Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/08/2015 Minutes - Regular MeetingCITY OF DIAMOND BAR MINUTES OF THE TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MEETING JANUARY 8, 2015 CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Mok called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Diamond Bar City Hall Windmill Community Room, 21810 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, California 91765. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: VC/Carrera led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL: Commissioners Surendra Mehta, Ed Pechy, Manisha Sulakhe, Vice Chair Ted Carrera, Chair Mok Also Present: David Liu, Public Works Director; Sterling Mosley, Assistant Engineer; Christian Malpica, Associate Engineer; John Beshay, Associate Engineer, and Marcy Hilario, Administrative Coordinator. A. Minutes of the November 13, 2014 Regular Meeting. - VC/Carrera moved, C/Sulakhe seconded, to approve the Minutes of the November 13, 2014 regular meeting as presented. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS: Mehta, Pechy, Sulakhe, VC/Carrera, Chair/Mok NOES:- COMMISSIONERS: None ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: None 11. PUBLIC COMMENTS: None Ill. ITEMS FROM STAFF: A. Receive and File Traffic Enforcement Updates for: 1. Citations: October, November and December 2014 2. Collisions: October, November and December 2014 3. Street Sweeping: October, November and December 2014 JANUARY 8, 2015 PAGE 2 T&T COMMISSION C/Sulakhe moved, C/Pechy seconded, to receive and file the Traffic Enforcement Update reports for October, November and December 2014. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS: NOES: COMMISSIONERS: ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: Mehta, Pechy, Sulakhe, VC/Carrera, Chair/Mok None None PWD/Liu followed up on previous inquiries from Commissioners. At the November meeting, Commissioner Pechy commented on the August, September and October 2014 reports. He noticed the DUI collisions were not accompanied by DUI arrests. In following up with the Sheriffs Department, staff learned that when coding DUI collisions, there is automatically an arrest associated with that collision. Conversely, a DUI arrest does not necessarily mean there was a collision. Also, there are some instances that an arrest is not made until after the fact; therefore, the reporting might not reflect that information. PWD/Liu responded to VC/Carrera's comments regarding a reduction (declining trend) for the months of August, September and October in street sweeping citations. Staff learned that, for example, in August, the officer switched from a motorcycle to a patrol car and began working alongside the CSO; therefore, there were two officers issuing citations, which resulted in a spike for that month. During subsequent months, the Sheriffs Deputy resumed his motorcycle duties which resultedin one CSO working the street sweeping schedule. Average monthly citations with one CSO are between 200 and 300, and if more than 400 citations are logged, it means that there is an additional officer working the street sweeping schedule. VC/Carrera stated that the City did not intend to make this a revenue generating operation. He liked the consistency because it indicated to him that the City was doing everything possible to notify residents and hoped they would come to appreciate the program and how it works. He believes no one wants to be ticketed and that residents do their best to be aware. He likes to see the lower numbers which reflects that everyone is doing their job. C/Sulakhe shared that she lets visitors know they cannot park on her street on street sweeping days. PWD/Liu indicated that staff works with residents to accommodate special events and contractors working at their homes. C/Mehta stated that it seemed that there were more than 100 citations every month and asked how many hours the CSO patrols. PWD/Liu responded that the CSO generally travels in front of the street sweeper from 6:00 a.m. to about 2:00 or 3:00 p.m. on scheduled street sweeping days. JANUARY 8, 2015 PAGE 3 T&T COMMISSION Chair/Mok added that last Tuesday he observed that his neighbor had a car parked in front of his house and there was a Sheriff's vehicle stopped behind the parked car. The Sheriff was there after the street sweeper had left the area. PWD/Liu explained that the CSO and street sweeper are in constant radio contact and the Sheriffs vehicle was most likely parked to issue the citation. Chair/Mok said he noticed there was no citation on the vehicle and wondered if citations were issued electronically. Staff responded that citations are. issued by a hand-held machine that generates a receipt -like citation. These are much smaller than original citations previously