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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/09/2014 Minutes - Regular MeetingCITY OF DIAMOND BAR MINUTES OF THE TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MEETING 'OCTOBER 9, 2014 CALL TO ORDER: Chair Mahlke called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. in the Diamond Bar City Hall Windmill Community Room, 21810 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, California 91765. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Commissioner Mok led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL: Commissioners Ken Mok, Ed Pechy, Manisha Sulakhe, Vice Chair Ted Carrera, Chair Jen "Fred" Mahlke Also Present, David Liu, Public Works Director; Kimberly Young, Senior Civil Engineer; Christian Malpica, Associate Engineer; John Beshay, Associate Engineer; Sterling Mosley, Assistant Engineer, and Marcy Hilario, Administrative Coordinator. 0 : j : j 001TIA 4 us] A. Minutes of the July 10, 2014 Regular Meeting. VC/Carrera moved, C/Pechy seconded, to approve the Minutes of the July 10, 2014 regular meeting as presented. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS: Mok, Pechy, Sulakhe, VC/Carrera, Chair/Mahlke NOES: COMMISSIONERS: None ABSENT: 'COMMISSIONERS' None 1111- PUBLIC COMMENTS: None 111111. ITEMS FROM STAFF: - A. Receive and File Traffic Enforcement Updates for: 1. Citations: July, August and September 2014 2. Collisions: July, August and September 2014 3. Street Sweeping: July, August and September 2014 OCTOBER 9, 2014 PAGE 2 T&T COMMISSION C/Mok moved, VC/Carrera seconded, to receive and file the Traffic Enforcement Update reports for July, August and September 2014. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: IV. OLD BUSINESS: 9) zu NEW BUSINESS: COMMISSIONERS: COMMISSIONERS: COMMISSIONERS: None Mok, Pechy, Sulakhe, VC/Carrera, Chair/Mahlke None None PWD/Liu introduced the new addition to the Public Works Department, Associate Engineer, John Beshay. STATUS OF PREVIOUS ACTION ITEMS: AE/Malpica reported on an item brought forth by C/Sulakhe regarding the intersection of Cahill Place and Grand Avenue. Staff visited the site on several occasions immediately following commencement of the new school session. As of today, staff has not witnessed any traffic movement conflicts; however, we will continue to monitor the area. VII. ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS: C/Pechy thanked PWD/Liu and his staff for their efforts in successfully cleaning up the hillside opposite Sycamore Canyon Park. It looks very nice and presents quite a different image. In his travels throughout the City, he has observed an increasing amount of debris in the gutters and especially around the storm drain inlet areas, most likely due to the drought and growth of the City. C/Pechy asked if PWD/Liu could provide information as to why the residential streets are swept only every other week instead of on a weekly basis. When he conducted an informal survey of other cities, he found that their streets are swept on a weekly basis. PWD/Liu explained that based on current City service levels forstreet sweeping, it is on a bi-weekly basis with the exception of December and January when streets are swept on a weekly basis. He said he would communicate with the City's street sweeping contractor to determine why there is additional debris in and around the gutters and drainage systems. His understanding of field conditions is that bi-weekly street sweeping is adequate and perhaps there are problem spots where efforts could. be increased. It is also possible there are parking issues related to the ability to maintain effectiveness of the specific operation. PWD/Liu will look into the issue to see if there is something that can be done; however, if the City were to consider OCTOBER 9, 2014 PAGE 3 T&T COMMISSION weekly street sweeping, there would be additional considerations including parking needs and overall cost. If C/Pechy or other Commissioners have specific streets for which they have observed consistent problems, we would appreciate being informed because debris washing into the storm drain system is a very serious issue. C/Sulakhe asked who should be called in the event one observes problems on the streets. PWD/Liu responded that they should call the Public Works Department and speak with AC/Hilario or any staff member. The street sweeper is very responsive and will follow up on requests. If additional maintenance by Public Works staff is required, that will be augmented. Every day of the week parkways are cleaned by staff and if there are problems, they will be addressed. C/Mok inquired about a rebate or incentive programs being offered for people who remove lawns and install zeroscape landscaping. AENoung responded that the only rebate she is aware of is one Walnut Valley Water District provides to residents who remove grass