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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992-10-15 adjOctober 15, 1992 (Adjourned Meeting) M.B. 427 Pg. 296 (Page 1) An adjourned meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Albemarle County, Virginia, was held on October 15, 1992, at 7:00 P.M., Auditorium, County Office Building, McIntire Road, Charlottesville, Virginia. This meeting was adjourned from October 14, 1992. PRESENT: Mr. Edward H. Bain, Jr., Mr. David P. Bowerman, Mrs. Char- lotte Y. Mumphris, Messrs. Forrest R. Marshall, Jr., Charles S. Martin and Mr. Walter F. Perkins (arriving at 7:08 P.M.). ABSENT: None. OFFICERS PRESENT: County Executive, Robert W. Tucker, Jr., and County Planner, V. Wayne Cilimberg. Agenda Item No. 1. The meeting was called to order at 7:04 P.M. by the Chairman, Mr. Bowerman. Since this was a joint meeting with the Planning Commission (Present: Mrs. Ellen I. Anderson, and Messrs. Tom Blue, Phil Grimm, Walter Johnson and Bill Nitchmann. Absent: Mrs. Jacquelyn Huckle and Mr. Tom Jenkins), their meeting was called to order by their Chairman, Mr. Grimm. Agenda Item No. 2. Joint Meeting with the Planning Commission to hear a presentation by the consultants for the Meadow Creek Parkway and to receive public comments thereon. Mr. Bowerman said the consultants, Sverdrup Corp., will make a presenta- tion and recommendations on that portion of the Meadow Creek Parkway which lies between Rio Road and Route 29 North. There will be comments on the western leg of the Parkway, especially as that section may effect the poten- tial connectors into Forest Lakes. The consultants do not have recommenda- tions on the connectors yet. By the County adding in the western aspect of this roadway, it has changed the circumstances and there are other alterna- tives That will be presented to the Planning Commission at a later date. Following this meeting tonight, the Planning Commission will hold work sessions and public meetings dealing with this subject and all of its aspects. They will then make a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors, who will also hold public meetings and work sessions. Mr. Bowerman said he does not believe the Board will get any recommendation before the end of the year. Me said that Mr. David Metcalf from Sverdrup will make the presenta- tion. Mr. Metcalf also introduced Mr. Scott Hamlock from his firm. He said the Meadow Creek Parkway begins at Rio Road crosses over the South Fork Rivanna River and goes to the west over to Route 29. He said the purpose of the Meadow C~eek Parkway is to serve local, commuter and downtown traffic. It is designed to be a parkway. It will have a bikeway and it will serve the planned river parkway. It will have a benefit in that it will provide access for through traffic to bypass Route 29 and will decrease traffic on Route 29. Mr. Metcalf said that on June 24, 1994, they held a public information meeting and presented 10 different proposals for connectors to the Parkway and Route 29. (SEE MAP ON NEXT PAGE) They received 203 comments and of those, 156 were negative about the Timberwood Connector, Ti and T3 into Hollymead and Forest Lakes. There were concerns expressed that the Timberwood Connector would be used as a through road for traffic bypassing Route 29 from origins outside of the residential area to the downtown or other points. They were also concerned that there would be a change in traffic patterns in Forest Lakes and areas where there is little traffic. Mr. Metcalf said there was not a lot of negative reaction to the Meadow Creek Parkway itself. He said their recommendation for the southern section is B2, although BI most closely matches the alignment shown in the Comprehen- sive Plan. It runs along the existing Southern Railroad corridor, and is very similar to Alternative 7 in the Route 29 study. However, at one point, the Railroad becomes an elevated structure and the ridge that it runs along drops off. From that point, there would be need for a structure, and it would be in the flood plain and possibly wetlands. The crossing of the River will be challenging. B2 uses a bluff-to-bluff crossing which is better from an engineering standpoint. The alternatives are much the same, but the engineer- ing challenges and the costs are less for B2. He said that B2 does use the Bentivar ridge, and although there are no residential takings involved, there is more of a noise impact from B2. October 15, 1992 (Adjourned M~eting) (Page 2) M.Bo 42, Pg. 297 FORES1 CARI%SBROOK WESTMOR[ W00DBR00K PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING JUNE 24, 1992 MEADOWCREEK PARKWAY STUDY ALBEMARLE COUNTY, VIRGINIA ALIGNMENT ALTERNATIVES ure I bit. Metcalf said G4 is along the back of the homes on Bentivar Drive and makes it not as advantageous. There