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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDecember 7, 2015 Minutes OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS COLUMBIA HEIGHTS TRAFFIC COMMISSION MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2015 CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Ed Carlson at 5:30 p.m. ROLL CALL Members present: Commissioners Ed Carlson, Brian Clerkin, Kevin Doty, and Leonard Olson Members absent: Commissioner Charles Tyler Staff Present: Kathy Young, Assistant City Engineer Lenny Austin, Police Captain Sue Schmidtbauer, Public Works Secretary Council Liaison: Donna Schmitt APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion by Doty, seconded by Olson, to approve the minutes of August 3, 2015, as presented. Motion passed unanimously. OLD BUSINESS None OTHER OLD BUSINESS None NEW BUSINESS TH A. REQUEST FOR NO PARKING ON SOUTH SIDE OF LOOKOUT PLACE BETWEEN JO STREET Ms. Veronica Johnson has requested the two short blocks on the s th Street be designated as No Parking. The concern is the Jolly Lane/Bakken Boulevard and 5 combination of intersections close together and the width of Loo months. Lookout Place is 30 wide. As a comparison, most residential stHeights are 31 to 33 wide. The distance between street centerlines is about 110. T Lookout Place. Approximately three vehicles can park on each block. Ms. Veronica Johnson stated that Lookout Place gets very narrow in the winter. Currently there i parking room for three cars on each block. Stated it is difficult to see around cars between Jolly Lane and Veterans Way because of the way it is set up In the winter cars park during the night and then get . plowed around causing the snow to build up. Ms. Johnson stated theseunits have 4-8 cars per unit. The association rule in the rest of the development states residents must park vehicles in the garagestwo in garage and two in driveway. Lookout Place is not part of the association; its a city street.Ms. Cornelia Boisjoli belongs to the housing association. The association rules state you can park in garages and driveways but not on the street. She has tried to direct this parking issue through the association but they state Lookout Place is a city street and they cannot enforce the Citys rules. She has also Traffic Commission Minutes  December 7, 2015 Page 2 discussed this with Captain Austin.The association currently plows Lookout Place as a courtesyto the City. The association has a No Parkingrule for rest of the streets. Shesupports no parking on the south side of Lookout Place and would also like no parking on the north side. Fire trucks cannot get through in the winter. She has almost been hit when leaving the association from the north side of th Lookout Place and pulling out onto 5Street due to having to pull out further to see oncoming traffic. Carlson statedcars are not supposed to be parked on street overnight.Ms. Boisjoli stated she has been calling the police daily to have cars removed because she is concerned about emergency vehicles getting through. Captain Austin stated he has received complaints in the pastthe police generally hit a few areas each night and then will focus on a certain area if they receive complaints. Robert Boisjoli agrees with his roommate. States Lookout Place is the road he turns into to get to his home and it is very narrow, making it difficult to get in. It is also difficult getting people to not park on the street. He would like to see the law enforced on that section of street. A resident at 401 Lookout Place would also like the no parking enforced in winter time, but does not feel it is necessary in the summer. He has four cars at his home. Street parking does affect him if family members are staying with him. A resident from 409 Lookout Place feels the south side needs no parking but not the north side, feels parking is needed on at least one side of the street. Doty suggested no parking on the south side of Lookout Place with signage stating no parking 30 feet back from each corner on the north side. Residents agreed with this plan. Wade Felska of Jolly Lane is a board member and feelsstrongly that Lookout Place does not have the area to support two sides of parking. He supports all statements that have been made. Motion by Doty to call for a Public Hearing at the next Traffic Commission meeting to designate No th Parking on the south side of Lookout Place between Bakken Boulevard and 5Street and designate No th Parking 30 feet from each corner on the north side of Lookout Place between Bakken Boulevard and 5 Street. Motion seconded by Clerkin. Motion passed unanimously. TH B.REQUEST FOR 4-WAY STOP SIGNS AT HUSET PARKWAY AND 5 STREET th Mr. Sam Kader has requested 4-way STOP signs be installed at the intersection of Huset Parkway Street. The concern is the speed of vehicles driving through th and vehicles do not stop or yield for pedestrians. th Traffic stops on 5Street. Visibility at the intersection is good. The crosswalk located on the south side of the intersection and is signed as a The Police Department reviewed the accident record at this intersection for the last five years. There has been accident.The intersection does not meet the MMUTCD guidelines for 4-way stop signs. th Mr. Kader