safety of the walking and cycling environment. TECHNIQUE 9: RATHER THAN BUILDING LARGE ROADS to large centralised facilities, Create strong, viable local the facilities are brought to the people. Strong, compact communities are communities created with a wide range of facilities at hand. This policy reduces the amount of traffic on the road because: • People have to drive shorter distances to get to where they want to go. • Trips which had to be made by car can now be made by walking, cycling or public transport. • Children and the elderly are given independent mobility through walking and cycling, resulting in less chauffeuring. • A strong local economy leads to a higher level of localised employment. Measures that can be taken include making local shopping centres more attractive places to shop, grouping of activity centres, and encouragement of local festivals and entertainment. Most important is the need for a long-term commitment to avoid carving up existing, viable communities with large roads. The Results BASED ON RESEARCH from Denmark, Holland, Sweden, Japan, Italy, Switzerland. Germany, America, England and Australia, where these new planning initiatives have been tried the following results can be expected: • Noise and pollution reduced by up to 50% • The top speed of traffic down by 50% (Even though speed is dropped by 50%, journey times only increase by 11% because there is less stop-start driving.) • Less heavy traffic and less rat-running THE STREETS - • Smaller roads to move the same number of people. The extra space created by closing lanes or narrowing existing lanes is transformed into A PLACE FOR HUMAN tree-lined avenues, bike-ways or walk-ways, mini-parks or squares CONTACT • Greater safety for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and children playing in The crucial question is whether or not the street the city, which was formerly built on the human scale, and in which the street • For those unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident, 43-60% existed primarily as a means of contact, is less chanr-~ of being killed or seriously injured to be replaced by a megalopolis where the o 0 dimensions of the street are on the scale • 30% to 50% less traffic on the roads in peak hour required for its primary use bymechanical • Greater choice of travel methods for everyone - particularly for those transport? Are we going towards cities who don't have access to a car with specialised "meeting facilitie. all linked to each other by high speed • Increased vitality of community life motorways? 39 • Less stop-start driving The urban environment should again • Enhancement of neighbourhoods with an increase in greenery and a become a place favourable for human encounter, for looking around, listening decrease in the visual int usiveness of the roads and parked cars and a and talking to people, walking about and decrease in the number of traffic lights and signs. sitting down. Streets and squares should once again be treated as outside rooms Traffic calming gives you the best of both worlds - mobility and a better within the city, as places where the quality of life. opportunity of contact between people is the primary considarotion 40 Clearly traffic calming is not a narrow concept. It involves cars, roads, public transport, layout of the city and the education of residents. It is a holistic planning approach that is aimed at improving quality of life. It involves a whole new attitude and outlook. 20 4 Traffic Calming - a new planning ethos emerges D P UE * F% The mall explosion brought people back into the streets to enjoy their city. NAM The ethos and extent of present traffic calming practice can be best The predicted chaos on the roads did understood by looking at its historical development. not occur because a large part of the THE SEEDS OF TRAFFIC CALMING were sown in Germany in the late previous motor traffic simply 1920s - early 30s when four German towns built pedestrian malls in their inner- disappeared. city areas. The trend increased with urban reconstruction after the war. These developments were generally opposed by shopkeepers until the mid-60s when shopkeepers realised the economic advantages of pedestrianised areas. In the 70s, this resulted in a "mall explosion", not only in Germany, but around the world. But the Germans led this mall explosion, progressively giving over more ; and more of their central business districts to pedestrian malls. Peter Hall - observes: "It is now generally true that the central business districts of German !j - F cities are almost completely vehicle-free areas".41 II F Nuremburg, a city about the size of Brisbane, has 5 kilometres of pedestrian mall in its central business district. When the program was begun in 1972 there were predictions of traffic chaos. But as Rolf Monheim reports: The predicted chaos on the roads did not occur because a large part of ! I the previous motor traffic simply disappeared.42 5 This "disappearing traffic" encouraged some planners to begin thinking A .e, R that traffic could be restrained and that growth was not inevitable. Meanwhile, in the late 60s and early 70s angry residents in a number of cities around the world took to the streets demanding reductions in the level of traffic on their residential streets. Some even went so far as to barricade their - streets. As Vera van der Does, General Secretary of the International Federation of Pedestrians reported to a Brussels conference in 1976: a; In my country you can see indignant, protesting parents waving banners t 1 as they march to the Town Hall or to the Houses of Parliament to make it In November 1962 cars were banned from the quite clear that they will dig up "their" street if steps are not taken to first shopping street in Copenhagen. Shop tame the motor car in residential areas 43 owners feared economic ruin - but in three years trade rose by 30%. 21 TRAFFIC CALMING - A NEW PLANNING ETHOS EMERGES This movement, combined with the lessons learned from the pedestrianisation of city centres, led many cities to experiment with Local Area Traffic Management (LATM), Streets were classified into a hierarchy and traffic encouraged to stay on the major through routes and off "residential" streets. A variety of techniques were used including: Turning some local streets into cul-de-sacs • Speed bumps ® • Narrowing of entries to streets or placing "neck-downs" mid-block • Tight roundabouts. Woollerf IN AUSTRALIA, Woodville in South Australia (population 80,000) first experimented with traffic restraint in 1970 when four intersections were r converted into T junctions. Since that time LATM (Local Area Traffic Management) schemes have been implemented in Adelaide, Melbourne and Svdnev. It must be stressed that these schemes are entirely aimed at taking traffic off local "residential" streets and putting it onto major roads. LATM schemes result in lower traffic on the lower order roads but higher on the higher order. NOT MERELY EQUAL RIGHTS IN 1975, THE DUTCH built their first woonerf. These varied from the LATM because the primary aim of LATMs was to stop rat-running and improve Other things being equal, one should safety in the residential street. The primary function of streets remained the presumably start with the principle that all carrying of traffic. But implicit in the concept of the woonerf, which means travellers have equal rights, regardless of "living yard", was the belief that streets were not just for cars, they were also for the means by which they choose to travel. social interaction, children, cyclists and pedestrians, and that the car must be But since travellers bymotor vehicle are better armed and better protected than subservient to these other functions -not vice versa. This attitude is best pedestrians and cyclists they tend to take summed up in the letter sent by the local council to residents in Delft whose priority whenever any conflict arises. One streets were about to be rebuilt.. aim of policy should be to correct this bias. Moreover, from the general social point of Every car should behave like a guest in your residential street, which in a view, other things are not at all equal. Pedestrians and cyclists are much cheaper way is your territory to accommodate than motor vehicles and do no environmental harm. This is a The Dutch realised that simply erecting signs that asked cars to go no strong reason forgiving them not merely faster than 20 km/h and to act as if they were guests in someone else's front yard equal, but preferential tteatment.44 was not good enough - the traffic had to be physically restrained. So the woonerf was a totally rebuilt street. Footpaths, gutters and roadway were dispensed with. The whole area was paved and obstacles introduced to physically slow the traffic. The streets literally became a paved courtyard, an extension of people's front yards. Obstacles were placed so that sight lines were interrupted with changes in traffic direction at least every 50 metres. The obstacles used included trees, planted areas, playing equipment, seating or parking areas for cars. OTHER COUNTRIES WATCHED the Dutch experiment with interest. LEFT- evenincThle udes woonerf is u "living yard"... which While the Dutch schemes were successful in reducing accidents and creating a corn play equipment! much more acceptable environment, they were also extremely expensive. RIGHT- A Dutch woonerf showing the extent of Germany in particular took a keen interest in the Dutch experiment rehuilding. F . 1 ~ 6Y ti 22 TRAFFIC CALMING - A NEW PLANNING ETHOS EMERGES because of their own success with pedestrianisation of their inner cities. They also had similar attitudes to the Dutch regarding the function of streets. As the Federal Ministry of Regional and Urban Planning's official publications stated: Your home street must become like a living room 45 The streets of tomorrow make traffic more bearable by creating a home 1111111 f~ p environment in the street. The streets will belong to the people and be HUI II ~U~~I r part of theirhomes.4E p On the streets of tomorrow, road users will be partners, not opponents. 47 In 1976, an experiment was initiated by the state of North Rhine- o Westphalia. Applications were called for cities to have areas of 5000 to 20,000 people traffic-managed with wohnstrasses - the equivalent of the Dutch woonerf. ` One hundred and thirty areas were nominated and 30 chosen. In 1979 a final report showed that injuries had been reduced by 44% and A major road Traffic Calmed. serious accidents and deaths by 53% in the 30 areas49 In response to this experiment the federal minister for urban planning proposed a new traffic law (1980) which allowed the "mixed use of streets by all traffic participants, each with equal rights",50 IN 1981, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT took a bold step past LAFMs and THE CASE OF THE past the woonerf. DISAPPEARING TRAFFIC As already discussed, LATMs and woonerf schemes are for local streets Local residents surrounding threatenn Square Parkin New York were e threatened with low traffic flows. But the Germans introduced the idea of area-wide traffic with a plan to build a major highway restraint - or what has become known as traffic calming. Implicit in this idea of through the park to replace an existing area-wide traffic restraint was a belief that LATMs and woonerf did not go far main mad, the capacity of which was not enough and were in fact unjust. thought adequate to cope with proposed developments in the surrounding area. Instead they managed after a political Traffic restraint [LATM and woonerf) in its strict interpretation leads to battle to have the existing road closed, first the often grotesque situation that quiet streets with light traffic become on a trial basis and then permanently. The even quieter while the actual traffic problem zones remain areas of high troff;c commissioner in opposing this scheme, had forecast immediate and very traffic