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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-07-11; City Council; 18640; Open Melrose Drive and Faraday AvenueCITY OF CARLSBAD - AGENDA BILL 12 18.640 MTG. 7-11-06 DEPT. Council TTTLE: Authorization to Open Melrose Drive Upon the City of Vista's Agreement to Open Faraday Avenue DEPT. HD. CITYATTY. CPTYMGR QLU oQCQ.a. O RECOMMENDED ACTION: Adopt Resolution No. 2006-192 authorizing the opening of Melrose Drive upon the City of Vista's agreement to open Faraday Avenue. ITEM EXPLANATION: The City of Carlsbad and the City of Vista were involved in a dispute involving their mutual obligations and duties under the California Environmental Quality Act for a development project having traffic impacts in both cities in 2003. The dispute was settled and memorialized by an agreement dated January 13, 2004. It was agreed that the future extensions of Faraday Avenue and Melrose Drive would be opened concurrently after both were constructed. It is now anticipated that the Melrose Drive extension will be completed no later than July 2006 and that the Faraday Avenue extension will be substantially completed by February 2007. The City of Vista has requested that the terms of the settlement agreement be changed to allow the Melrose Drive extension to be opened when it is substantially completed instead of waiting for the Faraday Avenue extension to be completed. The attached resolution sets forth Carlsbad's agreement to open Melrose Avenue when it is substantially complete provided Vista agrees to open Faraday Avenue in Vista immediately upon its connection to Faraday Avenue in Carlsbad. The adoption of these resolutions would implement the settlement agreement. On June 27, 2006 the Vista City Council adopted its resolution setting forth such agreement. Public Works staff has reported that the most recent traffic study shows that if the Melrose Drive extension is opened earlier there will be acceptable levels of services for both the Palomar Airport Road/El Camino Real and the Palomar Airport Road/Melrose Drive intersections and it would not result in any growth management issues. The Public Works Director is therefore recommending that the Melrose Drive extension be opened earlier than Faraday Avenue. FISCAL IMPACT: No additional fiscal impact resulting from this decision. Melrose Avenue has previously been funded through CFD #3. ENVIRONMENTAL: Environmental impacts were previously disclosed in the Carlsbad Oaks North E.I.R. and related documents. EXHIBITS: 1. Resolution No. 2006-192 2. Melrose/Faraday Completion Report. DEPARTMENT CONTACT: Office of the Mayor, (760) 434-2830 O Gchlbit 1 RESOLUTION NO. 2006-192 2 RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING THE OPENING OF MELROSE DRIVE UPON THE CITY OF VISTA'S AGREEMENT 4 TO OPEN FARADAY AVENUE. 5 WHEREAS, the City of Carlsbad and the City of Vista agreed to a 6 settlement of a dispute involving the mutual obligations and duties under the California 7 Environmental Quality Act for a development project having traffic impacts in both 3 cities; and g WHEREAS, the settlement of that dispute was memorialized by the 10 "Settlement and Compromise Agreement" dated January 13, 2004; and ! j WHEREAS, a provision of that Agreement states: 12 "Concurrent opening of Faraday an Melrose Drive. Within the municipal boundaries of Vista, Faraday Avenue and South Melrose Drive presently 13 terminate at the municipal boundaries of Carlsbad, as neither Faraday Avenue nor Melrose Drive improvements are presently constructed in Carlsbad to connect to the existing Vista roadways. In order to provide 15 for the orderly connection of these future road segments between the two cities, Vista agrees to open Faraday Avenue for public travel at the 16 Carlsbad boundary concurrently with Carlsbad's opening for public travel of the future Melrose Avenue extension at the Vista boundary."; and 17 WHEREAS, it is anticipated that the future Melrose Drive in Carlsbad 18 shall be substantially completed in advance of Faraday Avenue; and 19 WHEREAS, the City's desire to open Melrose Drive and Faraday Avenue 20 when they are completed and available to the motoring public; and 21 WHEREAS, this resolution shall represent Carlsbad's agreement to open 22 Melrose Drive to the traveling public when it is substantially completed provided that 23 Vista agrees to open Faraday Avenue in Vista immediately upon its connection to 24 Faraday Avenue in Carlsbad, 25 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of 26 Carlsbad, California as follows: 27 1. That the above recitations are true and correct. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 7.8 2. That Melrose Drive in Carlsbad shall be opened to the traveling public as soon as it is completed in accordance with the plans and specifications therewith, the appropriate City standards and accepted into the roadway system. 3. That this resolution shall become effective upon the adoption of a substantially similar resolution by the City of Vista expressing its agreement to open Faraday Avenue within the boundaries of the City of Vista immediately upon the opening of Faraday Avenue in Carlsbad. PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council on the nth day of July 2006, by the following vote to wit: AYES: Council Members Lewis, Hall, Kulchin, Packard, Sigafoos NOES: None ABSENT: None Mayor ATTEST: LORRAINE M.WOOD City Clerk £xhibH July 5, 2006 TO: CITY MANAGER, RAY PATCHETT VIA: City Attorney, Ron Ball FROM: City Engineer, Skip Hammann MELROSE/FARADAY COMPLETION REPORT This report addresses the impacts of opening of Melrose Drive, north of Palomar Airport Road, before opening Faraday Avenue. Based on current construction progress and input from the developers, contractors and our inspector, it appears that Melrose Drive should be completed by August 2006, for the work north of Palomar Airport Road (PAR). There will be several punch list items that could take months to resolve but would not affect the road opening. We can open the road now that the paving is done on the northerly road segment, before the median landscaping improvements are completed on the southerly leg of the Melrose/PAR intersection. To complete the ultimate intersection improvements, the southerly leg of the PAR/Melrose Drive intersection requires additional improvements, such as; the relocation of the center median adjacent to the left turn lanes (north bound Melrose Drive to PAR). Both the westerly and easterly curb will be relocated requiring additional right-of-way. The additional improvements will take 6 months to a year to complete, depending on the time it takes to acquire the right-of-way and has been assumed that this work would be completed prior to opening the extension of Faraday Avenue. These improvements will require subsequent lane closures to provide a safe working environment. The latest estimate for the completion of the Faraday Avenue extension is February/March of 2007. This would mean that Melrose Drive could be opened as much as eight months before Faraday Avenue. Due to the settlement agreement, we are prevented from opening Melrose Drive before Faraday Avenue, so that agreement would need to be revised to open Melrose before Faraday Avenue, Our most recent, detailed traffic models that considered Melrose Drive being completed, with and without Faraday Avenue, comes from the Carlsbad Oaks North (CON) project. This study shows acceptable levels of service (D) for both the El Camino Real/Palomar Airport Road (ECR/PAR) and Palomar Airport Road/Melrose Drive intersections (the two critical intersections) for 2005 volumes (the projected opening date of the CON industrial development when the studies were done) with Melrose Drive open and Faraday Avenue, not extended easterly to Melrose Drive. The study shows that looking at the same time frame and traffic generation, extending Faraday Avenue to Melrose Drive in Vista, the two intersections improve their levels of service (LOS) slightly. This would indicate that opening Melrose Drive without Faraday Avenue extended does have has some impact, but does not result in any growth management issues as assumed in the noted report. H:\Deputy Public Works Oirector-Eng Servlc8s\Hammann\2000\Memos\Melro3e Faraday Completion Dates 7-5-06.doc Page 2 MELROSE/FARADAY COMPLETION REPORT July 5,2006 The actual volumes staff has seen, based on our annual growth management traffic counts, are less than those as the modeled resulting fn fewer impacts to the noted intersections. The City's 2005 Traffic Monitoring Report shows acceptable LOS at both intersections. Based on the eight month difference between road opening dates, staff does not anticipate significant increase in regional traffic volumes. Additionally, in those eight months, the CON project, as well as the Forum and Raceway projects, will not generate the traffic volumes anticipated in the noted traffic study. In summary, the most applicable traffic study shows that there will be acceptable LOS