Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/16/2004 Study Session Minutes,....~ _ _ v_ ~' , MINUTES ~OF STIIDY SESSION °~_ MARANA TOWN HALL . , ~,~: `. NOVEMBER 16, 2004 ~ . PLACE AND DATE Marana Town Hall, November 16, 2004 I. CALL TO ORDER The study session was held informally and no roll was called. Council Member Honea presided over the meeting and began the study session at 5:40 p.m. All other Council members were present except for Mayor Sutton who arrived at 5:47 p.m. and was seated at the dais. 1. Presentation: Cortaro Road Update (Mike Reuwsaat) Mr. Reuwsaat presented this item to the Council and had Raul Pina, representing CPE Consultants, assist him with the beginning of the presentation. Mr. Pita introduced Leonard Fuentes, Cortaro Road project manager, and Mr. Fuentes led the presentation. He gave a brief update of the project including the background as well as the road design status and construction schedule. He said that the project originated from an intergovernmental agreement between the Town of Marana and Pima County and that the original Cortaro Farms Road project, covering an area from the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) to Thornydale Road, was planned for a width of six lanes. He said that CPE Consultants project would begin at the recent UPRR crossing improvements and go approximately 1.2 miles east to Star Grass Drive. He said that, due to results from a recent traffic _ analysis study and the anticipated roadway improvements, they had been able to reduce the roadway to four lanes. He said that the studies had shown that it would also be possible to address regional drainage concerns affecting the area and the area of Freeman Lane along the north side of Cortaro Road adjacent to the railroad. He related that it would also be possible to match the existing topography along the road. He said that these issues would allow for a significant reduction in the overall cost of the roadway project and that their goal was to begin construction at the end of the year. He stated that completion was projected for within one year's tune and within budget. Mr. Fuentes explained that the primary intent of the design was to create a safer travel environment along Cortaro Farms Road. He said that by going from two to four lanes nearly double the amount of traffic volume could be accommodated thus improving the overall traffic circulation. He described the roadway design which included two signal light intersections, one at Hartman Lane and one at Camino de Oeste, which would generally improve traffic circulation. ,. , ....,.~.. ,,ar...~ .._..._ _ ~_,,...,~ _, ._~~,~. _ ,.. MINUTES OF STUDY SESSION MARANA.;TOWN HALL ..,~ ... , . .. -,~ NOVEMBER 16, 2004 He said the design provided for bike lanes on both sides of the road, with curbs, sidewalks and landscaping amenities throughout the length of the project. He related that another significant issue addressed in the design was the regional drainage concern. He explained that there were three significant drainage areas located along the north side of Cortaro from Hartman to the Interstate and UPRR and that these areas would benefit greatly from the planned improvements associated with the Willow Ridge development He said that the designs would divert the water flow away from the roadway project. He went on to relate that concrete line channels would be installed from Hartrnan Lane to the UPRR along the north side of the roadway and that the project would provide for any outfall along the UPRR right of-way. He said that the plans were currently at 90% completion and that they had just been informed by their environmental consultant that the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) had issued a verbal finding of no significant impact for this project. He pointed out that this verbal finding would allow them to proceed with the construction project schedule. He said that the roadway project would go to bid on January 15a; begin the roadway improvements in March, and complete the project one year thereafter. Mr. Fuentes commented that, with this schedule in mind, they had been working closely with Town staff to accelerate their schedule and design to meet the immediate safety concerns at the Hartman and Cortaro Roads intersection. He explained that they intended to provide emergency fire protection and safety improvements that would impact the area and that; working with the Town staff, they intended to install permanent traffic signalization at this intersection as well as left turn lanes. He noted that the traffic signalization would be permanent and incorporated into the overall project design. He added that it was planned for the replacement of the 4" water line with new 12" water line which would improve the area fire flow. He said that, depending on the Council's concurrence, they would like to advertise this week for the first phase of the project which would allow the start of construction shortly after the holidays and completion of this portion before March 2005 when the actual roadway project began. He said that one of the benefits of the new signalization at the intersection was that it would ensure a safer traffic environment and improved traffic flow once the actual construction started. He concluded by stating that he would be happy to answer any questions. 