HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda (11-205)August 9, 2012
Regular Agenda
Sidewalks — UDO Amendment and Policy Discussion
To: David Neeley, City Manager
From: Bob Cowell, AICP, CNU-A, Director of Planning & Development Services
Agenda Caption: Presentation, public hearing, possible action, and discussion regarding an
ordinance amending Chapter 12, "Unified Development Ordinance", Section 8.2.K "Sidewalks"
of the Code of Ordinance of the City of College Station, Texas and policy discussion regarding
sidewalk placement and width.
Relationship to Strategic Goals: Core Services and Infrastructure, Improve Mobility
Recommendation(s): The Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Advisory Board considered this
item at their July 2no meeting and recommended approval of the revisions as proposed by staff
with the condition that a sidewalk be wrapped around the bulb of a cul-de-sac when the cul-de-
sac is longer than 200 feet. The Planning and Zoning Commission considered this item at their
July 19'h meeting and voted to recommend approval of the amendments as proposed by staff
and as detailed in the attached Commission meeting minutes.
Summary: The current Comprehensive Plan was adopted by City Council in May 2009. It
contains a vision statement that served as a guide in the development of the plan and a basis
for policy going forward. This vision statement has also been incorporated into the City's
Strategic Plan 2010-2015 as the Community Vision. Portions of the vision statement are
applicable when considering policy and ordinance requirements regarding sidewalks. The
applicable statements include:
Increasing and maintaining the mobility of College Station citizens through a well
planned and constructed inter -modal transportation system.
Developing and maintaining quality cost-effective community facilities,
infrastructure and services which ensure our City is cohesive and well connected.
In addition, the City Council has established "Improve Multi Modal Transportation" as one of the
five goals in their Strategic Plan.
When revisions to the subdivision regulations were adopted by City Council in January 2011, a
number of various standards and procedures were amended. Included in these revisions were
changes to sidewalks requirements. It is important to note that the applicability of when a
sidewalk is required is contained in the subdivision regulations in the Unified Development
Ordinance (UDO) while the standards and specific details for sidewalk width, placement, and
construction are contained in the Bryan/College Station Unified Design Guidelines adopted
jointly with the City of Bryan.
As background, prior to the revisions in January 2011, the ordinance required sidewalks to be
placed on both sides of all thoroughfares, on one side of residential streets, and were not
required on cul-de-sacs unless a pedestrian Access Way was provided through the end of the
cul-de-sac. With the adoption of the revisions, the standard increased to implement the
Comprehensive Plan and adopted goals by requiring sidewalks on both sides of all streets,
including residential streets and cul-de-sacs. When considering these revisions during their
public hearing, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended that a sidewalk also be
required around the bulb of a cul-de-sac. As part of the revisions, several exemptions were
added for rural roadways and existing residential streets unless planned on the Bicycle,
Pedestrian, and Greenway Master Plan and more options were provide to permit the use of the
sidewalk fund in lieu of sidewalk construction.
Over the last year, City management and staff have held regular meetings with the local home
builders association and other development interests. The purpose of these meetings has been
to discuss issues related to standards and practices in the development process. During these
discussions, several items were identified related to current sidewalk requirements:
Developer's request:
• Not require sidewalks around the bulb of a cul-de-sac;
• Require sidewalks only on one side (not both sides) of residential and cul-de-sac streets;
and
• Reduce the width of sidewalks:
0 on residential streets from 5 feet to 4 feet;
0 on thoroughfares sidewalks not located at the back of curb from 6 feet to 5 feet;
and
0 on thoroughfare sidewalks located at the back of curb from 8 feet to 6 feet with
the brick paver inlay along the back of curb not being required.
Staff has reviewed the existing ordinance and has discussed and negotiated through some of
the requested items.
Staff recommendation:
• Remove the requirement for a sidewalk around the bulb of a cul-de-sac. This
requirement was not proposed by staff with the revised ordinance, does not provide a
substantial pedestrian facility, and would match the City of Bryan's current requirement.
A sidewalk, however, would still be required in this area when a pedestrian Access Way
is located out the end a cul-de-sac;
• Reduce the width of sidewalks on thoroughfares from 6 feet to 5 feet when a existing
striped bike lane has been provided on the street. This reduction in width recognizes that
some of the need for the larger sidewalk facility is being accommodated with bike lane
and that the bike lane also helps serve as a buffer between pedestrians and vehicular
traffic; and
• Remove the option to construct thoroughfare sidewalks back of curb on new streets.
This would help implement the Comprehensive Plan which depicts street cross sections
with sidewalks located away from the back of curb to provide additional roadside buffer
between pedestrians and vehicular traffic. Sidewalks may be located at back of curb
where specific design considerations warrant or conflicts exist.
• Based on recent action of the Planning & Zoning Commission, remove the requirement
for sidewalks along streets classified as Freeway/ Expressway on the City's
Thoroughfare Plan. The current requirement exempts sidewalks along Freeways that do
not have frontage roads though require them when a frontage road exists. A multi -use
path would still be required along Freeways in the locations shown on the Bicycle,
Pedestrian, and Greenways Master Plan.
Staff does not support the request to not require sidewalks on both sides of all applicable streets
as this does not further the City's adopted goals to increase mobility and improve multi modal
transportation facilities. Staff also does not support the reduction of the residential and cul-de-
sac street sidewalk from 5 feet to 4 feet as adherence to ADA requirements becomes
problematic and sidewalks become too narrow. Where the clear path of a sidewalk is less than
5 feet in width, a landing area that is 5 feet by 5 feet is required at least every 200 feet. This
may be difficult to comply with this requirement with multiple driveways and various lot layouts.
In addition, a 5-foot width provides a more superior facility for mobility for pedestrians to walk
beside and past one another.
In revising and clarifying the standards, staff also proposes to allow the sidewalk fund option to
be utilized when a multi -use path facility is located along or within their proposed development.
The above revisions and removal of the requirement for a sidewalk around the bulb of a cul-de-
sac and along Freeways/Expressways are revisions to the UDO that require recommendations
by the Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Advisory Board and the Planning and Zoning
Commission and then final action by City Council. Other potential revisions to sidewalk width
and placement are a policy discussion that will result in revisions to the Bryan/College Station
Unified Design Guidelines that will be done administratively by staff in the future through a joint
effort between engineering staff of the City of College Station and the City of Bryan.
Budget & Financial Summary: N/A
Attachments:
1. Draft Minutes for July 2nd Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Advisory Board
2. Draft Minutes for July 1g'h Planning & Zoning Commission
3. Red -line of UDO Section 8.2.K Sidewalks
4. Ordinance