flows, ruined residential environments, high noise level and high severe increases in the number of vehicles accident risks.51 in the nearby streets, to the extent that residents themselves would be obliged to They argued that traffic must be calmed on all roads -including major ask for the park road to be re-opened. In roads, highways and even expressways. fact, none of the surrounding roads experienced an increase in traffic, and most experienced some decrease. Nor was Clearly, area-wide traffic restraint includes also, and above all, main there any sign that the traffic had chosen roads. This is first of all a breath-taking conceptual combination for more distant alternative routes in other many transport planners: traffic restraint on main roads? Not with the ports of the city; it had simply same policies as on residential roads but still with a clear speed disappeared.48 reduction and land use change at the expense of the width of the carriageways. Out of ruined main roads will again come avenues, boulevards and thoroughfares in the true sense of the word.52 But area wide traffic restraint or traffic calming was seen as much more than just narrowing roads, closing traffic lanes and planting trees. Area-wide traffic restraint without including main roads must remain partial, and can never achieve the ambitious aims of relating to urban improvement, noise protection and road safety. Therefore the whole road network, the public transport system and all transport modes must be included. Programmes of promotion of the bicycle and public transport also belong to area-wide traffic restraint policies as do parking space policies, operational or price strategies for public transport and psychologically orientated marketing campaigns for sensible traffic behaviour... Area-wide traffic restraint aims at, ns the name implies, the coverage of a large built up area 53 In 1981 the Federal Republic of Germany began an experiment in area- wide traffic restraint in six cities and villages. The cities and villages were chosen to see how traffic calming would work in a wide variety of situations and - living densities: from inner-city to outer suburbs; from a 120 ha area in Berlin containing 30,000 people down to a village of just 2300 people (250ha). The largest experimental area calmed was 610 ha in Mainz (15,000 people).f (On a recent visit to Australia Professor Rolf Monheim was asked whether t; traffic calming would work in Australian cities with their low density. 23 TRAFFIC CALMING - A NEW PLANNING ETHOS EMERGES He replied that the German experiment had proved that traffic calming worked equally as well in low density areas as in high density areas.) The initial results of this experiment were as follows:54 • TRAFFIC VOLUMES - same • AVERAGE SPEED - reduced from 37 km/h to 20 km/h • TIME FOR AVERAGE TRIP - increased from 283 sec to 316 sec (an increase of 33 seconds) • ACCIDENTS - same number but less severe i>} - fatalities 43-53% reduction - injuries 60% reduction • AIR POLLUTION -10-50% reduction • NOISE - up to 14dBa reduction 75% • FUEL CONSUMPTION - 5% increase to 10% decrease 67% (depending on driver). Part of these traffic calming experiments involved reducing speeds on residential streets to 30 km/h and on major roads to 40 km/h. The German auto club, the equivalent of our RACQ, was skeptical and decided to do their own 39% research. They interviewed motorists and residents before the schemes were introduced and after, asking if they considered 30 km/h to be an acceptable 27% speed limit. The diagram opposite shows the results To physically control speed in traffic calmed areas, the Germans employed many of the techniques developed by the Dutch, but without the need to rebuild whole streets: Before After Before After • deliberate narrowing of roads (space saved used for bikeways, parking, MOTORISTS RESIDENTS bus bays and landscaping) • pinch points or "gateways" using strong vertical features such as trees Approval of 3o km/h speed limit. • creation of sharp bends, usually by creation of parking bays no longer than 50 metres on alternating sides of the road. • the raising of the carriageway to the same level as the footpath to form 4speed tables' particularly at intersections or at bends • the elimination of defined priorities at junctions in favour of the general priority from the right • use of paved strips across the road. On major roads carriageways were narrowed, paving strips used and in some cases lanes removed. Waldstrasse, a major road in Berlin-Moabit was reduced from four lanes to two and the redundant lanes turned into a park. The g i. main business street is to be narrowed from six lanes to four. What is interesting in the German experience is the progressive attitude of A speed table. the politicians. There has been a change in the use of prognoses. In the entire post-war period, forecasted increases in volumes of car traffic inevitably resulted in decisions to construct new roads. What was overlooked was that subsequent actual increases in car traffic were largely generated by the new roads themselves: in other words, classic cases of self-fulfilling prophesies. Now politicians have dared to become disobedient to trend- ft~r ~ty.. r, I`,,I I IIII I,.~il ~II~I I I i li ~jl~ ~illly I ~ Ilil II ~t 11 ~ = I II, I I. I a ,I I II II ~ I I ,i, ,I III, I~, tQEDl~mml"~, ®nn"If It -A#01 • ;11[111~,1ttiE!IIllijt. ,:-*~;;.:o,, Traffic calming on a major road. Notice paved TI?iiT>1 91~il11T111=Qlll I ( llP trT MAO M! cycle paths, protected parking, use of paving e t hlR4uµut~ t-, T - strips across road when approaching an intersection, use of trees in centre of road, I I I'I narrowing of entries to minor roads and removal of traffic lights. w~• / \ 24 i i t TRAFFIC CALMING - A NEW PLANNING ETHOS EMERGES bound planning. Placing greater weight on the political goal of improving environmental quality, they have been asking planners how to prevent their prognoses from becoming reality... While the concepts articulated here may seem revolutionary or utopian, one should stress that they recently have become the officially acknowledged state-of-the-art in Germany.55 p OTHER CITIES AND COUNTRIES HAVE NOW FOLLOWED the German j ' lead. Copenhagen has just closed two lanes of a four-lane freeway as part of an _ mI& ➢e area-wide traffic restraint scheme. Other cities adopting area-wide traffic restraint are Odense in Denmark; Goteborg and Malmo in Sweden; Groningen, Delft, Tilburg, Den Haag and Amsterdam in Holland; Bologna and Parma in Italy; Zurich and Basel in Switzerland; Osaka, Tokyo and Nagoya in Japan. Heiner Monheim concludes a report on these schemes: BEFORE With widespread use of planning policy repertoires it has been possible in these towns to increase considerably the use of public transport and bicycle and perceptibly reduce car traffic in some areas. For a long time this was seen as impossible for towns in the western, technologically- advanced and highly motorised world. In contrast, fears were stirred up that a reduction of car traffic would ruin the cities economically. The opposite is true. The towns and cities listed G above flourish... p The decline of car traffic and its domestication in the cities listed led to a V remarkable decline of accidents, pollution and deficits of public p VV transport... It is clear that if society is willing to change its priority and investment policies, then large reductions in car traffic can be achieved.55 I ~l The results of these experiments in Holland, Sweden and japan have been ( Y i staggering. Daily traffic has been decreased by 30-50%.57 The government in Germany is now planning a major program of area- °e o wide traffic restraint and is predicting that by the year 2000 public transport - patronage will have increased by at least 20%. Community action groups have now sprung up all over Germany demanding their areas be traffic calmed like AFTER the experimental areas. Several German states have instituted competitions amongst their cities and citizen groups to promote and stimulate innovations in making cities more livable. TRAFFIC CALMING INVOLVES A CITY-WIDE POLICY of traffic restraint. While not calling it traffic calming, some American cities have introduced policies consistent with the ideas of area-wide traffic restraint. Pleasanton, California, has passed a local ordinance requiring developers and employers to reduce single-occupant car trips in the peak period by 45% over four years. After just two years, cars carrying just one person have fallen by 36% - far exceeding the city's goal of 25%.58 • Montgomery County has established a "transportation management district" in Silver Spring, Maryland. All employers of more than 25 employees and all new developments are required to develop traffic mitigation plans and participate in annual commuter surveys. To encourage participation, the County will provide a set of financial incentives in the form of discounted transit and commuter rail passes and discounts for car or van pool vehicles in county car parks. Employers who exceed the goals of the programme will receive additional incentives. Knoten oderPlatz Northern Virginia has introduced two priority high-occupancy vehicle lanes on one of their major freeways and decreased commuter traffic in the beltway by 20% and traffic entering the Washington D.C. central business district by 10%. The USA has also seen a proliferation of "Transportation Management Associations" which seek the cooperation of local authorities, private enterprise, developers and employers in limiting traffic through "demand management". Singapore introduced a form of area-wide traffic restraint by introducing a pass system for entering the central portion of the city. All vehicles entering the C central city during certain hours must have first purchased a pass. t 25 TRAFFIC CALMING - A NEW PLANNING ETHOS EMERGES Ottawa, Canada, introduced variable work hours and a dedicated busway service (roads for buses only) and in five years saw public transport patronage climb by 36%. LL•,I~ ' Stockholm has restricted all vehicles weighing over 3.5 tons fully laden to a special road haulage network from 10pm to Gam. The result has been a 60-70% drop in heavy trucks in the city centre at night. Further measures introduced by other cities include: • Reduction of parking spaces in the inner city • Increasing parking fees in peak periods • Marketing of public transport. AUSTRALIA HAS NOT AS YET ADOPTED traffic calming in the true EXPO... sense of the word. A number of cities are using LATM schemes. Brisbane has a our experiment with traffic calming. few isolated LATM streets but nothing on the scale of Melbourne, Sydney and The Expo experience proves three things. Adelaide. Our biggest experiment with the principles of traffic calming was 2. Our public transport network is grossly Expo - an outstanding success. under-utilised. Like so many experiments with traffic calming overseas the results were 2. People will use public transport and above planners' wildest expectations. After the tall ships traffic fiasco, people leave their cars home if the right conditions are created by planners. were predicting traffic chaos for Expo, but authorities had the presence of mind 3. We are capable of cooperative, creative, to put their heads together and work out a strategy. The plans were to move an far-sighted planning, extra 7.2 million people in and out of the inner city over a six-month period using the existing public transport infrastructure and the existing road network. This was to be accomplished by a combination of parking restrictions and promotion of public transport. This strategy was so successful, we not only moved twice the expected number of people but car parks had to take out advertisements to try and attract customers! THE HISTORY OUTLINED ABOVE SHOWS countries "leap-frogging" each other in the development of traffic calming techniques. Our experience - with Expo now puts Brisbane in a strong position to take the lead in traffic calming in Australia, jumping from the back of the pack to the front. The principles of traffic calming are not revolutionary or new. Many of - these principles have been understood for 25 years. What is new is the drawing Q together of those principles into a cohesive, comprehensive planning approach. £ What could distinguish the "Brisbane Traffic Calming Experiment" from all others could be its "completeness". Most cities have emphasised one side or other of the traffic calming equation. Europe has tended to emphasise changes to road design and greater use of bicycle, walking and public transport while America has tended to emphasise increasing the efficiency of existing resources - for example, the use of car and van pools. By synthesising the best from all these sources, we could take our place in the avant-garde of city planning that puts quality of life first. Before and after drawings of a major road in a small German village (Borgentreich). Notice visual narrowing of rood with ty, paving. The trees also act to visually narrow the road. y' h►~` ;k ~iv.tl•~ W m 0 a n D W 4. 