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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-1020 Council Mtg PACKET Imoortan[: Any citizen•attending council meetings may speak on any item on the agenda, unless it is the II subject of a public hearing which has been closed. If you wish to.speak, please rill out the Speaker Request form located near the entrance to the Council Chambers. The chair will recognize you and inform you as to the amount of time allotted to you. The time granted will be dependent to some extent on the nature of the item under.discussion, the number of people who wish to.be heard, and the length of the agenda. AGENDA FOR THE REGULAR MEETING ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL October 20, 1998 Civic Center Council Chambers, 1175 E.Main Street I. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: 7:00 p.m., Civic Center Council Chambers. II. ROLL CALL: APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Regular meeting minutes of October 6, 1998 and minutes of Executive meeting of October 6, 1998. IV. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS & AWARDS: 1. Update and presentation by RVTD. Mayor's Proclamation declaring October 23 through 31 as "Red Ribbon Week." Mayor's Proclamation declaring October 25 through 31 as "World Population Awareness Week." V. CONSENT AGENDA: 1. Minutes of Boards, Commissions and Cor„nittees. 2. . Monthly Departmental Reports. 3. Confirmation of Mayor's appointment of Dale Shostrom to_Building Appeals.Bcard'for a term to expire December 31, 1998. VI. PUBLIC HEARINGS: (Testimony lim'ited.to 5 minutes per speaker. All hearings. . must conclude by.9:30 p.m. or be continued to a subsequent meeting). 1. Public Hearing regarding Street Design Standards. Council Meeting Pkt. BARBARA CHRISTENSEN I CITY RECORDER VII. PUBLIC FORUM: Business from the audience not included on the agenda. (Limited to 5 minutes per speaker and 15 minutes total.) VIII. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: (None) IX. NEW AND MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS: 1. Council Meeting Look Ahead. X. ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS AND CONTRACTS: econd readin y title only of "An Ordinance Amending the Ashland City Band Chapter of the Ashland Municipal Code to Redefine the Band Board and uties Including Duties of the Band Director." x Second readri7ngDy title only of "An Ordinance Vacating a Portion of Clover Lane on roperty Owned by Vernon Ludwig Near Interstate 5 and Highway 66." 3. First reading by title only of"An Ordinance Replacing Chapter 2.22 of the Ashland Municipal Code to Change the Name of the Bicycle Commission to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission and to Amend Its Powers and Duties. " 4. First reading by title only of "An Ordinance Amending the Te ecommunications Title 16 of the Ashland Municipal Code to Add Provisions Regulating Cable Service and to Simplify and Clarify Requirements for Grantees." (POSTPONED) XI. OTHER BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS: XII. ADJOURNMENT: Reminder: A Study Session will be at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 21 regarding 1)The Water Plan; and, 2) Strategic Planning. . MINUTES FOR THE REGULAR MEETING ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL October 6, 1998 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Council Chairperson Wheeldon called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m., in the Civic Center Council Chambers. ROLL CALL Councilors Laws, Reid, Hauck, Wheeldon, and DeBoer were present. Mayor Shaw was absent. Chairperson Wheeldon noted that the Mayor's absence is due to a family crisis. Chairperson Wheeldon also noted her appreciation for all of the expressions of support from the Council and the community since Councilor Ken Hagen passed away on September 21'.' APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes of the regular meeting and executive session of September 15, 1998 were approved as presented. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS & AWARDS 1. Update on the Proposed Regional Modernization Projects for the 2000-2003 Oregon State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP). Public Works Director Paula Brown provided an update on the State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) projects. Noted that RVACT is now making recommendations to the Oregon Department of Transportation(ODOT), and explained that the proposal would bring close to$19 million to the region over the four year period. Brown stated that she serves as the staff liaison to the committee making recommendations to RVACT, and pointed out that the Siskiyou bikelane project is still in the running to receive approximately $1.5 million in funding. Explained that she is seeking Council support of the program of projects as a whole, with any changes made by the Metropolitan Planning Organization(MPO). Emphasized that transportation funding is a hot issue in the region, and noted a number of the projects proposed including the Siskiyou bikelane, the south Medford interchange, unit I of Highway 238, Highway 62, the Fern Valley Road intersection, two projects in Grants Pass, and Hamrick Road improvements. Explained that this is the recommendation of the Jackson Josephine Transportation Commission(JJTC)and pending their final approval it will go to the RVACT. Chairperson Wheeldon asked Councilor DeBoer if the proposal is a good one for the region. Councilor DeBoer indicated that there are significant needs in the region, noting that the Highway 62 project will cost roughly $30 million, and it is receiving only $2 million. Councilor Laws questioned the chances of getting funding for the bikelane project, and DeBoer indicated that as the proposal is written, chances are 100%. Pointed out that the proposal is written with a jurisdictional exchange so that the City would take over the maintenance of Siskiyou Boulevard from ODOT. Discussion of jurisdictional exchange concerns. Brown noted that funds would be available beginning in 2002, and stated that the City would need to match some funds to complete the project. Explained that there would need to be a discussion of jurisdictional exchange later. Councilor Reid confirmed that this would involve the portion of Siskiyou from Fourth to Walker. Chairperson Wheeldon noted the Transportation System Plan discussions last week, noting that the need for multimodal equity was discussed. Stated that if the City wants this road to remain as it is, it must be willing to take responsibility. Emphasized that Ashland's road character is unique on the west coast in that the state highway is not City Council Meeting 10-06-98 1 "strip-developed". Councilor Reid questioned the debt that would be incurred in a jurisdictional exchange. Councilor Hauck suggested that it would be difficult to accomplish anything on Siskiyou if the City did not take over control. Councilor Laws pointed out that the City receives complaints for Siskiyou's maintenance now, and it would be nice to be able to bring it up to standards. Brown noted that discussions with ODOT on a jurisdictional exchange would begin soon. Councilor Laws stated that he is willing to proceed. Brown confirmed for Chairperson Wheeldon that some preliminary designs have already been done on the Siskiyou bikelane project, and that the remaining design costs are included in the proposal. Confirmed that the RVACT meeting will be at 9 a.m. at the ODOT Auditorium, and while they will'not be taking public comments, there will be some opportunity to allow for public input. Councilors Hauck/Reid m/s to accept the proposed Regional Modernization Projects for the 2000-2003 Oregon State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) and direct staff to draft a letter for the Mayor's signature indicating this acceptance to the RVACT. Voice vote: All AYES. Motion passed. 2. Mayor's Proclamation declaring October 4- 10, 1998, as "Fire Prevention Week." Chairperson Wheeldon read this proclamation in its entirety. Fire Chief Keith Woodley noted that there were 54 fatalities in Oregon last year due to fires. Explained that the Fire Department will be participating in the "Great Escape" program, and will be giving t-shirts to families who are practicing their escape plans on Wednesday, October 7", at 7:00 p.m. Also stated that all three local television stations will be on hand to cover this event. 3. Mayor's Proclamation declaring the month of October, 1998, as "Crime Prevention Month in Ashland." Chairperson Wheeldon read this proclamation in its entirety. CONSENT AGENDA 1. Minutes of Boards, Commissions and Committees. 2. Monthly Departmental Reports. 3. Confirmation of Mayor's appointment of Alexander Amarotico to Planning Commission for a term to expire April 30, 2001. 4. Appointment of Mayor Shaw and Councilor Wheeldon as voting delegates to LOC Annual Business Meeting. Councilors Reid/DeBoer m/s to accept the consent agenda. Voice vote: All AYES. Motion passed. PUBLIC HEARINGS 1. Public Hearing regarding Local Improvements for Waterline Road. City Administrator Mike Freeman provided background on this item. Noted that the Alston had contacted the City about paving, and that they have been meeting with the Planning Department for some time. Stated that staff has been in contact with the Park Estates Homeowners' Association to work on an acceptable compromise. Late last week, staff was informed that the Homeowners would remonstrate if anything other than the "three lot approach" was used, and that approach is not acceptable to the Alston's. In light of this situation, staff recommends that Council direct staff to draft a resolution to be brought back to the April 6, 1999 meeting to order the formation of an LID. Also recommended that the City Recorder be authorized to inform potential buyers and those requesting lien searches of the formation of the LID and the proposed lien amounts. Freeman noted that this recommendation is a change from what was presented to Council in their packets, because the previous recommendation was based on the belief that all parties could reach a satisfactory compromise. Emphasized that the current recommendation would address the needs of all parties, and this option is preferred by staff over the previous recommendation from the packet. Stated that the Alston are in agreement with this recommendation as well. City Council Meeting 10-06-98 2 Councilor Laws questioned that the previous recommendation was to form and LID and take no action until plans for a development of three or more lots were submitted. Freeman confirmed, and explained that the new recommendation was to trigger the improvements when any building permit was issued. City Attorney Paul Nolte clarified for Councilor Laws that the tiling of a remonstrance by the time of the public hearing would start the six month delay, and confirmed that a remonstrance signed by more than 2/3of the Park Estates Homeowners had been filed. Nolte explained that this remonstrance was conditional, and would be in effect if the Council adopts any option other than the three lot condition. Emphasized that the public hearing should be conducted with this conditional remonstrance in mind. Public Hearing Open: 7:38 p.m. Hilary Alston Griffith/6598 Truax Rd./Central Point, OR/Read a prepared statement on behalf of her parents, Robert and Mary Ann Alston. (A copy of this statement is included in the record.) Dave Williams/1023 Morton Street/Park Estates Association, Inc./Thanked staff for their help and patience. Gave a brief background of the situation, noting that the March 1985 agreement had obligated property owners to pay for future curbs, gutters and paving, which were deferred because the City wanted to avoid the expense of maintaining this street until development actually occurred. When this matter came up in July of 1998, the Park Estates Homeowners objected to being obligated to pay for improvements in the absence of development. Pointed out that 42 of 47 property owners have signed the conditional remonstrance which has been filed. Noted that while the property owners are not happy with a prospective$3,600 debt, they were content with the previous three lot draft resolution, which held them responsible for only the curbs, gutters and paving. Emphasized that being required to pay for anything else would be beyond the scope of the previous agreement, and in effect 47 property owners would be required to pay for an expensive driveway to one home. Noted that Park Estates requests the adoption of the draft resolution as distributed in the Council packets with the staff's previous recommendation. Public Hearing Closed: 7:45 p.m. Councilor DeBoer questioned whether some of the cost of paving could be passed on to the residents at the end of the road. Councilor Laws noted that the sub-divider must pay the costs to the edge of the property, regardless of benefit, and explained that this policy had been suspended with this agreement as the likelihood of further development was questionable. The agreement was that it would be paved in the future, if and when development occurred, and the question is not whether the Alston's benefit, but the obligation of property owners in Park Estates. Councilor DeBoer stated that he recognizes this obligation,but recommends charging the Alston for the costs from the Park Estates open space to their property. Councilor Reid stated that because the development is existing, it previously had the obligation to pay the full cost of improvements to the property line. The developer chose to move this obligation onto the deeds, and was allowed to do so by the City, but as time passes, the cost continues to increase. Emphasized that this situation is not fair, and was a bad decision on the part of the Council that put it off in the past. Council Chairperson Wheeldon noted that the recent discussion of the LID process had included a discussion of citizen concerns over the idea of passing along obligation. Agreed with Councilor Reid that this issue will be relived if it is not addressed now. Councilor Laws stated that a deal is a deal, and the original agreement should be followed. Noted that the homeowners' acceptance of their obligation is admirable. Questioned what should serve as a trigger to the improvements, and noted that it is policy that any development occur on paved streets. Feels that the new recommendation from staff is acceptable. City Council Meeting 10-06-98 3 •J Council discussion of what should trigger the improvements,with discussion of three-lot development versus a single building permit being issued. Councilor DeBoer pointed out that the Council can, at its discretion, place an assessment on the Alston lot as well. City Attorney Nolte confirmed that the Council had this option, but emphasized that the previous agreement is the reason this has not been suggested. Nolte confirmed that the encumbrance on the Park Estates deeds was for curbs, gutters and paving to the boundary of the subdivision. Councilor DeBoer questioned whether costs beyond curbs, gutters and pavings could be assessed to the Alstons. Public Works Director Paula Brown indicated that the Park Estates homeowners are not being assessed costs beyond curbs, gutters, and paving. Councilor Laws inquired as to whether lots developed from the Alston property could be charged based on benefit. Councilor Reid said this discussion would lead to a discussion of SDCs, and urged that the issue of the street that is before Council be dealt with. Councilor DeBoer questioned what happened after the six month suspension, and Nolte confirmed that the item would be dealt with in six months. Stated that the Council at that time would deal with the issue, but that they would be under no obligation to adopt a resolution based on the decision reached tonight. MOTION: Councilors Reid/Laws m/s not to form an LID tonight,but to direct staff to bring back a resolution forming the LID in six months, for adoption on April 0', with the condition that the LID be formed with no improvements to be made until the issuance of a building permit on the Alston property. DISCUSSION: Nolte confirmed that a motion forming the LID cannot be adopted tonight due to the remonstrance,so this is the only option. Discussion of whether any motion can be made when a remonstrance has been received. Nolte indicated that there is room for debate, but that there is even a potential legal interpretation that would allow adoption tonight. Councilor Reid confirmed for Chairperson Wheeldon that the motion was not intended be conditioned on three lot development,but on the issuance of a single building permit. Stated that the previous recommendation was not an agreement, and emphasized that this issue should be dealt with and corrected now. Suggested that Council accept the remonstrance, set a hearing in six months, and move on. Councilor Reid reiterated that the agreement on a three lot development was not a consensual agreement of all parties, and pointed out that a potential buyer may only want two houses.. Emphasized the need to deal with this issue now, rather than having to relive the situation in the future. City Attorney Nolte read from the charter that when a remonstrance is filed "action on any proposed public improvement shall be suspended." Stated that based on this wording, the Council could adopt a resolution as long as no action was taken on the improvements. At a minimum, Council can legally move to take up the issue in six months. Councilor Laws stated that this interpretation was acceptable. City Administrator Freeman noted that the City Recorder also needed to be directed to advise those requesting lien searches of the potential formation of the LID and the proposed lien amounts. ROLL CALL VOTE: Laws, Reid, Hauck, and Wheeldon, YES. DeBoer, NO. Motion passed 4-1. 2. Public Hearing regarding vacation of a portion of Clover Lane. Public Works Director Paula Brown provided background information on this vacation and rededication. Noted that to her knowledge, no calls have been received and no concerns raised about this item. Explained for Chairperson Wheeldon that this is the road between the two gas stations near the interchange, and that it runs parallel to the freeway. Brown confirmed for Councilor Hauck that when development starts, the new street will be done prior to the vacation so that no access is blocked off. City Council Meeting 10-06-98 4 Public Hearing Open: 8:12 p.m. Rob Robertson/835 Alder Creek Dr., Medford/Pacific Western/Representing the proponents of the vacation. Asked for Council's approval, noting that Planning had already approved the proposal. Explained that this involves relocating an unimproved dirt street to make this property more developable. Noted that the Masonic Lodge is re-locating from downtown on the plaza to parcel 3. Explained that Pacific Western owns property to the south, and will grant an easement to the neighbor(Mrs. Vorhiss) and move her utilities through property. Robertson provided a map for Council, noted that the zoning is E-1, and explained that the street width will be fifty three feet, which includes traffic lanes, parking bays, and sidewalks. Public Hearing Closed: 8:16 p.m. Councilors Reid/Hauck m/s to authorize the Mayor and City Recorder to sign the deed. Roll call vote: Laws, Reid, Hauck, DeBoer, and Wheeldon, YES. Motion passed. PUBLIC FORUM Opened to public comments at 8:17 p.m. John Huskey/173 Alder Lane/Director of Communications for the Associated Students of Southern Oregon University (ASSOU)/Noted that the City and Southern Oregon University will be meeting to discuss bus service at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, October 7'" in Room 314 at the University. Closed to public comments at 8:18 p.m. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None. NEW AND MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS 1. Council Meeting Look Ahead. Councilor DeBoer questioned item#13,the October 21°study session,and noted that he would be unable to attend. Councilor Hauck noted that in the future, he will be unable to attend daytime study sessions due to employment. Stated that this could be dealt with in the future. Councilor Reid suggested dealing with this issue in Goal Setting. Discussion of shifting study sessions to the hour before regular meetings, noting that this would create time constraints to ensure items could be dealt with in a one-hour meeting. Councilor Laws suggested going ahead with the scheduled"Friends of the Library" study session as scheduled, but insisted on rescheduling future sessions around Councilors' schedules. Discussed the possibility of a daytime study session on Friday, or a single evening study session each month that could be scheduled for a 3-4 hour period and be less hurried. Councilor Laws questioned the scheduling of multiple items for each study session, and Freeman noted that if sessions were limited to one item, it would slow the pace of the Council. Councilor Reid stated that while she does not want to exclude those with conflicting schedules, scheduling meetings to saiisfy everyone is impossible. Councilor Laws expressed concern that study sessions need to be scheduled in such a way that all members can attend, as the information presented is vital to the role of Councilor. Chairperson Wheeldon stated that Councilors must get their information together and have the opportunity for debate. Also noted that her schedule might preclude daytime meetings in the Spring as well. Discussed keeping the Library study session as scheduled, and considering rescheduling the later meetings. Councilor Reid suggested waiting until a new member is in place before rescheduling. Staff was directed to leave the Library session as scheduled, and reschedule future study sessions to Fridays. City Council Meeting 10-06-98 5 Councilor Reid questioned the listing for the Transportation System Plan. Freeman explained that the public hearing was scheduled for October 20", and the first reading of the ordinance would be on November 3rd. Councilor Hauck inquired about the remanding of the Hillside Ordinance by the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA). Noted that it was upheld with the exception of a few minor, procedural issues. Councilor Reid noted the relationship between the Hillside Ordinance and the Transportation System Plan,and suggested that when the Council deals with the Hillside decision, they look at more than just the minor details. Noted that slope concerns in the Hillside Ordinance eliminate the possibility for accessory units near the University, and suggested that issues of this sort need to be addressed. 2. Motion authorizing the City Administrator to sign contract for architectural services for the Civic Center and Office Space Remodel Project. Councilors Laws/Reid m/s to authorize the City Administrator to sign contract for architectural services for the Civic Center and Office Space Remodel Project. DISCUSSION: Freeman noted that there are two candidates, and that this authorization would leave the option open for negotiations. Also emphasized that it leaves open the City's options downtown, and that the consultants are aware of this. Voice vote: All AYES. Motion passed. ORDINANCES. RESOLUTIONS AND CONTRACTS 1. First reading by title only of"An Ordinance Amending the Ashland City Band Chapter of the Ashland Municipal Code to Redefine the Band Board and its Duties Including Duties of the Band Director." Councilors Hauck/DeBoer m/s to move the ordinance to a second reading. DISCUSSION: Clarified the intention of the ordinance and discussed the history of the Ashland City Band. Roll call vote: Laws, Reid, Hauck, Wheeldon, and DeBoer, YES. Motion passed. 2. Reading by title only of"A Resolution Authorizing and Ordering the Local Improvements for Waterline Road from Morton Street 500 Feet Easterly for the Waterline Road Local Improvement District and Authorizing Assessment of the Cost of the Improvements against Property to be Benefitted and Providing that Warrants Issued for the Cost of the Improvement be General Obligations of the City of Ashland, and Authorizing the City to Borrow Money and Issue and Sell Notes for the Purpose of Providing Interim Financing for the Actual Cost of the Local Improvement." (Dealt with under Public Hearings) 3. First reading of"An Ordinance Vacating a Portion of Clover Lane on Property Owned by Vernon Ludwig Near Interstate 5 and Highway 66." Councilors Laws/Hauck m/s to move the ordinance to a second reading. Roll call vote: Hauck, Laws, DeBoer, Reid and Wheeldon, YES. Motion passed. OTHER BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS Councilor DeBoer questioned the scheduling of the recent joint meeting on the Transportation System Plan. Stated that he would like to see better coordination and communication in the scheduling of joint meetings. Councilor Hauck stated that he can no longer represent the City on the Rogue Valley Council of Governments (RVCOG) due to his work schedule. Chairperson Wheeldon noted that the issue of appointing a replacement to represent the City on the RVCOG would be referred to the Mayor. City Council Meeting 10-06-98 6 Chairperson Wheeldon suggested that Councilors prepare regular reports detailing their regional work, and questioned the best means to accomplish this. Stated that Councilors should call to have reports put onto the agenda when they have information. Discussion of the interest in this information, with the suggestion that it not be routine detail but rather that it be information that may affect decision making. Councilors and viewers were reminded that a dedication ceremony for the new bike lockers at the City's Lithia Way parking lot will be held on October 7" at 10:00 a.m. Councilors and viewers were reminded of the City Council study session scheduled for Wednesday, October 7'at 1:30 p.m. to discuss the LID Committee Report. Councilors were also reminded that an executive session will be held on Tuesday, October 20 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss the City Administrator's Six-Month Evaluation. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned to an executive session at 8:45 p.m., to discuss the acquisition of real property pursuant to ORS 192.660(1)(e). Barbara Christensen, Cary Recorder Carole Wheeldon, Council Chairperson City Council Meeting 10-0698 7 ........... .......... PROCLAMATION ' 'f!s WHEREAS, the 1998 National Red Ribbon Celebration is October 23 AY21 v through 31 and WHEREAS, today the Red Ribbon symbolizes the commitment of countless citizens across America working to eliminate substance abuse in their communities, and; WHEREAS, this campaign is designed to: n;l Create awareness concerning the alcohol and other drug problems facing every community. Increase resiliency through opportunities for meaningful participation by showing care and support. ldM Build community coalitions to implement comprehensive alcohol and other drug prevention strategies. RINI Support healthy, drug-free lifestyles. _ r THEREFORE, we urge the citizens of Ashland to join your children, friends, neighbors and community in this exciting celebration by wearing a red ribbon, plant red tulips, listening to a drug awareness presentation, sharing substance abuse information with your children, helping a friend who is abusing drugs or kv by seeking help for yourself if you have a drug dependency problem during this week to demonstrate to others that you are committed to a drug-free, healthy lifestyle; and lit)..fl"ifl rli i I , NOW, THEREFORE, the Mayor and City Council of the City of Ashland do ii 3I: hereby proclaim October twenty-first through thirty-first as 1998 National Red Ribbon Celebration Week Dated this 20" day of October, 1998. Ip Barbara Christensen, Record& I&. Catherine M. Shaw, Mayor O/N ...... ... 5, Ph ....... ... . xr ............ ... ...1, .......... M(jE_- _ta 5, FZ}rrw TROCLAM TION r., A 04 WHEREAS, more than half of the world's population will live in urban agglomerations ill)? 0 by the turn of the century; and WHEREAS, within the first quarter of the 21" Century urban population alone will grow by 93 million per year, the equivalent of all annual population growth in the Mc world today; and WHEREAS, urban poverty is already as high as 60 percent in some metropolitan areas; more than one-third of the urban population have substandard housing; 40 percent lack access to safe drinking water or adequate sanitation; and ,fit y WHEREAS, in all regions of the world, rapid urbanization has spawned a number. of common problems, including unemployment; a shortage of adequate housing; traffic congestion; declining infrastructure, and lack of funds to provide for basic services; RIP and p the challenges of rapid opulatiori"growth'imd tirbanizAti6ii call for -tWHEREAS, ifinovative leadership to ensure resource conservation, protection'6f open space, waste pre-verition,-'sanitation 'management and a higher quality of life. "NOW, THEREFORE, I, Catherine M. Shaw, Mayor of Ashland, Oregon, proclaim ANN: ugh'October 31, 19 M. 'October 25 thro 98 WORLD POPULATION AWARENESS WEEK and up�dh_all citizens of this State to reflect on th�se chilleng6s and seek atiorial Z-414 r UP humanitarian, community-based solutions. (Ill, V, Dated this 20" day of October, 1998 14 lie AIJK Catherine M. Shaw, Mayor .Qi, Barbara Christensen, City Recorder N'.Nftf M MxQ`jVP'1V 0Y MINUTES FOR THE STUDY SESSION ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL October 6, 1998 CALL TO ORDER Council Chairperson Wheeldon called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m. in the Civic Center Council Chambers. IN ATTENDANCE Councilors Laws, Reid, Wheeldon,and DeBoer were present. Councilor Hauck arrived late. Mayor Shaw was absent. Staff present included: City Administrator Mike Freeman,Assistant City Administrator Greg Scoles, City Attorney Paul Nolte,and Fire Chief Keith Woodley. DISCUSSION OF FIRE STATION PLANNING EFFORTS Fire Chief Keith Woodley presented Council with a"Fire Station Construction Project History"handout,and gave a brief overview of the fifteen year history of discussions concerning the number and locations of fire stations within the City and the need for new facilities. Woodley noted that when he accepted his position in 1991,he had recommended that a consultant be retained to look at the Fire Department's response times and the need for two stations. This study was based on a full build-out to the City's urban growth boundaries. The consultant determined that a single station configuration would not meet the City's response time criteria,which had been set at 97%of the citizenry receiving a response within three minutes, and the remaining 3%seeing responses within four minutes. Emphasized that in that study, it was indicated that the existing fire station locations were ideally situated to meet the response time criteria. Noted that architect Ted Malarz began a space needs study in September of 1995, looking at a thirty year planning horizon. At that time,the City began to consider expansion to other sites, and entered into discussions about acquiring property from the Elks, Safeway or the Post Office. It was determined that none of these properties were available. Explained that it is now a 1998 Council Goal to address fire station facility needs,and the Fire Department began to reassess the previous study,again using architect Ted Malarz,and taking into account the additional factor that the City is now providing ambulance service. Malarz determined that the existing lots were not large enough. The Portland firm of Peck, Smiley, Ettlin Architects,which specializes in fire station planning,was hired to review the study, and they concur that additional land will need to be purchased to address space needs. Woodley emphasized that an architect has not been retained for station design,and no architectural drawings have been prepared. They have merely been looking at concepts,and preparing footprints that accommodate space needs on existing lots with additional adjacent lands that will be needed. Woodley noted the need to have access to arterial streets from the fire station,and the desire to maintain current response time standards. Also emphasized that they have looked into the orientation of the stations relative to the urban growth boundaries,and moving either of the stations to a different site could necessitate building a third,and possibly a fourth, station in order to maintain standards. Woodley introduced Hans Ettlin, an architect with Peck, Smiley, Ettlin Architects. Ettlin noted that they have prepared a preliminary assessment of space needs for the Fire Department and reviewed previous materials, including the previous space needs study. Ettlin stated that his firms findings are very close to the previous study, and he complimented the initial study. Stated that the issue is to determine whether space needs can be accommodated at the existing sites. Stated that the existing lot on East Main is inadequate for either design Discussed possible orientation of a station on East Main,which would be laid out toward downtown with primary access off of Siskiyou. Woodley noted that they have discussed the need to improve the line of sight for drivers Ashland City Council Study Session Minutes 10-06-98 1 I ' turning from East Main onto Siskiyou, citing safety concerns raised by the Traffic Safety Commission and the occurrence of accidents at this location. Emphasized that this makes the tip of the property unusable. Also noted that the grade of the lot is a factor. Ettlin discussed the methodology used in determining the lay out and orientation illustrated in the footprints,based on space needs,site limitations,traffic,site grade, and other factors. Emphasized that the site dictates drive-through bays for apparatus,and that combined with the space available leaves few options. Discussed the need for daily meetings between both fire crews, and the fact that vehicles must stay with the crew.Currently,there is no space available for temporary garaging,but the design under consideration allows for temporary garaging without obstructing access to the response corridor. Emphasized that efforts have been made to look at designs which would allow expansion on the existing lot, but that it would not be possible,even with two stories,or the use of underground space,to meet program requirements.To meet space needs,the station would need to expand to adjacent properties. If this were done,there would be adequate space for meeting rooms that would be available for public use. Also noted that school children and families frequently visit the current station,and the present arrangement is not friendly to these visitors. Woodley noted that both architects who have looked at potential designs say that expansion of the current site is not the optimum solution,but that it would be workable for the 30 year timeframe being considered. Discussed Station#2 on Ashland Street,noting similar constraints. Explained that it would be possible to expand here if the City were to absorb fifty feet from the park and vacate the end of Sherwood Street. Emphasized that there are two other streets nearby to serve the neighborhood,and the vacation would quiet the area, lessen traffic, and give right of way for access to the proposed footprint. This would not affect the end of the park which is used by the public. Woodley stated that he has had informal conversations with Ken Mickelsen, Director of the Parks Department,and they are not opposed to this suggestion. Also stated that he had met with Director of Community Development John McLaughlin, and that McLaughlin indicated that Sherwood is overdeveloped for current traffic counts, and lessening it's size from the present boulevard status would be acceptable. Woodley confirmed for Wheeldon that the amount proposed to be taken from the park was fifty feet of grass,proceeding from the retaining wall, and that the north end of Sherwood Street would be vacated. The public would still have a turn-around. Discussed the operational issue of razing a building during operation. Woodley stated that it would be his hope to build next to the existing structures, moving operations and demolishing the older structures when the new structures were complete. Noted that this plan would, however,require acquisition of the Ross Johnson property for Station#2. Woodley noted that other cities have operated out of tents and motor homes during construction,but that this opportunity does not exist here due to space constraints. Emphasized the need to acquire additional land to keep to present standards,stating that the Fire Department could not maintain standards with only one station I operational at a time. Stated that this would necessitate a modification of the standards by changing the ordinance. I' Councilor Reid questioned the presumption of absorbing private property adjacent to Station#1 and not near#2. Woodley confirmed that Reid's assessment was correct. Noted that both stations could operate during construction with no loss of efficiency if adjacent properties were acquired, and stated that he recommends, from an operational standpoint,building next to and moving in after complete in both cases. Councilor Reid stated that she is open to the vacation of Sherwood, but noted that in the past the Council has been against the creation of cul-de-sacs. Suggested that consultant look at moving Station#2 footprint eastward on the property rather than closing Sherwood. City Administrator Mike Freeman noted that there are different circumstances for each station. Explained that staff was attempting to keep the amount of property to be purchased to a minimum. Emphasized that this was not an attempt at pre-judgement or making a decision, but that it simply seemed logical to use the City's right-of-way where it was available,rather than seeking to purchase additional property.. Ashland City Council Study Session Minutes 10-W98 2 Councilor Laws stated that Sherwood is one of the least-used streets in the City,and that the vacation should not create any problem. Stated that it was great that staff is seeking to minimize costs. Councilor Wheeldon emphasized that using the right-of-way in the case of Station 42 had created another option,as it is difficult to acquire real property when it is not for sale. Discussed the possibility of using three or four stories on the Station#I site. Ettlin stated that this had been looked at and discussed, and that even if they were to stack administrative functions, living spaces,and meeting rooms over the bays,just the need for the bays and required parking were too much for the site. Councilor DeBoer suggested parking underground off of East Main with four stories. Assistant City Administrator Greg Scoles explained that these options have been considered,but it was found to be impossible to place the eight bays needed given space limitations and site grade. Ettlin re-emphasized that just the bays and on-site parking by themselves would not fit the present site. Councilor Reid suggested that the City could wait to acquire the site adjacent to Station#1, rather than rushing to condemn. Councilor DeBoer stated that he is against condemnation. Councilor Reid suggested starting with Station #2 first and waiting for the other site adjacent to Station#1 to become available. Councilor Laws suggested moving administrative functions to Station#2,thus reducing the size needed for Station #t and helping with footprint.Chief Woodley indicated that switching these functions would not work well operationally,citing delays in response time that would be created by daily meetings. Also cited the need to accommodate walk-in traffic at Station#1. Stated that parking and staffs daily commute to City Hall would also make this option unacceptable. Councilor Reid noted that she was opposed to the idea that walk-in traffic and staff commute time were determining factors in this planning effort, and suggested that it is more important to build looking to the future. Stated that build-out to the urban growth boundary will be on the south-end of town, and suggested that perhaps moving certain functions to Station 92 might be appropriate. Councilor Hauck stated that his understanding was that even if functions were switched,there was not sufficient room for the functions of either station on the East Main site. City Administrator Mike Freeman stated that he had hoped this meeting would serve to point out the space needs issues to be discussed,and to asked if it would be acceptable to bring an item back to the next regular meeting of the Council to authorize the City Administrator to explore the acquisition of adjacent properties with the property owners. Councilor DeBoer stated that staff should meet with all three property owners, including Ross Johnson. Councilor Laws stated that he would have no problem with condemnation if it were for public safety,and he favors bringing information back to the Council after meeting with property owners. Councilor Hauck concurred with Councilor Laws. Councilor DeBoer stated that he was opposed to any condemnation. Council Chairperson Wheeldon suggested starting discussions with property owners. Council consensus that staff should move ahead with discussions with property owners. Freeman clarified for Council that Station 91 program requirements would not work given the site issues present. Even-with multi-stories,the bays alone must be 16'high,and a two-story building with these heights would be very high. Ettlin concurred,stated that underground parking would be difficult given the slope and orientation,and re- iterated that bays,support and parking would not fit by themselves, let alone in combination with other functions. ADJOURNED The meeting was adjourned at 6:56 p.m. Submitted by Derek Severson,Assistant to the City Recorder Astdand City Council Study Session Minutes 10-06-98 3 MINUTES FOR THE STUDY SESSION ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL October 7, 1998 CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Wheeldon called the meeting to order at 1:35 p.m. in the Civic Center Council Chambers. IN ATTENDANCE Councilors Laws, Wheeldon, DeBoer,and Reid. Mayor Shaw and Councilor Hauck were absent. Staff present included: City Administrator Mike Freeman,Assistant City Administrator Greg Scoles, Director of Finance Jill Turner, City Attorney Paul Nolte, and Public Works Director Paula Brown. DISCUSSION OF LOCAL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT(LID)PROCESS Council went through the committee recommendations as prepared by staff step-by-step. With regard to the first recommendation,that the City participate in the costs associated with local street improvements,further clarification was made and implementation measures were considered based on examples. Noted that the actual percentage of City participation would be dependent on the scope of improvements included in each project. Members of the LID Committee requested justification of how the percentage was determined for the total cost to the City,and expressed their concerns that the figures discussed at the committee level were different than those presented in the recommendations currently before the Council. Public Works Director Paula Brown explained that the figures she had used for City participation were based on the actual project elements at 60%City participation for sidewalks,20%for street surface, 75%for storm drains, and 50%for engineering and administration. When looked at in this way,the City's participation came out to 33'/:% rather than the 40%that was discussed by the committee. Councilor Laws clarified that the committee tried to find a way for the City to participate in a significant amount of the costs for LIDS, and the methodology of determining percentages for different elements of the improvements was formulated to justify the City's participation in the costs of street improvement. 40%was the original target,but the committee felt that these percentages made sense,were justifiable,and led to significant City participation. As there was no consensus on this first recommendation regarding the percentage breakdown, it was determined that the item would be set aside for additional work later. Chairperson Wheeldon stated that there was a misconceived idea that points were being negotiated in committee, and explained that when she was on the committee,she did not have the power to negotiate on behalf of the Council. Emphasized that she did not represent the Council when she was on the committee,that she was merely another member. Councilor Laws suggested the following alternatives 1) Stick with the individual percentage for the four portions of the street projects.2)Put to Council that the City is to pay 40%on each individual project,regardless of circumstances. 3) Leave the recommendation as it is, and move forward. Jack Blackburn/805 Oak Street/Ad Hoc LLD Committee memberiStated that committee members understood that their recommendations had to go before the Council,but that it was believed that those supporting the recommendations in the committee meetings would continue to do so before the Council. Looking at recommendation two,that the assessment method for local street improvements be based on a "potential unit"method rather than the 'frontage foot"method,Councilor Reid stated that this recommendation relates to recommendations#3 and#5. Used Strawberry Lane as an example to discuss implementation details. Councilor DeBoer clarified the committee's intention in choosing between"frontage foot"and"potential units" methodology,and explained that assessments for potential units would be deferred until the potential units were actually developed. Discussion of deferring costs for potential units. Ashland City Council Study Session Minutes 10-07-98 1 i City Administrator Freeman asked to clarify the options discussed for recommendation one for staff to use in drafting changes to the ordinance. It was confirmed that percentages could either be left as they now stand in the staff report or adjusted to a full 40%City participation. For recommendation three, that the total number of"potential units"within a local improvement district be determined based on underlying zoning,Councilor Reid questioned whether the City now has a stipulation on future plans for the number of potential units. Assistant City Administrator Greg Scoles explained that building permits are based only on the building permit submitted,but that if a partition is occurring,the City requests a master plan for the property. Further clarified that density requirements would be considered in determining "potential units",but that this would involve some judgement on the part of the Community Development Department in order to take into account factors such as topography,unit size, and etc. Discussion of deferring assessments until development occurs as providing incentive not to develop to full density. Chairperson Wheeldon expressed concern that the City would provide an incentive to less development when the N Planning Department is trying to encourage density. Questioned whether development has been defined. David Fine/735 Frances Lane/Asked whether the City has legal authority to defer assessment on potential units until they are developed,when this is in effect the City providing a long-term, zero interest loan of public funds. Council indicated that the wording of this recommendation needs to be worked out more specifically by staff. For recommendation four,that the maximum assessment for individual units should be$4,000, excluding City participation and no maximum or participation by the City should be allowed for "development property"or city- owned parcels, it was noted that if the City were to stick with only 33'/:%participation,the$4,000 cap would not be effective. Chairperson Wheeldon explained that the$4,000 cap was determined to be a reasonable amount for an individual to pay before figures were available,but that when figures were provided it became apparent that there was a difficulty with the City picking up 40%plus any amount over the$4,000 cap as these projects need to be balanced with the City's other transportation priorities. Councilor Reid questioned the differences between individual streets,noting both the physical differences and the varied levels of citizen participation in the improvements as factors affecting the City's participation in the improvements. It was determined that the figures Chairperson Wheeldon had been referring to did not include the"potential units" methodology in their calculations. Councilor Laws explained that the committee was charged with finding ways to overcome the objections to the LID issue,and that they came down to the issue of costs. This recommendation was set aside. Recommendation five,that the large, existing parcels with potential for further development would only be assessedfor the existing unit, and assessments for potential lots would be deferred, was agreeable to the Council. Recommendation six,that the City require full payment for LID assessments at the time of the sale of lots, was also agreeable to the Council. For recommendation seven, that the "pre-signed"agreement process be revised to allow for the option of early pay-off and requiring full pay-off when agreement is required for new development,Councilor DeBoer noted that when drafting the ordinance,the formula to be used would have to be dealt with to determine whether units charged at the time of development would be those actually developed or the"potential units"used for initial assessments. Discussion of whether to allow remonstrances even for those who have paid,with the general agreement that it should be allowed as written in the recommendations. For recommendation eight,to maintain neighborhood involvement in the local street improvement process, it was discussed that the last sentence of the background information/implementation measures prepared by staff might be Ashland City Council Study Session Minutes 10-07-98 2 changed to read"It should also be recognized that minimum street standards will be maintained(full paving, sidewalks, storm drains)but that modifications where possib(rnecessary will be accommodated." Council agreed to leave the sentence with"possible". Chairperson Wheeldon expressed concern over the message sent by literal interpretation of specific wording. Councilor Laws indicated that the need was for something in between a literal interpretation of possible and a literal interpretation of necessary. Jack Blackburn/805 Oak Street/Noted that Strawberry Lane figures in the illustrative report from staff was misleading as most of these improvements would be paid by a developer. Discussion of the potential situation if money were pre-paid and a developer chose to develop the street privately, how would the money be turned over. Councilor Reid stated that monies pre-paid would go into a fund to improve the street,and regardless of who was doing the improvements,those funds would go to the improvements of the street. Scoles explained that this could be done through a reimbursement agreement process. Questioned if the LID process is driven by PUD, how this would be handled. Chairperson Wheeldon stated that this issue is dealt with as part of recommendation four. Council then turned their attention to the financing issue. Chairperson Wheeldon suggested that the Council needed to clear up the issue of"potential units"and look at some more accurate figures before the issue of financing can be dealt with. Councilor Laws commented that many projects are adopted in the Capital Improvements Plan without a specific funding mechanism being set forth in advance. Councilor Laws stated that this is also in the Transportation System Plan. Suggested that unimproved streets fall under the same category. Emphasized that the plan should be adopted even if financing has not been determined. At budget time,on an annual basis, would be the time to determine what projects need to be done. And doing all of this through the budget process would determine what funds are needed year-by-year. Feels that these improvements are a high enough priority that funding will be found,and stated that this is what is done with all capital improvement plans. The proposal to predetermine financing for street improvements is not consistent with how things have been done with other plans in the past, and would be difficult given that the projects on hand each year would determine how much funding was needed. Chairperson Wheeldon stated that if no financing is attached to the plan,and projects are left to be dependent on the availability of funds, it does not set enough of a priority. City Administrator Mike Freeman suggested tabling the discussion until Director of Community Development John McLaughlin returns and can recalculate figures relative to the potential lots and the proposed cap. This information would be brought back to Councilors and Committee members at a later date. Council agreed to this suggestion. Chairperson Wheeldon noted that the funding available nearly matches the 33'/2%that was discussed,and questioned at what percentage the City's participation should be set. Director of Finance Jill Turner suggested putting together a"mini-plan"as is currently done with the capital improvement plans and bringing back information for further discussion. It was agreed that more information from staff would be helpful. Councilor DeBoer questioned whether Chairperson Wheeldon could accept a 33%2%City participation and$4,000 cap. Councilor Wheeldon said that she would need to see the numbers on potential units first. Council noted that the previous discussion of giving a 10%discount to those current Local Improvement Districts that are underway but have not yet been billed for their improvements would not be a matter for the policy being created and would be kept in mind separately. Public Works Director Paul Brown commented that the billing of costs for five LIDS is being held pending a Council decision on this matter. Councilor DeBoer indicated that he feels these should be sent now. Brown noted that these were held because staff was reluctant to send these out without the 10%discount that was expected. Staff felt that this would upset those being billed,and the issue would be coming before Council anyway through the public hearing process. Councilor Laws stated that he would like to see staff prepare information on up-front costs, and that this 10%would need to come from that up-front money. Ashland City Council Study Session Minutes 10-07-98 3 Turner noted that there was roughly$50,000 available in the budget for sidewalk LIDS, and another$233,000 in un- designated transportation related capital improvement projects. Turner stated that this might be adequate to meet costs for a year,or even two. Consensus was that the 10%discount to current LIDS needs to be considered separately, but at the same time as,the up-front money issue for implementing the LID recommendations. Concluded that this issue needs to be taken up again on the next agenda. ADJOURNED The meeting was adjourned at 2:45 p.m. Submitted by Barbara Christensen, Crry Recorder I I it i Ashland City Council Study Session Minutes 10-07-98 4 I i ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 8, 1998 CALL TO ORDER Chairman Steve Armitage called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. Other Commissioners present were Mike Gardiner, John Fields, Marilyn Briggs, Russ Chapman, Mike Morris, Anna Howe, and Chris Hearn. Ron Bass was absent. Staff present were John McLaughlin, Bill Molnar, Mark Knox and Susan Yates. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES AND FINDINGS August 11, 1998 Regular Meeting Minutes-On Page 8, strike"John Fields stated: He agrees with Kramer that this 1541 A Street] is the tear down of a classic building". Howe moved to approve as corrected, Briggs seconded and the minutes were approved. August 11, 1998 Regular Meeting Findings PA97-072- Briggs moved to approve, Fields seconded, and approved. PA98-001 - Hearn moved to approve, Briggs seconded, and approved. August 11, 1998 Hearings Board - Briggs moved to approve, Howe seconded and the minutes were approved. August 11, 1998 Hearings Board Findings PA98-041 -Chapman moved to approve, Briggs seconded and approved. PA98-070- Briggs moved to approve, Chapman seconded and approved. PA98-077-Chapman moved to approve, Briggs seconded and approved. PUBLIC FORUM- No one came forth to speak. TYPE II PUBLIC HEARINGS PLANNING ACTION 98-091 REQUEST FOR A SITE REVIEW TO DEMOLISH THE EXISTING HOTEL AND CONSTRUCT A 10,901 SQUARE FOOT RETAIL BUILDING,AND CONVERT THE EXISTING 24 HOTEL UNITS TO STUDIO APARTMENTS. 1520 SISKIYOU BOULEVARD APPLICANT: ALEX JANSEN Site Visits and Ex Parte Contacts Site visits were made by all but Gardiner and Armitage, however, Armitage stated he is familiar with the site. STAFF REPORT Molnar said the property, a mature site with heavy vegetation, is located at Siskiyou and Walker Avenue and there are presently seven structures on the property with the the three newest buildings at the rear of the property consisting of 24 motel units. The proposal involves retaining the three structures at the rear of the property with those units being converted to 24 studio apartments with the remaining four buildings to be demolished and a new commercial structure constructed along Siskiyou Boulevard. The current access and parking to the new project will be somewhat modified with the driveway closest to Walker being eliminated and a new driveway opening constructed on Walker Avenue. A total of 55 parking spaces, including on-street parking on Walker will be provided. The commercial building will be single story with a covered walkway separating the walls of the structure that will lead from the sidewalk on Siskiyou Boulevard back to the parking area and the rear units. Staff believes there many elements to the project positively representing an infill project right on Siskiyou Boulevard in the Detailed Site Review Zone, incorporating many of the standards in the DSR, as well as maintaining a residential component on the property with an appropriate density near commercial areas and transit and the University. Existing Trees- With an overhead, Molnar showed the trees proposed for retention and removal. There is an abundance of smaller stature trees that have not been identified. The Site Review requires that efforts be made to incorporate significant trees into the project design, at the same time, looking for a balance between the project design, parking, and accommodation of more intense development allowed in the commercial zone. Staff believes there are some opportunities to retain one or two of the larger trees in the project by making some slight changes to the building footprint(refer to overhead exhibits), however, one of the trees marked for retention may not survive, due to grading during construction. Entrance from Walker-The applicant states the new entrance off Walker Avenue meets the minimum standards from the intersection, however, Staff is concerned that since the creation by ODOT of the wider radius at the intersection which facilitates the movement of autos off Siskiyou Boulevard at higher speeds, it would be safer to shift the Walker entrance up another 25 to 30 feet or as far up the property as possible. I Public Space- In the Detailed Site Review zone for buildings in excess of 10,000 square feet, there is a i minimum requirement for public space. The purpose is to incorporate outdoor public areas along the frontage of the building giving employees or patrons a place to congregate with a minimum requirement of 1, 100 square feet. Some of the smaller areas are scored concrete leading to building entrances and Staff feels will only marginally function as outdoor space. Some subtle changes such as widening the scored concrete areas into some of the building offset areas would more clearly meet the public space requirement. Building Entrances -The design standard in the DSR specifically states around entrances either lighting, changes in the mass surface or texture should be incorporated to highlight entrances to the building. As proposed, the entrances match in proportion to window areas (size, awning covering, and texture)with not even a subtle change to highlight the entrance. There could be a change in relief in the exterior of the wall or change in the type of covering. Transit Route -The applicant is proposing along Siskiyou Boulevard a number of cutouts for incorporation of benches. Given the size of the project and the number of trips it could ultimately generate, perhaps some of the alcoves could be deepened and serve as a bus shelter. Molnar read the Tree Commission's comments into the record. Briggs said when she walked the property she found many more trees and changes in location that are indicated on the site plan. ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION 2 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 8,1998 r PUBLIC HEARING DAVE RICHARDSON, Architectural Design Works, 1105 Siskiyou Blvd. said many hours have been spent working on this project. ALEX JANSEN, 12466 S. E. Spring Mountain Drive, Portland, OR 97236, said the impetus for the project has been a decline in revenues in the hotel business due to the increased room counts in Ashland and deterioration in some of the front buildings. They decided to consider a commercial element. The main issue they have because parking is in the rear is the accessibility to the front areas. He is concerned with the steep incline entrance near Dairy Queen. He believes that it needs to be graded out with one consistent incline and add a handicap ramping system. Jansen believes they need between four and five spaces per 1,000 square feet. They are now at the minimum according to the ordinance. He is concerned that by moving the Walker entrance up they may lose two parking spaces. Richardson said the public space can be reconfigured to make it work as well as the building entrances. They will do whatever is required for street trees. They would prefer the trees be behind the sidewalk as there is a better chance for survival. It will be difficult to save certain significant trees. If they jog the building around the tree, they will lose a significant corner. He is also concerned about losing the trees during grading. They can do some reconfiguring of the building but they cannot afford to lose floor area. Briggs noticed the tree level is about three to four feet higher than the sidewalk. Is the applicant going to make the retail shops on the same plane as the sidewalk and the area will be graded out? Richardson said they will be cutting into the site and on the back side of the site will be a retaining wall. Richardson said the Tree Commission pretty much conceded that the tree nearest the Dairy Queen is doomed. He is concerned about the tree in the center of the property but believes there is enough space around it that it may have a chance to survive. Howe noted that the City's minimum parking requirement is 32 spaces. Chapman wondered how individuals using the handicap spaces could access the retail spaces. Jansen believes the handicap spaces should be moved. Fields expressed a concern about servicing the building; there is no place to off load on the street and up to an eight foot grade elevation in the parking. The trash enclosure is up the stairs way to the back(300 feet)with deliveries happening in the back. He is having a hard time seeing the split elevation working. It would seem a rear access is needed. Richardson said it will be difficult. Jansen said they considered having a second retaining wall and creating a well area giving a rear entrance. The applicants agreed to move the Walker entrance at least 20 feet to the south (Condition 9). Richardson asked if the fixed street lighting can be eliminated. McLaughlin said the light at the corner has to remain but he would check on the others. Richardson wondered if the City had a standard for lights or can they make suggestions on what they can be as well as the spacing of the lights. Molnar said there is some flexibility in the Conditions in order to explore the appropriate standard for the location. On "A" Street, the spacing is about 60 feet. The applicant was agreeable to the wording of Condition 14. ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION 3 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 8,1998 v LEO JANSEN, 1520 Siskiyou Boulevard, said they have tried to keep the property as green as possible. They will have to remove some trees and he assured the Commission that any trees that are planted will be cared for. He is very concerned about site vegetation. Briggs wondered if the flat metal roof will cause a glare. Richardson said there is no metal roof and there will be no glare. Fields said it is stated so in the packet. Howe said they have nothing identifying all the trees and which ones will be saved. In order to know which trees have died, it is important to have them identified. Jansen agreed to provide a bench for the bus stop as long as it can be incorporated. He would rather not have to build a structure. Molnar said the building at Siskiyou and Highway 66 provided a concrete slab covered with a fabric awning. Howe suggested modifying Condition 2 to include all existing trees. McLaughlin said the landscaped areas that are going to be disturbed need to be clearly indicated, especially the regrading of the western approach. Fields does not see any private or combined outdoor use for the studio apartments. Molnar said there is no outdoor recreation space required in C-1 for multi-family. Jansen said they could make use of the areas in between the units. Fields wondered if the applicants could be given the option of eliminating all the trees and just replanting trees and vegetation in appropriate places. McLaughlin said that was a possibility. Jansen said he would be willing to replace the trees with substantial caliper trees, assuming they could get six inch caliper trees in there. Fields thought it would be nice to have six $500 trees in the development. Armitage added, at least six large caliper trees on the property. McLaughlin said in exchange for not requiring retention of these natural features, a Condition can require it be part of the revised landscaping plan. Part of the landscaping plan can incorporate these suggestions. Fields wondered about the location of the electric and gas meters. Jansen said they are shown on the plan but if they cannot go in the noted area (near the middle rear of the building) they will be put near Walker. Staff Response Molnar said Staff would like the Walker entrance placed as far to the south as possible. With regard to tree retention, without knowing exactly how much protection is needed around the trees, that information could change their minds on tree removal and the alternatives mentioned are good. Armitage believes it would be worthwhile for Staff to study and find out what is technically possible for tree replacement and the costs involved. Fields feels strongly about public outdoor space shortage. He would also like to see some space dedicated in the residential area. Molnar suggested wording of a Condition: That the plan be revised to include 1,090 square feet of usable public space associated with the commercial uses and an additional usable residential outdoor space (distinguish between the two). Rebuttal Richardson does not see a problem with arranging outdoor space. Fields envisions a picnic table in the outdoor space. ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION 4 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 8,1998 V COMMISSIONERS' DISCUSSION AND MOTION Hearn moved to approve PA98-091 with the attached Conditions and those Conditions expressed. Those include a bus stop with at least a bench and awning, large caliper trees, public space revisions, and treatment around the entrances. Gardiner seconded the motion. Howe believes the Commission is asking for things that she would like to see again such as the distinctive entrances, trees behind the sidewalk, public and residential space, transformer location, and the bus stop. Fields is still having trouble with no guardrails and access problems from the parking area to the building. Molnar said if the action is continued, Staff could come back with prepared findings which would then not delay the applicant. Hearn, Morris, Gardiner and Armitage did not wish to continue and Briggs, Howe, Chapman, and Fields wished to continue. The applicant agreed to a 30 day extension to the 120 rule. Hearn withdrew his motion. The Commission agreed to a continuance. McLaughlin said the hearing will be continued at 7:00 p.m. on October 13, 1998. No notice will be mailed out since this was announced publicly. OTHER Briggs distributed an article from Preservation magazine discussing civic building standards. McLaughlin said that could be discussed at the meeting. McLaughlin said a study session is scheduled for September 29, 1998 with the City Council to review and discuss portions of the Transportation System Plan. They will also talk about the retreat with the Council to talk about civic projects. Governor's Task Force on Growth - McLaughlin reported there will be a video conference public hearing held including seven topics subject to testimony by people around the state. This is an opportunity for testimony. If any Commissioner is interested in any of the topics, contact McLaughlin. Ron Bass has submitted his resignation from the Planning Commission as he is taking a professional leave from the community. Briggs felt Philip Lang made a good point in his letter. If the property on Fourth & B would copy the window boxes at Peerless, it would help considerably. ADJOURNMENT-The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 p.m. ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION 5 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 8,1998 ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION HEARINGS BOARD MINUTES SEPTEMBER 8, 1998 CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 1:35 p.m. by Chairman Steve Armitage. Other Commissioners present were Mike Morris and Chris Hearn. Staff present were Bill Molnar, Mark Knox and Susan Yates. TYPE I PLANNING ACTIONS PLANNING ACTION 98-087 REQUEST FOR A MINOR LAND PARTITION TO DIVIDE A PARCEL INTO TWO LOTS AT 1338 SEENA LANE APPLICANT: MELANIE MINDLIN This action was approved. PLANNING ACTION 98-091 REQUEST FOR A SITE REVIEW FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A 8, 290 SQUARE FOOT MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDING LOCATED AT 559 SCENIC DRIVE. APPLICANT: ASHLAND COMMUNITY HOSPITAL FOUNDATION There was a request filed for a public hearing but withdrawn. The neighbors had concerns about access. The access will be just from Catalina. PLANNING ACTION 98-066 REQUEST FOR FINAL PLAN APPROVAL UNDER THE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS OPTION FOR A 49-UNIT MIXED DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED ON WILLIAMSON WAY AND HERSEY STREET. APPLICANT: DOUG NEUMANIMIKE MAHAR This action was approved. TYPE 11 PUBLIC HEARINGS PLANNING ACTION 98-033 REQUEST FOR A SITE REVIEW TO INSTALL A DISC ANTENNA AT 1650 CLARKE AVENUE. PROPOSED LOCATION FOR DISC (7'-6") HAS CHANGED FROM THE REAR OF THE BUILDING TO THE PARKING LOT SIDE OF THE BUILDING. APPLICANT: SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH Site Visits and Ex Parte Contacts -Site Visits were made by Morris and Armitage. STAFF REPORT This action was heard before the July 14, 1998 Hearings Board with most of the discussion centered around the location of the disc antenna. The proposal being presented today just changes the side of the gable where the disc is proposed to be located. Molnar showed a photo montage submitted by the applicant and describing where the proposed disc antenna will be located. Molnar said the main standard Staff has used to locate a disc is to choose the least visible location as viewed by city streets and residential properties. The direction was given to the applicant at the last meeting to work with neighbors and satellite dish experts to find a suitable location for the disc. Most of the concerns at the last meeting were from residents on Garden Way. Staff feels the location presented today is more visible from city streets and without any discussion with property owners along Harmony Lane or Oakway Circle, more visible to some of those areas. It is a difficult site and the disc will lend itself to only particular locations on the site. Molnar said this is not the worst location but one other alternative might be the center gable as it would be less visible from some of the surrounding streets. He was hoping there would have been a little more analysis by someone in the industry explaining why at least other areas on the site were insufficient. It seems some of the impacts may just shift to other neighbors. PUBLIC HEARING Bill Pugh, representing the Seventh Day Adventist Church,1650 Clarke Street explained they chose the original location because it was the only location to receive the signal . The church is a random user. Trying to keep it as hidden as possible they kept it on the gable. They met with all neighbors objecting to the satellite and brought in an expert installer. The option was to move to other side of gable, still visible from Heiner's yard but not the area he uses. Yes, it does make it more visible to Clarke Street and the first house on Oakway Circle. It is in a lower location on the roofline and stays below the treeline. It is below the skyline. In this location it disappears as best as possible. A two foot dish would not work because it has a lower power signal. Armitage wondered about putting it on the ground next to the church building. Pugh said locations were considered on the ground next to the community service building but the signal could not be picked up on the ground,just the roof. i Armitage asked Pugh if the proposal is the least visible overall. Pugh affirmed and said a tree is growing that will eventually sit between the street and the disc. HOWARD HEINER, 784 Garden Way, objected last month because of the location of the dish. He met with church people and experts and they are amenable to the location chosen at this time. However, if that location is refused or moved to the south side, he would have to object. Hearn asked if the proposal is the least visible location as viewed from the neighboring properties. Heiner said, no, but it is for him. It is obviously more visible to those on Clarke and maybe passersby. j Staff Response - Molnar would agree with Pugh that the disc will be primarily viewed from Clarke and Oakway Circle. Because of the elevation, he is concerned from a planning viewpoint. It is good they had an expert going through the site. This is difficult because of the location is surrounded by three streets. Pugh said he did not speak with either residence on Clarke. Molnar said notices went to residents on Clarke and Oakway Circle. Armitage thought it seemed the ground location on the side would be the least visible from Clarke and Oakway. Molnar said setting the dish at the rear of the building would allow it to better blend and not be as visible from the street. Rebuttal - Pugh said if the dish is located on the ground, it might have to be elevated to clear the roofline. It would have to go up about six feet. ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION 2 HEARINGS BOARD MINUTES SEPTEMBER 8,1998 COMMISSIONERS' DISCUSSION AND MOTION Hearn moved to approve PA 98-033 with attached Conditions. Morris seconded the motion. The motion was voted on unanimously. PLANNING ACTION 98-088 REQUEST FOR A REVISION TO A PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BUILDING ENVELOPE AND SOLAR WAIVER AT 1607 PEACHEY ROAD. APPLICANT: KIRT MEYER Site Visits and Ex Parte Contacts-Site Visits were made by all. STAFF REPORT Knox explained this property has a great deal of history associated with it as outlined in the Staff Report. The proposal is for a building envelope modification and solar waiver. The property was annexed in 1989 and partitioned in 1996 with a variance. The variance was for having one extra lot off a private road. The applicants justified the variance application stating the envelopes would set the buildings back from the creek and limit impacts on the creek and set back the building from the adjacent property owners. Staff felt that was an acceptable proposal. In 1997, the applicants asked for a building envelope modification and solar waiver. Now new applicants are asking for a minor amount more. Staff has some concerns. The integrity of the original comprehensive application has been somewhat degraded due to the number of changes. It would have been unfair to the neighborhood to not have a public hearing. Lastly, the proposal that is before the Hearings Board today is for an envelope modification (blue line on the site plan)which is currently an adopted envelope. The yellow area on the site plan was allowed in the last application allowing an outdoor patio area. The applicant is proposing to enclose the yellow area and add another 30 square feet making it about 90 square feet. In looking at the original variance request, the reasons for justifying it were because it did not close the conservation corridor. This application would close up that area. The solar variance being requested creates an approximate 74 '% foot shadow. It is about 25 feet beyond what the fence would shadow. The plans the applicant has submitted are purchased plans that are two- dimensional and do not consider topography constraints, solar envelope, building envelope and therefore the lot has to be fixed to fit the house. Usually building plans are received that have been drawn by a local designer who would take into account natural features of the land. The house could be designed around those constraints and still work. Molnar has struggled with this application. He has viewed it more a modification of the 1996 approval. At that time, the applicant offered points in that application which made it similar to a subdivision. Now there have been a number of planning actions that have whittled away the original plan. The applicant inherited the lot with a history with it. This is more than an incremental change. Hearn recalled considerable discussion about the setback to the riparian area in the request in 1997. He remembered talking about one to two feet making a difference in the riparian area. He also recalled when the applicant came before them there were concerns about eroding of the original application. PUBLIC HEARING KIRT MEYER, 2909 Dead Indian Memorial Road and VADIM AGAKHANOV, 117 Garfield Street testified. ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION 3 HEARINGS BOARD MINUTES SEPTEMBER 8,1998 I a Agakhanov said he is the local designer who redesigned the plans. He took off a huge porch. They are trying to meet the CC&R's. The neighbors do not object. The house will be fourteen feet from the creek allowing space for trees to grow. The solar will not shadow the house because it is in the corner and no one will develop that part of the property. Meyer said because the elevation of the property being shadowed is elevated and if a six foot fence were built it would create a 23 foot shadow. The foundation will be about a foot underneath with excavation underneath. RICHARD LUCAS, 1632 Ross Lane, represents himself and his wife and Kerry Lay. The application has incrementally changed over time. If you take any variance, it seems minor, but over time it has become more major. He feels the applicants are trying to be honest but there is still the issue of what is necessary. The applicants inherited a piece of property that had the problems they were not informed about. The solar shadow is a definite indicator of the size of the house. He agrees that fitting a pre- existing design on the lot is a problem. There are only so many configurations of plans they could have. It would be helpful to reduce the roof pitch. He is glad they are trying to keep the foundation a little lower. He does not believe it would be that difficult to design a house that will meet the criteria. Now it seems to be a problem to have the extra lot with a large house. JOHN KLEIN, 1000 Walker, said he is not opposing development, but everything was fine until Starr (previous applicant) sold 1010 Walker. At that time a proposal came asking for a variance for the drive to access. Then he received another notice requesting another variance. He realizes the variances are not self-imposed by the new owners but he sees it relating all the way to the original owners which have led to i everyone else from here forward requiring a variance. Staff Response - Knox said changes in the roof pitch could shrink the volume of the building. He told Agakhanov if he makes any changes, they need to be reflected on the plans the Planning Department has. Hearn wondered what part of the application pertains to the Minor Land Partition criteria. Molnar said there is not clear criteria for adjusting a building envelope. Hearn asked to what extent the green square on the site plan affects the visual corridor. He believes it will affect it from a not yet built house. Molnar said it depends on what the impression is of the visual corridor. Any increase in the envelope towards the riparian ,even though this is incremental, will diminish the visual corridor. Molnar said in addition to showing a habitable structure is not shaded (solar waiver) it also needs to be shown there are unique or unusual circumstances about the site which justify a waiver. The applicants have discussed topography and lot configuration. Rebuttal -Agakhonov said after 5:00 or 6:00 p.m., there is no shadow at all. Concerning changing the roofline, the bedrooms have to be fire accessible. By lowering the roof and windows they will lose the classical American design. Meyer said they put the garage on the north side to keep it as non-invasive as possible. The roof has to be that high for the room above the garage. ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION 4 HEARINGS BOARD MINUTES SEPTEMBER 8, 1998 Morris asked how tall the building will be. Agakhanov said it is roughly 27 feet and they are lowering it to 25 feet. COMMISSIONERS' DISCUSSION AND MOTION Hearn said when someone owns both tracts(solar), he leans toward not being too concerned about the solar variance. Knowing the history of the property overall, he can understand both sides. Armitage said with regard to the solar variance, there won't be a problem for future buildings and the shadow does not reach Ross Lane. What are unique and unusual circumstances? Molnar said the high point of the house scales off at 31 feet. Armitage said this property has gone through many changes. There was a proposal for a structure that did meet the criteria and with a waiver already granted. Armitage has a difficult time trying to find unique and unusual circumstances with the applicants saying a house cannot be built. He does not consider the building envelope to be unique or unusual. It cannot meet the criteria with the present design. Morris said the addition of the new area seems minor as does the solar, however, he was not on the Board during the other applications. Morris moved to approve the application. There was no second and the motion failed. Armitage said this could be called before the full commission. Armitage moved to deny PA98-088. Hearn seconded the motion. The motion was approved with Morris voting "no". APPROVAL OF MINUTES AND FINDINGS Morris moved to adopt Findings for PA09-033 (Seventh Day Adventist). Hearn seconded and the Findings were adopted. ADJOURNED -The meeting was adjourned at 3:45 p.m. ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION 5 HEARINGS BOARD MINUTES SEPTEMBER 8,1998 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION .. ..rr�.......,�.....�... �x:....ro.... xA............. .....�.�,yti.....w�w.w�xx...Y.H...x.�x .Y W.�.....a ar.... ...................._...................._.. Minutes of Meeting September 24, 1998 Members Present: Don Laws, Bob Goeckerman, J. David Fine, John Morrison, William Snell Staff Present: Jim Olson, Dawn Curtis, Brent Jensen Members Absent: Michael Savko I. Call to Order Commissioner Fine called the meeting to order at 7:08 PM. II Approval of Minutes August minutes were approved. III Items for Discussion: A. PUBLIC FORUM ITEMS: 1) Parking Prohibition on Sherman Street Olson reviewed the request from Mary Voris, 633 Iowa, to restrict parking on Sherman St. at the intersection of Siskiyou Blvd. Vehicles parking along the bottom of Sherman St. make visibility and maneuverability extremely difficult. On occasions when there are cars present on both sides of Sherman, the width of the street becomes compromised leaving it difficult for a car turning off of Sherman onto Siskiyou and a car turning from Siskiyou onto Sherman to fit between the parked cars. During several instances, vehicles turning onto Sherman will have to yield and wait for vehicles to turn onto Siskiyou. This creates a safety issue. Staff recommended to Commission that this request of a 50 foot parking restriction on both sides of Sherman St. be approved. Questions were raised concerning the amount of parking being lost. Olson informed Commission that only two parking spaces on each side would be lost. Jensen commented that parking is not allowed within twenty feet of any intersection, so the loss is only G:Daw \TreftSepwnbu 98.wpd actually thirty feet on each side. Support from two other residents was called into Olson after notices were sent to neighbors regarding this proposal. Motion to approve and seconded. Unanimously approved. 2) Cross-Walk Painting on N. Main St. in Briscoe School Area Olson revisited this request made at the August TSC Meeting. Streets to be painted would include: A. NORTH MAIN STREET @ Bush Street @ Central Avenue @ Skidmore Street @ Van Ness Avenue @ Hersey Street @ Wimer Street @ Laurel Street B. Laurel Street @ Central Street Staff strongly recommends this action be implemented. Geokerman felt that if a crosswalk was added to the intersection of Wimer and N. Main it would create a pedestrian problem because this is a blind corner for vehicles traveling onto Main St. tend to stop just short of the intersection. This would put vehicles in the crosswalk before they turn and infringe on the pedestrians. Olson felt this was standard practice for most intersections. Implementation of the crosswalks was supported by Morrison. Motion to approve staff recommendation of the crosswalk painting was approved unanimously. 3) Third Street Parking Request Olson reviewed a request from Dr. Thomashefsky regarding the parking situation on Third Street. Dr. Thomashefsky requested the addition of four to six, one to two hour parking spaces be added to Third St. Staff presented two alternatives to this request: 1) West side of Third St. from Lithia Way to C Street be posted at two hour parking; 2) Designate the first four hour parking spaced from Lithia Way on east side of Third Street as two hour parking. Commissioner Fine, a business resident of Third Street voiced concerns over this request. Fine inventoried 44 2-hour parking spaces within a block and a half of this location. The area on Third Street was designated as all day parking to accommodate patrons G:Daw \TraPSeplemb"98.wpd and employees of the downtown business area. Fine also remarked that he has had few complaints about parking while he his practice has resided in the area. Jim Norton, 74 Third Street and neighbors asked that this request likewise be denied as the residential impacts of the change would affect where they and visitors to their homes ability to park for long term periods of time near their houses. Morrison asked Thomashefsky if he would be willing to compromise with two 2-hour parking spaces in front of his business? Fine commented further that justification is still not there to compromise downtown merchant parking. Law agreed with Fine that this does not seem a serious problem, but would present a problem with the downtown business to further remove parking. Snell voiced concern over whether granting this request would show preference to Dr. Thomashefsky. Thomashefsky was made aware of parking situation before moving to the neighborhood. Jensen remarked this is a tough situation because this area is a buffer zone between the business of downtown and the residential areas, it will be hard to make this distinction over who is more influential. Fine asked if any other businesses had commented on this request. Curtis remarked that the Vieze's had commented that they did not like the idea. Laws indicated that this area was dedicated as "for public use". Laws asked Thomashefsky if his patients were informed on the off-street parking behind his building. Thomashefsky sends a map to all patients before they come to office. Morrison asked for Staffs opinion on this. Olson says it is two-fold and he sees both perspectives. Staff would be comfortable with either. Morrison felt we should stay with status quo. Fine suggested we invite Dr. Thomashefsky back to revisit this issue in a few months if there is still an issue. Commission voted to deny this request unanimously. 4) Parking Restriction on Vista Street Mike Frank, Secretary of the Ravenwood Condominiums Homeowners Association, requested a no parking zone be established on the north side of Vista Street from the Ravenwood Place entrance 25 feet to provide vision clearance for vehicles exiting. Staff showed various photographs which supported the claim by Frank that the vision is often obscured (by the same vehicle). Staff recommends that the equivalent of one parking space be prohibited easterly of the Ravenwood Place on the north side of Vista Street as there is ample parking elsewhere along the street. Madeline Blue, 357 Vista, called Staff regarding this request and felt the addition of the no parking zone would encourage vehicles to park where they would block sidewalks and mailboxes. Feels this G:Daw \Trat\SgA mbe 98.wpd members of the Commission. Olson will be attending. -Geri Parker-Paley, Region Transportation Safety Coordinator, ODOT Announcement on the Safety Belt Campaign - usage is up to 87% average for the state. Oregon hopes to achieve 90% by the year 2000. The present goal was to reach 85% by the year 2000 and we have surpassed that already. The new influence will be on reducing traffic injuries. Sandy DiPiro, 776- 7132 Ext. 30 will be heading this program. If Commission would like she can speak to them regarding coordination of this program. Fine asked Paley if it would be feasible to have more programs south of Corvalis for educational purposes. The present programs are held up north during the week, Fine would like to see more programs in this region. Suggestions on video conferencing and weekend courses were given to Paley to follow up on. G. GOAL SETTING - None. H. Other 1. Report on Central Ashland Bikeway Leford is completing project. Vandalism is already a concern. IV. Informational Items - No Discussion A. "Do the Buckle" for inclusion in Utility Mailer B. Traffic Safety Notes- Nomination for 1998 Transportation Safety Award C. ACTS Oregon News D. Oregon Highway Plan Update E. Brochures, Posters & Stickers Available from ODOT V. New Items - Beach and 8'" Visibility Problem Staff will pass on request to have vegetation trimmed. VI. For Next Meeting - None VI. Meeting was Adjourned at 8:45 PM Respectfully submitted, Dawn V. Curtis Public Works Administrative Secretary G:Daw \TraMeptember 98.wpd restriction would limit their livability. Morrison asked if vehicle in the picture was a frequent nuisance. Frank replied that the vehicle is often parked there for days on end. Even when the vehicle moves to avoid being towed, it will only move a few feet. Frank continued that by making the vehicle stay back the twenty-five feet the visibility problem is solved. Morrison asked if Staff had performed an accident history. Olson had not. Morrison had visited this site and remarked that when he pulled out of the entrance to Ravenwood Place, he had to look behind the vehicle to see, but if another vehicle had been parked behind the first vehicle, he would not have been able to see. Geokerman viewed street as congested with no sidewalks and visibility problems. Fine commented that this is a repeating problem with private drives and that the Planning Department should be made aware of these issues for consideration while plans are still in process. Laws commented that there weren't too many other cars present in the photos. Frank said pictures represented the usually situation and there is rarely competition for parking on the street. Jensen agreed with Fine that intersection policies should be implemented on this corner. Snell motioned that reasonable length of no parking be applied according to Staff recommendation. Olson agreed that 25 feet is adequate. Commission voted unanimously to apply a 25 foot no parking zone on the north side Vista Street east of Ravenwood Place. B. REVIEW OF TRAFFIC REQUESTS / PROJECTS PENDING 1. C. FOLLOW-UP ON PREVIOUS TRAFFIC ACTIONS Olson reviewed status of traffic actions: -Garfield Street Parking Prohibition for Bus Turning - Thanks from Buzz Heard of Ashland School District. -Grandview, Sunnyview, & Skycrest Street intersection study has commenced. D. HANDICAP ISSUES - None E. TRAFFIC SAFETY EDUCATION COMMITTEE 1. School Safety Program - No report 2. SOU Traffic Safety Committee - No report 3. Traffic Safety Notes - None F. EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES - -Transportation Safety Conference, October 28, 29, and 30 in Hood River Staff awaiting registration packets and will forward them to the interested G:Daw \TrnflSeptemba 98.wpd i ASHLAND AIRPORT COMMISSION ° Noon, Wednesday, September 2, 1998 w�+ MINUTES MEMBERS PRESENT: Paul Mace, Chairman, Lillian Insley Paul Rostykus, William Skillman, Don Fitch, Ken Ehlers, Alan Hassell, Councilor Alan DeBoer; Staff present: Paula Brown, Bob Skinner, FBO, and Dawn Curtis MEMBERS ABSENT: I. CALL TO ORDER: Meeting 12:00 Noon II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Wednesday, August 5, 1998 Minutes approved with change. III. OLD BUSINESS: A. Pending Projects: 1) T-Hangar Development Curtis discussed the waiting list for potential hangar rentees. Interest has been raised because of the new construction taking place. Oregon State Police would appreciate having a closed hangar for security reasons. Mace pointed out the fact that there has not been any open hangar space and this obviously shows the interest. Mace commented new hangars should be built by the City for profit. DeBoer felt it was time to look into AIP funding for projects, i.e. taxiway expansion, fencing, etc. Mace questioned our financial options at this time. Insley asked which construction costs could be covered by ODOT. DeBoer remarked that ODOT funding is usually used up with the Port of Portland activities. Mace commented that most of the money will go to rural areas. DeBoer suggested that we apply every 2-3 years for the AIP funding. Staff will put together a new list of priority projects. B. Maintenance Issues: Staff 1) Tree Trimming: Staff was informed of the fledgling hawk nest by Mr. Dunn. The fledglings departed the nest but the empty nest is still above the height of the tree cutting. Staff will inform Mr. Dunn to cut the tree above the nest which is only a few feet above the suggested cutting line. Hassell asked who had recommended that we trim the trees. Skinner remarked he had been told by the State of Oregon. Discussion ensued regarding the area where the trees were to be cut. Skinner asked if the approach could be shot again for grades and heights. Brown will bring surveyor maps to next meeting for review. Mace remembered the tree trimming plan has been modified in the past. Skinner interested in looking at the slide slope approach. An obstruction map was presented with the Airport Master Plan. IV. NEW BUSINESS: A. John Day Proposal: Staff received a Proposal by John Day for the addition of two 10 unit Nested T-Hangars to be located in the "Future Hangar" area called out in the Airport Master Plan. Day presented maps and proposal to Commission. Discussion ensued regarding the layout direction for the proposed hangars. The angle presented differs from the placement anticipated in the Airport Master Plan. Construction would necessitate further site work, addition of 1300' of taxiway at approximately $100/ft, and further security fencing costing $20-30,000 along the back road. The lease would be identical to the 25 year lease in currently used. Excavation amount to accomplish the grade on the taxiways would be significant if the hangars were tiered. DeBoer recalled that a quote had been presented to the Airport Commission by Burl Brimm for the excavation costs. Research could be done to find costs associated with building the first nested T-hangars. Brown felt some costs could be applied for through AIP funding. Mace suggested we approach the City Administrators to review these alternatives and which other projects they fell should be a higher priority. Brown asked Commissioners for their feelings, would this be financially acceptable to them. Jacobsen vied that the addition of new hangars built by City would bring in immediate income and would be under the influence of the City and the Commission instead of opening the airport up to private enterprise. DeBoer feels the goal should be for the City to own all the small T-Hangars. Mace commented that our intentions would be compromised by allowing commercial owners into the airport, but we should develop a list of people willing to do the construction than let City decree what should be allowed. Day interjected that the hangar cost alone for the City would be $15 1foot with Davis/Beacon, he could achieve the same for much lower costs. There would less risk for the City if private owners were involved. Insley interjected that the goal of the airport should be to become self sufficient. DeBoer remarked that the airport is self sufficient. Mace reviewed that the policy on the T-hangars has always been fairly consistent between private owners. DeBoer agreed that the Airport Commission has developed private owner hangars for personal use. Skinner remarked that 25 pre-paid leases would benefit airport income, but we will lose some revenue waiting for the City to arrange the building. Mace agreed that Staff time will soak up remaining revenue, and private building might benefit the airport more in the long run. DeBoer granted that the City has a list of people who are willing to build privately, we need to look at this kind proposal for true benefit. Mace agreed that we look into benefits and that we open the proposal process up to other private builders. Brown will contact Day with the outcome of this meeting, following the meeting with Mace, Scoles, DeBoer and Brown. B. SOREDI Grant Update: Brown revisited the history of the $25,000 SOREDI Grant for the sanitary sewer line. The condition the Commission faces now is that if we accept this grant we also have to accept the entire cost of the sewer line, $212,000. Brown needs Commission to recommend this proposal be taken to the Council. It is within the AIP and further costs can come from the SDC funds, maybe 75-80%, this will reevaluate the SDC priority. Commission recommended that SDC Project List prioritize sanitary sewer as a necessary improvement and be brought to the Council on September 15'for consideration. C. CPI Issue with Land Lease Hangar Rate Staff has been contacted by lessees regarding the raise in rental rates. Staff has asked Finance to review the computations and have found discrepancies. Staff will produce the new rates at the next Commission Meeting. Staff will also be reviewing and amending leases to accommodate for inconsistencies. Jill Turner will also be speaking at the next meeting in regards to Airport financial status. V. AIRPORT MANAGER REPORT/FBO REPORT/AIRPORT ASSOCIATION: A. Status of Airport Financial Report. Review of Safety Reports: Business is up. 40-50 hours of activity. Fire watch has been contracting from Ashland. Ramp sealing has failed, could we have county look into this problem. DeBoer suggested we have an Airport Association Clean-up Day to curb costs of manual labor. Brown will research weed control material to be placed under the asphalt as a future fix. B. Ashland Airport Association: Status Report None. C. Other: 1. Fuel Tank Status: Commission would like the Fuel Tank Status to be kept on the agenda. Tank engineering is now taking place. Costs should be available soon. Skinner concerned with the time schedule. Skinner informed the Commission that he had been approached by a fuel distributor that would be willing to offer the airport a$20,000 loan for the fuel tank changeover if they could have exclusive privileges. Skinner looked to other dealers to see if they could offer a similar deal. If Skinner had his choice he preferred going with Texaco since they have been the distributor for the airport for the past six years. The $20,000 would be split evenly with Bob Skinner and the City. Both would be liable for default. Commission will address this at a future meeting. 2. Craven Review of Building Site: A survey was sent into the Engineering Department on a piece of land Northwest of the airport just outside the approach zones. Brown informed the Commission that this is within the slope elevation and should be looked at. DeBoer suggested that every piece of information be brought before the Commission for consideration. Mace recommended that County look very hard at this request. Brown will follow up letter to inform applicant that his proposal and subsequent requests will go through the Commission. VI. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS: None VII. NEW: None VII. ADJOURN: Meeting was adjourned at 1:30 PM. G:0a \AirpW1nLdm\August 98.wpd CITY OF ASHLAND ``may oF'ASy2o Office of the Mayor 1' OREGON.°` ' MEMORANDUM DATE: October 14, 1998 TO: City Council Members FROM: Mayor Catherine M. Shaw RE: APPOINTMENT OF DALE SHOSTROM TO BUILDING APPEALS BOARD I would like to recommend and seek approval of the appointment of Dale Shostrom to the Building Appeals Board for a term to expire December 31, 1998, to replace the late Ken Hagen's position. Dale Shostrom is a current member of the Historic Commission. • � I '�'�4 ..ed.ru October 15. 1998 er Gc j 19008 I � City Council City Hall 20 East Main Street Ashland, OR 97520 Re : RVTD Routes in Ashland Enclosed is a copy of a letter sent to RVTD suggesting some changes in Ashland' s bus routes. I believe these changes would save money and serve riders better. As a regular rider myself I 'm in a good position to know where the average rider is likely to need to go , and I do not believe that the current routes reflect these needs adequately. Yours trully, Anya Schwarz 7 157 Siskiyou Blvd . #193 Ashland, OR 97520 J I October 159 1998 Rogue Valley Transportation District 3200 Crater Lake Avenue Medford, OR 97504-9075 Attn : General manager, Sherrin Coleman As an advocate of alternative transportation, I would like to make a few suggestions on how to make your service in Ashland more utilitarian, not only for the riders but for RVTD as well. First, the route along East Main is a terrific idea, but badly executed. Many of the apartments near East Main are occupied by students, but route 6 doesn 't go anywhere near SOU. Students on their way to class are not likely to take kindly to detours downtown or to Tolman Creek Road in order to change buses. III A better solution would be to combine the 5 and 6 routes as per the enclosed diagram. All the important stops are covered : Rite-Aid/Albert son s/Bi-Mart, Ashland Shopping Center (approached from Siskiyou) , and SOU. I 've been on route 5 to be the only passenger for two or three miles. As much as I like the idea of my own personal limo , an empty bus every 15 minutes or so Is a luxury neither Ashland nor RVTD can afford to offer. And a luxury that is so impractical it is repeatedly taken away is no bargain to the rider. Dependability is absolutely necessary to establishing rider loyalty. A route that effectively covers the city and does so year after year is the only way to induce the public to forsake automobiles. The proposed route would serve more people instead of pampering ,just a few. Secondly , In order for route 5/6 to work efficiently, route 10 should be reversed—quite easily done with a few extra benefits besides. ( see diagram) By reversing 10 you not only cover the same ground, but you eliminate two totally unnecessary left turns at Tolman Creek Road. I should think eliminating these turns would not only shave off a moment or two , but would actually contribute to safety and cut down on driver fatigue. Turning a vehicle that size cannot be easy y. Again all your major players are covered : Rite-Aid , etc . , Ashland Center, The Plaza, SOU, and Ashland Hills Inn . (If Ashland Hills Inr Is a contribut--r to the 6 bus, it could easily be included on that route as well. ) 2-Ashland Routes These suggestions are the result of seven years of bus riding in Ashland. I have tried to keep in mind who your commercial financial contributors might be as well. I hope these suggestions prove helpful. Bus service In a city this size is a rarity , and I would like to see it continue . Yours truly, Ada —fc/w7 Anya Schwarz 1257 Siskiyou Blvd. #193 Ashland, OR 97520 CC : City of Ashland �PRo�os�D J RSN �AN � RO cn eS to `G i g tounFe� � 0 T r y / 3 z � T w y n i � 2 a` o� T 4\b ILAb E � �O 1�urE �o CREVe-�s��� �oOTE 1O RevE2SE �1RTIoN �l 1 m ivATt 2 LEFT TuRNs RT \}u3'� 6(o To�mAN CR�6K RD . s � 3 o a y v � �P Ro UtE 5�b Cpm6kNE ROUTES 80 TNRT THE E. MEIN 6u5 PR�S�S a� emu . .fl y � y Ay �� To: City Councilors From: Rick Landt Date: 20 Oct 98 Re: Street Design Standards Although I have found many innovative, solid parts to the current draft of the Street Design Standards, I have serious reservations about others aspects of the draft. I would like to mentioned some of them below: 1) I am curious what was the basis for the tree-related perimeters. Was it scientifically based? Was it taken from what other cities have done? If so, were environments (climate and soils) and goals the other cities similar? The concerns that I raise below are based on my observations in Ashland over the past 16 years. 2) A six foot minimum for park rows is too narrow to grow and maintain large trees. Large trees are a great goal, that I support,and to be successful, their roots need room to grow.I would refer readers to the railroad district,home a many large street trees. Where they are growing best, with mimimal conflicts with sidewalks, roads, curbs, etc. is where park rows are 10 to 12 feet wide. Where they are diminished in size to six feet, serious conflicts between the trees and man-made structures are occurring. For example,note the beautiful honey locust tree on B Street,near the intersection with 2nd Street. It is just the magnificent specimen I think we envision when we think of large street trees, and it is now threatened,because it is upheaving sidewalk, curb and street,creating safety and maintenance problems. 3) On page 17, first full paragraph, the draft state that "placement, types of trees, and planting methods are addressed in The Street Tree Standards of the Site Design and Use Standards of the Ashland Land Use Ordinance." I would add that no mention is made of the crucial issue of maintenance in this ordinance. Further the ordinance is inadequate in its description for urban trees, that require special attention, due to the somewhat hostile environment. I understand that a revision of this ordinance is forthcoming, I am bothered though, that the Street Design Standards might be ratified before the referenced Street Tree Standards are in place. 4) I have reservations about the streetscape cross-sections shown on pages 26,28,29, and 30. a) The plan shown on page 26 sets in stone a single approach to streetscapes that creates a number of problems. I believe that we would be bettered served on quieter streets that have on-street parking if the sidewalk is adjacent to the street. An excellent example of how this works well is on High Street. Because there is parking along High Street, a buffer exists between pedestrians on the sidewalk and vehicular traffic. Additionally, street tree roots are unimpeding by impervious surfaces on three sides,enhancing their ability to thrive and grow into large trees. Where there is parking on only one side of the road, the sidewalk could be adjacent to the road on the parking side with a wide park row on the opposite side. Furthermore, water is saved by not having narrow, difficult to water, park rows that tend to waste water. Finally, it is safer, cleaner, and more comfortable to step out onto sidewalk than onto landscape. b) Perhaps I do not understand the commercial cross-sections,but what is shown are "planting strips." I assume this means continuous.Blocking ingress/egress between businesses and parking with a"planting strip"would not be good for business. Where there is diagonal parking, the planter should be a parallelogram directly in front of the parking spot, with sidewalk all sides of it except the curb side. With parallel parking, the solution requires a diagram,not words. I have a number of other concerns that I have not had the time time list. I think there are many good elements in this document, but I urge further work, especially as relates to trees and streetscapes before the document is approved. Council Communication Department of Community Development Planning Division October 20, 1998 Submitted by: Maria Harris Approved by: Paul Nolte L__i Approved by: Mike Freeman/ Title: Street Design Standards Synopsis: The purpose of the proposed street design standards is to regulate the development of new streets, and reconstruction of existing streets or portions thereof. These standards will apply to new streets associated with development approvals, as well as establishing standards for the improvement of existing streets through the local improvement district (LID) process. The street design standards have been developed to implement the goals and policies of the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan according to Chapter 18.108, Procedures, and to be in accordance with the Transportation Planning Rule (Oregon Administrative Rule, Division 12, Transportation Planning). The Planning Commission recommended approval of the Street Design Standards with several changes to the City Council at the October 13, 1998. The attached document does not reflect the recommendations of the Commission at this time. The suggested changes are as follows: • pp. 19, 24 and 25 - For Neighborhood Collector, Residential increase the curb-to- curb pavement width from 20' to 22'. • , pp. 19, 31 and 32 - For Neighborhood Street, Residential eliminate the No Parking option. . • pp. 19,31 and 33 - For Neighborhood Street, Residential increase the curb-to-curb pavement width from 21' to 22'. • . p. 40 - For 3. .Handrails for Pedestrians and 4. Steps for Pedestrians define steep with percentage slope. • . p. 40 - Add a standard requiring sidewalks to be scored when the slope is steep (to be defined.) Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the Street Design Standards with the changes proposed by the Planning Commission. Background: The street design standards have been developed to implement the goals and policies of the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan according to Chapter 18.108, Procedures. Specifically, 18.108.170 says: "It may be necessary from time to time to amend the text of the Land Use Ordinance or make other legislative amendments in order to conform with the comprehensive plan..." In December 1996, an updated Transportation Element was approved and adopted by the City Council. Many of the goals and policies of the Transportation Element address street design (Street System Policies 2,3,5,6 on page 33, Pedestrian and Bicycle Goal 1 and Policies 2,6,7,9,10,11,12,13 on page 50). The following policy from The Street System section is one example. "Design streets as critical public spaces where creating a comfortable and attractive place that encourages people to walk, bicycle and socialize is balanced with building an efficient corridor. Design streets with equal attention to all right-of-way users and to promote livability of neighborhoods." Policy 3, page 33 The update of the Transportation Element, along with a package of comprehensive transportation planning efforts, is required by a relatively new(1991) state Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) known as the "Transportation Planning Rule." This OAR outlines how Statewide Planning Goal 12: Transportation is to be implemented. Specifically, local jurisdictions are required to prepare local street standards as described in the following excerpt. �I "Local governments shall establish standards for local streets and accessways that , minimize pavement width and total right-of-way consistent with the operational needs of the facility. The intent of this requirement is that local governments consider and reduce excessive standards for local streets and accessways in order to reduce the cost of construction, provide for more efficient use of urban land, provide for emergency vehicle access while discouraging inappropriate traffic volumes and speeds, and which accommodate convenient pedestrian and bicycle circulation." OAR 660-1-45 (7) Council Communication/Street Design Standards 10.20.98 Page 2. ASHLAND PLANNING DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT October 13, 1998 PLANNING ACTION: 98-109 APPLICANT: City of Ashland LOCATION: citywide ORDINANCE REFERENCE: 18.80 Subdivisions 18.88 Performance Standards Options REQUEST: A request for an amendment to the Ashland Land Use Ordinance to establish a set of layout and design standards for streets. I. Relevant Facts 1) Background - History of Application: The purpose of the proposed street standards is to implement the goals and policies of the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan according to Chapter 18.108, Procedures. Specifically, 18.108.170 says: "It may be necessary from time to time to amend the text of the Land Use Ordinance or make other legislative amendments in order to conform with the comprehensive plan..." In December 1996, an updated Transportation Element was approved and adopted by the City Council. This update, along with a package of comprehensive transportation planning efforts, is required by a relatively new(1991) state Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) known as the "Transportation Planning Rule." This OAR outlines how Statewide Planning Goal 12 (Transportation) is to be implemented. In.addition to giving local jurisdictions guidance on implementing Statewide Planning Goal 12, the Transportation Planning Rule sets requirements for coordination among levels of government and the preparation of transportation system plans. In general, the overall purpose is summarized as follows: "Through measures designed to reduce reliance on the automobile, the rule is also intended to assure.that the planned transportation system supports a pattern of travel and land use in urban areas which will avoid the air pollution, traffic and livability problems faced by other areas of the country" (OAR 660-012-0000). Many of the policies of the Transportation Element require the City to update the street standards to facilitate all modes of travel, and to use traditional street design for the planning and design of new and reconstructed streets (Street System Policies 2,3,5,6 on page 33, Pedestrian and Bicycle Goal 1 and Policies 2,6,7,9,10,11,12,13 on page 50). Subsequently, Staff updated the street design standards as part of the Transportation System Plan and Local Street Plan projects. A Planning Commission Study Session was held on August 25, 1998 to review the draft street standards. 2) Description of Proposal: Any change to the text of the Ashland Land Use Ordinance is a legislative amendment. As such, the Planning Commission is charged with reviewing the draft street standards for conformance with the goals and policies of the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan, holding a public hearing and recommending approval, disapproval, or modification of the proposed amendment to the City Council. The draft street standards have for the most part not changed in content since the Planning Commission reviewed the document at the August 25, 1998 Study Session. Language has been added in response to comments from the Study Session and to address issues brought up by Public Works, Fire and Planning Staf£,'Tholddditions that'fiaye been added sirice}the,'August"1998-Pldhning Corimisston Study Session"are shaded: IV. Conclusions and Recommendations Staff recommends forwarding the street standards to the City Council with a . recommendation for approval. PA98-109/Street Standards Ashland Planning Department -- Staff Report City of.Ashland. . . October 13, 1998 . Page 2 . ATTN: JODY - classified PUBLISH IN LEGAL ADVERTISING NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing on the following items with respect to the Ashland Land Use Ordinance will be held before the Ashland City Council on October 20, 1998 at 7:00 p.m. at Ashland Civic Center, 1175 East Main Street, Ashland, Oregon. At such Public Hearing, any person is entitled to be heard, unless the public hearing portion of the review has been closed during a previous meeting. Request for adoption of the Transportation System Plan and Street Standards. Applicant: City of Ashland Copies of this ordinance have been furnished to members of the city council seven days prior to the council meeting, and three copies are on file in the office of the city recorder for public inspection during business hours. Barbara Christensen City Recorder PUBLISH: Daily Tidings 10/10/98 Purchase order: 30223 Fig: ED F regon Transportation & Growth Management Program � 1175 Court Street NE Salem,OR 97310-0590 John A.Kitzhaber,M.D.,Governor (503)373-0066 FAX (503)378-2687 A Joint Program of the October 05, 1998 0 C T _ 8 Department of 1998 Transportation and the Mana Harris, Associate Planner Department of City of Ashland Planning Department Land Conservation 20 East Main Street and Ashland, Oregon 97520 Development Re: DLCD File #003-98, Local Street Standards. Dear Ms. Harris: Thank you for both the notice on your intent to amend you Land Use Ordinance to revise your street design standards and the opportunity to review the City of Ashland's draft local street standards. We are encouraged by the contents of the draft document. The draft clearly reflects the City's diligent efforts to comply with the applicable street and right-of-way related requirements of the Transportation Planning Rule. The City of Ashland is making substantial progress toward the development of an efficient and effective transportation system that provides for both the movement of automobile traffic and alternative transportation modes. Your efforts to place transportation systems for public transportation, pedestrian and bicycle travel at the same level of importance and development priority with other forms of travel are laudable. Thank you again for the opportunity to review your draft local street standards. Please accept our congratulations on a job well done. TRicams; AICP Transportation and Land Use Planner Form 739-2368(10-97) - Street Design Standards ' '�` , ` ��'� City of Ashland kk �e (k N F � a r Table of Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. Section I: Basic Principles of Traditional Street Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Required Street Layout and Design Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Section II: Connectivity Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Street Connectivity Approval Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Section III: Design Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Elements of the Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Application of Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Table 1: City of Ashland Street Design Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Street Design Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Boulevard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 ' Avenue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Neighborhood Collector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Neighborhood Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Alley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Multi-use Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Section IV: Street Corner Radius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Curb Return Radius Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . : . . . . 38 Section V: Hillside Streets . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Hillside Street Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Section VI: Driveway Apron and Curb Cut Spacing . . . . . . - 41 Driveway Apron and Curb Cut Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 INTRODUCTION Ashland's streets are some of the most important public spaces in the community. This handbook outlines the art and science of developing healthy, livable streets. It is intended to illustrate current standards for planning and designing the streets of Ashland. The standards are to be used in the development of new streets, and reconstruction of existing streets or portions thereof(i.e. improving a paved local street by adding sidewalks). The handbook contains standards for street connectivity and design as well as cross sections for a series of street types. Each cross section provides a model for building streets the traditional way. As the term handbook suggests, it is intended as a guide and resource for use by home builders, developers and community members in the pursuit of quality development practices. A series of street types is offered including the multi-use path, alley, neighborhood street, commercial neighborhood street, neighborhood collector, commercial neighborhood collector, avenue and boulevard. Variations can be made from these basic types to fit the particular site and situation. However, the measurements of each street component must be used to create and maintain the desired low-speed environment where people feel comfortable and the maximum number of people walk, bicycle and use transit. All streets in Ashland shall be designed using the following assumptions. • All designs encourage pedestrian and bicycle travel. • Neighborhood streets (Neighborhood Collectors and Neighborhood Streets) are designed for 20 mile-per-hour (mph). • All streets are paved. • All streets have standard vertical, non-mountable curbs. 7 Gutter widths are included as part of the curb-to-curb street width. • Most avenues and boulevards should have bicycle lanes. • Parkrow and sidewalk widths do not include the curb. • Sidewalks are shaded by trees for pedestrian comfort. • All streets have parkrows and sidewalks on both sides. Exceptions may be allowed when physical conditions-preclude the,iristaliatroil of a sidewalk S ch i onditiors may include topography or the existence of natural resource areas such as wetlands, ponds, streams, etc. 7 �� All parkrows and medians are landscaped. lvi�1 ' Garages are set back from the sidewalk so vehicles are clear of sidewalks. • Building set backs and heights create a sense of enclosure. The street connectivity and design standards are part of the Ashland Land Use Ordinance and are approval standards that will be used to guide land use decisions and street construction projects. While much of this handbook is a "user-friendly" version of what is in the Ashland Land Use Ordinance, the.entire document is a supporting document to the City's Comprehensive Plan. Draft Street Standards Handbook October 8, 1998 Ashland Local Street Plan Page 1 Section I outlines the basic traditional street design principles for planning and designing new and reconstructed streets. Section II specifies the street connectivity standards which must be used in laying out and locating new streets. Section III contains cross sections and describes the design requirements for new and reconstructed streets. Section IV specifies curb return radius standards. Section V outlines additional standards for hillside streets. Finally, Section VI defines standards for driveway apron and curb cut standards. BACKGROUND In December 1996,the City of Ashland adopted an updated Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan. Many of the policies of the Transportation Element require the City use traditional street design for the planning and design of new and reconstructed streets (Street System Policies 2,3,5,6 on page 33, Pedestrian and Bicycle Goal 1, Policies 2,6,7,9,10,11,12,13 on page 50). Subsequently, the City of Ashland updated the street design standards, as part of the Transportation System Plan and Local Street Plan, to reflect traditional street design principles and implement the goals and policies of the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan. SECTION I: BASIC PRINCIPLES OF TRADITIONAL STREET DESIGN Tradittonal•nei6 orhood design is used'as the basis•foi`the City, ofAshland:street layout;design andiiconnectivity standards Tlus planning and design concept is used because itcreates streets that:provi& rhiiltiple transportation options, focuses on a safe environment-for all_users;:treats streets as public spaces,and:enhances the livability of iheneighborhoods. :Traditional or"neo-traditional" neighborhood design is a planning and design concept that revisits many of the features of urban neighborhoods developed prior to World War 1I. Neighborhoods were designed to be easily used by pedestrians, bicyclists and transit riders. Several areas including the Railroad District, the Downtown, the Briscoe School neighborhood and the Gresham-Sherman Street neighborhood are examples of traditional neighborhood design. The single most'distiinguishing feature'of traditional,neighborhood design is the,continuous fabric of.intunately:blended;land<uses,sarxariged 'so that4travel between stltem-canibe,made;by..walkin ., bicycling,transit in addition to the privately-operated auto. Streets are small, and connected into grid networks which provide multiple available,routes for a given trip. The following definition of a traditional neighborhood is based on the work of Elizabeth Plater- Zyberk, Andres Duany and Randall Arendt. Although streets are just one element of neighborhoods, the description of a traditional neighborhood is given for the purpose of placing . traditional street design in the proper context. • The traditional neighborhood has a center and an edge. Development is compact in the center and density decreases as one moves towards the edge. October 9, 1998 Draft Street Standards Handbook Page 2 Ashland Local Street Plan • The center includes a public space, such as a square, a green, or an important street intersection. The center is the focus of the neighborhood's public buildings. • It is compact, usually one-quarter of a mile from the center to the edge. • It gives priority to public space. Streets are designed to be part of the public realm. Civic buildings are located in prominent locations. Open space is provided in the form of squares, parks and plazas. • Neighborhood architecture is of human scale and proportions. Buildings are close to the street. • It includes a mix of activities such as residences, shops, schools, workplaces and parks. Commercial activities meet everyday needs such as grocery, newsagent, drugstore, hardware, etc. • The area is walkable and pedestrian friendly, but also auto-accessible. Routine activities such as schools, shops and playgrounds are within walking distance. • Th a �iieety f housing types - single-family homes, town homes, apartments, etc. • It consists of interconnected network of small streets and blocks, generally laid out in a grid or modified grid pattern. Block lengths are under 600 feet. Streets have sidewalks and large parkrows with street trees. • Streets are scaled for typical uses rather than being oversized to accommodate worst-case scenarios. • There are opportunities for casual socializing at gathering places such as cafes, neighborhood parks, soda fountains and taverns. These gathering places provide people locations.other.than one's home or workplace where informal public life. may be experienced. Narrower streets are one of the primary characteristics of traditional neighborhood design. Narrower streets have several benefits. Currently, it is not uncommon for 25 percent or more of A.proposed development's land area to beset aside for required rights-of--way. Using narrower . streets can reduce this:percentage and free up the land for open space,or more intense development. Narrower streets reduce street development costs. Narrower,streets have been found to slow down traffic and reduce accident potential. Narrower street also have a more intimate feel, and contribute to neighborhood livability. Draft Street Standards Handbook October 8, 1998 Ashland Local Street Plan Page 3' Traditional neighborhood design streets and networks achieve a balance between the different modes of transportation that is lacking in conventional suburban development. Furthermore, the street is treated as a public space and is considered a key element of the neighborhood. The following list of"pros" of traditional neighborhood design streets is based on the work of Walter Kulash, P.E., a nationally recognized traffic engineer specializing in livable traffic design and traffic calming. • A network of small interconnected streets has more traffic capacity than the same street area arranged in,al sparse hierarchy of large streets. According to Kulash, this is because intersections control the capacity of any network, and there are more intersections to disperse the turning movements. • In the traditional neighborhood street network, the traveler can choose from many routes available on the basis of what`they see out on the street. People can take altemative routesin the full confidence thatth'emetwork is complete. The multiplicity ofroutes avaflable alsolets ti e.wN "alker/cyclist match.the route to their particular skrlls:°For example, expert cyclists cari choose.to take-therr place,in traffic'as a fully-vested vehicle;while low-skill cyclists can travel on small; possibly.more crrcurtousroutes • The geometry,of a:dense n etwork of small streets provides-shorter travel-distance between'any two;pomts Overall;`even though trio,lengths are shorter, travel time is-comparable to'c`onvegtional suburban development. This is because travel speeds;are loweHii traditional neighborhood's: Shorter trip lengths'encourage walking,and bicycling 'jn' traditional-,neigh borhoods a dense network of.small stfeets:is,combined with;a mix,ofland uses places a large number of_ orivins'an destinations wtttiin walking or bicyclingcdistance: • Motor vehicle travel speeds are lower on.traditional neighborhood streets which directly affects overal :safety, the non-automotive traveling environment and the livabilityof neighborhoods. movements ,,See Section Designing for 20 mph in Section'IIL' Design Standards. I The conventional suburban development automobile trip;made mainly on artenal,streets is typif ed bys a pattem of high speeds for short segments;of road, inferspersed with long traffic signal delays. In contrast;the traditional neighborhood automobile trip with its greater use of collector and local streets,,is characterized by,..low maximum-speed, morefrequent short delays at intersections and a greater number of turning The overall trip quality for people using 91-of the:different modes of transportation is superior_in a:traditional neighborhood street network. What we have long felt intuitively, but are only starting to appreciate,is that our perception of travel is not one-dimensional at all, but rather considers a host of factors along with the"hard" measures of time.and speed. There is a degree of goodness or . badness felt by the traveler, and though difficult to quantify, we know it directly affects how people travel and human behavior while traveling. October 9, 1998 Draft Street Standards Handbook Page 4 . Ashland Local Street Plan • A series of small streets yields a better bicycle and pedestrian environment than a hierarchy of a few larger streets. Specific problems with larger arterials are large- radius corners; shallow-angle crossing as ramps and turn-lanes, monstrous pavement expanses to be crossed, dual left turn-lanes, long traffic signals, short walk signals and generally competitive and aggressive driving. Kulash describes the general feeling walkers and bicyclists experience on high-speed, large arterials as "being in an alien moonscape." The,traditionaLneighborhood provides a depth;oftexture and richness of detail along the streefthatis interesting to one traveling at the pedestrian speed. It is important to note that traditional neighborhood design, as used in current times and in this handbook, does not exclude or prohibit automobiles. Rather, it accommodates driving just as it provides for other forms of transportation. The purpose of the street design standards in this handbook is to create streets which afford people the equal opportunity to walk, bicycle, use the bus or drive. Traditional neighborhood design is used because this approach creates streets which are able to obtain the balance between providing transportation options and maintaining livability in adjacent streets and neighborhoods. Reauired Street Lavout The following basic principles will be used by the Street Required Layout Planning Commission for the planning and designing ' Design Principles of new streets. 1. Neighborhood Form and Character Streets are important elements of the form and character of neighborhoods. Street layout and design are an integral part of neighborhood design. 2. Neighborhood Identity Neighborhood identity is largely influenced by the streets in the area. 3. Emergency Vehicles Streets should be designed to efficiently and safely accommodate emergency fire and medical services vehicles: The effects of decisions concerning turning'radii_ and paths must be made with a full understanding of the implications of such decisions on the other users of the street. 4. Specificity Each street should be designed individually and molded to the particular situation at hand by a multi-disciplinary team. Planners, engineers, architects, emergency responders, utility providers, landscape architects as well as the developer and Draft Street Standards Handbook October 8, 1998 Ashland Local Street Plan Page 5' neighborhood or homeowners association groups should be included in street design teams. The following conditions (existing and projected) must be considered in order to design each street. • the volume of pedestrian, bicycle and motor vehicle traffic each day and at peak hours; • the speeds of motor vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians along the street as designed or redesigned; • the mix of pedestrian, bicycle and motor vehicle traffic (including percentage of large trucks); • the zoning and surrounding future land uses (assess pedestrian, bicycle and transit generators and Attractors such.as schools, shopping.areas,:community buildings,parks;churches..and,gathering,places'; • the natural features of the area such as slope, mature trees, creeks, wetlands, etc.; • the adjacent building setbacks with respect to the street; • whether adjacent properties will be serviced directly from the street, or from alleys; and • the function of the street and relation to the surrounding street network. 5. Shared Street Space On neighborhood streets with relatively low average daily traffic (ADT), the curb to curb area on neighborhood streets shall be used as a shared space by moving automobiles, parked cars and bicycles. Discussion: A principle central to the design and sizing of neighborhood level streets in traditional street design is the use of shared street space where ADT is relatively low. Rather than having separate lanes of traffic or parking, the curb-to- curb area is narrow and drivers may be required to slow down or pull over to let an oncoming vehicle pass before proceeding. On neighborhood streets serving 25 dwelling units or less, research has shown that the chances of meeting another car where two cars are parked opposite each other will occur only about once a month for an average driver. 6. Human Scale Streets should be designed at the human scale. Human scale.is the relationship between-the dimensions.of the human body and the proportion of the spaces which people use: Those areas that provide visually interesting details,create opportunities for interactions and,feel comfortable to pedestrians moving at slow travel speed are designed at a•"human scale." Discussion: The scale of a street design is of paramount importance. The design scale of a traditional street is that of the pedestrian, sometimes referred to as October 9, 1998 Draft Street Standards Handbook Page 6 Ashland Local Street Plan "human scale." Describing what is of a"human scale" is perhaps best described by noting that which is not. A highway billboard beside a 55mph highway is a good example of vehicular scale. In order to be noticed, the sign must be very large with lettering large enough to be noticed and read by a motorist passing by at 81 feet per second (55mph). In contrast, a pedestrian typically walks at 3.5 to 4 feet per second. Moving at a much slower pace enables pedestrians to take in much smaller signs and lettering. 8. Streetscape Street design should consider the entire area from building face to building face, or the "streetscape." The streetscape begins at the front of a vertical element, such as a building or fence on one side of a street and runs to the front of a building on the other side of the street. It is a three dimensional area running the length of the street. Discussion: The level of integration of land use and transportation is readily apparent by viewing the streetscape. The designer must consider the scale of the buildings, the form of development expected to occur and the expected level of motor vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle volumes when designing or redesigning a particular street. In addition, the function and ambience of the street must be considered and the needs of vehicular and nonvehicular users addressed. 9. Connectivity Streets should be interconnected. See Section IP Connectivity Standards. Discussion: Traditional neighborhood streets are interconnected. Cul-de-sacs and other dead-end streets are not typical of traditional neighborhood design except in areas where topographic, wetland and other physical features preclude connection. Where extreme conditions preclude a street connection, a continuous nonautomotive connection in the form of a multi-use-path ortrail shall be provided. 10. .Multiple Routes Streets shall be laid out using a grid or modified grid network pattern to provide multiple routes. See Section IL Connectivity Standards. 