CC Minutes - 09/19/07 Work Session

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B. WORK SESSION: Street Design Standards for the Crest Drive Neighborhood Ms. Jones asked Executive Director for the Public Works Department, Kurt Corey, to introduce the item. Mr. Corey commended the efforts of all of the people in the Crest Drive neighborhood and the staff members who had worked on the street design standards. He underscored that the team had agreed on almost all of the street design standards. He stated that the purpose of the present meeting was to give the council information to assist in its decision to move ahead in a public hearing process. He introduced Lisa Gardner, Planning Director for the Planning and Development Department. Ms. Gardner introduced the Crest Drive Community Team members that were present and they were received with a round of applause. She explained that the council had directed the group to move forward with the context sensitive solution process in a collaborative manner. She also recognized the contributions of David Roth, Transportation Engineering Technician, Emily Proudfoot, Landscape Architect, and Jenifer Willer, Civil Engineer. She said they had attended all of the meetings. She underscored that the target of the collaborative process was to gain agreement among most of the people participating on most of the elements of the design. Ms. Gardner provided an overview of the context sensitive solutions process with power points. She reported that the issue of street width was as yet unresolved. She related that staff had not been able to resolve it administratively; it would have to be resolved legislatively. Mr. Corey explained that Transplan Goal #2 delineated transportation systems characteristics. He said the challenge was to find the best fit that would balance the needs of the neighborhood and the needs of the transportation system. He related that the concept of “skinny streets” had a minimum recommended street width standard of 20 feet. He noted that the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) also upheld that standard for street design. Mr. Corey stated that a low volume street typically had an average of 400 vehicles or less traveling on it in a day. He said the range of volume values ran from a low of 860 vehicles on the southern part of Storey Boulevard to over 3,600 vehicles per day on Crest Drive by Morse Ranch. He noted that there was some disagreement as to the origin and destination of the vehicles. He believed that the traffic data resulted in an initial recommendation for something more than 20 feet of width. He added that a wider street was indicated when a diversity of travel modes exist, such as bicyclists, pedestrians, and a variety of vehicles. He reviewed the criteria for exceptions to the street width criterion. He stated that the Crest Drive Community Team was seeking to be relieved from having to adhere to that criterion. Fred Lorish, representing the Crest Drive Community Team, reiterated that the issue was street width. He declared an 18-foot width to be the best option for what the neighborhood was trying to accomplish. He believed it was a quality decision as the neighborhood wished to maintain certain qualities that currently existed there. He recalled that when the City let the neighborhood know that the streets were slated to be rebuilt the neighborhood had been informed that the main streets would be classified as neighborhood collectors. He related that residents remained convinced that the majority of people were cutting through the neighborhood. Mr. Lorish conveyed the neighborhood’s belief that a 20 foot road would not fit because it included more than just the street, such as sidewalks. He related that the neighborhood thought a thin road was safer MINUTES—Eugene City Council September 19, 2007 Page 8 Work Session