stated his children get picked up by the bus at Huset Streetandtraffic is miserable. Some drivers stop and others drive 40-50 mph. There is a curve on the north side and they come around it very fast. He is requesting a 4-way stop sign because he feels this would be safer than just a pedestrian crossing. The pedestrian crossing is on the south side. Mr. Kader states that inthe morning cars only come to a rolling stop. Cornelia Boisjoli stated she is familiar with that intersection. She states people do drive fast consistently at 40-50 mph. It would help if there was a speed limit sign or a larger pedestrian sign, etc. Carlson advised that drivers violate speed limit signs all the time. Ms. Traffic Commission Minutes  December 7, 2015 Page 3 Boisjoli stated there areno speed limit signson that parkway. She would alsolikethe street paintedfor a pedestrian crosswalk. Young stated thecrosswalk is in and marked. Olson asked about a sign in middle of road. Young doesnt think a speed limit sign will make a difference; feels emphasis on the crosswalk is needed. She stated we can put up a Crosswalk Ahead sign and during warmer months place a portable sign in the street withan arrow. Clerkin agrees with emphasizing the crosswalkand drivers must stop by state law signage. Motion by Olson to deny the request for 4-way stop signs based on the fact this doesnt meet MMUTCD guidelines, and instead add to the pedestrian signs and signage except for snow months. Seconded by Clerkin. Motion passedunanimously. Itwas also decided that there is a needfor a better paint job and signage at the crosswalk. RD AVENUE AT MC LEOD STREET C. REQUEST FOR YIELD OR STOP SIGNS ON 43 rd Avenue, A resident has requested a STOP or YIELD sign at the intersectio rd stopping traffic on 43 Avenue. The concern is the limited visibility at the intersectin. rd Avenue must turn left or right onto McLeod Street. The hill and This is a T intersection. Traffic on 43 fence on the northwest corner of the intersection does limit sig The Police Department reviewed the accident record at this intersection for the last five years. There has been one accidentand alcohol was a contributing factor in the crash. The intersection does not meet the guidelines in the MMUTCD for yield or stop signs. rd Motion by Olson to deny the request to install a YIELD or STOP sign at the intersection of 43 Avenue and McLeod Street based on the information at hand. Seconded by Doty. Motion passedunanimously. TH D.REQUEST FOR NO PARKING ON STINSON BOULEVARD FROM 37 AVENUE TO SILVER LANE (SAINT ANTHONY) The City Council has accepted the feasibility study and called f th Boulevard between 37 Avenue and Silver Lane. The street is proposed to be narrowed f wide, providing room for a sidewalk or trail on each side of the street striped with two through lanes and a center turn lane, similar t provide enough room for on street parking. The No Parking designation must be approved by the City Council at their next m the proposed hearing and construction schedule. Residents adjac opportunity to address the Council at a Public Improvement Hearing. Part of the funding for the above project is coming from State ANo Parking resolution from the City Council in order to approve the funds s in place. Staff will be meeting with residents at the assessment hearing so no public hearing is needed. th Motion by Olson to designate the west side of Stinson Boulevard Avenue to Silver Lane as No Traffic Commission Minutes  December 7, 2015 Page 4 Parking. Seconded by Clerkin. Motion passedunanimously. OTHER NEW BUSINESS None REPORTS A.CITY ENGINEER The City of Fridley is seeking MnDOT funding to improve traffic flow Central Avenue. According to a study prepared by Bolton & Menk, Inc.,53rd Avenue experiences a crash severity rate almost fourtimes the state-wide average. The most favorable proposal is to construct a roundabout near the Target/Medtronic entrance with a Central Avenue. Traffic from driveways along this section of 53ight out only. This configuration is expected to improve peak evening traffic flows by reducing conflicting traffic movements, such as trying to make a left turn from the b Fridley staff did look at placing a driveway behind the businesses on the north side but the grade is too steepso this is not feasible. Carlson states the roundabout will mak Embers. Olson feels the roundabout would put a pinch on businesses and still be dangerous. He thinks the state needs to change the timing of the eastbound tra rd 53, this would get more traffic out and ease the backups, should also have a combined straight through and rightturn lane to Applebees to provide more relief. The Traffic Commission feels a roundabout will make things worseand will hurt the businesses. Feels will still have crashes, just at a lower speed. Austin questioned if this is just a proposalYoung stated we need to get funding from MnDOT. B.POLICE None C.COMMISSIONERS Doty asked if we can put a speed trailer on Huset Parkway. Austin stated he can it placed in the next couple of weeks for the January meeting. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Olson, seconded by Clerkin, to adjourn the meeting at 6:18 p.m. Motion passed unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Sue Schmidtbauer Public Works Secretary