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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/25/2006 Study Session Minutes MINUTES OF MARANA STUDY SESSION MARANA MUNICIPAL COMPLEX JULY 25, 2006 PLACE AND DATE Marana Municipal Complex, July 25, 2006. A. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL By Mayor Honea at 7:00 p.m. COUNCIL Ed Honea Herb Kai Bob Allen Jim Blake Patti Comerford Tim Escobedo Carol McGorray Mayor Vice Mayor Council Member Council Member Council Member Council Member Council Member Present Present Present Present Present Present Present STAFF Mike Reuwsaat Gilbert Davidson Jim DeGrood Frank Cassidy Jocelyn Bronson Town Manager Deputy Town Manager Assistant Town Manager Town Attorney Town Clerk Present Present Present Present Present B. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND INVOCATION/MOMENT OF SILENCE Led by Mayor Honea. C. CALL TO THE PUBLIC Mike Reuwsaat, Town Manager, addressed the Council and said that Shirley Scott, Tucson Council Member, was hospitalized at S1. Joseph's Hospital after she fell at a restaurant. Mr. Reuwsaat also requested that the August 15,2006, Council meeting be moved to August 14, 2006. D. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION 1. Presentation: Silverbell Road Construction Traffic Mitigation Study (Kevin Thornton) Kevin Thornton, Assistant Director of Public Works, addressed the Council and introduced Fernando Prol, Traffic Engineering Division Manager, and Alejandro Angel, Traffic Engineering Manager for MMLA-Psomas. Mr. Thornton showed a power point presentation updating Council and staff on the Silverbell Road construction project, making a recommendation concerning construction phasing, and discussing traffic mitigation strategies to be implemented during construction. The Silverbell Road construction includes road widening, vertical and horizontal alignment, adding multi-use lanes and sanitary sewer, landscaping, installing curbs and side walks, all weather access (allowing the 100-year flood to pass under the road), and improving the Ina and Silverbell intersection. MINUTES OF MARANA STUDY SESSION MARANA MUNICIPAL COMPLEX JULY 25, 2006 Mr. Thornton proposed a closure of Silverbell Road, south of Bradstreet Drive to Ina Road. The closure will allow the project to reduce construction time by three months and save an estimated $750,000 from the construction budget. Mr. Prol addressed the Council and said a traffic survey determined that the Cortaro and Silverbell intersection will be affected the most; with 65 percent of the traffic being detoured to the intersection. He said the Town's main objective will be to make the Cortaro Road operation as efficient as possible, reducing the use of Wade Road. After a traffic volume study was conducted, it was determined that improvements are needed to the Cortaro-Silverbell intersection to prevent delays in the turning lanes that would obstruct traffic. Mr. Prol said no changes/improvements will be needed for the Ina-Cortaro, Ina- Wade or Silverbell-Wade intersections. However, he recommended improvements to the Ina-Silverbell intersection, which includes replacing the traffic signal with a stop control on northbound Silverbell at Ina Road; keeping the signal equipment in place for 2-3 weeks as flashing beacons; and re-striping the northbound lanes to provide dedicated right and left turn lanes. Mr. Prol also recommended improvements to the Cortaro-Silverbell intersection, which includes changing signal control to a yield for westbound right turns from Cortaro Road; adding a raised crosswalk/speed table; allowing permissive left turns from Cortaro during the through green light; using split phasing operation for Silverbell Road; and changing the allotted time during signal phases. The Town will continue to monitor traffic during construction and IS in the process of installing cameras at intersections to help with monitoring. Mr. Prol introduced Mr. Angel who gave a presentation using a traffic simulation with actual data to depict what will happen at the Cortaro-Silverbell intersection with and without changes during the construction closure. Mr. Reuwsaat asked when implementation of the closure was expected. Mr. Thornton said the Silverbell Road construction will begin after the completion of the Cortaro Road widening at the interstate; possibly December 2006. Mayor Honea asked if the Arizona Pavilion traffic light needed extended time to keep up with the traffic turning off Silverbell. Mr. Prol said that the Arizona Pavilion intersection was surveyed for a separate project and that major changes will be made to the signals. Mayor Honea said that Arizona Pavilion Drive could also be a detour route during the Silverbell Road closure. Council Member Comerford said there is a visibility problem making left turns onto Ina Road from Cortaro Road, that may become a traffic hazard with increased traffic from the closure. Mr. Prol said the intersection will be monitored immediately after the closure to determine if a 4-way stop needs to be installed. MINUTES OF MARANA STUDY SESSION MARAN A MUNICIPAL COMPLEX JULY 25, 2006 Council Member Escobedo asked about installing a no-turn-on-red stoplight for