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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/04/2013 - Minutes - Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Advisory Board MINUTES flow of 7frn:Airtjj 5.irmJtp" BICYCLE, PEDESTRIAN, AND GREENWAYS ADVISORY BOARD Monday, March 4, 2013 3:00 PM Council Chambers 1101 Texas Avenue College Station, Texas, 77840 MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman Blanche Brick, Vice-Chairman Sherry Ellison, Greg Stiles, James Batenhorst, Philip Lasley, and Scott Shafer MEMBERS ABSENT: Jean Gould VISITORS PRESENT: No visitors present STAFF PRESENT: Greenways Program Manager Venessa Garza, Transportation Planning Coordinator Joe Guerra, Staff Planner Matt Robinson and Board Secretary Kristen Hejny AGENDA ITEM NO. 1: Call to Order. Chairman Brick called the meeting to order at 3:03. AGENDA ITEM NO. 2: Hear Visitors There were no visitors attending the meeting. AGENDA ITEM NO. 3: Consideration of absence requests. • Jean Gould " March 4, 2013 Board Member Batenhorst motioned to approve the absence request. The motion was seconded by Board Member Stiles, and was approved (5-0). (This item was voted on after Agenda Item #4, with Board Member Shafer unavailable to vote on item #4). AGENDA ITEM NO. 4: Consideration, discussion, and possible action to approve meeting Minutes. Board Member Ellison motioned to approve the meeting Minutes from February 4, 2013. The motion was seconded by Board Member Batenhorst, and was approved (4-0). Board Member Shafer arrived to meeting at 3:10. AGENDA ITEM NO. 5: Presentation and discussion regarding an update on the following item(s): Program Manager Garza discussed updates on the following items: • Rezoning: Copper Creek Condos - 301 Southwest Parkway A rezoning from PDD (Planned Development District) to PDD (Planned Development District) for approximately 6.32 acres located at 301 Southwest Parkway. The Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Advisory Board heard this item on February 4, 2013 and voted 4-1 to approve staff's recommendation of denial. The Planning and Zoning Commission heard this item on February 21st and voted 6-0 to recommend approval. The City Council heard this item on February 28th and recommended approval. Retaining wall issues were resolved and will only be needed in two locations. Ms. Garza pointed out these locations on a map to the Board. Vegetation that has to be removed for structures or parking will be replaced with native species. Chairman Brick recommended in the future when the Committee is denying approval, identifying conditions of approval at the time the project is denied in order to avoid the lack of time to come back to the Board before going to the Planning and Zoning Commission. . • Dexter Sidewalk Project Dexter Sidewalk construction has been approved and will begin this month. Completion is expected early summer. • Lick Creek Greenway Trail The design contract for the Lick Creek Greenway Trail has been approved by Council and the design is expected to begin this spring. The construction will take one year and completion is expected in 2015. • 2818 Trail Phase II Ms. Garza stated this phase is from Welch Avenue to Southwest Parkway and completion should be in the fall of 2013. • University Drive Pedestrian Improvements Phase II Ms. Garza stated that the Preliminary Engineering Report is currently being worked on. The next public meeting is scheduled for April 8, 2013. AGENDA ITEM NO. 6: Presentation, possible action, and discussion regarding a recommendation to the Planning and Zoning Commission on proposed changes to the Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Master Plan based on the Wellborn Area Plan. • Wellborn Area Plan Senior Planner, Matt Robison reported City staff has been working with the Wellborn Area Community to create a plan for the area.. The kickoff for this plan began in February. Mr. Robinson explained the various steps in which the Wellborn residents were involved in making this plan. A neighborhood resource team of residents and business owners was established. There was an issues and opportunities meeting which established what was most important to the group. Mr. Robinson explained the land use component required the most time to develop. Transportation Planning Coordinator, Joe Guerra then addressed the Board regarding the Thoroughfare Plan. Mr. Guerra covered the current changes to the Thoroughfare Plan. Mr. Guerra explained the two contexts for this area are"rural" and "suburban." The context will reflect what the roadway will look like. "Rural"will have no curb and gutter or underground storm sewer. "Suburban"context has curb and gutter, as well as, underground storm sewer. Wellborn residents expressed they would like to maintain the rural feel on Wellborn Road/FM 2154. Mr. Guerra explained why the rural context will need more right-of-way and the suburban needs less. Area residents suggested a hybrid where it has the rural feel but has less impact on the businesses. Mr. Guerra explained TxDOT will have to go through their planning process and make that decision when it is