is competition between G1 and G2. G2 runs along an existing ridge, both split around a church which is planned in the area. It would be more intrusive than Gl, but the two are very similar. The conultants think G1 will be lower and have a lesser noise impact, and be more accessible to the planned River Greenway. They recon~nend Gl. October 15, 1992 (Adjourned Meeting) (Page 3) ...................... M.B. 42. Pg. 298 MEADOWCREEK PARKWAY STUDY ALBEMARLE COUNTY, VIRGINIA PROPOSED ALIGNMENT8 Y1 and Y3 are very similar. The Forest Lakes South development would have an access. The~interchange at Y3 would interfere with that access. Y1 would be a lower facility and a lesser noise disturbance. Y1 does cross the flood plain boundary, but it is not a significant factor so they recommend Y1. October 15, 1992 (Adjourned Meeting) M.B. 42, Pg. 299 (Page 4) He next discussed the Timberwood Connector. He said the disadvantages are that there would be no direct access to the Meadow Creek Parkway for Hollymead, Forest Lakes, Forest Lakes South or other residential area. It increases traffic on Route 29. There would be no bike access to the Parkway or access to the future River Greenway without the Timberwood Connector. As to Timberwood Connector Ti, Mr. Metcalf said it is a spur from Forest Lakes South to the Meadow Creek Parkway so it has been defined as a connection between Forest Lakes and Hollymead. Although Ti does not necessitate an interconnection, for their traffic analysis, they defined the Ti connector as being open so the Ti spur is available to Forest Lakes. The advantage is that there are more efficient travel patterns and with the spur there are more choices as to how to travel around. There are less travel miles so there are travel'efficient patterns. It is the shortest alternative so has the least cost, and uses existing roads so it has less resident impact, and is the shortest route. Ti has the disadvantage of opening Forest Lakes and Hollymead to the potential for being part of the through route from Route 29. By opening up a connection it would send traffic in front of Hollymead Elementary and the proposed middle' school. Mr. Metcalf said that T3 comes around residential development and near the dam. They are showing a spur to both Hollymead and Forest Lakes so there is no need to have a connection between the two developments. T3 is longer than TI, has more residential impact, and more construction costs. It comes close toga historic property, but has most of the same advantages as Ti. T4 goes around Forest Lakes and Hollymead and connects with Route 649 (Proffit Road). It is the longest route and has nine residential takings. It pulls the most traffic off of Route 29 and could function as a bypass. It does not serve Hollymead or Forest Lakes South as well as the other Timberwood alternatives. "Meadow Creek Parkway Extended" runs through an area that is undeveloped but where development is planned. It provides another access for the residen- tial areas to the Meadow Creek Parkway, but not as directly as the Timberwood connectors. "Meadow Creek Parkway Extended Wi and W2" Wi provides direct access to the Meadow Creek Parkway. It provides an alternate route to the Meadow Creek Parkway from the Airport. It decreases traffic on Route 29 and provides traffic service for future development in designated growth areas. Mr. Metcalf said W2 has the same advantages as Wi but actually carries more traffic. Disadvantages are greater environmental and residential impact than Wi and a greater construction cost. (Note: Mr. Martin left the room at 7:26 p.m. and returned at 7:30 p.m.) Mr. Metcalf then went over projected traffic figures for the Year 2010. The figures are considered light for a four-lane, controlled access facility. #EADOla CREEK PARKlaAY STUDY (IICI)) YEAR ~010 TRAFFi'C PROJECTTONS NO MCP T4 T1/3& I BASE LOCATION BUILD ONLY 14I 141&142 W1/Z T1/T3 W1/2 T4 1992 Route 29 @ South Fork Rivanna River 57,800 48,500 45,000 45,000 43,000 42,700 42,200 37,900 34,500 Route 29 @ H0l Lymead 44,100 43,700 40,900 38,600 32,100 43,900 36,500 35,600 27,200 MCP g South Fork Rivanna River - 6,200 7,300 7,300 12,600 7,400 8,200 19,000 T1 & T3 @ MCP - - 2,500 2,700 T4 ;~ HCP 10,300 - 18,800 141 ;~ MCP 10,600 - ' W1 & W2 @ MCP - 17,600 11,800 17,400 In answer to a question from the public, Mr. Metcalf said the traffic model divides Albemarle County into various zones and there are projections for destination and origin of traffic in that zone. It is a regional traffic projection. It is the same model that was used for Route 29. This study area is small for this regional model. A member of County staff is running the model that is generating these numbers. Mr. Bowerman said all of this information was developed during the Route 29 Study that was done over a period