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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1989-10-02; Traffic Safety Commission; MinutesL, Meeting of: TRAFF MINUTES C SAFETY COMM I SS I ON Time of Meeting: 3:OO p.m. Date of Meeting: October 2, 1989 Place of Meeting: Clty Council Chambers COMMISSIONERS CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Melldeo called the Meetlng to order at 3:04 p.m. ROLL CALL: Present -- Commlssloners Melldeo, Fuller and Stachovlak. Commlssloner Herrlng arrived at 3:06 p.m. Absent -- Commlssloner O'Day. Staff Members Present: Bob Johnson, Trafflc Engineer Sgt. Carpenter, Police Deparhent APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Mlnutes of the Meettng held September 11, 1989, were approved as presented. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: There were no requests to address the Commlsslon on a non-agend a i tem. OLD BUSINESS: Bob Johnson welcomed Commlssloner Stachoviak to the Traffic Safety Comrnlssion. Mr. Johnson reported that the rural road standard for Adams Street was dlscussed by the Traff ic Safety Commlssion In May and June of this year. The Issue wI1 I go to the Planning Commlsslon thls cmlng Wednesday for d eterm 1 nation and recommend at ion. The Pontlac Drlve "no parklng" from Tamarack to Vlctorla will go to Councll tomorrow night for lntroductlon of the Ordinance. The Car Country Drlve item went to Councll a week ago and the Ord lnance wt 1 I be adopted tomorrow. NEW BUSINESS: A. Harwich Drive - Request to construct Harwlch Drive as a cul-de-sac street at Tamarack Avenue. Bob Johnson gave the staff presentatlon as contalned In the staff report, using a transparency to show the exlstlng roads and future roads. He referred to copies of the letters from Franklln Weston, all of which were contalned In the Commlsslon packet. Mr. Johnson safd that accordlng to Mr. Weston, speeding 1s a problem on Harwich Drive, and he Is requestlng a cul-de- sac at Tamarack. Mr. Johnson used an aerial photograph to help show the area In question, and he stated the cul-de-sac concept. There are 29 homes In thls area at thls time. A transparency was used to show the future network of streets, but Mr. Johnson explalned that it would be some time before all these roads are completed. Me1 ldeo Ful ler Stachoviak MINUTES NEW BUSINESS: (Cont i nued 1 Mr. Johnson continued, stating that the Traffic Safety Coord l natD ng Comm I ttee d i scussed the speed I ng prob 1 em that occurs on every street in the City; especially, where it Is posted 25 m.p.h. The problem is what to do about speed control, and whether or not a cul-de-sac is the way to solve the problem. Mr. Johnson referred to the slngle entrance cul-de-sac pol icy and showed an transparency of that policy. Harwlch is a residential street and does have a 25 m.p.h. prlma facle speed 1 lmlt, and the slgns have been posted at this time. He explalned that the condftions of the slngle entrance (cul-de-sac) developments are not met, and If Harwlch were barricaded, that would affect Harwich and Tamarack, creating two streets that would be cul-de-sac streets and both would vlolate the City Engineering Department Pol Icy. In answer to Commlsslon query regarding accldents on that street, Sgt. Carpenter stated there has been one accident this year, and he could not recalf any prior to that. Chairperson Melldeo opened the Public Hearing at 3:21 p.m., and issued the lnvitatlon to speak. Franklin Weston, 3625 Harwtch Drlve, read hls prepared statement lnto the record, In which he questioned the val id ity of the traff ic study and requested a re1 iable vehicle count over several days. Mr. Weston stated there are vehlcles parked at the curb on Harwlch, which makes the street narrow for people backing out of their drlveways. Also, the street has curves and a 90 degree lefthand turn onto Tamarack Avenue. He felt Harwlch was too narrow and too busy for the amount of speeding vehicles now usPng the street. Mr. Weston recommended a cul-de-sac to alleviate the problems. Jan Flemlng, 3626 Harwlch Drilve, spoke In favor of the cul-de-sac, statfng It Is a dlrectlonal problem, wlth the speedlng happenlng from Elm Avenue. David