1 i L1 n LL. 4 - i F.. .J'a's ~ ~ v:La 26 Why Traffic Calming is the best solution for Route 20 r The needs local residents want satisfied can be translated into a set of 12 goals by which any scheme can be evaluated. We will now compare the ability of traffic calming and a "traditional upgrade" to meet these goals. CURRENT NOISE LEVELS ARE ABOVE ACCEPTABLE LIMITS along GOAL 1: Route 20 -particularly for a number of schools. By the MRD's own admission, Reduce current noise below that this level will rise by .7 dBA once the road is upgraded. An independent recommended by SKP assessment using the same modelling techniques as the MRD puts the rise at 3.06dBA.5s By comparison, traffic calming can drop the noise caused by acceleration by 10 dBA and noise generally by 5 to 8 dBA. If truck traffic is restricted - even larger reductions can be achieved. THE MRD CLAIM THAT THEIR UPGRADE will reduce vehicle emissions GOAL 2: by causing traffic to flow more smoothly. This may be true for the day after the Reduce air pollution below upgrade is completed. But what is not acknowledged is that the new traffic current levels generated by the upgrade will more than cancel these savings. This generated traffic will also cause travel conditions to deteriorate to the former level resulting in similar emission levels per vehicle as before the upgrade. The net result will be an increase in air pollution. Traffic calming also decreases the emissions per vehicle by smoothing traffic flow. The difference is that traffic calming keeps its savings by maintaining traffic levels at current levels, or in some cases even reducing them. The 10-50% reduction in pollution is kept - permanently. TRAFFIC CALMING ACHIEVES up to a 60% reduction in deaths and GOAL 3• injuries, which isn't eroded by increased number of trips and length of trips per Increase safety for motorists person. A TRADITIONAL UPGRADE would encourage an increase in traffic GOAL 4: volume and speed resulting in further deterioration in the safety and the Create a safer and more pleasant pleasantness of the environment for pedestrians and cyclists. environment for pedestrians and Even if some provisions are made for pedestrians and cyclists (which is cyclists, especially children not usually the case), the emphasis is still firmly on the road being primarily for the motorists. We could expect that road death will continue to be the number one killer of children aged one to 16 with 400 being killed annually and 4000 seriously injured. (Australian figures) Pedestrian overpasses and underpasses are not adequate compensation as studies show these are usually ineffective. Pedestrians would rather dodge traffic than climb a long set of stairs or face the fears of stranger-danger lurking in underpasses. Traffic calming is both pedestrian-friendly and cyclist-friendly. THE MENTALITY THAT GIVES BIRTH TO TRAFFIC CALMING is much GOAL 5: more willing to restrict truck movemects to designated routes, rather than the Reduce industrial through traffic traditional mentality which believes all demands should be automatically met. on residential streets including Traffic calming, as part of its drive to use existing resources more Route 20 efficiently, will try to find less intrusive ways of moving fre4ght. 27 WHY TRAFFIC CALMING IS THE BEST SOLUTION FOR ROUTE 20 GOAL 6: A TRADITIONAL UPGRADE MAY include a LATM scheme that Reduce the amount of non-local eliminates some rat-running, but this will be done at the expense of other ' traffic "rat-running" along residential streets such as Birdwood Terrace, Rainworth and Baroona Road, residential streets Simpson's Road, Boundary Road, Jubilee Terrace, Kennedy Terrace, Arthur Terrace etc. These streets would be designated "collector" roads or "sub-arterial" and would probably require "upgrading". Traffic calming calms all roads. GOAL 7: ONLY TRAFFIC CALMING CAN restrain or reverse growth in traffic. But Restrain or reverse growth in traffic there may be some who still object that such measures are "restrictive". What and encourage more energy- these objectors fail to recognise is that society already accepts restrictions efficient alternatives related to travel. For example, there are many destinations in a city that simply have no direct link. If people want to move between these destinations, they are "forced" to take a long, circuitous route. On the way they will be "forced" by the Some enWroiimantalists claim that other drivers to drive at a less than optimum speed. modern ;;t raffc.nipresehts:an abuse of hs' traditionalfreedoin It is simply impossible to provide unlimited freedom of movement unless of thehighN a~In" most countries, ifnot all, °the fieedorri;to the whole city is turned into one giant road. use the puhh"c mods 'was recognised as a. Plowden describes the present system not as "freedom", but as a "free-for- basioright long before the invention of the'...,. motor vehicle... &6min the do of the' all". He says: ' horse there was no; "freedom", to use animals that were a menace to otherroad.:.:" To introduce controls should, therefore, be thought of as a means of users.At,theotherextTmeiy possibleio correcting the restrictions and biases inherent in the situation, not as an toketheviewthat there isnonatural right additional restriction. andnevershould be` to take # dirty; dangerous "motorvehi&esinto public..:;:.: If one person can only exercise his freedom at the expense of others, then places, and permission to'do so should be':,! it is right to restrict him so -negar,ded as a privilege si It may come as a shock to some of us, but some planners argue it is a - "privilege" to take a car onto the roads - not a "right". To ask for a reduction in traffic does not mean that one is anti-car or anti- roads. It is a simple recognition of the rights of other road users and the rights of the residents whose homes the road passes. It is a call for a commonsense balancing of rights on the one hand and a privilege on the other. GOAL 8: THE AM PLANS [and early indications from SKP) are that the intention Avoid creating a new traffic corridor is to further develop the north-south "Rat-run 20" into an arterial for through through existing residential areas traffic. Traffic calming repudiates the idea of dividing existing communities. Traffic calming is pro quality of residential life. GOAL 9: BY ENCOURAGING A BETTER USE OF EXISTING FACILITIES, traffic Provide better mobility for those calming encourages a greater use of public transport. As patronage rises, so does without cars: the poor, the elderly, the level of service. A traditional upgrade does the very opposite. the handicapped and children GOAL 10: URBAN BLIGHT IS THE MOST LILLY OUTCOME of a traditional Maintain and enhance the existing upgrade as owners move out and a transient population move in and other character of our suburbs properties are turned over to commercial uses. By contrast, traffic calming will enhance the relaxed, subtropical, spacious atmosphere of our residential areas. The dominance of the road in the landscape will be softened by narrowing of roadways and breaking them into smaller visual units with introduced bends and landscaping. Paving, landscaping and trees will impart a more casual, leisurely atmosphere. Lamp posts, seating, and landscape items can be designed in a theme befitting the historical character of the area. This goal is not being suggested simply because local residents want to see their area enhanced. There is a clear recognition that if you tear the "soul' out of a city, it becomes a corpse. Such a city loses its personality, its excitement, its sparkle, its zest, its mystique. That loss is a loss not just for the present residents, but for all generations that follow. Many people would argue that the "goat track roads" (including Route 20) are part of the "soul" of this area. They speak of a bygone era when horses and carts served the dairy farms scattered along Ithaca Creek. That leisurely spirit f 28 ;r WHY TRAFFIC CALMING IS THE BEST SOLUTION FOR ROUTE 20 still prevails today. Concrete flyovers, cuttings and large expanses of bitumen do not fit the relaxed, bushland nature of the area. They may be fine for Los Angeles - but they don't fit here. FOR THE SAKE OF A COMPARISON, it will be assumed that the initial GOAL 11: capital outlay for a traditional upgrade and a traffic calming upgrade are the Impose the minimum burden on same. (In reality the traditional upgrade would be far more expensive.) We will taxpayers while bestowing hen do a comparison of benefits and additional costs to see which gives the best maximum benefits value for money. I TRADMONAL UPGRADE TRAFFIC CAJAMG BENEFITS COSTS BENENT$ COSTS • Decreased • Extra road maintenance • Savings in road maintenance • Maintenance travel time for • Extra repairs to gas, water and drainage due to • Savings in medical costs - decreased accident rate of landscaped some through- vibration from trucks • Productivity from those whose lives have been saved" areas motorists. • Increased medical costs due to increased accident rate . Saving in infrastructure costs. due to the city Incresse of • Loss of productivity from extra early deaths remaining more compact il% in journey • Infrastructure costs (water, roads, electricity, sewerage, • Loss public transport subsidy time.? drainage) for the urban sprawl that results • Retaining of farmland close to city • Loss of housing stock in inner-city areas • Preservation of housing stock in inner-city areas • Increased subsidy to public transport • Healthier balance of payments • Loss of farmland due to sprawl • Decreased medical costs resulting"from less noise- - Higher costs of living due to higher costs of servicing a induced stress lower density city • Decreased medical bills due to increased walking and " • Worsening balance of payments due to increased fuel cycling usage • Enhanced property values • Health costs from Increased stress caused by increased . Increased income from tourism due to enhancement noise or illness aggravated by pollution of area • Loss of education suffered by students in class moms . Increased attraction of city for business exposed to excessive noise • Increased viability of local, small business • Loss of property values for those close to road • Savings in fuel. • Cost of extra fuel consumed because of generated traffic and the spreading of the city • Cost associated with the Greenhouse Effect - droughts and inundation of low lying areas close to the sea • Loss of business due to loss of attractiveness of the city. LET US JUST CONSIDER nine possible future trends to determine which GOAL 12: approach, traditional upgrade or traffic calming, will allow the maximum Allow the maximum flexibility to flexibility to cope with possible future changes. cope with future events or social 1. The Greenhouse Effect and the need for governments to cut back on changes. emission levels 2. Australia's increasing dependence on overseas oil resulting in a worsening balance of payments 3. Sharp increases in the price of fuel due to world-wide shortages 4. An increasing migration of jobs to suburbs 5. A migration of population and jobs to country regional centres as prices of properties rise in capital cities and the telecommunications revolution allows businesses greater decentralisation and increased distance from major banking and business headquarters 6. A greater flexibility in working hours spreading peak traffic times 7. More people working via computer terminals from home, reducing commuter traffic 8. An increasing emphasis on the "soul" or the "spirit" of a city as its major economic asset 9. Increasing welfare economy due to aging population resulting in less money for infrastructure provision and replacement. Without examining each of these trends or possible scenarios, one can easily see that planning for an escalation in car usage does not leave a city well prepared should a number of these trends materialise. 