of three years for which the State paid about $3.0 million. There were actual traffic counts done, actual surveys October 15, 1992 (Adjourned Meeting) (Page 5) M.B. 42, Pg. 300 taken, there were checkpoints along Rio Road, Hydraulic Road and Route 29. This was done as part of the bypass question. The data is as current as possible. It is based on actuals, taking the actuals and making a projection. At this time, Mr. Bowerman asked for comments from the public. First to speak was Ms. Cynthia Hash. She is the Chairperson of the Meadow Creek Parkway Subcommittee endorsed by the Board of Directors of the Forest Lakes Community Association. She is present to make three points on their behalf. She furnished Mr. Martin with a petition on August 24 in which they adamantly oppose any of the "T" connector roads. The people in Forest Lakes wish to remain a "contained environment" without any connection to Proffit Road, Hollymead, or the Meadow Creek Parkway. Ms. Hash noted that the maps used by Sverdrup for the T4 connection, did not show the boundary lines of the subdivision, so the results of the August 24 meeting were to say that 16 people were in favor of T4 and only two were opposed. That is because T4 looked like it went around Forest Lakes, but it does not. Second, at the meeting held with Mr. Martin on August 24, it was very clear that the overwhelming majority of the more than 200 citizens present opposed any of the "T" connectors. There was concern expressed as to how to provide relief off of Hollymead Drive due to current and future school traffic. Third, she pointed out on a map the Forest Lakes South entrance off of Route 29 and where Powell Creek Drive will be extended into Forest Lakes South. She said the two roads meet giving the other access road to the schools. She concluded by saying the "T" connectors are entirely unnecessary for the following reasons: 1) Forest Lakes South and Hollymead connect to each other and Route 29. This will relieve some Hollymead Drive Traffic; 2) The expansion of Route 29 to six lanes from the Sheraton Hotel to Airport Road will relieve some traffic congestion; and 3) the possibility of a Meadow Creek Parkway Extension to the west of Route 29 will relieve some traffic congestion as well. Ms. Hash then asked that members of Forest Lakes subdivision and anybody else who agrees with what she had said to stand. About 38 people stood to show support. Mr. Jack Wilson from 996 Dunlora Drive said he represents the homeown- ers. The proposed alignment will have a more devastating impact on Dunlora than on any other development along the right-of-way. The whole development of Dunlora will be about 150 homes and then there is another large parcel of land closer to the B2 alignment where the 1700's Dunlora Manor is located. It is a big development which has been approved by the County, and has been on the books for a long time. Both Bi and B2 would come through Dunlora's front gate and take the tennis courts and swimming pool and other recreational facilities which are to be built this spring. It will have a devastating affect on the development even though no residences are to be taken. The alignment will be within 100 feet of his front door on Dunlora Drive. Also, there is nothing in the environmental assessment showing any consideration for endangered species. Mr. Wilson said he knows that there are pileated red-headed woodpeckers in the woods, and if somebody wanted to make an issue of it, it could be a "show stopper." Mr. Wilson said he is an environmental civil engineer and understands how these studies are done. There is a strong bias in the report for lower cost construction, to avoid the wetlands because it is more expen- sive to construct in them, and because the road would probably have to be elevated to put the alignment where there is the best property for homes. If it costs a little more to build the road, let the people who are going to use the road pay for it, not just the people in Dunlora and other areas that will be impacted. This will ruin Dunlora. He asked for the people from Dunlora to stand (about eleven people stood). Next to speak was Mr. F. A. Iachetta who said he had served six years on the CATS Study Committee during the end of the 1970s. They drew up a lot of the original data. One of the things they looked at was the level of service (LOS). He was startled this evening to see that the level of service is not indicated in the chart. He sees nothing to indicate what is bought to build the Meadow Creek Parkway and divert 10,000 vehicle trips per day so the traffic on Route 29 is 48,000 vtpd instead of 57,000 vtpd. What level of service does that represent on Route 29 in either case? How long will traffic be stopped at the light at Wal-Mart in the morning when wanting to go south of town? The