Clark, 3632 Harwlch Drlve, stated he had I lved at that address almost two years and there Is extenslve speedlng on the street. He sald he had asked drivers to slow down, but they become angry when approached and asked to please drive slower in that area. Mr. Clark stated he favored havlng a cul-de-sac and also requested that the Pollce Department cane to that neighborhood and sit there to tlcket the speedlng motorists. He said there are a lot of ch i ldren playlng in the area, and the speedlng makes It very dangerous. Mrs. Lori Schnelder, 3610 Ashby Court, stated she sees the traff ic coming up Tamarack that then turn down Harwlch, and she has almost gotten hlt while turning Into Ashby Court. She sald the people that live in the Trails come up Harwlch, and if the street Is not a cul- de-sac, there should at least be a stop sign. MINUTES \\\\\ October 2, 1989 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 3 COMMISSIONERS NEW BUS I NESS: (Cont I nued 1 Peter Karavas, 3623 Harwich Drive, stated that there is the screechlng of tires at al 1 hours of the nfght, and that his netghbors would agree with hls conclusion that the speeding on HarwZch Drive is a real danger. John Lfndsley, 3604 Ashby Court, stated that peak hours produces the most traffic on Harwlch, but the speeding Is the danger. He said the 25 m.p.h. speed limit signs are be I ng Ignored. Since no one else wlshed to speak on this matter, the Public Hearing was closed at 3:45 p.m. Commlssioner Fuller used the aerial photograph to I I lustrate one aspect not addressed by staff or the citizens; that of the open space and brush. He said there could be a fire in that area and the residents would then need to get out of the area quickly. If a de-sac were created, it would be very difficult to ge out of the area, and both exits would be necessary. Mr. Fuller said that for safety reasons, he felt both exits were a necessity. cul- Commissioner Fuller contlnued, stating that with the grading being done in that area, when there is raln, there wi I1 be mud al I over the road and the residents won't be able to use the road for an exlt. He contlnued, stating that the area Is still being developed. and when there are homes on the lower part of Harwich, be parklng on the street and street trafflc w and slow down because of the development. Mr said that when College Boulevard is extended, be a major shift in the trafflc patterns. He stating that this Is an Interim sltuation and believe a cul-de-sac was the appropriate acti time; also with development, it would be less now. there wi I I I t Increase there will conc 1 ud ed , he did not n at this needed than Fu I ler Commissioner Herrlng stated that lf a cul-de-sac were installed, this would cut off development In the area. He felt the speed'ing cars were coming from the south. Mr. Johnson said that staff was aware that there were speeders in that area, but felt it was the nelghbors who were doing the speed ing. Commissioner Stachoviak stated he appreciated the residents' concerns, as he Ilves on Basswood, and there Is speed ing on that street. He agreed that the speed Ing appears to be done by the local people and felt the Pol Ice Deparfment could put pressure on the roads In that area to get people to obey the 25 m.p. h. speed I imlt. Mr. Stachoviak agreed that a cul-de-sac was not the thing to do at that spot. Commfssioner Fuller stated that the homeowners association should take up the matter of the residents' speeding, as most of the trafflc is local. He saZd that sometimes the homeowners association can be effective In puttlng out notices to "respect your neighbors' rightst1. rn MINUTES October 2, 1989 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 4 COMMISSIONERS NEW BUSINESS: (Continued) chairperson Me1 ideo said that no one had mentioned school in the area, and If a cul-de-sac were lnsta this would cause another problem for the school. is a problem in that area, but the other residents cannot be cut off from free use of oublic streets the led, here because of 29 resldences In one area. This Is a publlc street and and Is not the only one where there Is speeding and screeching of tires. She said that