Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMiscellaneous ROCKPR.AIRIE AND WELLBORN INTERSECTION COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS 24 February 1997 C. BARBU CO. - ARCHITECTS 2909 South Texas Avenue Bryan. Texas 77802 Tel 409 /775 - 5540 Fax 409 1775 - 5642 24 February 1997 Re: To: Dear Sir, The Owner of the above mentioned properly requests a variance regarding an additional access offRockPrairie Rd. to their proposed new Convenience Store. The approved curb break on the Rock Prairie Rd. lines up with the median crossing that is located 270 LF from the intersection of Wellborn Rd., approximately the length of afootball field. This access is located behind the proposed Convenience Store which forces the down stream vehicular traffic to make a "U" turn pattern in order to arrive at the front of the store. Refer to exhibit A. Standard business practice is to have customers enter from the front; therefore, a front access is imperative. The additional proposed access which would be a one way access will not create a traffic hazard. Refer to exhibit Band the attached Traffic Engineer Report. Without approval of the additional access off RockPrairieRd., a hardship will be imposed on this property. Constantin Barbu Project Architect C. BARBU CO. - ARCHITECTS 2909 South Texas Avenue Bryan. TexaS 77802- Tel 409 /775 - 5540 Fax 409 /775 - 5642 r----~l :~: I I I I I I I I , ' ,ac=Bl' I ' I I I I I I , I :~: I I I I I'} I I I I , I , I I I , I I I \.) ("'. I I , I , I I I I I I I I I ,_...~ , :<<:::Jf>: , ' L_____J ) owtf :mMId >mmI I I .. If} =- I- .... dj --- :1= )( ul .. - :( I-- I r"----~, - I I I d) :<<=J>>: ~, I I I I I } I ' I I I ' I I I , : I I , I : C:::::Jld , I I ... I I I I I I I , I~~ I % I , I I " , I I I :m:::::JI): I I I I I X I , I I I , I I I I I I I I I I :c:=z-: I I I I } u1 I I L_____J I ~ ~ Transportation Engineering Analysts JOSEPH D. BLASCHKE, D. ENG., P.E., PRESIDENT (409) 776-1822 FAX (409) 776-6119 1= 1722 BROA.DMOOR, SUITE 212 BRYA.N/ nXA.S 77802 February 18, 1997 C. BarbuCo. ATTN: Mr. ConstantinBarbu 2909 South Texas Avenue Bryan, Texas 77802 RE: Convenience Store Intersection of Wellborn and Rock Prairie Roads College Station, Texas Dear Mr. Barbu: I have reviewed your most recent proposed site plan for the proposed Convenience Store to be located on the southeast corner of the intersection of Wellborn and Rock Prairie Roads in College Station. I believe that the construction of an access road around the property connecting Wellborn Road and Rock Prairie Road would be. the preferred method for providing shared access to the aforementioned corner property and to adjacent properties. I am also aware of the additional access driveway that has been proposed for the development to be located along Rock Prairie. Road between Wellborn Road and the'shared access located on the eastel11 edge of the corner property..' It is my understandingthatthecitrof College Station through its staff members has initially denied your request for the additional access driveway. This denial apparently was based primarily. on the city ordinance that. prohibits the location of a driveway on Rock Prairie Road that would be positioned only 12S'feetfrpm an.intersection of two primary streets (Wellborn and Rock Prairie Roads). It is.my contention that the city of College Station has an excellent driveway ordinance and that I fully understand its purpose. I alsocornpletely understand the city staff's position to insure conformance with the ordinance. However, every development is unique and every development's acceSs plan should beevall.lated on its own merits relative to its site. Hence, I offer the following comments and opinions relative to your proposed additional driveway access. 1. Adjacent to the Convenience Store, Rock Prairie Road will have a raised rnedian. The first median opening along Rock Prairie Road east. of Well born Road will be located across from the proposed shared access location on the eastern edge of thecornerlot.. Consequently, the proposed additional access driveway will permit only right turns in and right turns out. Specializing in: Trafflc .Engineering Roadway Design Accident Analysis Mr. Constantin Barbu February 18, 1997 Page 2 2. The primary purpose of driveway access control near a m~or intersection is to keep the driveway traffic from interfering with intersectional operations. , That is why driveways are restrlctedfora relatively long distance from intersections. The primary question is "will the proposed additional access driveway interfere with intersectional operations?" If there was '90 raised median along Rock Prairie Road, then the proposed driveway access would certainly interfere with intersectional operations because left turns would be made into and from the driveway. The right-in, right-out operation will not interfere,with intersectional operations. 