Ordinance No. 20258 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ALTERNATI\,~ES CO{~{SID~RED ~ ~p FOr this oPtion~ the western end of the ~w ~p facili~ would terminate at Green Hill Road with ~ intersection: Additioml capacity improvements would need to be extended south along Green Hill Road. This alternative would impact sensitive species and wet prairie wetlands south of the railroad. A sweepk~g curve to connect the Green Hill Road and West 11th Avenue leg of the alternative would extend west to the project terminus~ Double !efts and double fights would ~ required at each of the intersections of West 1 lth Avenue and ~P with Green Hill Road. To the east, the aligrm'~ent would follow the Modified Project or Northern Almrnative to minimize ~mpacts to T&E listed plants, tother features of this ~ternative ~nclude a frontage road to pm-vide local access for properties between the existing Nielsen Road and Green Hill Road as well as an at grade railroad crossing. For this alternafive~ driver expectations would be violated creating a condition where the probab~l~w of creating a high accident location at the intersection of the V~rEP with Green Hill Road is ~avoidable. Driving conditions from the east m west would be .along a high speed access controlled facility where traffic must nearly come to a stop m order to negotiate the curve from the W-EP onto Green H~ll Road and immediately cross a railroad crossing. There is ahigh likelihood that the design would result in a high percentage of violent crashes resulting ~n fatalities and debilitation injuries. Traffic volumes across the railroad track would increase to ~ excess of 26,000 vehicular crossings per day increasing the number of train/auto comqicts significantly. l~e proximity of the intersection of the WEP ~ Green Hill Road to the railroad crossing conflicts with railroad safety standards. Consequently, this alternative would be operational unfeasible and unreasonable environmentally. Flyover (atRR tracks and Approved FE~$) Option This option would ~nclude a flyover grade separation structure over-crossing of Green Hill Road and the railroad tracks, maligning with the Approved FEIS Design corridor along the alignment with an existing goal exception. ~s option requires using substantial fill south of the tracks and extending to the WEP~s western project terminus° Unlike the Approved Design, this option would not include direct access from the %~.P onto Green Hill Road. Adding a new elevated structure to cross the railroad with reversing curves would result in addkional safety hazards due to rotating opposite super-elevation rates. Erratic vehicle operation could resuk as drivers attempt to negotiate the curves~ especially at night and during wet and icy pavement condkions. Potential ponding of highway rnn-off resulting from non-standard design would also present a hazard. Approximately' 4.25 hectares (10.5 acres) of additional fill south of the tracks would occur in Willamette Wet Prairie wetland, which is identified as a very irnportmnt ecological resoume in the WEWP. The fill would fragment a large patch of wet prairie we. tlands, cutting the surface hydrology connection that now exists. This effective ~IBIT C-2 - FINDINGS 27