at the ECR/PAR and PAR/Melrose Drive intersections with Melrose Drive open and Faraday Avenue not extended, within the time period it would take to complete the Faraday extension. CONRAD "SKIP" HAMMANN, JR., P.E, City Engineer CCH:brg H:\Deputy Public Worte Director-Eng Ssrvloes\Hammann\200e\Memos\Melro» Faraday Completion Dates 7-WW.doc J? AGENDA ITEM # Marilyn Strong - Speed limit on Melrose — Agenda item #12 « , Mayor ' , CttyMuuger From: Robert Woelffer <rwoelffer@yahoo.com> To: <mstro@ci.carlsbad.ca.us> Date: 07/11/2006 11:11 AM • ' _ Subject: Speed limit on Melrose — Agenda item #12 -•-•• - - CC: <jgrue@yahoo.com>, bruce <bruce@hoalawyers.com>, bryandevore <bryandevore@adelphia.net>, "c.kogge" <c.kogge@sbcglobal.net>, Neall Digert <ndigert@solatube.com>, Linda Dowlan <ldowlan@aol.com>, Kevin Finney <kevinfinney@adelphia.net>, Elizabeth Gane <elizabeth.gane@bodywise.net>, "gil.ramirez" <gil.ramirez@sbcglobal.net>, gpasport <gpasport@juno.com>, jplynch <jplynch@nethere.com>, Peter Kendall <plkendall@adelphia.net>, KMB4UKY <KMB4UKY@aol.com>, kmurdock <kmurdock@PrescottMgt.com>, michaelcraft <michaelcraft@adelphia.net>, LaBien Nance <beanie462002@yahoo.com>, norskie <norskie@mac.com>, PAULSONGLF <PAULSONGLF@aol.com>, sarah <sarah@houstonteam.com>, sfojfk<sfojfk@adelphia.net>, slozano <slozano@thelozanogroup.com>, Dan Sullivan <clr21nddan@adelphia.net>, torn <tom@calcoastrealty.com>, Jack Williams <jwsailing@yahoo.com>, George Wooldridge <gjwool@aol.com>, zac <zac@kw.com> I am Robert Woelffer and live at 6138 Paseo Monona in Rancho Carrillo. This e-mail is with regard to item #12 on the Agenda for tonight's meeting. I am writing in support of Joanne Grueskin's e-mail regarding the speed limit on the new portion of Melrose Drive north of Palomar Airport Road. Through our work with the City of Carlsbad regarding Melrose Drive passing through our Rancho Carrillo community, we have gained a basic understanding of how speed limits have been established in Carlsbad utilizing Traffic Surveys. This has usually been done after a road has been open for 6 months to a year or more without a speed limit posted. Not posting a speed limit does not give any guidelines to drivers as to the possible traffic situations they may encounter. Some situations are not readily apparent until a motorist is upon the situation, like the obstructed sight line of Rancho Pancho on northbound El Furte. I would like to suggest an alternative method that can give guidance to motorists until the road has been open long enough to establish traffic patterns and a Traffic Survey can be done. I would suggest that a reasonable speed limit be set on the new portion of Melrose Drive north of Palomar Airport Road when it opens, before a Traffic Survey can be done. Since this speed limit is a guideline, and has not been set by a Traffic Survey, it should not be enforced by the Police department, it is a guideline for motorists to use as they proceed on this new road. A reasonable speed limit should take into account the expected high volume of traffic in peak times of the day, the northbound transition from 4 lanes to 3 lanes, the right turns from the 4th lane into the new commercial development east of Melrose northbound, and the right and left turns into commercial developments southbound, and any other conditions that may affect what speed would be safe in peak traffic times. It does not seem reasonable to encourage 55 MPH, the established speed limit south of Palomar, through this congested intersection. This approach gives guidance to drivers on this new portion of roadway providing a safer condition, as opposed to allowing drivers to drive up to 65 MPH or more until a speed limit is posted. Thank you for your consideration of this alternative to the standard operating procedure that has been file://C:\Documents and Settings\Mstro\Local Settings\Temp\GW} 00001 .HTM 07/11/2006 Page 2 of2 used in the past. Sincerely, Robert Woelffer 760 804 0875 JUL 1 1 2006 CITY OF CARLSBADCITY CLERK'S OFFICE file://C:\Documents and Settings\Mstro\Local Settings\Temp\GW} 00001.HTM 07/11/2006 AGENDA ITEM # Mayorc: Marilyn Strong - speed limit on Melrose—Agenda item #12 City Council City Manager From: "Joanne G" <joanne@grueskin.net> To: <Mstro@ci.carlsbad.ca.us> Date: 07/11/2006 9:30 AM Subject: speed limit on Melrose-Agenda item #12 City Attorney City Clerk CC:""Robert Woelffer"" <rwoelffer@yahoo.com>, ""bruce"" <bruce@hoalawyers.com>, ""bryandevore"" <bryandevore@adelphia.net>, ""c.kogge"" <c.kogge@sbcglobal.net>, ""Neall