29 WHY TRAFFIC CALMING IS THE BEST SOLUTION FOR ROUTE 20 By stark comparison, traffic calming prepares Brisbane for the future by "weaning" the city off its heavy dependence on the car and providing acceptable alternatives that enable the city to cope much better with any of the above nine trends. It must be emphasised that this weaning process is gradual - not a sudden, traumatic change. If any number of the above trends materialise, the city will have already developed new habits that will help it survive. A public transport infrastructure'., will be in place. A walking and cycling infrastructure will be in place. Facilities and activity centres will have been decentralised and grouped in local communities. People will have already learnt how to share their vehicles with others. They will have learned to drive in a restrained way that respects the rights of others. The events of the future may still come as a shock, but the blow will be softened by prior preparation. Flexibility means being prepared for a whole range of possible developments - so what happens if these trends do not eventuate? OT BORROWED AT If they do not eventuate, we will have lost nothing and gained everything. TED OT INSEiRY _ Our city will be more compact and efficient. All residents will have less The exploitable resources of crude oil, noise to annoy them. They will have cleaner air and a cleaner city. They will be oil sands and shales will be depleted as healthier through increased walking and use of bicycles. Our children will be early as the cuddle of the next century This means that safer on the streets. We will have less chance of being killed when we drive. The severe shortage problems ' will appear several decades before that less advantaged members of our city will enjoy a more equitable choice of travel date. destinations. We will not have to endure travelling such long distances to get to On the assumption• that our present the places we enjoy. We will have discovered the joys of interacting with others generation feels responsible for the living as we travel together rather than alone. (Remember those conversations on the conditions of futuiegenerations, we would have to gear the development of our urban bus or train to Expo and while standing in the queues?) areas to a point where people were less A greater sense of community spirit will have developed as we plan the dependent on the demand for travel. This future of our streets with our neighbours and as we increasingly participate in process has to be initiated now, since helping all levels of government find innovative, creative solutions to providing investments, investments are designed. to se long-term seine for 50 to maximum mobility in a time of shrinking resources. 100 years. There is only one `world and, as was pointed out by the Australian Minister of the Environment at the OECD Ministerial Conference on the Environment last November, we have not inherited the earth om our fathers and are hence entitled to use it according to our wishes: We have rather borrowed it from our children and have to maintain it properly until they can . take over.62 A SUMMARY OF WHICH UPGRADE MEETS COMMUNITY GOALS BEST GOAL TRADITIONAL TRAFFIC CALMING UPGRADE UPGRADE 1. Reduce noise No - will increase Yes - significantly 2. Reduce air pollution No - will increase pollution Yes -10.50% 3. Safety for motorists No - decreased rates Yes - up to 60% cancelled by increased travel 4. Safer and more pleasant No Yes - definitely for pedestrians and cyclists 5. Reduce industrial traffic Likely to increase Likely to decrease 6. Reduce rat-runn;ng Possibly on some streets but Yes not on others 7. Restrain traffic growth No - will do the opposite Yes 8. Avoid new corridor No - Route 20 is "new" Yes corridor 9. Better mobility for Unlikely Yes - providing gentrification elderly, poor & handicapped is resisted 10. Maintain & enhance area No - will cause urban blight Yes - definitely 11. Maximum benefit for High cost - low benefit Low cost - high benefit minimum cost 12, Flexibility Leaves us unprepared for all Prepares city best for all future events possibilities 30 WHY TRAFFIC CALMING IS THE BEST SOLUTION FOR ROUTE 20 Implementation - the road ahead c 74 Bordon shopping centre. As it is and as it could be. A proposed plan would need to be the subject of detailed discussion with shop owners - and local residents. Ii r Y V This chapter contains a list of possible initiatives that could be taken to implement traffic calming. They would not need to be introduced simultaneously and some will be more feasible than others. They are merely offered as a starting point for creative debate and planning. Suggestions have been grouped into three sections. 1: National, state and city-wide initiatives 2: Regional initiatives 3: Local initiatives. 1. National, state & city-wide initiatives ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT - federal, state and local - could set goals National experiment of a significant reduction of vehicle kilometres per person over the next fifteen to twenty years. A reasonable goal may be to meet the recommendations of the Toronto conference on world climate change which called for a 20% cut of vehicle kilometres by 2005. The recommendations of the OECD Environmental Committee could form the guidelines of such a policy of traffic calming. (See box next page: "Time to resurrect a fifteen year old blueprint".) The western suburbs of Brisbane could then be set up as a test area for the principles of traffic calming or area-wide traffic restraint, similar to the experiments conducted by the Federal Republic of Germany. Interest groups such as universities, government departments and community groups could be invited to do before-and-after studies to gauge the effectiveness of various measures. The federal government could convene an annual conference on traffic restraint or traffic calming for exchange of information. Funding incentives may also be provided for states or cities that complied with national goals. 31 IMPLEMENTATION - THE ROAD AHEAD An education campaign (federal, state, local or combination) should be instituted showing the benefits of traffic restraint, asserting the rights of residents, and encouraging people to think carefully about the trips they make and the alternatives available. Long term planning - Queensland QUEENSLAND SHOULD HAVE A PLANNING AUTHORITY with clear policy goals relating to the distribution and growth of both population and employment, and hence traffic restraint. A major goal of such an authority should be the creation of efficient, self sustaining neighbourhoods, communities, towns, cities and regions. Either this planning authority or an independent statutory body should also be responsible for conducting all environmental and social impact studies. The present system of departments being able to engage consultants without calling tenders opens the door to possible abuses. There is also a strong temptation for consultants to compromise the quality of their work and "tell the boss what he wants to hear" because he has the power of hire and fire. An independent body that conducted EISs on behalf of all government departments could subcontract consultants who would then feel freer to hand in reports that may be against the interest of the department originally requesting the study. Such an independent body should also be encouraged to find ways of involving the local community - not as some way of being able to "sell" projects, but as a means of tapping the invaluable wisdom and local knowledge available in local communities. Funds could be made available for the employment of community advocates who can be freed to participate in the social and environmental impact studies and organise community input. Public transport METHODS SHOULD BE FOUND to change the perceived costs of car transport and public transport. The running costs of a car are paid for in large, irregular payments which are largely removed from the actual point of usage. The average car costs $120 a week to run. If every morning a commuter had to put $24 in a meter before they took their car to work, they would think twice about whether it was worth it. On the other hand, public transport commuters must put their hands in their pockets every morning and every night. Ways should be found to tie the TIME TO RESURRECT A 15 YEAR bicycle ways, car pooling, traffic Towns are better with less traffic, OLD BLUEPRINT signal systems, parking control and so long as adequate provision is establishment of car free areas; made for the mobility of workers and In November 1974 the OECD 3. complement the above policies residents and the distribution of Council urged member countries, with low-cost measures to improve goods. It is of urgent necessity that including Australia, to adopt the the quality of the local environment, national and local governments in following recommendations on for example through the creation of OECD member countries develop Traffic Limitation and Low-Cost small parks and open spaces, their efforts to reduce the adverse ' Improvements of the Urban pedestrian areas, and conservation effects of motor traffic in urban Environment: of the urban landscape, areas. In so doing they should make 1. seek to strike a better balance 4. support and encourage further Provision for, the needs of people between private and public experimental projects aimed at who by choice or necessity do not r... transportation by encouraging local demonstrating the feasibility and have access to a car.. authorities and other responsible financial, environmental and urban The practical experiences and bodies, particularly in congested development implications of the experiments reviewed at this cities, to expand and improve the measures referred to above and Conference show that policies trac limitation quality of transportation services, cooperate in the international combining selected selected public transport and to encourage the use of means dissemination of this experience; measures P of transport other than private 5. in the longer run, seek to improvement can achieve a better automobiles whenever these reduce the need for transportation urban environment, enhance alternative means are or can be through comprehensive land use accessibilityfor people and goods made available; and transportation planning and and conserve energy. Therefore the through other measures affecting the Conference concludes that the 2. include in the above efforts, national and local governments traffic management and other patterns of human activities.83 should actively suport and measures which can be implemented A year later, the 23 member encourage the design, at relatively low cost -such as bus countries of OECD endorsed the implementation and evaluation of priority measures, provision of following recommendation: such