Board is talking about spending "lots of bucks" to build the piece of road from Rio Road to Route 29. Will there be sufficient return on the money to warrant building that road? He suggested determining the level of service first, assuming anyone can project 18 years into the future and have valid numbers. If lots of money is to be spend, it should be worthwhile spending that money. For anyone who is near, or in the path of the proposed road~ they will be in limbo while this body and the State Highway Department make the decision. Mr. Iachetta said he left this Board as a member nearly 12 years ago, and was assured at that time that the road would be built in 1984 along an alignment that was already on paper. Now, 12 years later, the alignment still October 15, 1992 (Adjourned Meeting) M.B. 42, Pg. 301 (Page 6) has not been determined. He said the people whose homes will be affected by this roadway would like to have a decision so they can plan what they will do and have some enjoyment left of their properties. Mr. Monchant said he had a few questions to ask. First, he asked if everyone present is familiar with the CATS study. He is confused and can understand the frustration that Dr. Iachetta feels. He asked how much the CATS study cost. Mr. Bowerman said it was done by staff over a period of years. Mr. Monchant brought the attention of the gathering to Page 158 of the study dated August 28, 1985, amended November 13, 1987. He has not been able to compare the map in the study with the map shown by the consultants tonight. He sees a major difference at the interchange at the Dunlora area. He asked why such a major change was made. Mr. Bowerman said Dunlora applied for approval with the full understanding that the Mead°w Creek Parkway was going to be built. The entire intersection, which was only a line on a map (not the centerline), and all the lines on Rio Road were left undeveloped because it was known that there would be an interchange there. Ail the information available four years ago was incorporated into the approval of Dunlora. There was no exact alignment for Dunlora because the study had not yet been done. The study has nowbeen done and there are implications for Dunlora and for Northfield Road. Somehow, the needs of the road system have to be accommodat- ed with the needs of Dunlora, Northfield Subdivision, Forest Lakes, and the rest of them. This is only part of a process. Mr. Monchant said he is only asking questions. He is a confused citizen. He said he reads maps because that is his profession. He has a great amount of confusion about what happened when Dunlora was approved. He assumes this CATS Study was shown to the Dunlora people when they applied for a permit. Mr. Bowerman said a member of the Planning Staff just told him that this was all made available to the Dunlora people at the time of approval. Mr. Monchant said this is an excellent study, but there is one thing missing, and that is exactly where on that map the Western Bypass comes in and where it really should be. He thinks that with a little ingenuity, the northern connection of the Western Bypass could be reconnected and if after this meeting someone will give him some tape, he will tape the map to show his idea. The northern end of the Western Bypass should be realigned to avoid destroying Kegler's and Lowe's. An excellent job of tying into this was done by the County's consultants. Mr. Robert Walters said he is a resident of Hollymead and speaks only for himself. He is one of the few people who is in favor of the T3 connector. When he moved to Hollymead seven years ago, Forest Lakes did not exist. There was one way in and one way out on Powell Creek Road. There was not as much traffic, and with the development of Forest Lakes, the road over the dam was closed on Powell Creek Road. There has been a substantial increase in traffic on Hollymead Drive which is a curvy road and at some places has only a 35-foot visibility level. The residents to get the speedlimit reduced to 25 miles per hour, but have been unsuccessful in doing so. A substantial amount of traffic at the elementary school is from Forest Lakes. Mr. Walters said the Board has recently approved building a middle school in Hollymead, so that new traffic will be "dumped in" also. Traffic will probably double or triple. Right now, without the T3 interceptor, and the road over the dam, the people in Hollymead are bearing the brunt of that additional traffic. There are serious safety issues involved also. Mr. Walters said if you look at Ti and drive out on Hollymead Drive to see where Hollymead comes to the intersection of Powell's Creek Drive and Poe's Lane, you will see that the people who live on the south of Hollymead Drive would have a very difficult time crossing that proposed road. If Ti is approved, it will