the northbound right turn at Silverbell and Cortaro and asked about traffic backups in an emergency. Mr. Prol said the no-turn-on-red signal would back up traffic more, but the possibility could be reviewed after the closure is in place. Council Member Escobedo asked what the construction timeframe will be. Mr. Thornton said 12 months without the closure of Silverbell and nine months with the closure. Council Member Escobedo expressed concerns with the closure once the Saguaro Springs development begins. Keith Brann, Assistant Director of Public Works, said the number of homes that would be occupied by the time the Silverbell Road construction is complete will be minimal. Council Member Escobedo asked how much Twin Peaks Road traffic is from Picture Rocks motorists and asked if they could be detoured to use Sandario Road to Avra Valley Road. Mr. Prol said about 6,000 to 7,000 vehicles use Twin Peaks to Silverbell and that message boards could be placed on Ina notifying motorists of expected delays. Vice Mayor Kai asked if 24-hour construction could be considered and asked when the construction contract will be issued. Mr. Thornton said a 24-hour construction option could be considered and said he anticipates the contract being issued in December 2006. Mayor Honea said that message boards should be placed on Sandario Road discouraging motorists from using Twin Peaks to Silverbell. Mr. Reuwsaat suggested working with the Arizona Daily Star, Monument News, and the Chamber of Commerce to notify the public of the road closure and construction. Mayor Honea expressed concerns about the possible increase of traffic on Airline Road in the Maybrook area. Mr. Prol said Pima County is looking at adding speed bumps to the area. Mr. Reuwsaat thanked staff for their work with their pre-construction preparation. Council Member Escobedo asked about the means of notification to the public. Mr. Thornton said that the town has on-call public relations consultants and/or a direct mailing. Council Member McGorray asked if direct notification was going to be made to the residents that will be affected by the closure. Mr. Thornton said a meeting was held with the Silverbell Homeowners Association regarding the construction, but no mention of the closure until after the Council's consideration. He said a public open house could be held to inform residents. Mr. Reuwsaat asked staff to work with the consultants to corne up with a public relations program. Upon Motion by Council Member Comerford, seconded by Council Member Blake, staffs recommendation to close Silverbell Road during construction was unanimously approved. MINUTES OF MARAN A STUDY SESSION MARANA MUNICIPAL COMPLEX JULY 25, 2006 2. Presentation: Revisions to the floodplain code, title 21 of the Land Development Code (Keith Brann) Mr. Brann addressed the Council and presented a draft of Title 21 revisions updating standards and a re-write of the floodplain code, mandated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The updated code is due by September 29, 2006, or FEMA can impose sanctions upon the town that could include suspension from the Federal Flood Insurance Program. Staff drafted the Town's floodplain ordinance from the FEMA model, with some modifications to retain key areas of floodplain management currently in practice. Some modifications include regulating local flows; increasing velocities to less than 10 percent; and floodway erosion hazard setbacks, detention/retention and all-weather access requirements for manufactured homes, sand, and gravel. Key changes in requirements of floodplain management include regulating local flows at 50 cubic feet per second (cfs), segregating erosion hazard setbacks into more categories with absolute minimums, and lessened all-weather access requirements for residential subdivisions of 10 lots or fewer. New requirements to the Floodplain Management include regulating the shaded zone "X" (FEMA floodplain) as it relates to fan/sheet flooding; requiring an elevation of 18 inches; regulating critical facilities that must remain in service during a major flood event (hospitals, shelter schools and maintenance operations); and removal of the floodplain and erosion hazard infringements from subdivisions with minimum lot sizes of 16,000 square feet and smaller. Council Member Comerford said she wants to make sure prospective homebuyers are fully aware of the all-weather access requirement. Mr. Thornton said the requirements are for the whole subdivision, and if there is not all-weather access, there will be a covenant with the land that will be included at the time of closing. Upon motion by Council Member Escobedo, seconded by Council Member McGorray, Title 21 of the Land Development Code was unanimously approved to be revised per discussion, with staff reviewing and bringing back to the Council for adoption. E. ADJOURNMENT Upon motion by Council Member Escobedo, seconded by Council Member McGorray, the Council voted unanimously to adjourn. The time was 8:13 p.m. CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing are the true and correct minutes of the Marana Town Council meeting held on July 25,2006. 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