programmes.. sg 32 IMPLEMENTATION - THE ROAD AHEAD costs of car usage closer to the time of using and ways should be found to allow public transport to be paid for in two stages: a lump sum and a smaller amount at time of use. The council/state government could aggressively market a range of pass schemes which is aimed at particular markets. • Commuter Pass which is used only in peak hours. - Fare Cutter Card for people who use public transport for more than just commuting. After purchase of the Fare Cutter Card (say $28 for a monthly card), the user then pays a "top-up-fare" each time they use public transport (say 400). After making a certain number of trips (in this case 40 bus trips normally costing $1.10 each) the card has paid for itself. After that users start saving because each trip only costs the top-up-fare (400). In addition to a lower initial outlay for the user, the advantage of this system is the reduction in the incidence of the "riding-because-it-won't- cost" syndrome associated with cards that offer unlimited "free" use of public transport. • Tokens which can be handed in as payment of fare. These are for the ; irregular traveller. The tokens are purchased for less than their face value. Part of the marketing exercise could be to raise existing fares and then to have regular special offers so people don't actually pay any more. This "bargain appeal" and "offer expiry date" are needed to help people overcome inertia and motivate them to take the necessary action to purchase the pass/ticket. This marketing programme could also have as a major focus employers who could offer their employees commuter passes at a price unavailable anywhere else. The employer would then put in a bulk order and could simply deduct the amount from the employees pay packet. Alternatively, passes or pass subsidies could become a tax-free salary bonus. (This could be part of participation in the "traffic restraint" programme mentioned below.) As mentioned earlier, these passes should be marketed aggressively. For example, promoting commuter passes through the employers would experience greater success if all those purchasing a pass went into a draw for a free overseas holiday. Employers would be similarly motivated by such offers! Ways should also be found to give public transport a greater time advantage over private cars. An important part of this is the use of transit lanes and queuing points (explained later). There is also a perceived need to introduce uniform ticketing so people can use a mixture of bus and train for a journey and only need to purchase one ticket. PROGRAMMES TO GET PEOPLE ONTO PUBLIC TRANSPORT will work Disincentives for car use much better if they are combined with disincentives to use the car. These could include the raising of parking fees, reduction of available parking spaces and the introduction of a fee for bringing the car into the city centre. The latter involves the purchase of a daily/weekly pass which must be displayed on the windscreen. POSSIBLE MEASURES needed to make car and van pooling a success: Car & van pooling - Changing of legislation to allow private individuals to charge fares for those they take to work and for this income to be tax-free • Reduced parking fees for vehicles carrying four or more people (Losses from this measure could be made up by charging a surcharge on non-car pooling vehicles arriving between Gam and 9.30 am.) • Permission for vehicles carrying four or more people to use transit lanes • More lanes made into transit lanes for buses and multiple occupancy vehicles • Employees to be taxed for company-provided car space at the commercial rate. Employers to be encouraged to provide a "commuting allowance" rather than a car and car park. If employees are intelligent, they car pool - or come by public transport - and pockat the difference. 33 IMPLEMENTATION - THE ROAD AHEAD e • Government departments to start a car/van pooling programme for their own employees • The number of car parks required in office developments under the Town Plan reduced • Legislation requiring employers of more than 25 people to participate in a "traffic restraint" or "traffic calming" programme which would include an annual commuting audit. Goals could be set and incentives offered for companies who met or exceeded these goals. Incentives could include: company tax rebate, payroll tax rebate, rates rebate for the employees, income tax rebate for employees, free/discounted transit passes, discounted parking vouchers (car pool vehicles only). Ideally the incentives must appeal both to the company and their employees if both are to be encouraged to participate. Other measures that could be considered are: • The three levels of government to combine in offering a yearly "bounty" for every commuter not travelling alone in a private car. This bounty is paid to the person who runs a car pool, van pool, subscription bus service ; or by any other means, effectively takes a vehicle off the road. The value of this bounty is the cost of providing additional road space for each additional vehicle. (In the USA this works out around $1000 - $1500 per year.) This "bounty" could also be paid to those who cycle or walk to work. The rationale is that while the scheme eventually costs the same as providing additional road space it effects enormous savings in maintenance and creates a more efficient city. • Establishing a car/van pool brokerage either run by the council or as a non-profit organisation. The brokerage would act as a clearing house for those who want to car or van pool and may supply vans and back up emergency drivers. Freight BECAUSE INDUSTRIAL TRAFFIC causes 80% of damage to roads and is a major contributor to noise pollution in residential areas, all levels of government should look at creating an infrastructure that gradually reduces the need for, and the impact of, road freight. These are possible courses of action: • The banning of transportation trucks over a certain size from all roads in Brisbane except on a designated through route/s. All freight could be unloaded at transfer depots on the periphery of the metropolitan area and delivered by light vehicles. • Greater use of rail Staggered work hours ONE WAY OF DECREASING PEAK HOUR CONGESTION is to stagger work hours. Because shopping hours in the CBD have been extended, it may be advantageous to open shops later in the morning. This would split the CBD commuters into two distinct groups: office workers and shop workers. 2. Regional initiatives Car/van pooling COMMUTER TRAFFIC ON MILTON ROAD, Waterworks Road and Samford/Kelvin Grove Roads could be reduced by 10-20% through car pooling. This would reduce congestion on these roads sufficiently to remove the incentive for drivers diverting up Route 20 and taking the longer rat-run route through Rainworth and Paddington. Transit lanes for buses and car poolers would need to be provided at strategic points. Queuing points EACH ROAD has an optimum level of traffic it can take. Add one car above that level and all the traffic on the route is slowed below the optimum speed and the road clogs up. One method of keeping the road operating at maximum efficiency is to electronically monitor traffic levels and hold traffic a , a "queuing point" until the road is able to take the additional traffic without becoming "overloaded". 34 IMPLEMENTATION - THE ROAD AHEAD i An integral part of this plan is to have bypass lanes at the queue points so that buses and multiple occupancy vehicles have unhindered access onto the = > en-~ t a, ~ x f~ > major feeder route. This gives these vehicles a significant time advantage in peak hour because not only do they not have to queue, but they also have an unhindered drive once on the major route. {~Ri+~ It also gives a significant incentive to car drivers to either transfer to ~ a ~ s ~r+r ` public transport or car pool for the following reasons: "T3y~crf9.~F.',5R/ta+d+i r~.4 4'ke' • Instead of delays being broken up into a number of congestion spots, they are amalgamated into one long delay at a queuing point. Total trip W time is not increased but the delay is more striking. • While sitting in the queue they see the buses and car pool vehicles tcn ~°a ~msN w,~*«` g whiz past 0~~a's' e ~.;_S~.Cv~..'^{aQ Jiv The major problem with bus transport (longer trip time than car) is removed ark Such a scheme has a major advantage for Route 20 if the queuing points are situated on the radial routes west of their intersection with Route 20. Vehicles will be forced to queue before they reach Route 20. Because they will have an unhindered run into town once they pass the queue point, the incentive to divert via Route 20 and rat-run into the CBD will be removed. Queuing points could be established on the end of the Western Freeway and on Samford Road before Lavarack Pde. Waterworks Road probably doesn't need a queue point at this stage. 3. Ducal area initiatives THE SPEED LIMIT should be dropped on local access streets to 30 km/h. Local access streets In some cases this would need to be enforced through physical changes to the street layout or by selective closures. In the former case this could be accomplished by narrowing of streets, installation of paved speed ramps that raise the road to the same level as the footpath at intersections and/or mid-block, 45 degree bends at minimum spacings of 50 metres, pinch-points and physical ( )bstacles such as trees, play equipment, or car parking spaces. A priority classification should determine which streets are done first and how they will be funded. Priority 1: Streets surrounding schools or streets that act as major feeders to schools. Priority 2: Streets being used as major rat-runs with traffic flows over a certain daily rate. Priority 3: Streets being used as minor rat-runs. Priority 4: Streets used exclusively for local traffic Priority 1 & 2 streets should be calmed immediately as part of the initial plan. These would be funded 100% by the council/state government but must be designed in consultation with residents in the street. Priority 3 & 4 streets could be done as funds become available, or could be ' funded by the local residents. In the latter case, priority 3 streets could receive a $1.50 subsidy for every $1 contributed and with priority 4 streets, a dollar for dollar subsidy. Where projects are undertaken by local residents, the Council may need to provide a supervisor to make sure plans meet Council approval and that the standard of work is satisfactory. Plans for priority 3 & 4 streets should be approved by a clear majority of residents, for example 75%. Industrial traffic over a specified weight should possibly be banned t lltogether from these streets. J 35 .t IMPLEMENTATION - THE ROAD AHEAD i Local distributor roads THE SPEED LIMIT ON LOCAL DISTRIBUTOR ROADS should be reduced ? to 40 km/h. Methods used to physically slow this traffic would be similar to those used on local access streets, but adapted to cater for the higher volumes of cars and the slightly higher speed (for instance, introduced changes in direction k'I may be every 100 metres instead of 50 metres). Streets in the suggested test area which would be classified as local distributor are which those currently constitute Route 20" and Latrobe/Given Terrace. An important part of these schemes would be protected parking and protected bus bays. Where the existing local distributors have sharp bends or danger spots (e.g. Rouen Road), it will be important to build in devices which physically slow vehicles before entering these bends or danger zones. Serious consideration should be given to banning industrial traffic over a specified weight from these streets between 10pm and Gam. Such a measure would need enforcing. Because enforcement by police is likely to be ineffective, other surveillance methods could be adopted, such as an electronic "eye" that can distinguish vehicle types and photographs the numberplate of vehicles illegally in the area. Residential arterials THE RADIAL ARTERIALS COULD BE TRAFFIC CALMED as a second phase of the campaign once traffic volumes on these links have begun to drop. Bikeways BIKEWAYS SHOULD BE INSTALLED connecting major activity centres. For example, a bikeway could be built along Ithaca Creek which serviced the Slaughter Falls recreational area, Ashgrove State School, Ashgrove West Shopping Centre, Ithaca Creek State School, Ashgrove Shopping Centre and Ithaca TAFE. Consideration should be given to providing secure bike storage facilities at local shopping centres and at selected bus stops. Adopt a "green space" programme THE MOST COMMON OBJECTION RAISED to increasing the amount of green space is the cost of maintenance. This is has to be balanced against the cost of maintaining the extra road space. One way to overcome the problem of _ - w WWWO !!TO BARDON Local people pitch in to build their own traffic calmed area! -0`•- _ III ~I ui As Jubilee Ten-ace could look a i ; traffic calmed. 