be worse. There is a traffic problem and there is no solution as it now stands. When he moved to Hollymead seven years ago, he knew that the Meadow Creek Parkway was in the works and there was supposed to be access. The whole controversy over the bypass has been highly publicized over the years, and this had been mentioned as an alternative to the bypass. It is not something that the people who have bought or built there in the last five years were not aware of. Mr. walters said he has two suggestions. One is that those who are a part of the problem need to be a part of the solution. He does not believe people will drive to Hollymead to drive out to a "T" intersection, or to Forest Lakes to drive to a "T" intersection, when one mile down the road there is to be a major interchange. He sees T3 as a solution to a very serious traffic concern, but a very serious safety concern with the children. If the Board decides to scrap T3 then he believes the dam will have to be brought up to code and the road opened over the dam. Mr. Baron Pebehouse said he lives in River Run. He drives Rio Road to Park Street every day and it is almost continuous bumper-to-bumper traffic now. Changing Rio Road from Route 29 to the Railroad would be very nice but that is not the short cut to the downtown area. The people who talk about having access to Forest Lakes or Hollymead are being short-sighted in the long-term. They should try to figure out what is the best alternative. He does not believe people will come off of Route 29 further to the north if they have a good interchange down at Rio Road. He believes they should look at what is the best route to get to the Parkway. In driving Rio to Park, he asked what is going to happen there. In the newspaper article it showed Meadow Creek Parkway going out to Route 250 and that is not shown here. Is it October 15, 1992 (Adjourned Meeting) 4.B. 41, Pg. 302 (Page 7) already accepted that that section will be built first? Mr. Bowerman said that is in the plan, it is already funded, and it will be bid for construction in 1997 or 1998. It runs from where Rio stops the four-laning at the Railroad bridge. Mr. Pebehouse asked if the choice now is which one of these inter- changes take place at Rio Road. Mr. Bowerman said that is correct. Mr. Michael Jaffey from Forest Lakes said he attended a meeting with Mr. Martin and heard that the "T" connectors are being created for the citizens of Forest Lakes or Hollymead. It was implied that if the residents wanted these "T" connectors it was okay, but if they were not wanted then why should they have them? He said these two developments have many children. That is one of the reasons he moved here a couple of years ago. Now there are two schools there, and the Board must decide what types of roads will be sent through these two developments. He understands the traffic patterns of Route 29 and understands that some traffic needs to be removed. If you were to drive through Forest Lakes, or Hollymead, and see the number of children playing or walking along the highways, you would see the kind of impact there will be from putting additional traffic on these roads. Forest Lakes Community Center is right across the street from where you want to send major traffic. There are many children walking across that road now. This must be considered because children are the most important things we have right now. Mr. Bob Hauser said he is the Development Manager for Dunlora Phase I and is the contract purchaser of Phase II. He has 156 lots in Phase I, and in Phase II there are 118 approved lots which will be platted within the next two years. He agrees with Mr. Bowerman's statements about Dunlora. Me was not involved four years ago but he recognizes that the Meadow Creek Parkway has been planned for a long time. But, in reality, there are a lot of roads that are planned but because they are not funded, they are not built and progress moves forward. Dunlora is there and people will live there. He asked that the Board consider that in reviewing the alignment. Specifically, he asked that that particular access to Dunlora be reevaluated. He is not satisfied that the consultants can say how access to Dunlora will be handled. The road being built in Dunlora now is being built to service 500 homes, so someone will have to build an alternative. Mr. Bowerman asked if Mr. Hauser meant the entrance road would be taken, so he is wondering how the residents will access their property. Mr. Hauser said that is correct. He believes the costs of the consultants are general- ized. When Mr. Metcalf referred to the flood plains and dealing with BI versus B2, he noted steep slope construction. There is about three times as much on the recommended alignment than on the alternative. Mr. Hauser understands steep slopes are harder to