or sod and replace it with artificial turf. The City's Planning Division has also lowered some of their fees because a zoning clearance is required. They have found ways to streamline the process in an effort to assist residents to save water and money. The City requires a certain percentage of landscaping in front yards and the artificial turf helps meet that requirement. VC/Carrera expressed a concern about the left -turn timing at Grand Avenue and Golden Springs Drive. He explained that there are two left -turn pockets at eastbound Golden Springs Drive. In the other intersections, there is a staggered two-lane pocket where two cars cannot pull too far forward to allow for motorists making a left turn. The westbound lanes are not staggered and there is no concrete median; therefore, a motorist coming from the freeway (southbound on Grand Avenue) will have difficulty making the turn. The video detection camera at that intersection may show this detail. VC/Carrera continued that as he leaves the golf course and proceeds to the left -turn pocket to go southbound on Grand Avenue, the vehicles in the left turn lane are compromised. AENoung stated staff would look into the situation and report back to the Commission. Chair/Mahlke thanked the Commissioners and staff for the opportunity to service the community for the past two years as a Traffic and Transportation Commissioner. She learned a lot and this experience allowed her to be herself. She appreciates being educated on how to be a Commissioner and the value and responsibility for serving the City. Although she is excited about the opportunity to serve on the Planning Commission, she will miss the Traffic and Transportation Commission which has been a very enjoyable experience. VIII. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS: A. Grand Avenue Beautification Project — PWD/Liu reported that the five picture boards presented to the Commission this evening were the same as presented to the community in April at the Open House. This project involves the two intersections of Grand Avenue at Diamond Bar Boulevard and Grand OCTOBER 9, 2014 PAGE 4 T&T COMMISSION Avenue at Longview Drive. The proposed improvements include decorative traffic signals at crosswalks featuring interlocking pavers With a diamond pattern as well as, upgrading medians and parkways with special design elements to add visual interest and highlight local history. Discussions include adding pedestrian accent lighting along the walkways and enhanced landscape palates in parkways and medians. Following the Open House -in April, the City Council was made aware of the public feedback and later that month the concept plans were expanded into the final design plans which were presented to Council on July 1st. During that meeting, the Council concurred with the design plans and directed staff to move forward with the project. Due to the federal funding participation to satisfy the grant requirements, plans and specifications were submitted to Caltrans on July 30th for authorization to proceed. Subsequently, on September 10th, Caltrans notified the City that the plans and specifications had been approved and that the City could then advertise and award the project. As the final plans and specifications were wrapping up, a couple of additional elements were added, one of which was a street clock to be located in the median. The other features are entry monuments. These will be located in the extended median and at both sides of the roadway at the easterly border (Grand Avenue at Longview Drive). PWD/Liu indicated he is hopeful that the final updated concept plan visuals will be available by the next Commission meeting. The ultimate goal is to have entry statements at all City entry points. On October 21 st, staff plans to finalize this concept with the City Council and if approved, the last elements will be included in the final plans and specifications. In turn, the project will be advertised for bids during November and December with award of contract in January 2015 and completion slated for April/May 2015. B. 2014 TIGER Grant for the SR -57/60 Confluence Project — PWD/Liu reported that in early September, the City of Industry and Diamond Bar were advised that they are recipients of a grant in the amount of $10 million for the SR -57/60 Confluence Project. The grant was created by the Obama Administration's 2009 Economic Stimulus Bill. The program allows for states and cities to apply for funding for transportation projects that have a significant impact on the nation, a metropolitan area, or a region. This is a very big deal for Diamond Bar! The City unsuccessfully pursued this grant two years ago and decided to pursue the grant again this year. This decision was made because the two cities know this project is of both national and regional significance and will take until 2029 to implement. In this current