11. Pedestrians, Bicyclists and Public Transportation Users Pedestrians, bicyclists.and bus riaer_s are considered primary users of all streets. Streets should be designed to meet the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists,thus encouraging walking, bicycling and riding the bus as transportation modes. Pedestrian, bicycle and public transportation considerations should be integrated from the beginning of the design process. Draft Street Standards Handbook October 8, 1998 Ashland Local Street Plan Page 7 12. Driveway Aprons and Curb Cuts The number of driveway aprons and curb cuts along streets should be minimized to enhance the pedestrian environment and maintain vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle capacity. See Section VI for Driveway Apron and Curb Cut Standards. 13. Access to Activity Centers Neighborhood streets should provide convenient access to and from activity centers such as schools, commercial areas, parks, employment centers, and other major attractors. 14. Vista Terminations Street design should always consider important sites at the end of streets and should seek to learn what civic buildings, or public spaces may be needed for a particular area. The focus of vista terminations can be'a,wide variety of things such as:buildings,plazas;;parks„or a potable view: New subdivision design should provide consideration for vista termination in street layout. 15. Pavement Area The pavement area of neighborhood streets should be minimized, consistent with efforts to reduce street construction and maintenance costs, storm water runoff, and negative environmental impacts. Narrower streets also distinguish neighborhood streets from boulevards and avenues, and enhance neighborhood character. 16. Peak Run-Off Where appropriate, the local street system and its infrastructure should reduce peak storm water run-off into the City's storm drain system and natural water systems downstream, and provide biological and mechanical treatment of storm water runoff whenever possible. 17. Preservation of Natural Features Neighborhood street design should be responsive to physical features, and should avoid or minimize impacts to natural features and water-related resources. Street layout standards should allow street alignments,to follow natural contours and preserve natural features. See Standard 5 in Section 11: Connectivity Standards. 18. Neighborhood Street Volumes Neighborhood streets should be designed to carry traffic volumes at low speeds. They,should function_safely while reducing the need for extensive traffic regulations, control devices and.enforcement. . . 19. Cut-Through Traffic The neighborhood street should be designed to reduce continuous cut-through, non-local traffic on neighborhood streets. October 9, 1998 Draft Street Standards Handbook . Page 8 . . Ashland Local Street Plan 20. Street Trees Street trees should be planted on neighborhood streets to create attractive and healthy neighborhood environments, and to enhance the image of a street as a place with which residents can identify. Trees planted in the parkrow, along the sidewalk, or anywhere in the public right-of-way must be from the City of Ashland "Recommended Street Trees: A Guide to Selection, Planting and Maintenance." Discussion: Trees and landscaping form an essential element of the traditional neighborhood streets. The relationship of vertical height to horizontal width of the street is an important part of creating an inviting public space or"outdoor room." Large stature trees form an especially important part in creating the outdoor room when buildings are setback from the street and are relatively low in height (i.e. single-family residential neighborhoods). For further discussion, see Elements of the Street in Section II/: Design Standards. 21. Street Lights and Furniture Light poles should be pedestrian scale and styles of poles should match the neighborhood. Spacing of light poles should be determined by the adjacent land uses. Lighting should be placed at frequent intervals in busy retail and commercial areas, but may be limited to intersections in residential areas. In some instances, building or fence-mounted lighting may replace the need for additional street lighting. Lighting elements should provide full-spectrum light so that colors at night are realistic. Street furniture includes pedestrian amenities such as benches, flower pots, sculptures and other public art, low walls for sitting and drinking fountains. Benches should be provided in retail and commercial areas, along frequently used pedestrian corridors (routes over one-quarter of a mile to schools, parks, shopping, etc.) and at all bus stops. Trash receptacles should be provided in all pedestrian sitting areas. 22. . Curbs Curbs should be a standard,vertical 6" high curb on all improved streets. Rolled or mountable curbs should not be used because they do not create an effective safety barrier, channel storm water, or prevent automobiles.from parking on the parkrow and sidewalk. The horizontal curb surface is not included in the parkrow, or sidewalk width. 2.3. Transit Routes and Stops Streets identified.as future transit routes should be designed.to safety And. efficiently accommodate transit vehicles, thus encouraging the use of public transit as a transportation mode. Transit stops should include amenities, such as but not limited.to a bench,shelter.from the elements, a posted schedule, bicycle parking, Draft Street Standards Handbook October 8, 1998 Ashland Local Street Plan Page 9 and water fountains,that encourage combination trips such as walking or bicycling to the bus stop and vice-versa at the destination. I October 9, 1998 Draft Street Standards Handbook Page 10 Ashland Loca/.Street Plan SECTION II: CONNECTIVITY STANDARDS In traditional neighborhood areas, the street networks are laid out in a grid network. The grid or modified grid network provides interconnected streets and multiple travel route options for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers. The grid network has several benefits. Grid-patterned streets provide many connections and route options for short trips. Many connections and route options disperses traffic and increases safety. The grid pattern uses land efficiently and allows a greater number of lots on a site. Cul-de-sacs and other dead-end streets are not typical of traditional neighborhood design except in areas where extreme topographic or wetland conditions preclude connection. New and reconstructed streets shall conform to the Street Connectivity following connectivity standards, and the City of Approval • ' • Ashland Street Dedication Map. 1. Interconnection A. Streets shall be interconnected to reduce travel distance, promote the use of alternative modes, provide for efficient provision of utilities and emergency services and provide multiple travel routes. 2. Efficient Land Use A. Street layout shall permit and encourage efficient lot layout and attainment of planned densities. 3. Integration With Major Streets A. Neighborhood circulation systems and land development patterns shall effectively integrate with boulevards and avenues, which are designed to accommodate heavier traffic volumes. 4. Alleys A. The use of the alley is recommended, where possible. The alley can contribute positively to the form of the street and has many advantages. First, it allows the most positive streetscape because it eliminates the need for driveways and the visual intrusion of garages. Secondly, the alley can create a positive neighborhood space where the sidewalk feels more safe and inviting for Draft Street Standards Handbook October 8, 1998 Ashland Local Street Plan Page 11 pedestrians, neighbors socializing and children playing. Third, when the garage is located in rear yards off the alley, interesting opportunities arise for creating inviting exterior rooms using the garage as a privacy wall and divider of space. Finally, the alley enhances the grid street network and provides midblock connections for nonmotorists. 5. Preserving Natural Features A. Streets shall be located in a manner which preserves natural features to the greatest extent feasible. I. Whenever possible, street alignments shall follow natural contours and features so that visual and physical access to the natural feature is possible. 2. Streets shall be situated between natural features, such as creeks, mature trees, drainages, open spaces and individual parcels in order to appropriately incorporate such significant neighborhood features. 6. Walkable Neighborhoods A. Neighborhoods shall be sized in walkable increments, with block lengths as defined in Standard 11. 9. Block Length and an approximate one-quarter mile walking route from the neighborhood center. 7. Off-Street Connections A. Off-street pathways shall be connected to the street network and used to provide pedestrian and bicycle access in situations where a street is not feasible. In cases where a street is feasible, off-street pathways shall not be permitted in lieu of a traditional streets with sidewalks. However, off-street pathways are permitted in addition to traditional streets with sidewalks in any situation. 8. Block Length A. The layout of streets shall not create excessive,travel lengths. Block lengths shall be a maximum of 300 to 400 feet and block perimeters shall be a maximum of 1,200 to 1,600 feet. Block length is defined as the distance along a street between the centerline of two intersecting through streets. Block perimeter is defined as the sum of the block lengths of all sides of a block. B. An exception to the block length standard may be permitted when one or more of the following conditions exist. October 9, 1998 Draft Street Standards Handbook Page 12 Ashland Local Street Plan I. Physical conditions that preclude development of a public street. Such conditions may include, but are not limited to, topography or the existence of natural resource areas such as wetlands, ponds, streams, channels, rivers, lakes or upland wildlife habitat area, or a resource under protection by State or Federal law. 2. Buildings or other existing development on adjacent lands, including previously subdivided but vacant lots or parcels, which physically preclude a connection now or in the future considering the potential for redevelopment. 3. Where an existing public street or streets terminating at the boundary of the development site have a block length exceeding 600 feet, or are situated such that the extension of the street(s) into the development site would create a block length exceeding 600 feet. In such cases, the block length shall be as close to 600 feet as practical. C. When block lengths exceed 400 feet, the following measures shall be used to provide many connections and route options for short trips. 1. Where extreme conditions preclude street connections, continuous nonautomotive connection shall be provided. In no cases shall off-street pathways be used in lieu of a traditional street with sidewalks in cases where extreme conditions do not exist. 2. Introduce a pocket park, or plaza area with the street diverted around it. 3. At the mid-block point, create a short median with trees or use other traffic calming devices to slow traffic, break up street lengths and provide pedestrian refuge. SECTION _III: DESIGN STANDARDS Safety In any design situation, no topic is more important than human safety. Street design situations require the consideration of many, sometimes competing elements to make the street safe for all modes of travel. In street design, the standards that should be applied and questions that should be asked include the following. • What actions may reasonably be expected of motorists and nonmotorists along the street? • Given a foreseeable but infrequent problem, what are the ramifications on other users of . the street if the problem is specially addressed in the design? Draft Street Standards Handbook October 8; 1998 Ashland Local Street Plan Page 13 • When balancing conflicting matters, the frequency of conflict between the two or more competing elements and the resulting frequency of difficulties that will be experienced should be documented. • What are the physical consequences of a particular design element or decision? • If in doubt, favor the nonmotorist and accommodate the motorist. Designing for 2Omph High-speed roads have a place between cities, but not through the heart of the community. Relatively low actual travel speeds, a maximum of 20 mph, for motor vehicles is a critical concept in traditional street design. Low motor vehicle travel speeds are important because they affect safety, the non-automotive travel,environment and the livability of neighborhood. As motor vehicle speed increases, the perception and comfort of pedestrians and bicyclists is negatively impacted f {y}� OYt144 mph and the number of motor vehicle/pedestrian accidents lOL[FananJ��mrog tft]I717tl17AA increases. In general, streets with motor vehicles traveling at high speeds are unwelcoming to pedestrians and dAAAAAAA 30 bicyclists because the impact of motor vehicles kinetic �xdaJs A AA p energy and loud sound. BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZA 4p Neighborhood streets (neighborhood streets, neighborhood collectors and some avenues) should be designed for motor vehicle travel speeds of 20 mph or less. When a question exists concerning a particular design detail, the conflict Chances of a Pedestrian should be resolved in favor of the nonvehicular users, 5urviving a Traffic Accident unless the public safety will truly be jeopardized by the decision. Favoring the nonmotorist will usually result in the correct decision because motorists have the benefit of traveling in a device designed to enclose, protect and support the human(s) inside. An inconvenienced motor vehicle will seldom result in a modal shift, but an inconvenienced nonmotorist will often become a motorist resulting in a modal shift. A survey by the Federal Highway Administration found that by"a wide.margin, residents find , traffic moving at 20 mph through their neighborhoods acceptable; by an equally side margin they find traffic at 30 mph unacceptable. At 20 mph; drivers can anticipate conflicts and have time to stop_for"pedestrian at crosswalks. Pedestrian-vehicle accidents are less frequent and, when they occur, much-less severe. Tradiitonal neighborhood streets are designed to;c date an environment where drivers will realize that driving fast and aggressively is inappropriate. In other words,neighborhood streets are designed so the speed limits are self-enforcing.-Narrow streets with parkrows and street trees and on-street parking calm traffic. "In some cases, further traffic calming treatments such as curb extensions at sidewalks,textured, raised crosswalks, medians, and"a host of other tools, are . needed. October 9, 1998 Draft Street Standards Handbook Page-14 Ashland Local Street Plan Research has shown operating speeds decline somewhat as individual lanes and street sections are narrowed. Conversely, studies by the Institute of Transportation Engineers has shown posted speed limits are regularly exceeded if streets have "gun barrel" designs, or even gentle curves with wide cross-sections. Speed zones; "go slow" signs and lane restriping cannot compensate for the effect on drivers of the physical environment of streets designed to make driving comfortable at travel speeds above 20 mph. Elements of the Street Street design involves the creation of some of the most important and frequently used public spaces. In addition to the very important function of providing a travel corridor, streets provide critical public spaces which shape the character of Ashland's neighborhoods. Because streets serve a variety of users, street design must address the divergent needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, transit, motor vehicles, adjacent land uses and neighborhood character. There are, generally speaking, a dozen or so elements that make up a street. However, the design and assembly of those elements and the determination of the sizes and locations are individual to each street and of lasting importance. Street, public right-of-way and street right-of-way are used interchangeably throughout this document. The term street refers to more than the paved, curb-to-curb roadway surface. It includes the sidewalk, parkrow, street trees, lighting and street furniture, bike lanes, on-street parking lanes and motor vehicle travel lanes. Right-of-way measurements include the area needed to locate all of the street ingredients. A description of the elements that comprise a street follows. Motor Vehicle Travel Lanes The width of a particular street seems to be a simple topic, but this is actually a complicated subject that requires considerable thought and attention. Auto-oriented development focuses on motor vehicles traveling safely and efficiently. This translates into designing streets so that motor vehicles are interrupted as little as possible so that continuous speeds can be maintained. To design for the continuous opportunities for free-flowing vehicles creates situations where passenger cars, the predominant vehicle most of the time, will travel at speeds greater than are desirable for pedestrians and bicyclists. Streets in Ashland must be designed to a different end so that the overall function, comfort, safety and aesthetics of a street are designed for all users and are more important than vehicular efficiency. Travel,lanes of 8 to 10 feet in width are.adequate for all types of vehicles that enter a neighborhood. An average car ranges from 5.5 to 6.5"feet in width. Fire trucks, large buses, RV's and semi-trucks measure 9.feet from mirror to mirror. Draft Street Standards Handbook October 8, 1998 Ashland Local Street Plan Page 15 Curbs Typically, standard vertical curbs are used on all traditional neighborhood streets. The standard vertical curb serves a number of purposes. Curbs: • act as a safety barrier for pedestrians; • channel storm water into the storm drainage system; • prevent automobiles from parking in parkrows or on sidewalks; • keep the edges of the pavement from breaking down; and • facilitate street sweeping. Bicycles A separate, striped bicycle lane is required on boulevards and avenues because travel speeds and volumes are high. Typically, the travel speeds and motor vehicle traffic volumes associated with neighborhood streets do not necessitate a separate, striped bicycle lane. The Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan recommends bike lanes when projected Average Daily Traffic (ADT) exceeds 3,000 trips per day, and/or actual travel speeds exceed 25mph. Parking Most neighborhood level streets allow on-street parking. Parallel parking is the recommended method for on-street parking, but other on-street parking methods, including diagonal and head- in, maybe appropriate under certain circumstances. Diagonal and head-in parking must be carefully evaluated before implementing because it requires and additional 11 feet of street width. Parkrow a_nd Street Trees _ v Parkrows,,with'streettrees area basic destgh feature,bf traditional rieighborhoodg. Street trees are tl*ltreesyplanted m the;pkrow, or= nywheie else in thepu lic ng4t,qf way ,Thparkrow rs the aa baz plantinge etweeq the curb and sidewalk.` Nothing humanizes.a street more.,than-a,row of trees shading the'sidewalk.. Street trees.provide a buffer to.pedestrians and adjacent'land,uses from:the,yehicles on the,street :Street trees.help calm motor vehicle traffic speeds: Street trees can enhance street,image and are amimportant pazt.of ribighborhood 'character.;Large trees provide+Ieafyacanopies and welcome shade;buffer . .__. pedestrians, screen parked c'a'rs and'traffic,.break visual continutty;'soften the chazacter of ttie street and enhance property values:. Economic benefits are reflected in the increased values of properties on streets,with well-established trees Trees are perhaps one of the very few elements of a street, along with well-designed buildings, that can be large and yet still effectively be of human scale. In addition to their.naturalization-f the street, trees can serve to create a.frame around a street and are recognized as being very conducive to enhancing the nonmotorist environment. Inmost situations, street trees should line the street and be located in the parkrow. Large-scale; high canopy trees are preferred over smaller-scale trees for street tree use, whenever they can be used. Among the reasons for this are: October 9, 1998 Draft Street Standards Handbook Page 16. Ashland Local Street Plan • Use of larger trees with high canopies allows fewer trees to be used to achieve a reasonable amount of shading. • Large trees provide a canopy over the paved are of the street reducing the air temperature near the ground. Depending on the species of tree planted, research has shown that the temperature difference can range�between 5 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit. • Large-scale trees are more effective in removing,pollutants form the air because they provide more leaf surface.per tree thansmall trees. A single, large, free-standing tree with a height of 75feet and a crown width.of 45feet will absorb the carbon dioxide output of 800 homes in.a year's time. • When large trees with high canopies are plantedalong streets serving.commercial uses, conflicts with store signs are minimized because he tree canopy is above the sign. Large-scale,trees require an adequate planting area For this4eason,parkrows must be at least 6 feet,wrde., Smaller park'rows maybe penmtted to respondrito�the cha acfenstics of individual developments`.or street reconstriiction projects suchas irisaffictent public nght of`way, steep slopes or„othei.physical conditions However,the street trees must be planted properly and - -�w w carefully chosen to ensure'healthy.'growthand root controls uThe plaeenient,types of trees and plftant ng methods are'addressed mithexStreet Tree Standardsf the Site:Des:gn and Use Po Standards.of the Ashland Land Use Ordinance; Trees.require maintenance and funding to support watenngprurung, disease,pest control and other items of standard tree care They can cause varying amounts of leaf litter , The marritenaztce rand care of•the parkow and street+treesais;the responsibility ofthepropertyo�wrier abuttingtithe;parkrow�(AshldndMunrcip,"al Code 9 085130) the placement, types;oftrees arid planting methods are addressed in the Street Tre_e_S_ tandardsof the Site Design and Use Standards ,of,the Ashland Land.Use Ordinance: Sidewalks and Crosswalks An,mterlinked:network of sidewalks is a_basic design feaitt�e of traditionalkneighborhoods., Side' alks;must be continuous. The walkit g experience mtisYbe pleasurabldif-people are to choose walking as a mode of transportation. Continuity, texture and richness of detail is essential,to absorbing the pedestrians attention for large amounts of time at a slow speed., Interesting'-pavement architectural details,iplacement of stet re tiees;ahe width,,of theipar, ow; the treatment of building facades, and other visual details enhance the walking experience. In contrast;'this continuity can be destroyed by treeless expanses of sidewalks, open edged-parking lots and blank walls. In addition to sidewalks, pedestrian networks,can be formed with walkway connections to existing development and across wetlands and.slopes that may not be crossed by streets without . difficulty. In the center of neighborhoods, pedestrian networks may also be formed by additional Draft Street Standards Handbook October 8, 1998 . Ashland Local Street Plan Page 17 Effect of Corner Turning Radii on Curb Extensions Reduce Crossing Distance Fecicotriarl Crossing Piotaricco Sidewalk with nature strip Centerline of crosswalk 5 ft w1&3ih.nk XV1,i A"ER 26 ft w,& g Percent Radius IncFea—s-ed— Fe Distance Crossing Increase FIV�71 C1�111111i- 25 ...... +3V 150% walks between buildings, but not at the expense of maintaining the continuity of the pedestrian network adjacent to the streets. The treatment of intersections is especially important in determining if street crossings are convenient for pedestrians. The continuity of the sidewalks should continue across the street and be defined by a change of texture in the street. A pavement change indicates tat at this point drivers must yield the road to pedestrians. Handicap access ramps should be located behind the comer and at the narrowest part of the street. Pedestridris must-be-pr6vide&with the shortest bossible roir[6 across 'street intersections 'This is accomplished by,using,small curb radii and curb extensions. AS corner radius increases,the ped'e"S-t*'n*'an*'crossing-,di§taiiee;,i'n'cr'edses.'-Sight triangles should-,bc*ee-of sireef,trees so)that pedestiiails. rs','can`see each 6then]', 1—1—— and 1. drive. Application of Standards On streets classified as boulevards and avenues, which have high volumes, higher travel speeds and a larger percentage of large vehicles, the street function and average daily traffic (ADT) will necessitate adherence to the street standards outlined below. At the neighborhood collector and neighborhood street level, design must follow the standards, but be.flexible enough to accommodate varying situations. One of the basic aspects of traditional street design is that the design must be very specific for the particular street at hand. When determining how to classify a new street for the purpose of design, careful attention should be given iven I to considering the street as a whole in the context of the neighborhood, of the underlying zoning,and land uses, and the future amount of traffic, rather than strict adherence to using projected average daily traffic (ADT.) figures alone... Care must be taken not to focus on effr6ency and worst case scenarios. The end goal should be to balance creating a notable, livable, functional street for the neighborhood, and providing a variety of transportation options for residents. October 9, 1998 Draft Street Standards Handbook Page 18 Ashland Local Street Plan ( ° 03 .\ ) \ ) \ ) ° ) § ; « , T ! & § � ! ; ` § § \ \ \ ', , I k \ B # ! 2 - / ( § k ( | � $ ) § fi ) � ' / ( \ ■ , ) I a ! ° \ § | Im 2 { ! a ( ) ® ! ) ■ ¥ , � - B5 - ° . ! $ § � § § _ z z . . | ■ j \ E $ § : . 