build on, and he believes the two points on the River can be accessed with alternatives other than the one recommended. B2, the recommended alignment, will come close to Phase II of Dunlora. The alternative is to push it up against the Railroad tracks. Mr. Hauser said he does not represent Dr. Hurt who owns Belvidere which is the adjacent, vacant parcel. He has been developing here for 12 years and for those 12 years he has been told to develop in the urban area and not in the rural area. This alignment will "screw up" a good deal of developable land. It would seem that if the alignment could be placed up against the Railroad tracks it would leave good, vacant land to be developed. In general, there seems to be a lot of detail that is not analyzed. He hopes the Board will interact with and work with the residents. Mr. Bowerman said it appears that the road has been placed in the most advantageous place for construction costs, etc. He asked Mr. Metcalf if the consultants looked at what the B2 alignment would do to the urban area and its development potential. Mr. Metcalf said B2 should be placed so it does not have a direct impact on the extension to Dunlora. There is open space in that general area so it should not impact Phase II of Dunlora. Mr. Bowerman said the interchange does have some impact on Dunlora. Mr. Metcalf said they searched along Rio Road for the optimum place for the interchange and even went into more detail for the interchange on Rio Road. The rest of the facility has not been done in this detail. When an alterna- tive is selected they will do cross-sections and the profile of it. They do look at land use plans before locating the facility. The land use plan across the whole area is about the same. As to BI and B2, they are about the same as concerns land use. B2 "nicks" Dunlora. There is plenty of room there so that when the alternative is selected, it should not do that. Mr. Steve Runkle said he questions the traffic chart handed out tonight. He thinks there is a 15 percent statistical error in the traffic model, so any data from it has to be evaluated on that basis. He questions the validity of the model as it relates to the South Fork Rivanna River and points further south. Where the alternatives will make the most difference is from the South Fork Rivanna River north to Proffit Road. A third question is what, if any, analysis has been done to any interconnections that may be made among any of the three major neighborhoods; Forest Lakes North, Forest Lakes South (yet to be created) and Hollymead, as to the impact on traffic volumes on Route 29 without any connection to the Meadow Creek Parkway. If you look at those three neighborhoods at build-out, they probably represent 2000 or more households, with an estimated 20,000 vehicle trips per day. He does not know how many of those trips would be internalized if the neighborhoods were connected, but he would guess that it could be 25 percent. He asked if any analysis of that type has been done. October 15, 1992 (Adjourned Meeting) M.Bo 42, Pg. 303 (Page 8) Mr. Bob Colley from Forest Lakes said he has a question about the impact study concerning the Ti, T3 and T4 figures. He does not believe the con- sultants counted the residences on the existing road and if it is going to be made a through road, they should be counted. Also, there are public recre- ational facilities within one-quarter of a mile. There is a new recreation site being developed by Forest Lakes and there are some soccer fields within one-quarter mile of the main road coming in. He asked that the recreational facilities be included in the impact study. Ms. Rita Stefureac said T4 would decrease traffic the most on Route 29. As a resident of Timberpoint Road and probably one of the nine houses that would be destroyed, she questions why Timberpoint Road was ever approved for development and why they were not informed of the situation before they purchased. She moved in from out of state so did not know about all of this. Mr. Bowerman said he does not believe that particular alignment had been put down on paper anywhere or even thought of until the last six months. Mr. Martin said the original line came into Forest Lakes at the Food Lion. The roads in front of the Food Lion were originally built with the thought that the Meadow Creek Parkway would come in that way. This was a proposal to prevent that, and obviously people are very upset with the alternatives, as well as with the original proposal. Mr. Bowerman said the consultants will stay at the meeting to answer questions from the public as will the Board members. He thanked all who came tonight and said this will be a process for the citizens to participate in and he looks forward to that input. Agenda Item No. 3. At 8:30 p.m., the meeting was adjourned. Chairman