Digert"" <ndigert@solatube.com>, ""Linda Dowlan"" <ldowlan@aol.com>, ""Kevin Finney"" <kevinfinney@adelphia.net>, ""Elizabeth Gane"" <elizabeth.gane@bodywise.net>, ""gil.ramirez"" <gil.ramirez@sbcglobal.net>, ""gpasport"" <gpasport@juno.com>, ""jplynch"" <jplynch@nethere.com>, ""Peter Kendall"" <plkendall@adelphia.net>, ""KMB4UKY"" <KMB4UKY@aol.com>, ""kmurdock"" <kmurdock@PrescottMgt.com>, ""michaelcraft"" <michaelcraft@adelphia.net>, ""LaBien Nance"11 <beanie462002@yahoo.com>, ""norskie"" <norskie@mac.com>, ""PAULSONGLF"" <PAULSONGLF@aol.com>, ""sarah"" <sarah@houstonteam.com>, ""sfojfk11" <sfojfk@adelphia.net>, ""slozano"" <slozano@thelozanogroup.com>, ""Dan Sullivan"" <clr21nddan@adelphia.net>, ""torn"" <tom@calcoastrealty.com>, ""Jack Williams"" <jwsailing@yahoo.com>, ""George Wooldridge11" <gjwool@aol.com>, ""zac"11 <zac@kw.com> I am Joanne Grueskin and live at 6182 Paseo Palero. I am a resident of Rancho Carrillo Community in Southeast Carlsbad and a member of the Rancho Carrillo Board. I am sending you this email because I need to be at another meeting and cannot attend this evening to speak on Agenda Item #12. On your agenda today, item #12 addresses the opening of the new section of Melrose that will connect Vista and will connect to Melrose south of Palomar. I am very concerned about the 55 mph speedlimit that is currently posted for our section of Melrose Drive. Speedlimit is not part of this Agenda item but I would request that it be addressed before this section of Melrose is opened. Melrose in Vista has speedlimits ranging from 35 mpr in front of schools, 45 mpr in residential areas, and 50 mpr in commercial zones. I am asking on behalf of the citizens of Rancho Carrillo in Carlsbad that you consider reducing the speedlimits here so that they correspond with the speedlimits in Vista. Yes, we've been told that when traffic studies are done, you must take it at the 85% level-why isn't this true for Vista? Please consider this request and the impact it will have on the present and future community of Carlsbad. Sincerely, Joanne Grueskin 760 929-9755 !IECCEDW JUL 1 1 2006 file://C:\Documents and Settings\Mstro\Local Settings\Temp\GW}00001.HTM 07/11/2006 Marilyn Strong - Speed limit on Melrose — Council Meeting Agenda - item #12 Page 1 AGENDA ITEM # tt From: "Jack" <jwsailing@yahoo.com> To: <mstro@ci.carlsbad.ca.us> Date: 07/11/2006 12:33:48 PM Subject: Speed limit on Melrose — Council Meeting Agenda - item #12 Dear Council Members, My name is Jack Williams and I reside at 2821 Rancho Rio Chico. I cannot attend this evening's meeting so I am writing this e-mail to give my thoughts on item #12 in the Council Meeting Agenda. Like many of my neighbors I am very concern about the traffic volume and the speed limit in our community. Now that Melrose will soon be extending north into Vista with the opening of the segment at the intersection of Palomar Airport Blvd I'm very worry about the rapidly growing traffic moving south along Melrose through the Rancho Carrillo neighborhood. I believe the intersection of Melrose and Poinsettia is already very dangerous and I can only imagine how much more so it will be when the traffic doubles. Following the opening of the Melrose segment I ask that the Council members place a high priority in monitoring the traffic for several months to determine the traffic patterns and then afterward initiate appropriate measures to abate any new traffic hazards by all means necessary; such as lowering the speed limit, adding new signage and/or increasing traffic enforcement. We want this to be a safe neighborhood for everyone; our residents, our visitors, the passersby, and especially our children crossing the aforementioned intersection. Thank you for your attention. Mayor City Council City Manager City Attorney City Clerk JUL 1 1 2006 CITYOCITYCLFCAIERK'iRLSBAD'S OFFICE CC: <rwoelffer@yahoo.com>, <joanne@grueskin.net>, <bruce@hoalawyers.com>, <bryandevore@adelphia.net>, <c.kogge@sbcglobal.net>, <ndigert@solatube.com>, <ldowlan@aol.com>, <kevinfinney@adelphia.net>, <elizabeth.gane@bodywise.net>, "Gil Ramirez" <gil.ramirez@sbcglobal.net>, <gpasport@juno.com>, <jplynch@nethere.com>, <plkendall@adelphia.net>, <KMB4UKY@aol.com>, <kmurdock@PrescottMgt.com>, <michaelcraft@adelphia.net>, <beanie462002@yahoo.com>, <norskie@mac.com>, <PAULSONGLF@aol.com>, <sarah@houstonteam.com>, <sfojfk@adelphia.net>, <slozano@thelozanogroup.com>, <clr2lnddan@adelphia.net>, <tom@calcoastrealty.com>, <gjwool@aol.com>, <zac@kw.com>