widened. Ms. Garza addressed the biking and walking components of Wellborn Road/FM 2154. She informed the Board that citizens were not comfortable with a bike route on Wellborn. A discussion was held between the Board and staff to understand the term hybrid as it relates to bike lanes. Mr. Guerra explained that the shoulder could be used for biking but it would not have signage. Board Member, Philip Lasley expressed if it is an eight foot shoulder it could serve as a bike route even though it is not marked. Board Member, Scott Shafer asked what the speed limits would be where the outside lanes are? Mr. Guerra said that question would be addressed by TxDOT. Ms. Garza reviewed the remaining bicycle components proposed in the Plan. The west side remains rural with some of the bike lanes becoming bike routes. There will be bike/pedestrian accommodations crossing Wellborn Rd/FM 2154. There was a bike route on Live Oak added. The east side will have more bike lanes as originally proposed. Part of the bike lane on Greens Prairie was removed to match changes to the thoroughfare plan. Ms. Garza and the Board also discussed sidewalk changes to be made. South Dowling will be a rural context. Board Member, Philip Lasley asked what the population growth is anticipated to be. Ms. Garza responded growth to be about 3% per year. This will be a future agenda item. AGENDA ITEM NO. 7: Presentation, possible action, and discussion regarding Capital Improvement Program (CIP) sidewalk projects and priorities. Ms. Garza provided an overview of the process that was used to prioritize about 130 miles of proposed sidewalks with the adoption of the Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Master Plan. Staff explained the second level of decision making used to set priorities include Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requests/needs, opportunities through other projects underway, Neighborhood Plans, and all other projects (short, near, and long-term). Ms. Garza reviewed the analysis completed as directed by the Board at the last meeting which was to rerun the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) model by changing any future schools at that time to existing and explained the outcome. Ms. Garza also offered suggestions on how the prioritization of projects could be improved. Ms. Garza said staff is open to any and all suggestions. All requests up to 2010 have been prioritized using the GIS model. The model could be reevaluated before an update is made to the Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Master Plan in 2015. Chairman Brick requested that a current ranking list be sent to the Committee. The discussion was tabled until the next meeting on April 1st. AGENDA ITEM NO. 8: Presentation and discussion regarding the South Knoll Area Neighborhood Plan. Ms. Garza distributed a handout to the Board. This item will be discussed at the April 1st meeting. AGENDA ITEM NO. 9: Presentation, possible action, and discussion regarding review of items for a recommendation to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Ms. Garza said this item would be revisited at the April 1st meeting. AGENDA ITEM NO. 10: Presentation and Discussion regarding education and encouragement opportunities such as Earth Day and May is National Bike Month. Ms. Garza will be send around a signup sheet for Earth Day on April 20th at the next meeting. AGENDA ITEM NO. 11: Presentation and discussion regarding the Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Advisory Board calendar of upcoming meetings. Ms. Garza presented updates on the upcoming meetings: • March 5, 2013 — Wellborn District Plan '' Open House " Wellborn Community Center — 6:00 p.m. • March 7, 2013 N Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting City Hall, Council Chambers " 6:00 p.m. • March 19, 2013 South Knoll Area Plan " Neighborhood Resource Team Meeting — City Hall, Council Chambers, 6:30 p.m. • March 21, 2013 N Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting — City Hall, Council Chambers — 6:00 p.m. • April 1, 2013 Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Advisory Board — City Hall, Council Chambers, 3:00 p.m. • April 8, 2013 — University Drive Pedestrian Improvements Phase II A&M United Methodist Church, Annex Fellowship Hall — 7:00 p.m. • April 20, 2013 - Earth Day Celebration ' Wolf Pen Creek - 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. AGENDA ITEM NO. 12: Possible action and discussion on future agenda items - A Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Advisory Board Member may inquire about a subject for which notice has not been given. A statement of specific factual information or the recitation of existing policy may be given. Any deliberation shall be limited to a proposal to place the subject on an agenda for a subsequent meeting. There will be further discussion regarding the CIP sidewalk projects and priorities. Board would like to see a map designating the priorities. Proposed population growth. AGENDA ITEM NO. 13: Adjourn. The meeting adjourned at 5:05 p.m. A' /•VED: ATE T: a1444, B anche Brick, Chairman Kriste Hejny, Boa ecret241L14-4.