5 ! - ; f { Z5 / . / / / \ | § \ | ) ) / ! \ kk ) ) z aa z Draft Street Standards Handbook . . . October s,s. alandlocal Street Plan Pagw, � Street Design Standards A description of street design standards for each street classification follows. For an abbreviated presentation of the street right-of-way standards, see Table 1. All elements listed are required unless specifically noted: Approval Standards: New and reconstructed streets shall conform to the following design standards. Boulevard Boulevards are major thoroughfares filled with both human and vehicular activity. Design should provide an environment where walking, bicycling, using transit and driving are equally convenient and should facilitate the boulevard's use as a public space. Design should start with the assumption that the busy nature of a boulevard is a positive factor and incorporate it to enhance the street scape and setting. A 2-lane, 3-lane, or 5-lane configuration can be used depending on the number of trips generated by surrounding existing and future land uses. Street Function: Provide access to major urban activity centers and provide connections to regional traffic ways such as Interstate 5. Traffic without a destination in Ashland should be encouraged to use regional traffic ways and discouraged from using boulevards. Connectivity: Connects neighborhoods to urban activity centers and to regional traffic ways such as Interstate 5. Average Daily Traffic: 8,000 - 30,000 motor vehicle trips per day Managed Speed: 25 mph - 35 mph Right-of-Way Width: • 59' - 71' for 2-Lane • 71' - 83' for'3-Lane • 93' - 105' for 5-Lane Curb-to-Curb Width: • 34' for 2-Lane • 46' for 3-Lane . • 68' for 5-Lane. Motor Vehicle Travel Lanes: Two 11' travel lanes for 2-Lane • Two 11'travel lanes, one 12' median/center turn lane for 3-Lane • Four 11' travel lanes, one 12' median/center turn lane for 5-Lane October 9, 1998 Draft Street Standards Handbook Page 20 Ashland Local Street Plan Bike Lanes: Two 6' bike lanes, one on each side of the street moving in the same direction as motor vehicle traffic Parking: In 8' - 9' bays Curb and Gutter: Yes 6" vertical/barrier curb Parkrow: 6' - 8' on both sides, hard scape parkrow may be used in commercial areas for locating street trees in wells, street lights and furniture and bicycle parking Sidewalks: 6' on both sides in residential areas, 8' - 10' on both sides in commercial areas Boulevard 3-Lane r 71 CIA��a nit o ova 12' Bike Travel Median Travel Bike Lane Lane and/or Lane Lane Planting Canter Planriting g Turn Stp P Lane Sidewalk - Sidewalk Pavement 71'to 83' Right-of-Way Draft Street Standards Handbook October 8, 1998 Mhland.Local Street Plan a Page 21 Avenue Avenues provide concentrated pedestrian, bicycle, transit and motor vehicle access from neighborhoods to neighborhood activity centers and boulevards. Avenues are similar to boulevards, but are designed on a smaller scale. Design should provide an environment where walking, bicycling, using transit and driving are equally convenient and should facilitate the avenue's use as a public space. A 2-lane, or 3-lane configuration can be used depending on the number of trips generated by surrounding existing and future land uses. Street Function: Provide access from neighborhoods to neighborhood activity centers and boulevards. Connectivity: Connects neighborhoods to neighborhood activity centers and boulevards. Average Daily Traffic: 3,000 - 10,000 motor vehicle trips per day Managed Speed: 20 mph - 25 mph Right-of-Way Width: • 57' - 70' for 2-Lane • 68.5' - 81.5' for 3-Lane Curb-to-Curb Width: • 32' - 33' for 2-Lane • 43.5' - 44.5' for 3-Lane Motor Vehicle Travel Lanes: • Two 10' - 10.5' travel lanes for 2-Lane • Two 10' - 10.5' travel lanes, one 11.5' median/center tum lane for 3-Lane Bike Lanes: Two 6' bike lanes, one on each side of the street moving in the same direction as motor vehicle traffic Parking: In 8' - 9' bays Curb and Gutter: 'Yes, 6" vertical/barrier curb Parkrows 6' - 8' on both sides, hard scape parkrow may be used in commercial areas for locating street trees in wells, streetlights and furniture and bicycle parking ' October 9, 1998 Draft Street Standards Handbook Page 22 Ashland Local Street Plan Sidewalks: 6' on both sides in residential areas, 8' - 10' on both sides in commercial areas Avenue 3-Lane 11 A 1 11.5' '-1 Bike Travel Median Travel Bike Lane Lane and/or Lane Lane Center Plantln Planting Turn Strip g Strip Lane p 51dewalk Sidewalk 41.5'-44.5' Pavement 68.5 t 81.5' Right-nf-Way Draft Street Standards Handbook October 8, 1998 Ashland Local Street Plan Page 23 Neighborhood Collector Neighborhood Collectors provide access to neighborhood cores and gather traffic from various parts of the neighborhood and distribute it to the major street system. Different configurations with several on-street parking options are provided for residential and commercial areas. Residential Neighborhood Collector Street Function: Provide access in and out of the neighborhood. Connectivity: Collects traffic from within residential areas and connects these areas with the major street network. Average Daily Traffic: 1,500 to 5,000 motor vehicle trips per day Managed Speed: 15 mph - 20 mph Right-of-Way Width: • 47' - 49' for No On-Street Parking • 48' - 56' for Parking One Side • 55' - 63' for Parking Both Sides Curb-to-Curb Width: • 20' for No On-Street Parking • 25' - 27' for Parking One Side • 32' - 34' for Parking Both Sides Motor Vehicle Travel Lanes: • Two 10' travel lanes for No On-Street Parking • Two 9' - 10' travel lanes' for Parking One Side and Parking Both Sides Bike Lanes: Generally nofneeded on low volume/low travel speed streets. If motor vehicle trips per day exceed 3,000, and/or actual motor vehicle travel speeds exceed 25 mph, a bike lane shall be required. Parking: • . .One 7'.lane for Parking One Side • Two 7' lanes for Parking Both Sides Parking may be provided in 7' bays rather than a continuous on- street parking lane. Curb and Gutter: Yes, 6" vertical/barrier curb Parkrow: 8' parkrow on both sides for No On-Street Parking • 6 - 8' parkrows on both sides for Parking One and Both Sides October 9, 1998 Draft Street Standards Handbook Page 24 Ashland Local Street Plan Sidewalks: 5' - 6' on both sides, use 6' in high pedestrian volume areas with frequent 2-way foot traffic Residential Neighborhood Collector No Parking io w s. rrewi i.e.. ttemi i.e�e a' n.euly n.. awe suy sup awe Slde+..h 51dw'/Ik �2(Y� �4T w 997 997 ebF.-or-wey Draft Street.Standards Handbook October 8, 1998 Ashland Local sheet Plan Page 25 " Residential Neighborhood Collector Parallel Parking One Side A Ic T v-w' q-w If 6'W B' Parklry T�evel Line T�evel l�nc 6'iq B' nt n 5'w6 PISMp� Scnpa 5'u6 Sld[wale 9Ww�lk 25'-2T Pivemeni e6-56 Ryhx-of-Wry rh oci Collector R Sidential Nei hbo 0 e 9 Parallel Parking Both 5ideo ® A 0 T 9'-10' 9'-10' T 6, 5. Parking Travel Lane Travel Lane Parking 6• _ L Planting P5td 5ldewalk 5tdp _ _ P 5idewalk 32 34 Pavement 55' 0 63' Right-af way October 9, 1998 - Draft Street Standards Handbook Page 26 Ashland Local Street Plan Commercial Neighborhood Collector Street Function: Provide access in and out of neighborhoods and to neighborhood core with shopping and services. Connectivity: Collects traffic from within residential areas. Provides neighborhood shopping opportunities and connects these areas with the major street network. Average Daily Traffic: 1,500 to 5,000 motor vehicle trips per day Managed Speed: 15 mph - 20 mph Right-of-Way Width: • 41' - 65' for Parallel Parking One Side • 61' - 73' for Parallel Parking Both Sides • 62' - 74' for Diagonal Parking One Side • 79' - 91' for Diagonal Parking Both Sides Curb-to-Curb Width: • 28' for Parallel Parking One Side • 36' for Parallel Parking Both Sides • 37' for Diagonal Parking One Side • 54' for Diagonal Parking Both Sides Motor Vehicle Travel Lanes: Two 10' travel lanes Bike Lanes: Generally not needed on low volume/low travel speed streets. If motor vehicle trips per day exceed 3,000, and/or actual motor vehicle travel speeds exceed 25 mph, a bike lane may be needed. Parking: • One 8' lane for Parallel Parking One Side • Two 8' lanes for Parallel Parking Both Sides • One'17' lanes for Diagonal Parking One.Side Two 17' lanes for Diagonal Parking Both Sides Parking may be provided in T bays rather than a"continuous on-. street parking lane. Curb and Gutter: Yes, 6" verticallbarrier curb Draft Street Standards Handbook October 8, 1998 Ashland Local.Street Plan Page 27 Parkrow: 6' - 8' on both sides, hard scape parkrow may be used in commercial areas for locating street trees in wells, street lights and furniture and bicycle parking Sidewalks: 6' - 10' on both sides Commercial Neighborhood Collector Parallel Parking One Side 8' 101 . 10' . . 6.to g. Parking Travel Lane- Travel Lane . 6'to 10'Planting Planting 6'to 10' Strip Strip - Sidewalk Sidewalk Pavement' 41'-65' . - Right-of-Way October 9, 1998 Draft Street Standards Handbook Page 28' Ashland Local Street Plan Commercial Neighborhood Collector Parallel Parking Both 50co H 1a 10' e UG , 6' Par king Travel Lane Travel Lane lanting Planting 6'to 10' 5ldewalk Strip 5trip 5l4ewalk 36' Pavement 61'to 73' Right-of-Way Commercial Neighborhood Collector Angled Parking One Side n a w '17' i 10• 10• - 6'to H' Parking Travel Lane Travel Lane 6'to H' 6' a 10'Planting Planting 6• o 10' 5idewalk Strip Strip Sidewalk 3T Pavement 62'to 74' .. - Right-of-Way. .. . Draft Street Standards Handbook October 8, 1998 Ashland Local Street Plan Page 29 Commercial Neighborhood Collector Angled harking both 5ideo no un n ,a is iv 6'to B' p.rkly invel l.K lr.vel l+ne p.king 6'[o H' 6"u Ranury Yl.ntiry 6'b10' su:p s� 54' Pavement 79'to 91' Right-of-Way October 9, 1998 Draft Street Standards Handbook Page 30 Ashland Local Street Plan Neighborhood Street Neighborhood Streets provide access to individual residential units and neighborhood commercial areas. Different configurations with several on-street parking options are provided for residential and commercial areas. Neighborhood Street: For use in the following single-family residential zones - WR (Woodland Residential), RR- 1 and RR- .5 (Low Density Residential, and R-1-3.5, R-1-5, R-1-7.5 and R-1-10 (Single- Family Residential) unless specifically noted. Street Function: Provide access to individual residential units and commercial areas. Connectivity: Connects to higher order streets. Average Daily Traffic: 1,500 or less motor vehicle trips per day Managed Speed: 10 mph - 20 mph Right-of-Way Width: • 45' - 49' for No On-Street Parking • 44' - 50' for Parking One Side • 48' - 57' for Parking Both Sides Curb-to-Curb Width: • 18' - 20' for No On-Street Parking • 21' for Parking One Side • 25' - 28' for Parking Both Sides Motor Vehicle Travel Lanes: • Two.9'.- 10' for No On=Street Parking • One 14' queuing lane for Parking One Side • One I F queuing lane for Parking Both Sides in the R-1 zone, One 14' queuing lane for Parking Both Sides in higher density residential areas (i.e. R-1-3.5, R-2 and R-3) On local residential streets with adequate off-street parking, a single 14' wide traffic lane may be.permitted for both directions of, vehicle traffic. The single traffic lane is intended to create a "queuing street" such that when opposing vehicles meet, one of the vehicles must yield by pulling into a vacant portion of the adjacent i Draft Street Standards Handbook October 8, 1998 Ashland Local Street Plan Page 31 parking lane. This queuing effect has been found to be an effective and save method to reduce speeds and non-local traffic. Bike Lanes: Generally not needed on low volume/low travel speed streets. Parking: • One 7' lane for Parking One Side • Two 7' lanes for Parking Both Sides Parking may be provided in 7' bays rather than a continuous on- street parking lane. Curb and Gutter: Yes, 6" vertical/barrier curb Parkrow: • 8' parkrow on both sides for No On-Street Parking • 6' - 8' parkrows on both sides for Parking One and Both Sides Sidewalks: 5' - 6' on both sides, use 6' in high pedestrian volume areas with frequent 2-way foot traffic Reoidential Neighborhood Street No Farkinq L _ 1 Q 9' TI—I Lane Travel Lane g. Planting Plantiing 5'sa6 5trip 5t.p 5'to6 5idmalk 5ldmalk 18 20' . _ . Pavement . . . : I 45..49' ... - .I .-. Right-of-Way October 9, 1998 Draft Street Standards Handbook Page 32 Ashland Local Street Plan ' Residential Neighborhood Street Parallel Parking One S'de R A e. P.nmq 1F.rd Lme 6.�5. Plantlny (�ueuing) Pl;n 5'm 6' Scdp Scdp 5'm e Sidewalk 51dev�lk r P�remmt 49'to 50' RIgM1t-of-Way Residential Neighborhood Street Parallel Parking Both Sides w o 0 T W-14' T 5.�5. Parking Travel Lane Parking 6.�5. Planting (Queuing) Planting ' S'te 6' Strip Strip 5'to 6' 50.1k - 514.1k 25 25 ' Pavement 45 57 Rlghs-af-Way Draft Street Standards Handbook October 8, 1998 Ashland Local Street Plan Page 33 Alley The alley is a semi-public neighborhood space that provides access via the rear of the property. The use of alleys eliminates the need for front yard driveways and provides the opportunity for a more positive front yard street scape, allows the street located adjacent to the front of properties to be designed using a narrow width with limited on-street parking, and creates the opportunity for the use of narrower lots to increase residential densities. Alleys are appropriate in all residential areas and in some commercial areas for business frontage and for access and delivery depending on eh circulation pattern of the area. Street Function: Provide rear yard access to individual residential and commercial properties and alternative utility placement area. Connectivity: Average Daily Traffic: Not applicable Managed Speed: Not applicable, motor vehicle travel speeds should be below 10 mph Right-of-Way Width: 16' Pavement Width: 12' with 2' graveled or planted strips on side Motor Vehicle Travel Lanes: Not applicable Bike Lanes: Not applicable, bicyclists can easily negotiate these low use areas Parking: No parking withing the right-of-way Curb and Gutter: No curb Parkrow: Not applicable Sidewalks: Not applicable, pedestrians can easily negotiate these low use areas October 9, 1998 Draft Street Standards Handbook Page 34 Ashland Local Street Plan Alley 12' UnpaveA 5tnpa Right-d-Way Draft Street Standards Handbook October 8, 1998 Ashland Local Street Plan q Page 35 Multi-use Path Multi-use paths are off-street facilities used primarily for walking and bicycling. These paths can be relatively short connections between neighborhoods (neighborhood connections), or longer paths adjacent to rivers, creeks, railroad tracks and open space. Function: For pedestrians and bicyclists, provide short connections between destinations and longer paths in situations where a similar route is not provided on the street network. Connectivity: Should enhance route options and shorten distances traveled for pedestrians and bicyclists. Right-of-Way Width: 12' - 18' Pavement Width: 6' - 10' with 2' 4' graveled or planted strips on side Curb and Gutter: No curb Multi-U5e Path ® 00 6'to 10' Varies 2'to 4' . " Unpaved 5tripe 10'to 18' Right-of-Way . October 9, 1998 Draft Street Standards Handbook Page 36 Ashland Local Street Plan SECTION IV: CROSSWALKS AND STREET CORNER RADIUS Pedestrians must be provided with the shortest possible route across street intersections. This is accomplished by using small curb radii and curb extensions. At the street comer, where one curbed street meets another is known as the curb return. The measure of the sharpness of the comer, or curb return is known as the curb return radius (Crr). Effect of Corner Turning Radii on Pedestrian Crossing Distances Sidewalk with nature strip Centerline of crosswalk 5e� "�R°8Yk WNW! 7roSSI.-"- � o S ft wide sidewalk 26 ft wide stmt Radius g ncrease ercent Distance Crossing Increase ----'With a larger Crr, turning movements of right-turning vehicles are easier and possible at faster speeds, but the length of the crosswalk needed to cross the street for pedestrians at that point is also increased. As the Crr increases, the distance the pedestrian must cross increases, and the time it takes for the pedestrian to cross the intersection increases. Higher turning vehicular speeds are encouraged and dangerous "rolling stops" become more frequent. Table 2 exemplifies the affect on intersection crossings as Crr increases from 15 feet to 35 feet. Draft-Street-Standards Handbook October 8-1998 Ashland Local"Street Plan Page 37' . . Table 2: Affect on Pedestrian Crossing of Curb Return Radius SIDEWALK WIDTH 6' 6' 6' 8' 8' 8' 10' 10' 10' 10' PARKROW WIDTH CURB RETURN RADIUS 15' 25' 30' E5' 25' 30' 15' 25' 30' 35' CROSSING DISTANCE ADDED 2.5' 11.6' 17.2' 10.0' 15.3' 1.1' 8.6' 13.6' 19.0' TO STREET WIDTH CROSSING TIME ADDED WITH 0.7 3.3 4.9 0.5 2.9 4.4 0.3 2.5 3.9 5.4 ADDITIONAL STREET WIDTH (SECONDS) from Traditional Neighborhood Development Street Design Guidelines, Institute of Transportation Engineers Crosswalk and Curb Return Radius Standards Approval Standards: New and reconstructed crosswalks and comers shall conform to the following curb return radius standards. 1. Crr Selection A. Crr shall be selected based on reasonable anticipated vehicular and pedestrian traffic volumes, traffic types and intersection control devices. 2. Recommended Range for Neighborhoods A. The Crr shall be between 10 to 15 feet in neighborhoods, excluding intersections involving boulevards. 3. Design for Large Vehicles A. When designing Crr, allow for large vehicles to swing across the centerline of the street as per AASHTO standards. 4. On-Street Parking.. A. On-street parking shall not be permitted within 30.feet of an intersection . involving_boulevards and avenues to provide drivers clear vision of.pedestrians, bicyclists and other vehicles. This setback will also assist larger vehicles to turn. October 9,:1998 Draft Street Standards Handbook, Page 38 - Ashland Local Street Plan 5. Large Crr Mitigation A. At intersections with Crr 15 feet or larger with high pedestrian traffic volumes, paver bulb outs, textured crossings and other appropriate traffic calming treatments shall be used to facilitate pedestrian travel. 6. Historic District A. The Crr for newly constructed or reconstructed street corners in the Historic District shall match and in not exceed what historically has been used in the remainder of the Historic District. 7. Vision Clearance Area No obstructions greater,than 2 Sfeet high;nor any landscaping which will grow greater than2Sfeet high, with the exception of trees whose canopy heights aze`at all {2,5 +�' trmegreater,than' 8feet �sbe placed in a vision clearance s_'o that pedestriansarid dnvers cansee,each otfiec See 8 72.120of the.Ashiand Land Use Or"dmancefor4the .... vision clearance"standards; SECTION V: HILLSIDE STREETS AND�NATuRAL AREAS Occasionally, streets aze constr ietedm locations with signifteant natural features whichar quire special accommodations such as ip lolly azeas, neaz creeks, rock outcruo!_ppings, drainages, or ^( rtn W. wetlands 2,In thesetcases p cific,.considerahons should be mated}toY mmrze negative impacts' For-example, widestrees<alongjsteep s lopes>require!much lazger hillside cuts tfian narrow streets. Streets`o staruct min hillside areas'or natural ;esotirce_ areas'sliould-mini'irinegaive mpacts and use minimal cut azid fillrslopes Generally;the range of local'street types make rt possible to.'construct or improve€local streets`in accordance with the.design standards In certain situations; however, exceptions,should be made. Exceptions could result in construction dif", eanderi,ng sidewal V s-.sidew_alks;on o`r lyaone�[de of the street, or curbside sidewalk,segments instead of setback walks Hillside Lands and Natural Area Street Standards Approval Standards: Hillside Lands is defined in Chapter 18.62, Physical and Environmental Constraints, of the Ashland Land Use Ordinance. Development of streets in Hillside Lands must be done in accordance with the standards in Chapter 18.62. Streets in Hillside Lands may . require.the following sPecial accommodations. Draft Street Standards Handbook October 8, 1998 Ashland Local Street Plan Page 39 1. Clear Travel Lane A. New streets shall provide a 20feet clear travel lane area in areas designated Hillside Lands. 2. On-Street Parking At Foot Steep Hills A. Ensure ample on-street or bay parking is available at the foot of steep hills, especially those prone to snow and/or ice build up. 3. Handrails for Pedestrians A. Handrails shall be installed along steep sidewalks. 4. Steps for Pedestrians A. Flights of several steps shall be located intermittently along steep sidewalks. 5. Pedestrian Paths A. A pedestrian path may be substituted for a sidewalk on one side of the street to accommodate topography. 6. Pcdtervmg'=Natur61'Fddttieds A_. Streets,shall be located in aMinanner,wh_1ch preserves natural.feature_s;to`;the greatest'extent feasible., 1:. Whenever possible, stceet•alignments shall follow natural contours and features so that visual arid,physical access to the natural feature is_posstlile: 2 Streets shall be sttuafed betweizr naturaf,features, suck as creeks; mature trees;drainages, open spaces and individual parcels in order to appropriately incorporate such significant neighborhood features! 7. Exceptions to Street Design Standards A. Generally,the range of local street types.make it possible to construct or improve local streets m accordance with the street design standards. In certain situations where the physical features of the land create insurmountable constraints, or . natural features.should be preserved, exceptions may be made. Exceptions could result in construction of meandering sidewalks,sidewalks on only one side of the street, or curbside sidewalk segments instead of setback walks. Exceptions shall October 9, 1998 Draft Street Standards Handbook Page 40 Ashland Local Street Plan be allowed when physical conditions that preclude development of a public street, or components of the street. Such conditions may include, but are not limited to, topography, wetlands, mature trees, creeks ,drainages; and rock outcroppings. 8. Dead End Streets A. Generally, the range of local street types make it possible to construct or improve local streets in accordance with the street design standards. In certain situations where the physical features of the land create insurmountable constraints or natural features:should be-preserve d, exceptions may be made. Dead-end streets may be permitted,in areas where•topographic,�wetland, creeks or other physical features of the land preclude street connections: Only neighborhood streets may be dead,end roads. .No deadtend street st_iall.exceed-500-feet in length, not including the,turnaround: SECTION VI: DRIVEWAY APRON AND CURB CUT SPACING Driveway aprons, often referred to as private accesses, affect the safety, capacity and character of a street. Motorists turning into and out of private driveways or parking lots can be the source of potential conflicts with pedestrians, bicyclists and motor vehicles. In addition, motorists entering and existing the street system slow down traffic and thereby reduce the traffic flow and street capacity. In Ashland, the Railroad District is well used by pedestrians. There are many factors which affect the large amount of foot traffic such as interesting architecture, relatively flat terrain, large parkrows with many trees, and the close proximity to the downtown. However, one of the street design elements which makes the pedestrian environment convenient, safe and inviting is the minimal amount of automobile traffic pulling in and backing out of driveways which cross the sidewalk. Every driveway apron is a challenge for pedestrians. As the number of private accesses increases, the sidewalk loses continuity as the surface dips up and down with the driveway curb ' cuts. Even able-bodied pedestrians can have trouble negotiating excessive dips and cross-slopes. The combination of an uneven surface and the continuous potential threat of a motor vehicle impeding on the sidewalk negatively affects the.pedestrian environment and the character of the street. Public accesses, meaning public streets, can.have the same affect on safety and capacity of the, street system. However, as.long as streets.are spaced at reasonable distances, the potential impact is not as great as having numerous driveway curb cuts within one block length. Draft.Street Standards Handbook October 8, 1998 Ashland Local Street Plan Page 41 The Driveivay Apron and Curb Cut Standards apply to private accesses on neighborhood collector and neighborhood streets. Chapter 8, Access Management, of the Transportation System Plan is the ruling document concerning the spacing of private and public accesses on boulevards and avenues. Driveway Apron and Curb Cut Standards Approval Standards: New, reconstructed streets, curb cuts and driveway aprons shall conform to the following driveway apron and curb cut standards. 1. Spacing A. Driveway curb cuts shall be spaced at least 24 feet apart as measured between the bottoms of the existing or proposed apron wings of the driveway approaches. 2. Width A. The width of driveway curb cuts and aprons shall be minimized in the parkrow and sidewalk area. The driveway width may be increased in the private yard area. 3. Shared Driveways A. The number of driveway intersections with streets shall be minimized by the use of shared driveways with adjoining lots where feasible. 4. Number of Driveway Curb Cuts Per Lot A. For single-family and multi-family developments, one driveway curb cut is permitted per lot. Larger multi-family developments may require more than one driveway curb cut. For commercial and industrial developments, driveway curb cuts shall be minimized where feasible. 5. Alley Access A- If a property has alley access, a curb cut for a driveway apron is not permitted. October 9, 1998 Draft Street Standards Handbook Page 42 Ashland Local Street Plan ASHLAND WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY ALTERNATIVES CONNECT TO BEAR CREEK VALLEY SANITARY AUTHORITY(BCVSA) • This would dispose of effluent and sludge. • Is less expensive than the current plan. • • Would eliminate the need for Ashland to Improve and operate their own wastewater treatment plant. • Would allow Ashland to sell or develop the land now being used by the treatment plant. • Would allow Ashland to sell the 840 acres, or convert it into a City Park for equestrian, hiking, picnicking, and other uses. • Ashland would still have revenue from operation of the sewer lines and pumping station to collect raw sewage. • System Development Cost is about 7.07 million, and to build the pipeline 7 miles to Phoenix is about 4.6 million for a total of 11.7 million. • The per household monthly cost for utilizing the Regional system would be $4.20 per household. OR DON'T CONNECT TO BCVSA, BUT FIND OTHER WAYS TO DISPOSE OF THE SLUDGE AND EFFLUENT ALTERNATIVE FOR SEWER SLUDGE: • Continue to apply to farmlands as is now being done. • In the future this material can be improved and may have commercial value for the city. ALTERNATIVE FOR EFFLUENT SPRAYING: • Dilute the effluent with clean water at the outlet of the treatment plant and place it in Bear Creek thereby reducing the phosphorus level and increasing the stream flow. • Sources for the additional water: • Irrigation water from the city owned land. • Ashland joining Intertie for domestic water supply, and utilizing Ashland Creek flow for diluting effluent. • Piping Ashland TID canal. Any one of these three sources of water will provide at least a 50/50 dilution. The City's plan to spray effluent will deplete water flow in Bear Creek 6 months of the year. Affixing clean water with the effluent will reduce the phosphorous level and not only maintain but increase water flow in Bear Creek. t Council Communication Department of Community Development Planning Division n / October 20, 1998 Submitted by: Maria Harris Approved by: Paul Nolte r Approved by: Mike Freeman Title: An Ordinance Replacing Chapter 2.22 of the Ashland Municipal Code to Change the name of the Bicycle Commission to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission and to Amend Its Powers and Duties Synopsis: The attached ordinance expands the Bicycle Commission to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission. The primary changes in the ordinance are increasing the number of voting members from seven to nine, having an elected chair and broadening the primary duties to include pedestrian issues. Based on comments from the Council review in April 1998, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission responsibilities include promoting bicycle safety programs. The Traffic Safety Commission retains the responsibilities associated with transportation safety education and pedestrian safety laws. Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the ordinance and forward to second reading. Background: The purpose of the ordinance amendment is to expand the role of the Commission from strictly addressing bicycle-related issues to advisement on all non-automotive methods of transportation, with an emphasis on bicycle and pedestrian issues, The ordinance amendments are based on comments from the Bicycle Commission, a review of the goals and policies of the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan, and.a review of ordinances for other existing City commissions including Tree, Traffic Safety, Conservation, Historic and Planning Commission. In April, 1998, the Council reviewed an ordinance expanding the existing Bicycle Commission to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission. Concerns were raised about duplicating duties between this commission and the Traffc Safety Commission, and it was determined that it would be most appropriate for the Traffic Safety Commission to retain the responsibilities associated with transportation safety education and pedestrian safety laws. The attached draft ordinance reflects this by limiting the Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission responsibility to bicycle safety programs. ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE REPLACING CHAPTER 2.22 OF THE ASHLAND MUNICIPAL CODE TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THE BICYCLE COMMISSION TO THE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN COMMISSION AND TO AMEND ITS POWERS AND DUTIES Annotated to show deletions and additions to the code sections being modified. Deletions are fined-thran and additions are shaded. THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF ASHLAND DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Chapter 2.22 of the Ashland Municipal Code is replaced in its entirety to read: Chapter 2.22 BICYCLE AND=PEDESTRIAN COMMISSION Sections: 2.22.010 Established — Membership 2.22.020 Term —Vacancies 2.22.030 Quorum — Rules and Regulations 2.22.040 Powers and Duties — Generally 2.22.050 Reports 2.22.060 Compensation 2 22 010 Established — Membership. There is established _ Bicycle and;.Pedestrian Commission which is established and shall consist of seven (7)nine voting members, one of which shall be a city councilor, and four; 'ne'tjd*ng one member from th non-voting members including a representative from Rogue Valley Transportation District, the Director of Community Development, the Director of Public Works and the Police she Chief of Police. 2.22.020 Term —Vacancies. The term of the voting' members shall be appointed-for three{ years, expiring on April 30 of each year. Any vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the mayor, with confirmation,by the city "a ly, two (2) nnembers shall be council, for the unexpired portion of the term." erm —terms. appointed to ternis expiring April 30, 1990, two (2) members to terms expiring-Apfif-30-, i , ' . The seven commission members currently serving as of the date of this 1998 amendment shall serve:their remaining terms. For.the two members to be appointed to the commission as a.result of this 1998 amendment, one shall be appointed to a term expiring April 30, 2000, and one member to a term expiring April 30, 2001. The successors shall be appointed to three (-3) year terms. Any member who is absent for four ("r more meetings in a one- year period shall be considered no longer active and the position vacant, and a new Page 1 —ANNOTATED ORDINANCE 4 f member shall be appointed to fill the vacancy. 2 22.030 Quorum - Rules and Regulations. Four(4)-voting members of the commission shall constitute a quorum. At its first meeting of the year, the commission shall elect a chair, vice-chair and a secretary, who shall hold office at the pleasure of the commission. The commission may make rules and regulations for its meetings, consistent with the laws of the state and city charter and ordinances, and shall meet at least once every month. 2.22.040 Powers and Duties - Generally. The primary purpose pow responsibilities of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission shall be to advocate the equal opportunity to use non-automotive forms of travel and to ensure the development of bicycle and pedestrian facilities into a well-designed, integrated transportation network for all Ashland citizens. In doing so, the powers,-duties and responsibilities of the commission shall be'as follows: A. To deve'pp,�tno,_recernrnend.pe.pre�pated . To. promote bicycling.and walking_in Ashland: B. . To review and make recommendations on the long-range transportation plans--as relate_ d, to bicycle and pedestrian issues of the city'.., C. . To promote bicycle safety_programs. D. To serve in a liaison capacity between the city and Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee in developing the statewide bicycle arid pedestrian`program,,and in meeting the goals of the State of Oregon Pf}aster Bicycle 'and Pedestrian Plan. E. To serve in a liaison capacity between the city and the Jackson County Bicycle Committee in developing overall coordinated plans for bikepaths bicycle facilities and bicycle safety programs. F. To set an an advisery eapacity to the Ashland 6ity Council and the 6fty Administrator On a - - __ . yearly basis, to review and make recommendations on transportation projects as related to bicycle and pedestrian issues in the city.- _ . to review and recommend transportation project prioriti.zation_and.funding as related to bicycle and pedestrian issues in the city: H. _ . To advise the planning commission in the administration of the site review process with respect to bicycle and pedestrian facilities and parking. I. To fester public knowledge and support of bmeyeling laws, emforeemen needs.and traffic engineering problems amd . To assist in the implementation of the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan. J. To coopefate with the public and private sehool systerris in promoting To.develop and recommend to the city council and planning commission adoption of ordinances and policies for_ Page 2 -ANNOTATED ORDINANCE the planning and maintenance of bicycle and pedestrian facilities throughout the city. K. To advise the city administrator and city departments regarding bicycle and pedestrian issues in the city. 2.22.050 Reports. The commission shall submit copies of its minutes to the city council and shall prepare and submit such reports as from time to time may be requested of them by the city council or planning commission. 2.22.060 Compensation. the Gity Voting members of the commission shall receive no compensation for services rendered. The foregoing ordinance was first READ on the day of , 1998, and duly PASSED and ADOPTED this day of 1998. Barbara M. Christensen, City Recorder SIGNED and APPROVED this day of 19986 Catherine M. Shaw, Mayor Approved as to form: Paul Nolte, City Attorney Page 3 =ANNOTATED ORDINANCE . Council Communication Public Works Department I'� October 20, 1998 Submitted by: Paula Brown �l� , Reviewed by: Paul Nolte 1 Approved by: Mike Freeman'A Title: Second Reading of an Ordinance Vacating a Portion of Clover Lane on Property Owned by Vernon Ludwig Near Interstate 5 and Highway 66 Synopsis: The proposed modifications to development plans in the Clover Lane area require a partial vacation and realignment of Clover Lane. Council held a public hearing and first reading of the ordinance on October 6, 1998. Recommendation: It is recommended that the Council endorse the second reading by title only to adopt the attached ordinance to vacate a portion of Clover Lane on property owned by Vernon Ludwig near Interstate 5 and Highway 66. Background Information: (from the last meeting) Mr. Bob Robertson of Pacific Western LLC has assumed the Vern Ludwig development plans for the Clover Lane area. The plans call for the relocation of Clover Lane further to the east. A land partition plat has been prepared which will create a new 53 foot wide right of way and cul-de-sac which will provide access to five new lots. A vacation of the former Clover Lane right of way is required as a part of the development plan. Petitions requesting the vacation have been received and verified. As required by ORS Section 271.110, all of the abutting owners and 2/3 of the owners of the surrounding area have signed the petition. The $500 filing fee was waived with the original 1994 application: The final approval of this vacation must be contingent upon the approval of the land partition which will create the new right of way. The land partition; in turn is contingent upon the relocation (or bonding for)all existing utilities. In addition to the street vacation, Mr. Robertson has prepared a bargain and sale deed which will transfer title to the vacated Clover Lane, following the vacation, to Vernon G. and Ofelia Ludwig. It is recommended that Council approve the partial vacation and authorize the signing of the deed however, recording of the document shall be contingent upon approval of the land partition. G:\PAULA\Clover Lane ORD-2 Council Communication.wpd ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE VACATING A PORTION OF CLOVER LANE ON PROPERTY OWNED BY VERNON LUDWIG NEAR INTERSTATE 5 AND HIGHWAY 66 THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF ASHLAND DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. On the date specified in section two of this ordinance, the public right of way described on the attached Exhibit A is vacated. SECTION 2. The attached described right of way shall be deemed vacated upon the date a partition map is recorded dedicating a new right of way for Clover Lane on property where the vacated Clover Lane is located. The foregoing ordinance was first READ on the day of , 1998, and duly PASSED and ADOPTED this day of 11998. Barbara Christensen, City Recorder SIGNED and APPROVED this day of , 1998• Catherine M. Shaw, Mayor Reviewed as to form: Paul Nolte, City Attorney . PAGE 1 - ORDINANCE.cA W1NDOws\TEMP Waaa4onordinancedoverlane.wcd 'J EXHIBIT A EAGLE-EYE SURVEYING CORPORATION ( formerly Edwards Surveying & Land Planning Inc. ) 23 North Ivy Street , Medford P.O. Box 4397 , Medford, Oregon 97501-0170 Tel . (541 ) 776-2313 Fax . ( 541 ) 776-9978 DESCRIPTION FOR: Pacific Western LLC August 11 , 1998 VACATED PORTION OF CLOVER LANE' The Southerly portion of that street known as Clover Lane fcranted to the City of Ashland. Jackson County, Oregon in Volume 271 Page 548 Deed Records said County and State and in Volume 582 , Page 417 said Deed Records and in Document Number 88-28029 Official Records said County and State beink more particularly described as follows ' Commencing at a point on the East line of Government Lot 1 , in Section 14 , Township 39 South, Range 1 East of the Willamette Meridian , Jackson County, Oregon, which is South 0 '00 ' 02" West a distance of 413 .43 feet from the Northeast corner of said Lot 1 ; thence West a distance of 486 . 87 feet to a point on the Westerly Right of Way line of Clover Lane as described in Volume 271 , Page 548 , Deed Records , said County and State, said point also being the TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING; thence South 00' 02 ' 16 West , a distance of 346 . 73 feet to the Easterly Right of Line of Interstate Highway' Number 5, as described in Volume 509 , Page 241 , said Deed Records ; thence South 23°46 ' 18" East , along said Easterly Right of Way line, a distance of 127 . 15 feet ; thence continuing along last said Right of Way line South 18' 06 ' 12" East a distance of 7 .73 feet, to a point on the South line of that tract described in Volume 272 , Page 618 , said Deed Records ; thence East , along last said South line , a distance of 49 . 21 feet ; thence North 18 '06 ' 12" West a distance of 27 . 67 feet ; thence North 23'46 ' 18" West a distance of 161 . 83 feet'; thence North 00'02' 16" East A distance of 296 .05 feet ; thence West a distance of 25. 00 feet to the point of beginning . REGISTERED J X PRC!FE.SStONAI' LAND SURVEYOR OREGON RSkL. D 6RAUGHTON 2657 Expires. 12/31/99 EXH 151 T MAAF EXHIBIT "B" I (� CLOVER LANE \ `Y \F I . ✓Y REGISTERED. PROFESSIONAL LAND SURV YOR SGALE p , 100 OREGON µr".va o 400 2.00 W=26�IIG 04 Council Communication Legal Department October 20, 1998 Submitted by: Paul Nolte/ Approved by: Mike Freeman �" ` Title: An Ordinance Amending the Ashland City Band Chapter of the Ashland Municipal Code to Redefine the Band Board and Its Duties Including Duties of the Band Director. Synopsis: The proposed changes in this ordinance were initiated at the request of the city band and more accurately reflect how the band now operates. This ordinance received approval at its first reading at the October 6, 1998, council meeting. Recommendation: Approval of this ordinance at council's October 20, 1998, meeting. Background Information: For years the city band has been operating under a system which does not conform to the city ordinances. The system works so well, however,that when Raoul Maddox resigned as band ch4ir,.he suggested the ordinance be changed to reflect the actual operation of the band. Raoul's suggestions also created an opportunity to change the code provisions to make them more uniform with other commissions and committees. These changes resulted in the mayor making the appointments to the band board, which is recognized in the ordinance.as being the official body overseeing the band. Additionally, the terms and expiration dates have been brought into conformity with other commissions. Also,the appointment of the band director has been streamlined and the process made more uniform with other mayoral appointments. And the band committee, consisting of three council members,,has been eliminated since this aspect of the existing ordinance has not been followed for several years: G:\sharlmc\COUNCIL\Communications\nry band ord2.098.wpd ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ASHLAND CITY BAND CHAPTER OF THE ASHLAND MUNICIPAL CODE TO REDEFINE THE BAND BOARD AND ITS DUTIES INCLUDING DUTIES OF THE BAND DIRECTOR THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF ASHLAND DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Chapter 2.56 of the Ashland Municipal Code is amended to read: I. Chapter 2.56 i CITY BAND' Sections: 2.56.010 Band Board Established—Membership. 2.56.015 Band Board Terms--Vacancies. 2.56.020 Quorum--Rules and Meetings. 2.56.025 Powers and Duties--Generally. 2.56.030 Director--Appointment--Duties--Compensation. 2.56.040 Budget. 2.56.060 Performances. 2 56 010 Band Board Established—Membership. The Ashland Band Board is established and shall consist of six voting members appointed by the mayor with confirmation by the council. The board shall also consist of one non-voting ex officio member, who shall be the director of the band. 2.56.015 Band Board Terms--Vacancies. The term of voting members shall be for three years, expiring on April 30 of each year. The members serving on the band board as of September 1998 shall serve until April 30, 1999. Any vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the mayor with confirmation by the city council for the unexpired portion of the term. The terms of the six members appointed to succeed those members whose terms expire in April 1999 shall be staggered in the following manner: Two members shall be appointed for one year, two members for two years, and two members for three years. The length of the initial terms for these six members shall be determined by the mayor at the time of appointment. Their successors shall be appointed for three-year terms. Any board member who is absent from four or more meetings in 'a one-year period shall be considered no ' For provisions regarding the city band, see City Charter, Art. XXI. . Page 1 -ORDINANCE GAPAWORMband ord.wpd longer active and the position vacant, and a new person shall be appointed to fill the vacancy. 2 56 020 Quorum--Rules and Meetings. Four voting members of the board shall constitute a quorum. If a quorum is present, the affirmative vote of a majority of members present at the meeting and entitled to vote shall be sufficient to conduct business. The board may make rules and regulations for its meetings and procedures consistent with city ordinances, and shall meet as necessary but not less than once per year. At its first meeting, the board shall elect a chair, who shall preside over all meetings and perform such other duties as may be necessary for the administration of the band, band board and this chapter. A vice-chair shall also be elected who shall serve in the absence of the chair. 2 56 025 Powers and Duties--Generally. The powers, duties and responsibilities of the Ashland Band Board shall be as follows: A. General supervision and control over the Ashland City Band. B. Report at least annually to the mayor and city council of the activities of the band. C. On or prior to December 15 of each year, report to the mayor as to the activities and welfare of the band. D. Determine compensation for the band director and members in accordance with the band's approved budget. 2 56 030 Director--Appointment--Duties--Compensation. A. Prior to January of each year, after receiving the report of the band board under section 2.56.025, the mayor, with confirmation by the council, shall appoint a band director who shall serve at the pleasure of the mayor. B. The director shall: 1. Promote, organize and direct the Ashland City Band, 2. Select the musicians for the band, 3. Appoint a band secretary who shall keep minutes of all band board. meetings, records of the organization and shall .particularly keep a.careful . and accurate record of attendance by all members. The secretary shall serve at the pleasure of the director and perform such other duties as may be assigned by the director. Page 2 -ORDINANCE c:wnuuoaoband ord.wpd. 4. Appoint a band librarian, who shall have charge of and shall carefully keep all the sheet music now owned or hereafter acquired by band. The librarian shall keep proper and complete records of all property placed in the librarian's custody and shall make a proper inventory and accounting thereof at the end of the year. The librarian shall serve at the pleasure of the director and perform such other duties as may be assigned by the director. 5. Appoint a quartermaster who shall have charge of and shall carefully keep all band uniforms and other property which is now owned or may hereafter be acquired by the band. The quartermaster shall serve at the pleasure of the director and perform such other duties as may be assigned by the director. 6. Perform such other services as may be reasonably requested by the band board. 2.56.040 Budget. Prior to the preparation of the City budget each year, the band board shall cause a careful estimate to be made of the band's needs for the ensuing year in view of the funds to be available and shall submit same to the director of finance for consideration with the other budgetary matters. Through the city's budget process, the City Council shall fix and determine the Band's budget for the ensuing year. 2.56.060 Performances. The City Band shall present not less than ten concerts, including the Fourth of July parade, during each summer season. The foregoing ordinance was first read by title only in accordance with Article X, Section 2(C) of the City Charter on the day of 11998, and duly PASSED and ADOPTED this day of , 1998. Barbara Christensen, City Recorder SIGNED and APPROVED this day of 11998. Catherine M. Shaw, Mayor Re i wed as to fo Paul Nolte, City Attorney Page 3 -ORDINANCE G:wnuuoRDmaod om.wpd 3 U U �o a N h UO � v C N p w w Q U` w a H O N y U W _ O aN N H {GCy K Of_ ,V K a T w w w K w x O O O O w Q a L o N �I• N N w v tl O O O O O 0 O co *M o O N m m c r O' N; u NF N � m L h c v O �... Er d r a O C M oi v E m a0m i 'o• °o - c c - V o C •- E c o- H ° ° O - o. a d £ u D a ° m otim m cn .IL 0 dl CD E ° w � O E c> U) W O w O w £ � £7 2 o c o O ca c O O -O a_ a OO y u � T O N w ' K _c O v m - �.m.E 0 c L . N . c Y y O ` N O 00 'O C y t� j( � - C — O L O p w M L N m yYJ O H a7 � W o 5Hmm c vH d m d m O vU t E aa m d> Q c x M 2 Z: w ° c c o a E o ° ' E > o cO E 'E c o U) N v ' _ = m Q K O u> c .0 O� g E o E L) 11 ' n 2ir ` ulw w D a a r wa ¢ 0W 0: w a a CWfU . ' U2 o N M V. t0 a2 cp U a ea W t Q Y O O J C QC� U N � C O s V U m 00 W O i U r ) ^ a1 D N � O N d v c d L O T 0 N N ca W D) c L .. cp um) O Y O a) f0 C n v . C V N N � �'O cc W a7 w 0 c LL 3 ° m g m 0 fa y a) ° 'D d c O y Z. 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N U o o d (p a y Y T N Q N C p y y m 3 0 o U c m u = A (DoaU) o yam sclo �= Uc0P <u- CL o . . . . . . . . . • . . . . Council Communication Legal Department October 20, 1998 Submitted by: Paul Nolte Approved by: Mike Freeman Title: An Ordinance Amending the Telecommunications Title 16 of the Ashland Municipal Code to Add Provisions Regulating Cable Service and to Simplify and Clarify Requirements for Grantees Synopsis: This ordinance contains numerous amendments to the telecommunications ordinance adopted by the council in March 1998. Major changes include adding a provision imposing the construction and renewal requirements on cable TV utilities and deleting the requirement for a license rather than a franchise for those telecommunication providers using only a small portion of the city's right of ways. The distinction between a license and franchise was not clear and under the proposed amendments only franchises will be issued. The changes also include: 1) a requirement that a telecommunications provider pay a pavement degradation fee when construction within a right of way includes cutting the pavement. Pavement cuts shorten pavement life and this fee is designed to recoup the city's investment in quality paving; 2) a requirement that providers cooperate with other utilities during construction, within the right of way so that multiple cutting of the pavement is avoided; 3) a requirement that a provider constructing within the right of way also install conduit and ducts for the city if requested and paid for by the city; 4)a clarification that a provider who is permitted by the city to install facilities above ground may do so with consent of the city or the joint pole owner(US West); and 5) a fee.for resellers who have no facilities within the right of way but lease lines from a franchisee. Resellers use leased lines to sell telecommunication services to others. Recommendation: Even though this ordinance was published in the Daily Tidings on Monday, October 12, 1998, in order.to be read by title only at the council,Is October 20, 1998, meeting, I have since learned that the League of Oregon Cities is going to unveil its extensively revised model ordinance at the Annual meeting in November. I believe we should take a look at the League's revisions before I submit proposed amendments to our ordinance. Delaying our amendments will not delay Ashland Fiber Network nor will it leave us unprotected in the area of other telecommunication providers. I have requested that this item be pulled from the October 20" council agenda. Background Information: Several months after the adoption of the telecommunications ordinance, representatives of US West met with staff to voice their concerns over some ordinance provisions. US West felt that the city had exceeded its authority in the implied manner the city would charge US West over and above statutory limits. For incumbent local exchange carriers (i.e. US West), cities are limited to charging 7% of a narrowly defined revenue base (about one-third of US West's total revenue). In addition, US West felt that the unreimbursed co-location requirements imposed by the ordinance amounted to a constitutional taking. US West also noted that the ordinance placed in doubt the contractual provisions the city has with it over joint pole ownership. Under a contract dating back to the 1920's practically every pole erected in the city is jointly purchased, installed and owned by US West and the city. US West also pointed out several construction requirements in the ordinance that were impractical, inefficient or uneconomical. Many of the amendments are proposed to alleviate the concerns of US West and clarify some ambiguities leading to those concerns. Some amendments also result from experience in other cities who are attempting to implement their own telecommunication ordinances. G:\sharlmc\COUNCI L\Commmimtions\telmommmimlions.ord2.098.wpd OF CITY OF ASHLAND ' nSy �y �gtis Public Works - Administration o REGO� .' MEMORANDUM DATE: October 15, 1998 TO: Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Paula Brown, Director of Public Works/City Engineer�� RE: UPDATE ON THE STATE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (STIP) RECOMMENDATIONS BY RVACT This is just a quick update on the progress made at the October 13, 1998, Rogue Valley Area Commission on Transportation(RVACT): The Commission endorsed the recommendations made by the Jackson Josephine Transportation Commission with a few minor changes and caveats. ODOT expects to receive$19,000,000 for the year 2000-2003 STIP. The RVACT recommendation going forward to the Oregon Transportation Commission is as follows: RVACT recom Siskiyou Blvd(4th Street to Walker; Addition of Bike Lanes) $ 1,500,000 South Medford Interchange (Ramp Improvements ONLY) 700,000 Highway 238 -Jackson Street, Unit 1 11,000,000 Highway 62 Corridor Solutions . 2,900,000 Fern Valley Road Interchange Improvements 2,000,000 ** Grants Pass US 199 Redwood Ave-Ringuette Street 325,000 Grants Pass Spalding Avenue (Beacon - E Street) 453,000 Jackson County - Hamrick Road (Biddle - Vilas Road) 96,000 TOTAL $18,974,000 * STP funds from MPO to fund the other $2M local match ** Any project that comes in under budget, the under spent funds would go to fund additional improvements at Fern Valley Road Staff also entered into positive initial discussions regarding jurisdictional exchange of ODOT jurisdiction facilities within the City and will bring back to Council at a future meeting. G:\PAULA\memo-STIP Update Ocotber 15, 1998.wpd ` CITY OF ASHLAND CITY HALL ASHLAND,OREGON 97520 October 12, 1998 Jon Mainard, Co-Chair Mike Montero, Co-Chair Rogue Valley Area Commission on Transportation C/O RVCOG PO Box 3275 Central Point OR 97502 RE: 2000-2003 STATE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM(STIP) The Ashland City Council reviewed and accepted the Jackson-Josephine Transportation Commission(JJTC) STEP recommendations as follows:. Highway 238 Unit 1 $11,500,000 Highway 62 Corridor 2,400,000 S. Medford Interchange 700,000 Hamrick Road 100,000 Fern Valley Road 1,500,000 Grants Pass 800,000 Siskiyou Blvd; 4'to Walker 1.500.000 $18,500,000 We throughly understand the emphasis on regional priorities and appreciate the inclusion of Siskiyou Boulevard in the STEP recommendations. Having our Siskiyou Boulevard Bike Lanes score highest in the original ranking criteria emphasizes Ashland's focus on meeting Oregon's Transportation Planning Rule and the Oregon Transportation Plan. This accentuates Ashland's strong commitment to multi-modal transportation options and to maintaining a compact and sustainable community form. Although Ashland can merely provide vision and leadership in this area, we are pleased that both the Highway 238 , Unit 1 and the Highway 62 corridor improvements include notable options for multi-modal transportation alternatives and can therefore support the JJTC package of projects. The City of Ashland encourages RVACT's support in promoting a transportation program with a strong multi-modal component. Transit, and other options that de-emphasize single occupant vehicle travel, must play a significant role in all future transportation projects as we move into the twenty-first century. G:Daw TaulaULVACT State Transportation Impmw ent Program Ur.wpd As both the Highway 238 and Highway 62 corridor improvement projects are fully funded for the 2000-2003 STEP period, it is recommended that any additional ODOT funds received in this biennium be split equally between Ashland, Grants Pass, and Phoenix projects as they prepare for construction. All three cities rely on this funding to complete these important regional projects. Even an additional $100,000 can achieve a significant difference in making these projects a reality. We urge the RVACT support the JJTC recommendations as delineated above, for the 2000-2003 State Transportation Improvement Plan. Sincerely, Carolle Wheeldon Council President CC: irrc "TO I G:Daw Taula\RVACr State Transportation Improvement Program Ltr.wpd