grant cycle, $600 million was appropriated by Congress. USDOT is administering this program and awarded 72 projects from 46 states and Washington, D.C. Those chosen were selected from 797 applications from 49 states with a grant request total of $9.5 Billion. This project was one of the 72 projects selected. Staff feels very fortunate to have received this national award and knows there is a lot of hard work ahead. VC/Carrera thanked staff for their efforts and said he knew that when Congressman Shuster and Transportation Secretary Foxx visited the area to witness the situation, it meant that the proposal had regional and national OCTOBER 9, 2014 PAGE 5 T&T COMMISSION significance. He asked if this would be a Caltrans project with oversight from the Department of Transportation. PWD/Liu explained that for federally funded projects, it means that Caltrans will administer the project and the programming will be handled by Metro. Within a week of receiving word about this grant, both Caltrans and Metro contacted the City to begin the process of programming the $10 million. C/Sulakhe thanked staff for the great work in obtaining the grant and said she was very grateful to know the project would move forward. C/Pechy asked if the City would have input into the project. PWD/Liu responded that Diamond Bar has been involved from the very beginning. The City of Industry and Diamond Bar have been partnering and collaborating on this project for the past 10 plus years. We have put together the design and completed the EIR for the multi -phased approach. Up to this point, the cost for the design and environmental studies came from local pockets (City of Industry) and like all projects involving state roadways, Caltrans and Metro have been invited to join the collaboration through monthly stakeholder meetings. C. Diamond Ride Program Modifications — PWD/Liu provided a copy of updated rules and regulations to Commissioners for the City's Diamond Ride Program. Based on the latest modifications, the City will be able to maintain the service level while reducing the cost of the program. The program costs had risen to the point of depleting one of the City's major funding sources, Proposition C. Each year, the City receives about a $900,000 Prop C funds from Metro and in this current year, the City budgeted almost $600,000 for the Diamond Ride Program alone. This means that there is not much left for the other transportation projects such as new traffic signals, the Traffic Management Center, roadway projects, etc. In addition, staff began to realize that the Diamond Ride Program is probably one of the most generous of its kind when compared with other cities. Unfortunately, many users use this program as a primary mode of transportation and to take them to outside areas for shopping, etc. This program was intended to be supplemental and not primary. The City Council re-examined the program and its purpose and determined that the primary use was meant to be for medical purposes. In addition, the City has a program in place to encourage shopping locally. As a result, the program was modified to meet these objectives; therefore, new rules and regulations were put in place. The changes will become effective December 1, 2014. D. Request for "North Country" NTMP — PWD/Liu explained that this neighborhood is surrounded by Golden Springs Drive on the west, north of the freeway and just south of Temple Avenue. A few months ago, some residents approached the Sheriffs Department, staff, Council and T&T Commissioner requesting the City to begin looking at some speeding and traffic violation issues in their neighborhood. Since that time, the Sheriffs Department and staff have increased enforcement, conducted Neighborhood Watch meetings, OCTOBER 9, 2014 PAGE 6 T&T COMMISSION established communication with residents, etc. Staff recently introduced the neighborhood leader to the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program, guidelines and forms to let him know that this program is probably the best approach to address the concerns. It was also relayed that the residents would need to be involved in order to move to the next step. E. 2014 Citywide Speed Zone Survey — AE/Malpica reported that Council approved the first reading of the ordinance on June 17th and the second reading was approved on July 1 st. The ordinance went into effect on August 1 st which included eight sections of roadway with new speed limits posted. F. Traffic Signal Battery Backup Project — AE/Malpica reported that construction is on hold due to delay of equipment delivery. Tentative delivery date is November 12th with construction scheduled to begin the week of November 17th. Completion is anticipated by early December for the 14 units. G. NTMP — Castle Rock Road/Crooked Creek Drive Neighborhood — AE/Malpica stated construction was completed on August 22nd and the Notice