2 ' . MINUTES OF STUDY SESSION .. ~ ~~ ~ :. 11~iARANA TOWN HALL .__. _ _ NOVE11!iBER 16, 2004 Council Member Comerford commented that she was very pleased that this project was finally able to move forward. She related an incident she and her son were involved in while traveling home from a nighttime Boy Scouts meeting. She said that someone made a left turn in front of her vehicle on Hartman as she was coming down Cortaro and that she had to literally slam on the brakes to avoid a collision. She commented that there had been a number of accidents at that location and that she would feel more at ease when the improvements were completed and public safety was higher at this intersection. Council Member Honea asked about the plans for traffic movement during construction. Mr. Fuentes replied that there would be one lane open in each direction during the construction phase. Mr. Reuwsaat remarked that the planned improvements would significantly improve the Hartman Lane intersection and help change the traffic flow along Cortaro Road. He said that, since the 5-year ~. __ transportation CII' approval, Town staff had been engaged in informal discussions with ADOT regarding an eastbound lane through Cortaro Farms Road before the scheduled interchange improvements slated for approximately six to seven years out. He added that the staff met and, even though everyone wanted two additional lanes, that the eastbound lane was the most significant lane. Mayor Sutton asked the Clerk to let the record show he had joined the meeting. The time was 5:47 p.m. Council Member Blake asked if someone could tell him what Pima County s original design plan was for Cortaro Road specifically with respect to the number of lanes. Mr. Pina replied that it had been originally planned as a six-lane roadway up to Camino de Oeste and then as a four-lane road from that point to Thornydale Road. He explained that this project was only going to Camino de Oeste with a tapering back to the existing pavement at Star Grass Drive. He pointed out that the recent traffic study at Linda Vista associated with the proposed I-10 interchange had allowed the analysis to drop Cortaro Road down to four lanes. 3 MIrTT7TES OF STUDY SESSION , .: . MARANA TOWN HALL NOVEMBER_16, 2004 Council Member Blake said that he was leery of that plan and the time span involved until the Linda Vista Interchange was built. He said that he was concerned about the increase in traffic flow for this area over the next few years. Mr. Pina said that these concerns had been discussed and that his company thought that between the traffic analysis and the roadway design the concerns could be accommodated. Mr. Reuwsaat said that he thought the traffic level had been brought back down to Level C once the Linda Vista Interchange was opened. Mr. Pina said that currently the traffic was 18,000 vehicles daily and that after the Willow Ridge project was completed there would be another estimated 12,000 cars per day capacity. He said that the project was making improvements that would allow for a capacity of 30,000 cars per day. Vice Mayor Kai voiced his concerns as well and asked why the roadway plans were downsized from six to four lanes. He asked if Pima County had initially oversized the project. He said that the Town staff and Council members needed to know these answers. Mr. DeGrood said that he could definitively answer the Vice Mayor's questions. He said that the original Pima County study for Cortaro Farms Road in conjunction with their bond project did not consider any impact associated with the Linda Vista Interchange. He said that with the Linda Vista Interchange they would be able to reduce the number of lanes and that was the modeling basis the Town was moving forward with. Council Member Escobedo asked if the roadway would remain four lanes from Camino de Oeste. He said that it seemed as if this would cause some sort of bottleneck at some point along the roadway. Council Member Honea commented that the study was done prior to the Linda Vista Interchange becoming a reality in such a short timeframe. Mayor Sutton said that as leery as the Town wanted to be, the Interchange was Marana's and the Town was committed. 4 f MINUTES OF,_STUDY SESSION ~YMARANA TOWN-.HAI~I~`~: _. _? . P!T.OVEMBER 16,_2004. Bob Anderson, longtime resident, commented that he and Mr. Barr had discussed the traffic problems on the south side of Cortaro Road and the scattered residences. Mr. Barr said that the road widening would correct that area. 2. Presentation: Rezoning -Public Participation Process (Jim Mazzocco) Mr. Mazzocco addressed the Council regarding this item. He said that Town staff would be providing the Council with an ongoing monthly report that would be presented at the first Council meeting of the month. He said the report would include maps, tables, and reports on all of the development activities including rezoning actions, specific plans, plats, development plans, and tenant improvements. He added that he believed this report could also be made available on the Town's website. He described some of the development process itself and talked about various stages such as the