36 IMPLEMENTATION - THE ROAD AHEAD maintenance, and to help engender community pride, is to have residents "adopt" a green space. A small plaque can be put up saying who "owns" the area. There could even be a bonus for those who do a good job - a free or discounted commuter pass. LOCAL AREA PUBLIC TRANSPORT may need to be provided to cater for Public transport C shopping and school trips. Dial-a-bus services should be investigated for both these markets. The dial-a-bus services could operate within a two or three kilometre radius of local shopping centres as part of the drive to strengthen the self-sufficiency of local communities. Subscription mini-bus services could be considered as an alternative for schools. BECAUSE TRAFFIC CALMING would significantly enhance the character Community housing of the test area, housing prices would probably rise significantly. This could force out some of the very people we are seeking to protect - the elderly and poorer members of our community. To help provide security of tenure for these people, funds or housing stock should be provided to community housing cooperatives. BESIDES THE MEASURES mentioned under State and City initiatives, Building compact, self-sufficient local shopping centres should be made much more appealing places for people communities to meet and shop. They should be pedestrianised as much as possible. As many community activities as possible could be located/relocated at local shopping centres. THIS BOOK DEMONSTRATES the valuable contribution local Community consultation communities can make in the planning of their neighbourhoods and their city. It is time for authorities to break new ground in the art of genuine community consultation. It is also time to leave the outdated planning methods and myths t of the past. It is time for a fresh start. It is time for traffic calming. Q EXISTING BRIDGE OVER .rte j ' ITHACA CREEK r r . 'l 4L ~ ~ TO ASHGROVE f ¢ :r - ! r rot C ~ tvy~/ ROUTE 20 REDEVELOPMENT SECTION OF JUBILEE TCE. 37 A Final Word People have become passive consumers of whatever technology offers rather than pioneers of the standards of living that technology makes possible. Cities are being built and rebuilt "not with human purposes in mind but with technological means at hand"... Cities are living organisms in a constant state of rebuilding, and the opportunity to begin creating a more satisfactory human environment is offered every daycs The conditions that are pushing us to seek new ways of living in the city It is time that the public of Brisbane will,. if we are creative, cooperative, and not paralysed by fear, move us to are allowed to play a genuine role in the new and richer experiences of community and the natural world.ss formulation of the planning and development of what is, after all, their Brisbane has had a town plan, but never a regional design -plenty of community. drains but no dreams.67 Lord Mayor Sallyanne Atkinson69 The ultimate aim of all community design is an environment which leads the citizen to think new thoughts, create new things, to follow new dreams sa s~ ROUTE v * PI, i J a a~ ,cam', ~ ~ ~ *X -lie .•f~'t, S ~'F•'! rr .V Y Ir Y'V+..-.± ^"i.y. f - 14.1 . 4ZI 4hk ~ti?i,<T. r. ~ ' i~.: ~'7~„~ t r'e ~ f!. 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"The Connecticut Vanpool Program" Transportation Quarterly 36:365-75. King, J. 1987. "Adequacy of Transportation in Minority Communities for Handicapped, Low Income and Elderly Groups" Transportation Quarterly 41:247-61. Kirby, D. S. 1981. "Vol 4 - Evaluation of Options" Commission of Inquiry into the Kyeemagh-Chullora Road. Government Printer, New South Wales. Keller, H. 1986. "Environmental Traffic Restraints on Major Roads in the Federal Republic of Germany" Built Environment 12:44-58. Kenworthy, J. 1988. Personal communication, j Kenworthy, J. & Newman, P. 1987. Learning From the Best and Worst: Transportation and land use lessons from thirty-two international cities. School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth. Kraay, J. H. 1986. "Woonerven and Other Experiments in the Netherlands" Built Environment 12:20-28. Lacoute, P. 1976. The Environment of Human Settlement: Human Well-being in Cities. Pergamon, Oxford. F f Monheim, H. 1986. "Area Wide Traffic Restraint: A Concept for Better Urban s Transport" Built Environment 12:74-82. 'k~►P7VNB'MIi ti F Monhiem-Dandorfer, R. & Monheim, H. 1982, "VerkehrsberuhiSung -ein neues x~ m~~ } 7 c~ s M = Konze t fur den Verkehr in Stadten and Dorfern" GeograFhie Heute 3, `CourlezMaf~p ' August ita 1 124Monheim, R. nd. 'German Experiences with Policy-Oriented Planning for h t' Y q~ p t. r , Traffic in Cities" Pedestrian Conference, Boulder. ~P6 ?4$~~`k , 1986. "Pedestrianisation in German Towns: A Process of Continual Development" Built Environment 12:30-41. 1988. Address to Western Australian Planning Authority. Video. Newman, P. 1986. Proceedings Royal Australian Planning Institute Conference. Nielsen, O. & Rassen, J. 1986. "Environmental Traffic Management in Odense, Denmark" Built Environment 12:83-87. OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). 1975. Better Towns With Less Traffic. 1978. The Automobile and the Environment-An International - Perspective. MIT Press, Cambridge. 1979. Urban Transport and the Environment. Vol 1. Paris. Orski, C. K. 1986. "Transportation Management Associations - Battling Suburban naffic Congestion" Urban Land, December. Owen, W. 1972. The Accessible City. The Brookings Institution, Washington. Pearman, G. Greenhouse - Planning for Climate Change. CSIRO. Petersen, D. 1988. "A Vision for Brisbane" Courier Mail 1-3 August. Plowden, S. 1972. Towns Against Traffic. Andre Deutsch, London. Porter, D. R. 1987. "The Future Doesn't Work" TR News, December. Rudder, T. 1988. A Catholic Primary School and a Big Road: A Noise Assessment for 1988 & 1991. Unpublished paper. Sinclair Knight and Partners. 1988a. Route 20 Study Working Papers Vol 1. Sydney. 1988b. Route 20 Study Working Papers Vol 2. Sydney. Tanghe, J. 1984. Living Cities - A Case for Urbanism and Guidelines for Re- Urbanization. Pergamon Press, Oxford. University of New South Wales. 1979. Symposium on Transporting People. University of New South Wales Occasional Papers 4. Van der Ryan, S. 1986. Sustainable Communities - A New Design Synthesis for Cities, Suburbs and Towns. Sierra Club Books, San Francisco. 40 For additional copies of Traffic Calming write to: CART 50 Exeter Street Ashgrove Q 4060 (07) 366 5265 t Distributed exclusively in the USA by: F r Sensible Transportation Options for People (STOP) 15405 SW 116th Avenue #202B Tigard OR 97224 (503) 624 6083 Bulk Discount Rates for Australian Community Groups Traffic Calming is an ideal educational tool. 'Drop a copy at every tenth house in the effected street and ask them to pass it on to the neighbour on the right. t 'Put copies in libraries 'Give copies to politicians, council, school parents and friends associations, local business people. *Distribute at public meetings and request they be passed on. By special arrangagement bulk copies are available as low as $W each. Write to CART at the above address for more information. 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Is a variance to allow an over-sized, over-height sign issued by the Planning Commission in 1976 still valid, or have subsequent changes to the sign regulations and the amortization period specifically authorized by those changes invalidated the earlier variance and again made the signs non- conforming? Can the City now require that the signs be brought into compliance with current regulations? 2. Through the sign code exception and variance process, should the property owner now be allowed more freestanding signs, sign area and sign height than permitted by the Community Development Code? INFORMATION SUMMARY Staff and the City Attorney's office advise that the previously granted variance does not continue to have effect and therefore the City does have the authority to require the signs on the Sherwood Inn site to be brought into conformance with the current sign regulations. The materials submitted for the April 9th City Council meeting and the attached supporting documents, explain the staff's position. Sherwood Inn's sign code exception and variance application was reviewed by the Planning Commission on October 16, 1990. The Commission determined that the proposal was not consistent with Community Development Code criteria for granting a sign variance or sign code exception as requested. The Commission did approve a variance and sign code exception that would 1) require the removal of the two nonconforming signs and 2) allow one freeway oriented sign with a maximum area of 200 square feet and a maximum height of 50 feet. The Planning Commission's decision was appealed to the City Council by the applicant. The City Council reviewed the matter on December 10, 1990 and January 22, March 12, and April 9, 1991. Prior to the April 9th meeting, the applicant had submitted a proposal to 1) remove the "Sherwood Inn" sign on the structure shared with Chevron and 2) substitute the "Motel" portion of the larger sign with a "Best Western - Sherwood Inn" message. This one proposed sign would remain 65 feet in height and would be approximately the same size as the larger existing sign. The existing sign is approximately 1,180 square feet per sign face whereas the proposed sign would be approximately 1,194 square feet per sign face. The total sign area on the property would be reduced by approximately 334 square feet per side. In answer to the policy question of whether the previously approved Sign Variance (SCA 2-76) alleviated the applicant from compliance with the Sign Code Amortization program, the City Council tentatively indicated that the signs in question are subject to compliance with this amortization program. The City Council then tentatively agreed to accept the applicant's proposal to retain one freestanding freeway oriented sign with a maximum sign height of 65 feet. However, the Council did request that the applicant return to the Council with a proposal for a specific amount of sign area which is more clearly in line with variance criteria. Staff has drafted a Final Order (attached) for this variance request with the square footage amount of the sign area left blank, pending Council's decision. As of the writing of this summary, the applicant has submitted no further information regarding the proposed signage since the Counci.l's April 9th meeting. Meanwhile, staff has engaged the services of The Bailey/Warner Group to provide a professional recommendation as to the minimum amount of square footage necessary to achieve the intent of this variance request. The staff recommends adopting the attached resolution amending the Planning Commision's decision, Final Order 90-25 PC with the addition of the square footage to be decided at the Council meeting. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED 1. Approve the attached resolution 2. Modify and approve the attached resolution SUGGESTED ACTION Approve the attached resolution SCE90-05.SUM/rp CITY OF TIGARD, OREGON RESOLUTION NO. 91- IN THE MATTER OF THE ADOPTION OF A FINAL ORDER UPON CITY COUNCIL REVIEW OF AN APPEAL OF A PLANNING COMMISSION DECISION TO DENY A SIGN CODE EXCEPTION APPLICATION AND APPROVE A VARIANCE APPLICATION (SCE 90-05/VAR 90-27) PROPOSED BY SHERWOOD INN (H. E. FERRYMAN). WHEREAS, the Planning Commission reviewed the case at its meeting of October 16, 1990; and WHEREAS, the Commission denied the Sign Code Exception and Variance as requested and approved a modified Sign Code Exception subject to conditions (Final Order No. 90-25 PC); and WHEREAS, this matter came before the City Council at its meetings of December 10, 1990, and January 22, March 12, April 9, and April 23, 1991 upon the appeal of the applicant; and WHEREAS, the Council has reviewed the evidence related to the applicant's appeal. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council REVERSES the Planning Commission's approval of SCE 90-0005 and APPROVES a variance for additional sign area; the City Council also REVERSES c the Planning Commission's denial of VAR 90-0027 to allow for additional sign height and APPROVES a modified sign height Variance subject to conditions. This resolution is based upon the facts, findings, conclusions, and conditions of approval noted in Exhibit "A" (Final Order No. 91- The Council further orders that the City Recorder send a copy of this final order to the applicant as a notice of the final decision in this matter. PASSED: This day of April, 1991. Gerald-R. Edwards, Mayor City of Tigard ATTEST: Tigard City Recorder SCE 90-05.RES/rp t RESOLUTION NO. PAGE 1 EXHIBIT "A" A. FACTS 1. General Information CASE: Sign Code Exception SCE 90-0005, Variance VAR 90-0027 REQUEST: Request to allow two freeway oriented freestanding signs where only one sign is permitted. Also requested is approval to retain one sign of approximately 1,180 square feet per sign face with a height of approximately 65 feet and a second sign of approximately 698 square feet per sign face with a height of approximately 69.75 feet where the Code specifies a maximum allowable sign area of 160 square feet per sign face and a maximum allowable height of 35 feet. APPLICANT: Greenhill Assoc., Ltd. / Hal Hewitt l 9999 SW Wilshire Portland, OR 97225 OWNER: H. E. Ferryman 9106 NE Highway 99 Vancouver, WA 98665 LOCATION: 15700 SW Upper Boones Ferry Road (WCTM 2S1 12DD Tax lots 100, 900, and 1100) COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DESIGNATION: Commercial General ZONING DESIGNATION: C-G (Commercial General) 2. Background Information The existing Sherwood Inn motel and restaurant were constructed prior to annexation of the subject site and adjoining properties in 1976. Also in 1976, the City Planning Commission approved a Variance to allow the continued use of the existing signs that exceeded the City's size, and height requirements. In 1977, the City amended the sign code to reduce the maximum sizes FINAL ORDER 90-25 PC - SCE 90-0005/VAR 90-0027 FERRYMAN - PAGE 1 permitted and in 1978, a new 10 year sign amortization period was begun for those signs which did not conform with the new standards. The property owner was notified in 1988 that the two freeway oriented signs advertising Sherwood Inn and restaurant where were subject to the City's sign amortization program and that the signs would have to be brought into conformity with the sign code or a Sign Code Exception or Variance would have to be granted by the City in order to retain the use of these signs. Site Development Review SDR 12-81 approved expansion of the parking area in 1981. In March, 1990, the Planning ' Director granted Site Development Review approval (SDR 89-23/V 89-40) to expand the existing motel. One condition of approval required the resolution of the pending sign issue. Also in March 1990, Ken Fox of the City Attorney's office responded to the issue of the sign Variance granted by the City and its relationship to the following amendments of the City's sign code. Mr. Fox concluded that after the Variance was granted, the signs were regarded to be conformity with the code. However, after the City standards were amended to be more restrictive, they became nonconforming signs as did all other legal signs which did not meet the new standards. This current sign code exception and variance application was heard before the Planning Commission on October 16, 1990. The Planning Commission denied the sign code exception and variance as requested and approved an amended sign code exception with conditions. This decision was appealed to the City Council by the applicant and is the subject of this current review. Vicinity Information The subject property is located in the southwest quadrant of the intersection of I-5 and SW Upper Boones Ferry Road. Two service stations flank the driveway from SW Upper Boones Ferry Road to the Sherwood Inn. The service station properties are also zoned C-G. Properties to the north and west of the site are zoned I-P (Industrial Park). The Pacific Corporate Center subdivision is currently under development to the north across SW Upper Boones Ferry Road. The subdivision is presently vacant except for two buildings under construction along SW 72nd Avenue. The property to the west is part of the Oregon Business Park. The parcel immediately west of the subject site is currently developed with a children's day care FINAL ORDER 90-25 PC - SCE 90-0005/VAR 90-0027 FERRYMAN - PAGE ' 2 C center and various industrial uses. To the south are other buildings within the Oregon Business Park which are developed with a variety of industrial uses and are zoned I-L (Light Industrial). The properties to the south and west of the site are approximately 20 to 30 feet lower in elevation than the subject site. 3. Site Information and Proposal Description The 2.5 acre site consists of three tax lots set back from Upper Boones Ferry Road by approximately 130 feet. A 40 foot wide accessway located between the neighboring service station parcels connects the Sherwood Inn development to Upper Boones Ferry Road. The site abuts I-5 on the east. A number of mature Douglas fir trees are located between the motel and the freeway, both on the site and within the freeway's right-of-way. The site is approximately 20 to 30 feet higher than the developed portions of adjacent parcels to the west and south. The slopes between these parcels are covered with grasses, shrubs, and several small trees. The subject property is presently developed with the 56 unit, three story Sherwood Inn motel, the single story 4,200 square foot restaurant, and paved parking for 135 autos. Access to the property is provided by a paved driveway shared with the adjacent service stations. The two nonconforming freestanding signs, which are the subject of this application, are located near the property boundary of the adjacent service station parcels. The applicant proposes to retain the existing signs and states that it is appropriate for the City to continue to recognize the 1976 Variance approval. The Sherwood Inn sign is part of a larger sign structure that includes an oversize sign for the Chevron station. This application does not apply to the Chevron sign. The Chevron Corporation has been also notified of the sign amortization program and the City's requirement to bring this sign into conformity with the Code. An application from Chevron is anticipated in the near future. 4. Agency and NPO Comments The Engineering Division, State Highway Division, and the Building Division have no objection to the proposal. No other comments have been received. FINAL ORDER 90-25 PC - SCE 90-0005/VAR 90-0027 FERRYMAN - PAGE 3 B. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS As proposed, a Variance is necessary to approve this proposal because this request proceeds beyond the basic Code requirements for number, height and size of signs, as well as the allowances that are available through the Sign Code Exception process; specifically, the Sign Code Exception process may permit up to a maximum of an additional 25 percent of sign area or height above that which is nomally permitted. Prior to the April 9th City Council meeting, the applicant offered an alternative proposal for approval; specifically, to retain only one 65 foot tall freestanding freeway oriented sign with a sign area of 1,194 square feet per face. The Variance criteria which are relevant are listed in Section 18.134.050 (A) of the Community Development Code: 1. The proposed variance will not be materially detrimental to the purpose of this title, be in conflict with the policies of the Comprehensive Plan, to any other applicable policies and standards, and to other properties in the same zoning-district or vicinity; 2. There are special circumstances that exist which are particular to the lot size or shape, topography, or other circumstances which the applicant has no control and which are not applicable to other properties in the same zoning district; l 3. The use proposed will be the same as permitted under this title and City standards will be maintained to the greatest extent that is reasonably possible while. permitting some economic use of the land; 4. Existing physical and natural systems, but not limited to traffic, drainage, dramatic land forms, or parks will not be adversely affected anymore than would occur if the development were located as specified in this title; and 5. A hardship is not self imposed and the variance requested is minimum variance which would alleviate the hardship. The City Council finds that the proposal as requested is not consistent with the above variance criteria for the following reasons: 1. The purpose of the sign code and the sign amortization program is to reduce the amount of sign area and numbers of signs within the City limits in order to provide for an aesthetically pleasing environment. This proposal to retain the existing signs is not consistent with the intent of the Code because the applicant is requesting ( FINAL ORDER 90-25 PC - SCE 90-0005/VAR 90-0027 FERRYMAN - PAGE 4 i twice the number and approximately 12 times the total sign area that would normally be permitted, in addition to an 85% increase in sign height above that which is normally allowed. The proposal is also not consistent with the sign programs which have been approved for other commercial properties in similar circumstances. The retention of signs this size would clearly be contrary to the purpose of the Code which is intended to "prevent proliferation of signs and sign clutter". However, this is not to say that additional sign area and/or height is not warranted. Toward this end, staff has investigated and presented a professional third-party recommendation as to the sign area necessary to achieve the applicant's purpose for this appeal. 2. There are no special circumstances with respect to this property which justify the continued use of two signs with orientation towards I-5. Vision of the property and the existing signs from I-5 is partially obstructed; however, the request to retain the number of signs, sign area, and sign height is not justified in this regard. The situation of Sherwood Inn and the restaurant is similar to many other freeway oriented businesses in Tigard and Tualatin. Many have less than perfect visibility from the freeway due to their distance from the freeway, terrain, and trees. These businesses have dealt with this problem by utilizing informational signs provided by the State Department of Transportation. These blue signs indicate the specific businesses and or services that are available at the next exit. Sherwood Inn has the benefit of two such signs for southbound traffic. The first is located immediately south of the Highway 217 exit and it advertises Sherwood Inn and Chevron specifically. The second is located near the Bonita Road overpass and it indicates that gas, food, and lodging are available at the Upper Boones Ferry Road exit. With reference to topographic concerns which are specific to this site, additional sign height and sign area should be granted since visibility from I-5 to the property and the existing signs would be obstructed if the standard maximum height of 35 feet and standard sign area of 150 square feet per sign face was required. Whereas there is not sufficient justification for the allowance of two freestanding freeway oriented signs, one FINAL ORDER 90-25 PC - SCE 90-0005/VAR 90-0027 FERRYMAN - PAGE 5 w~t2 f freestanding freeway oriented sign should be permitted as allowed by code section 18.114.090(E). 