3. If a raised, median is. present along a primary street, I would not support positioning a driveway only 125 feet from a major intersection if the driveway was located upstream from the intersection. A few vehicles queued at the intersection would quickly block the driveway and vehicles turning into and out of the driveway would interfere with this queue of vehicles and, consequently, interfere with intersectional operations as well. The proposed driveway on your development islocated downstream from the intersection so it is not likely thatthe vehicles turning into and out of the driveway would interfere with traffic flow at the intersectionofW ellbomand Rock Prairie Roads. 4. Vehicles turning right into the driveway wo~ld .have to slowdown before turning; consequently, these "slow-downs" might restrict through traffic flow on Rock Prairie Road, though only toa small degree. It must be understood that these "slow-downs" will occur anyway if the same vehicle turns right into the shared access location on the eastern edge of the comer property. If the city of College Station staff is concerned about these "slow- downs," a short deceleration lane could be constructed in advance of the additional driveway access. 'Due to. the amount of traffic that will be expected to use Rock Prairie Road, I am not sure this. deceleration lane is warranted. I would agree that such lanes would be desirable on streets like Texas Avenue, Harvey Road, and University Drive. 5. The city of College Station driveway ordinance does not address divided arterials or divided collectors. It assumes that no raised median exists. If the ordinance had made such considerations, I believe th~t it would have been more lenient with driveway locations that are located downstream from intersections and have right-in, right-out access operations. Such locations really do not seriously disrupt traffic flow or create unsafe conditions. 6. I am a,supportet of the. city staff and of the city of College Station driveway ordinance. I believe. that the staff should support. the ordinance and the ordinance should, be enforced in virtually all circumstances. Ym)rproposed driveway location is not in accordance with the ordinance; however, I do not believe its presence would violate the intent of the ordin~nce. I strongly support good traffic engineering practices that are addressed by the ordinance. I do. not believe that the additional driveway at your convenience store location would bea violation of good traffic engineering practice. Mr. Constantin Barbu February 18, 1997 Page 3 7. I would have to admit that the driveway is not absolutely necessary from an engineering perspective. However, I do not believe that the driveway would create any operational problems. Please contact me if you have any questions. CFI~ Joseph D. Blaschke, D.Eng., P.E. President JDB/sb '> I MEMORANDUM DATi: April 3, 1997 FROM: Planning and Zoning Commission Steve Homeyer, Assistant to the City Enginee~ Driveway Variance Request for a Convenience Store on the Southeast Comer of Rock Prairie and Wellborn Roads by Constantin Barbu for James Loveless (Planning Case File 97-803) To: SUBJECT: The applicant has submitted a driveway variance request for a convenience store at the comer of the Rock Prairie Road.extension and Wellborn Road. This request was reviewed by the City Engineer and was denied, therefore the applicant is appealing this decision to the Planning and Zoning Commission. As part of the Rock Prairie Road extension project a raised median will be constructed with several openings to allow traffic to access future developments. There is a proposed median opening located approximately 275 feet from Wellborn Road. During the design process, this median opening was purposely placed at this location to' comply with the Driveway Access Location and Design Policy (Ordinance 1961). This location was determined in August of 1996. The first pre-development meeting to discuss this proposed development was held on September 10, 1996. At this meeting, staff indicated that curb cuts on both Rock Prairie and Wellborn would need to be a minimum. of 275 feet from the intersection. At a later date, the applicant proposed a third driveway to be located approximately 125 feet from the intersection because he felt that the driveway located at the median opening would not provide adequate access to his development. Staff has maintained its prior decision to not approve the third location because the proposed distance does not meet the minimum spacing as identified in the driveway access ordinance. It is staff's position to vary from the ordinance only under extenuating circumstances in order to maintain, consistency and fairness with past, present and future requests. The architect has submitted a letter from himself and a report from a traffic engineer citing specific reasons for the third driveway location. These letters are attached for your review. This intersection has the potential for a similar use to be located on the opposite comer. If this occurs, and if the variance request is approved, then staff would be in a difficult position to deny a similar request on the opposite comer. The City Engineer is the designated administrator of the driveway access ordinance. The applicant has not demonstrated the need for more than two driveways at this site. In addition, the third proposed driveway does not meet the minimum spacing and therefore, staff recommends denial of this variance request.