is a constant problem In every area. Eventually there will be traffic control there, and that should help solve this problem. Chairperson Melldeo said that testimony had been glven about chlldren playing In the street, and she wondered why they weren't play'lng In their backyards with parent supervlslon. She also commented that the emergency vehlcles would only have one way in. The residents want to make a private area from a pub1 fc area, and she said she could not agree with that. The Traffic Safety Commission accepted the recommendatlon of the Traffic Safety Coordinating Commlttee to deny the request to construct a cul-de-sac on Harwlch Drive at the intersection of Tamarack Avenue. Drivers are to be reminded of the prlma facie speed llmlt in this residence district on Harwlch Drive, and 25 m.p.h. speed llmlt slgns have been installed for each d lrection of travel. Cmmissloner Fuller commented on the suggestion to put a stop sign at Tamarack and Harwich, and stated there would be no Justlflcation for one at this point. Bob Johnson concurred, and added that the purpose of a stop sign Is to assign right-of-way, and it Is not used for speed control. E. Calle Barcelona - Request to establish a prima facie speed Ilmit. Bob Johnson reported that Mlsslon Estancla Elelmentary School is under construction on Calle Barcelona at the intersection of Calle San Fellpe. There wlll be school classes 12 months of the year, with the school to be opened in January of 1990. Speed surveys were conducted, and a prima facie speed limit of 30 m.p.h. recommended for Cal le Barcelona. The Traffic Safety Commlsslon accepted the recommendation of the Traff Ic Safety Coord inatlng Committee to establish a prima facie speed limlt of 30 m.p.h. on Calle Barcelona. C. Car l sbad Bou 1 evard - Request to rev ise Sect ion 10.40.041 of the Carlsbad Munlcipal Code by expandlng I imlts of the NO PARKING from 11':OO zone at various locatlons and to rev parking restrlctlon locations on Car .m. to 6:OO a.m: se other sbad Bou 1 evard . Me1 ideo Ful fer Herr i ng Stachov l ak Me1 ideo Ful ler Herring Stachov I ak 8 - X X X X X X X X r" MINUTES October 2, 1989 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 5 COMMISSIONERS NEW BUSINESS: (Continued) Bob Johnson reported this item was requested by the Pol ice Department, and he used a transparency to show Car I sbad Bou 1 evard and the areas affected . Mr. Johnson stated that beach erosion, malntenance activities and constructlon of the streetscape project a I 1 have changed park Ing cond It ions on Car I sbad Boulevard, and the Pol ice Department felt changes were needed in the parking restrictlons. This would establish the west side of Carlsbad Boulevard between the Agua Hedlonda Lagoon Brldge and Tierra Del Oro Street as a NO PARKING zone between the hours of 11:OO p.m. and 5:OO a.m., seven days a week. The hour was changed from 6:OO a.m., to 5:OO a.m., to accommodate early mornlng beach joggers and/or walkers or those wtshing to fish. the NO PARKING area, it would serve as a deterent for cr he In the area. It was also thought that by expandlng The Trafflc Safety Commisslon accepted the recommendation of the Traff Ic Safety Coord inatFng CommZttee to amend Section 10.40.041 of the exlstlng ord inance to establ Ish the west side of Carlsbad Bou fevard between the Agua Hed Ionda Lagoon Br fdge and Tlerra Del Oro Street as a NO PARKING zone between the hours of 11:OO a.m. and 5:OO a.m., seven days a week, and other changes In that Section as reflected In Exhlblt 2, which Is attached. REPORT FROM TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSIONERS: Commfssloner Fuller lnqulred about the slgna\s at Tamarack, and Bob Johnson reported there had been problems wlth the Installation, and the malntenance for the ramp slgnal was being disputed wlth CalTrans. Mr. Johnson reported that all the signals should be in operat ion th Is week. Chairperson Me1 ideo had a request to have bushes trtmmed at the corner of Sunny Hi1 I and Tamarack to improve vlsibl I ity. ADJOURNMENT: By proper motion, the Meetlng of October 2, 1989, was adjourned at 4:15 p.m. M l nutes C 1 erk Me1 Ideo Ful ler Herr I ng Stachoviak \ A