pre-application meeting, the Council study session and the neighborhood meeting. He said that these stages were not called out in the zoning code and but that the neighborhood meeting was actually a policy of the Zoning Commission and required of any development or rezoning. He said that the zoning code was currently being reformatted and that the rezoning process would be refined during that process. He stated that this information had been compiled in a flow chart and would be distributed to the public at the development services counter. Mr. Reuwsaat commented that this report was a response to the increased work load and request for more timely information to the Council and the public. He said that there would be times when certain items would require more than one study session for consideration. Mr. Reuwsaat said that he believed the Council passed a resolution requiring neighborhood meetings in the beginning of the development process approximately three years ago during the Ina/Silverbell rezoning. x ... ,__._.~...~ ...~~..M~ -.,_,.,...... ...~~... .._ NIINUTES ~OF STUDY SESSIUN .. t . `" d ~ZARANA TOWN HALL . _. ~ ~ ~ NO~VE11!IBER 16,.2004 ~. _ _ 3. Presentation: Airport Update (Charles Mangum) Mr. Reuwsaat gave a brief historical prospective on how the Marana Regional Airport (MRA) had evolved over the past few years after the Town acquired it from Pima County. He said that it was a joy to see the airports progression under Charles Mangum, Airport Director. He added that Mr. Mangum had not only advanced the airport facilities on the ground but had established all of the policies and procedures as well as working relationships with pilots, business owners, and the fixed base operator (FBO) personnel. He said that he wanted to go on the record in giving Mr. Mangum the highest accolades for his achievements at the MRA and pointed out that Mr. Mangum leadership had made all the difference in the facility moving forward as a viable entity capable of attracting future commercial activity. Mr. Mangum spoke to the group and thanked the Town Manager for the kind remarks. He gave a short video presentation on the number of improvements made over the past few years at the Marana Regional ... Airport (MRA). After the video's conclusion, he gave a lengthy outline of the numerous improvements and plans for the MRA. He asked the Council to refer to the informational materials distributed earlier and focused on the Economic Impact and Aviation Services pamphlet; He said that the information in the pamphlet was taken from a recent study by the State Aeronautics Department and revealed the daily economic impact of the MRA. He said that there was an annual payroll of over $SM and support employment for more than 257 jobs. He drew the Council's attention to a second item in the packet, a flight guide, which he said had just been completed for use as a marketing tool with the pilots flying in and out of the area. He said that an advertisement in American Fly Aways had also been placed cooperatively by MRA and the airport businesses as an introduction to the public informing them of the many improvements at the airport. Mr. Mangum went on to explain that one of the biggest projects nearing completion was the four buildings housing 120 new hangars. He said that the first phase of the project would be completed by the end of December and a second phase adding four more buildings would be finished at the end of February. He noted that this would bring the total number of hangars to 253. He said that negotiations for State land acquisition were ongoing fora 76-acre parcel on the east side of the airport. He said it was a long process that he hoped to conclude in July. 6 - MINUTES OFD STUDY SESSION AZARANA~TOWl!T HALL.. . - =~ _. ~~ , ., 6, 2004 .: NOVEMBER 1 He explained another project, the taxiway to Runway 12-30. He said that it had already been designed and bid out and was only waiting for Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) construction funding. He pointed out that this project would open up the east side of the airport property for future development and future jet center as well as other developments in that area. He said that electrical upgrades had been made at the MRA and backup generators for blackout situations had been purchased. He remarked that he had been working for the last couple of months on the architectural and landscaping design standard which was included in the packet. He explained that the MRA Master Plan update was currently underway and that he would be doing the request for qualifications by January 2005. He pointed out that everything looked especially good for substantial airport growth. He said that the forecast numbers were low in the Master Plan because of several factors including the new hangars, the anticipated growth at the airport and in the community in general. He reported that he had applied for money for Part 1 of 50 noise studies that would look at the land use planning around the airport to ensure compatibly with the surrounding community. He spoke about working on „_ new leases with Pima Aviation and hoped to have available for Council approval in January or February 2005. He reminded the Council of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) entered