of Completion was filed on September 16th. Following the six month monitoring period, staff will conduct new traffic counts to determine the effectiveness of the installed tools. Adjustments will be made as needed. H. Diamond Bar Boulevard and Kiowa Crest Median Modification Project - AE/Mosley reported that construction of the median modification was completed two weeks ago and the Notice of Completion was filed with the City Council on October 7th Morning Canyon Rehabilitation Project — AE/Mosley indicated that plans and specifications are being wrapped up with Onward Engineering. When finalized, staff will move forward with the engineering plans, after which the project will be advertised for bids with bid opening scheduled for early November. With the holiday season rapidly approaching, staff will begin the construction after January I st. J. Millennium Project (in The Country Estates) — SCENoung explained that this proposed project consisting of a 48 -lot single family home subdivision on 80 acres is within The Country Estates (Country) and has Tentative Tract Map approval which the City Council granted in 2006. The project has been in process since that time. Recently, there have been concerns raised from current residents of the Country who indicate they are opposed to this project and have voiced concerns about the project to staff and City Council. Because of these misperceptions and misunderstandings about the project, the City hosted a community meeting on September 9th to which all 888 Country residents were invited. About 300 people attended the meeting and staff presented the facts and details of the project (about 20 minutes) after which a Q&A continued for more than 1 '/ hours. This is an on-going project and staff continues to answer questions about the project. The project has a valid Tentative Map and it is continuing through the plan check process. The OCTOBER 9, 2014 PAGE 7 T&T COMMISSION Tentative Map expires in 2016 and the approval is subject to a one-year extension should Council choose to grant it. VC/Carrera asked if the project included custom homes. SCE/Young responded that the. house. building* plans have not: yet been submitted.; however, the intent is that they will be custom homes since they are within the Country. K. Lemon Avenue Interchange Project— SCE/Young reported that the right -of-. way phase is proceeding;* however, of the nine, properties;: roperti,lb.s,,: all but two have verbally *or contractually (on paper) .been settled that are in right-of-way for partial takes. Of the two remaining ing properties,- one owner has stated that he will hold out as long as he can to get,more money. Caltra'ns continues their negotiation and the next step,will be to file a lawsuit for condemnation. Staff hopes to go to the CTC for resolution of necessity in January. Once approved, the lawsuit can be filed. L. Area 2/Zone 1 Road Maintenance Project — SCE/Young stated that this project is near completion with the majority of work having been completed. The first coats of striping have been applied in the residential neighborhood and on the arterials. Most of the second coat has been applied in the residential neighborhood and staff anticipates the second coat on Diamond Bar Boulevard to be laid tomorrow evening with raised pavement markers (bolts dots) being installed next week. This will complete the project. VC/Carrera asked if there was any impact from delay of this project into the school year due to the schools in the residential area. SCE/Young responded that staff required the contractor to work on Saturdays because the project went into the school season. VC/Carrera asked if the City incurred additional cost as a result. SCE/Young responded that it did not cause any additional cost for the City because the contractor worked Tuesday through Saturday to avoid overtime costs. M. Willow Heights Construction Update — SCE/Young explained that staff anticipates rough grading to be completed within the next month. Work is commencing along Diamond Bar Boulevard for installation of utilities: gas, cable and water lines. Working hours are restricted from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to not disrupt peak hour traffic. Once grading is certified and building permits are issued, models will be constructed within the following months with models being opened by March 2015. IX. SCHEDULE OF FUTURE CITY EVENTS: As stated in the agenda and corrected by AC/Hilario. - PWD/Liu provided each Commissioner with a printed copy of the Traffic Signal Operation and Maintenance Master Plan. OCTOBER 9, 2014 PAGE 8 T&T COMMISSION ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to come before the Traffic and Transportation Commission, Chair/Mahlke adjourned the meeting at 8:10 p.m. The foregoing minutes are hereby approved this /3-rq day of dw 2014. Respectfully, Dav G.iu, Secretary Attest: Chair Ken Mok