3. The proposed signage greatly exceeds Code standards and therefore it is not the same as what would normally be permitted under this Code and the staff finds that this proposal would not maintain the Code to the extent reasonably possible. Conversly, staff has presented findings by The Bailey/Warner Group to demonstrate the minimum sign area which would be necessary to achieve the intent of this application. 4. Existing physical and natural systems would not be affected by this proposal. 5. The hardship is not self imposed because the signs in question were erected legally and have become nonconforming and subject to the sign amortization program due to changes in applicable sign regulations. However, the variance is not the minimum deviation from Code requirements that would alleviate the hardship. Additional sign height should be granted since visibility from I-5 to the property and the existing signs would be obstructed if the standard maximum height of 35 feet was required. Based upon the testimony presented a Sign Code Variance allowing a sign height of 65 feet is necessary for a sign to be visible from both directions on I-5. An additional percent of the allowable sign area will yield a sign with square feet per face ( square feet for all sign faces combined). Because of the necessary height of the sign and the distance from I-5 and Upper Boones Ferry Road, this Variance is justified in order to ensure the sign's legiblity. C. DECISION The City Council REVERSES the Planning Commission's approval of SCE 90-0005 and APPROVES a Variance for additional sign area. The City Council also REVERSES the Planning Commission's denial of VAR 90- 0027 to allow for additional sign height and APPROVES a modified sign height Variance subject to the following conditions.: 1. The two nonconforming signs shall be removed by July 1, 1991. 2. Prior to erecting any signs, permits shall be issued by the Planning Division. STAFF CONTACT: Ron Pomeroy, Planning Division, 639-4171. FINAL ORDER 90-25 PC - SCE 90-0005/VAR 90-0027 FERRYMAN - PAGE 6 3. One freeway oriented, freestanding sign with a maximum area of ( square feet per face and a maximum height of 65 feet shall be permitted. THIS APPROVAL SHALL BE EFFECTIVE ON AND AFTER THE 30TH DAY AFTER ITS PASSAGE BY THE COUNCIL, APPROVAL BY THE MAYOR AND POSTING BY THE RECORDER. THIS APPROVAL IS VALID IF EXERCISED WITHIN 18 MONTHS OF THE FINAL APPROVAL DATE NOTED BELOW. It is further ordered that the applicant be notified of the entry of this order. PASSED: By vote of all Council members present after being read by number and title only, this day of , 1991. Catherine Wheately, City Recorder APPROVED: This day of April, 1991. Gerald R. Edwards, Mayor Approved as to form: City Attorney Date SCE 90-05.PFO/kl ` Ordinance No. 91- FINAL ORDER 90-25 PC - SCE 90-0005/VAR 90-0027 FERRYMAN - PAGE 7 Oregon sign April 18, 1991 Mayor Edwards & Council Members Municipal Bldg. 13125 S.W. Hall Blvd. Tigard, OR 97223 Ladies & Gentlemen, As a person who has worked in and represented the sign industry for 26 years, I have been asked to provide an independent analysis for your consideration of the signing at the Sherwood Inn & Restaurant, near the I-5 Interchange with Boones Ferry Road. My observation indicates the Motel & Restaurant are identified by two sign structures: 1) One which is approximately 65 feet in height contains the words Restaurant & Motel;' 2) The second structure, in addition to the Chevron sign also displays the Sherwood Inn name. These signs serve two separate businesses which are in fact located on Boones Ferry Road but which must identify themselves to the freeway traffic because they market primarily to motorists traveling I-5. It is apparent that the height of the principal sign cannot be reduced and still be seen by northbound traffic, given the areas topographical differences and location of the motel building. I understand the primary concern at present, is the area of the signs, resulting from the size of the letters, which are approximately 8 feet in height. I have watched the growth of the business in this area for more than 15 years. During this period, it has been apparent that the evergreen trees in the area have also shown considerable increase in size, to the point that they obstruct what would otherwise be very readable signs for the northbound traffic, leaving only a small amount of visual exposure for the traveling public. 4644 S.E. 17th • P.O. Box 42527 • Portland, OR 97242 • (503) 233.9971 The Jim Pattis~m tii};n Grvn~p Following my observation, I concluded that if the trees were removed and there were no obstructions along the west side of I- 5, and if the sign letters were reduced to six feet in height and maintained a good bold design, they would be readable for the intended traveling motorist. Under the present visual environment, however considering the limited visibility created by the trees and topography, if the present size of the signs is reduced, readability, in my judgement would become difficult if not impossible for people. Very Truly, OREGON SIGN .W. Byzick Sales Manger cc: Hal Hewitt C' RWB/pb 0 AMPAWV A WW 4835 KE Poeft street iorlfarWArepon 97213 (503)282-4555 C GNSSNCE 1911 April 23, 1991 Mr. Mayor & City Council Members City Hall Tigard, OR My name is Bob Pershing, and I am a Sales Representative for Ramsay Signs, Inc. at 4835 NE Pacific St., Portland, OR 97213. I have been working in the sign industry since 1965, and have worked on many projects of this nature. If I were to recommend a signing program for the SHERWOOD INN today, it would be based on the following information. According to industry standards, the recommended height of a letter is based on 50 ft of visibility per upright inch of the letter. Due to the nature of this project, this standard can not be used. It would be my professional opinion that the let- ter should be increased by 50% due to the traffic congestion, blockage by trees and the 200 ft set back of the sign from the freeway. I feel the increase is necessary for safety reasons, to give the motorist time to safely manouver the car into a position to exit at the off-ramp. My recommendation would be that an 8 ft letter be used for the RESTAURANT and MOTEL. Please remember that this is being read by people that are not familiar with this area, and their re- action time will be slower. Sincerely yours, RAMSAY SIGNS, INC. Robert E. Pershing Account Executive REP:sei Pobert Bailey incorporated rQ/ j,'u .1. 1 „j:nwesl BnnCrcat :n •.'et C Portla•l. Oreyon 97201 • S.? , ','X. 138 1 ( orl~Jn /y M 1, Y April 23, 1991 J/ Mr. Ron Pomeroy City of Tigard 13125 S.W. Hall Boulevard Tigard, Oregon Dear Mr. Pomeroy, RE: SHERWOOD INN MOTEL AND RESTAURANT >SIGNAGE The City of Tigard requested that Robert Bailey Incorporated make a visual survey of the Sherwood Inn property existing site signage in relationship to I-5 freeway, and how the existing signs relate to the Tigard sign code. RBI was also asked to make recommendations for signage required to support a motel at this location as if we had been commissioned by the Property Owner. FINDINGS: Distance: Recommended approximate viewing distances to text sizes, for legible text in daylight hours are 26 inches for 1/4 mile, 40 inches for 3/8 mile, provided there was good contrast between text color and background. As you are aware, the existing signs exceed this figure. Type Style: Regarding legibility, the existing signs are far from ideal. The text uses a condensed type face of a style that has very little negative space. This type style appears to have been used to ease fabrication of the neon tube. Color: Existing text is red; existing background is dark brown. Viewing: It appears that the signs were primarily designed for night viewing. The existing sign is illuminated with neon tube and uses a dark night sky as a contrasting background. The sign is not ideal for daytime visibility as the text does not have a highly contrasting background color. On the enclosed drawings we are showing information as requested by the City of Tigard; however, in designing a new sign for the Client, we would also take into account the following criteria. • Provide adequate negative space around each letter form. • Provide contrasting colors between letter forms and background. • Keep the number of images andlor words to a minimum, providing minimum reaction time. • Use the most easily understood messages in the sign (ie, motel not hospitality house). • Design the sign to have a quality, contemporary image not a Truck Stop C image. 'i s a -S i t After reviewing the enclosed information and if we can be of any fur t. her assistance, please do not hesitate to call. Best regards, ROBERT BAILEY INCORPORATED Ian Harding Director of Environmental Graphics 1. ilT4,rw i~Y;Ft u h;: i 69.75 FEET EXISTING 65 FEET EXISTING 50 FEET APPROVED VARIANCE 35 FEET SHERWOOD INN 12" TEXT HIGHT TIGARD CITY CODE 160 PER FACE RESTAURANT 340T°TAL MOTEL 24" TEXT HIGHT SCALE 1" = 10'-0" CODE GRADE ' t - From the Design Office ".ri Bal sy Irttorporobd ~ i 69.75 FEET EXISTING 65 FEET EXISTING SHERWOOD INN 12" TEXT HIGHT 50 FEET APPROVED VARIANCE RESTAURANT 200 PER FACE 4c?0 TOTAL M O T E L 30" TEXT HIGHT 35 FEET TIGARD CITY CODE AT 55 MPH REACTION TIME I512 SECONDS AND DISTANCE TRAVELLED 151,056 FEET. (1/4 MILE =1320 FEET) IF SIGN 15 VIEWED FROM 1/4 MILE, TEXT NEEDS TO BE APPROX. 26 INCHES HIGH. REACTION TIME: FROM A MOVING CAR. THE TIME IT TAKES A DRIVER TO 5EE A DISPLAY, READ ITS MESSAGE, AND RESPOND TO THAT MESSAGE DY PREPARING A TURN. SCALE 1" =10'-0" GRADE ' VARIANCE From the Des' n Office rt Bogey lace rated 69.75 FEET EXISTING 65 FEET EXISTING A A N T 50 FEET AFFROVED VARIANCE MOT L 35 FEET TIGARD CITY CODE SCALE 1" = 10'-0" GRADE EXISTING From the Design Oki nrt Baiey Incorporated 69.75 FEET EXISTING EXISTING STAURANT 65 FEET It SHERWOOD INN 50 FEET APPROVED VARIANCE RESTAURANT MOTEL 35 FEET TIGARD CITY CODE SCALE T' n 19-0" GRADE COMPARISON 1 From the Oesgn OH'kl 6ert covey incorporated 69.75 FEET EXISTING SHERWOOD INN 65 FEET EXISTING RESTAURANT APPROVED VARIANCE SHOWN AT 65 FEET MOTEL 200 PER FACE 400 TOTAL IR E S TA Pj T E 50 FEET APPROVED VARIANCE 35 FEET TIGARD CITY CODE SCALE 1" = 10'-0" COMPARISON 2 GRADE < From the Desgn Office bait Baby Incorporated 69.75 FEET EXISTING 65 5FEET EXISTING SHERWOOD INN X RESTAURANT 330.67SaFT.PER FACE 660 TOTAL 50 FEET APPROVED VARIANCE 35 FEET TIGARD CITY CODE SCALE V = 10'-0" COMPARISON 3 GRADE From the Oesi n Office 'xrt Bogey Incorporated VAW 140 69.75 FEET Ex15TING 65 FEET ERWO INN EXISTING SH"OD ' E T A 4°T TEXT RESTAU'ANT- 493.73 Ea FT. PER FACE 986TOTAL MOTEL _ 50 FEET APPROVED VARIANCE 35 FEET TIGARD CITY CODE SCALE 1" = 10'-0" GRADE ' COMPARISON 4 ! From the BesignEa. .ert Baiey Incorporated 111101111111111 68.75 FEET EXISTING 65 FEET EXISTING T SHERWOU"D INN best western E T U H T 40 TEXT W/ LOGO I R E logo 653 PER FACE TEL ,306TOTqL mmO Ivi 50 FEET APPROVED VARIANCE IM I r. L 35 FEET TIGARD CITY CODE SCALE V =10'-0' COMPARISON 5 GRADE .d From the Design Oka tart Raley Incorporated low NO~~` xs yHOwN 40 wcKES N UO E u s PERFAGE E F~. 493. Sa N a FAGS ER► FS.PER 350.67 SN N A1~ ESE NN o E N best s~ PER FAGS western ea ~f. logo 653.07 a np(►kesE' .)dSa9aMlncorPacated fiomtheOes~B - -