into with the Abrams, the FBO, and that some of the previously leased land was coming back to the Town. He said that those properties would be marketed. He said that, as the Town began looking at new developments to the north of the airport, the design standards would allow for an attractive facility. He said that the sewer line at the MRA was the biggest priority as the current system could not handle any new businesses with 100 plus employees. He noted that there had been interest and several inquiries from the private and corporate sector in the expansion plans for the airport He said that Pima Aviation has expressed interest in constructing a steak house restaurant and they funded half of the design costs with the Town. Mr. Mangum said that the design would be something to take to the FAA for grant funding for the terminal. He said that the terminal would give the Town an identity and provide a destination point for the community as the flying public and the general public for clubs and Homeowners Association meetings. He said that the Town was investigating the possibility of acquiring 250 acres of State land on the west side of the airport and that it was wise for the Town to acquire as much surrounding land as it could for future airport development such as additional parallel runways or for other businesses that need direct runway and taxiway access. .. _ _.. _ .~_.~ -..~._.,_ , -,r,_.. _ m-~..~_x ,. .. s~,w..~.,. , MINUTES OF STUDY SESSION MARANA" T©WN HALL .. ,_ ... _ ._ ,. NOVEMBER 16, 2004 Mr. Mangum concluded by saying that he was pleased to announce that a published instrument approach into the airport would be available on July 7~ and that this was something they had been working on very hard for over a year. Mr. Reuwsaat asked Mr. Mangum to give a more detailed explanation of this term, published instrument approach. Mr. Mangum said that a published instrument approach allowed planes to fly into MRA during inclement weather. He said it also provided for training opportunities and was a big draw for corporate pilots and for businesses considering relocation where it was possible to fly in and out nonstop. He said that the next step would be an FAA contract control tower. He said this was a long process and that he would come back before the Council with acost/benefit analysis and following their approval he would begin the process of applying for design and construction funding. There was a short delay in the meeting as the next presenter prepared a slide show. Mr. Reuwsaat took this time to apologize for forgetting to mention the Parks and Recreation department when thanking everyone at the employee appreciation dinner on November 6~. He said that they were largely responsible for organizing the annual function. He announced that there would be a luncheon on Friday, November 19~, at the Ora Mae Harn District Park in honor of Randy Robbins, Parks Superintendent, who was leaving the Town for a Recreation Coordinator position with the City of Phoenix. He said that everyone was invited to wish Mr. Robbins well in his future endeavors. 4. Presentation: Maintenance and Operations (Mike Mencinger} Mr. Mencinger gave a brief introduction to his presentation and explained the many different areas that Operations and Maintenance (O&M) worked in as a support unit for the entire Town He listed the four main areas as being emergency response, street maintenance, fleet services, and facilities maintenance. He said that street maintenance also included such focus areas as traffic signal and sign maintenance, equipment operations, and asphalt and concrete maintenance. He said that the emergency response category included landscape maintenance as well. He pointed out that the O&M division covered 243 miles of roadway, 194 miles of curb and gutter, ~"" 136 miles of sidewalks, and 12 signalized intersections. ,. . MINUTES OF-STUDY SESSION - 4-.:~: -. .. , . _ ~°~ MARANA TOWN HALL -~ -. _ ~ _ .. ., NOVEMBER 16, 2004 . ~~, He said that his department was responsible for storing and installing 60 seasonal banners which changed three times annually throughout the Town and for the maintenance of a 160 vehicle fleet, 36 trailers, 45 pieces of specialized equipment, and 7emergency generators. The O&M Director said that his employees maintained 9 Town facilities and that this number would dwindle as the new municipal complex was completed. 5. Presentation: Founders' Day Update and Vendor Policy (Tammy Reyes) Mr. Smith greeted the Council and presented them with the Vendor Policies and the Booth Space Application form associated with the 2005 Founders' Day festivities. There was no other discussion regarding this item. XI. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Sutton adjourned the study session. The time was 6:04 p.m. CERTIFICATION ,. ~ I hereby certify that the foregoing are the true and correct minutes of the Marana Town Council study session held on November 16, 2004. I further certify that a quorum was present. jo yn Bro on, Town Clerk ®~o~ttarrs~~~®~ °`r-p~ coax r f ® .. v % SEALS ~ ~. ~I ~4sigw-~~~~ `~ 9 MARANA TOWN COUNCIL MEETING Public Attendees DATE: Name Address MARANA TOWN COUNCIL MEETING Pub lic Attendees DATE: /v'~ /~/ zoo? Name Address