issued. C/Sulakhe inquired about USPS not delivering mail if a vehicle is parked in front of a freestanding mailbox. AE/Mosley stated that it is a USPS policy to not deliver mail if the mailbox is inaccessible. Depending on the driver, exceptions are made and there is a standard applied regarding how close the vehicle is parked to the mailbox. IV. OLD BUSINESS: None V. NEW BUSINESS: None VI. STATUS OF PREVIOUS ACTION ITEMS — AE/Malpica responded to a previous request from VC/Carrera to look into the limit line issue on southbound Golden Springs Drive at Grand Avenue. Following an analysis, the City's traffic consultant has recommended that a limit line should be installed at the southbound left -turn pocket 15 feet back from the existing limit line. The installation of the limit line is scheduled to be done during the week of January 12th VII. ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS: C/Pechy inquired about the City's modification of the Diamond Ride Program that became effective last month. He asked if staff had any statistics to indicate whether the modification resulted in a reduction of cost. PWD/Liu responded that the changes became effective on December 1st and he anticipates reviewing the statistics for December 2014 in the next week or two. On average, the City was spending between $40,000 0,000 and $50,000 a month to support the program; therefore, the City wants to be sure it can continue to serve as many eligible residents as possible. C/Mehta expressed his concerns about entry to the Diamond Bar Center at night. He stated that most of the use of the Diamond Bar Center is at night and drivers attempting to enter the left turn pocket to turn into the Diamond Bar Center, traveling east on Grand Avenue, have difficulty seeing the left turn. C/Sulakhe added that the Center does not appear on the GPS system and the seniors are given the Diamond Bar Center helpline number to find their way. If the sign read 1600 Grand Avenue, it would allow drivers to go in the correct direction. C/Mehta suggested a lighted sign JANUARY 8, 2015 PAGE 4 T&T COMMISSION that would allow patrons to view the sign from a greater distance. . VC/Carrera wished everyone a happy and prosperous new year. He asked about the conflict of traffic coming off the eastbound SR -60 hook ramps at Brea Canyon Road onto Golden Springs Drive and attempting to make a left turn to enter McDonald's and the Chevron gas, station. He has observed drivers crossing over double yellow lines with on -coming traffic attempting to turn from Golden Springs Drive onto Brea Canyon Road. This causes traffic back-up coming off of the freeway and down the hook ramps onto Golden Springs Drive. He asked if the intersection would be revamped when the hook ramps are eventually moved and if something could be done in the interim such as a "keep intersection clear" type of striping similar to what is near Coco's Restaurant. PWD/Liu responded that there is no short term plan to modify that intersection to lessen the congestion. However, hook ramps will be removed after the new on and off ramps are built off of the SR -60 at Lemon Avenue, for which construction is slated to commence summer of this year. This is planned to be an 18 month project. The hook ramps will not be removed until the new eastbound on and off ramps are built. C/Sulakhe reported the K -Mart Plaza is now very dark now that the K -Mart has closed. She expressed concerns about shopping in the area in the evenings. PWD/Liu stated that while this is not a Traffic and Transportation Commission issue, ,any concerns will be forwarded to the appropriate department or agency. In this case he will speak with the Planning Department and Sheriffs Department to let them know about the issue. Chair/Mok asked C/Sulakhe if subsequent to the K -Mart closing, she noticed whether the lights were completely off or if only some were off. C/Sulakhe responded they were all off and the only lights she could -see were the McDonalds lights at the opposite end of the plaza. Perhaps it was an anomaly. Chair/Mok said it would be very unusual to have all lights off, especially because the Auto Zone and Ken's Ace Hardware are still open for business and have lighting in their business frontage. Chair/Mok shared while reading the Diamond Bar newsletter today, he noticed an article welcoming the Walmart Grocery in the space that Ralph's Market previously occupied. He wondered if there was a plan to put in some striping for additional parking. PWD/Liu responded that he is not aware of any parking additions. VC/Carrera asked if the requirements were the same for the Walmart Grocery as they were for the Ralph's Market with respect to parking per square foot. PWD/Liu confirmed that issue was reviewed. The Walmart Grocery is smaller than the previous Ralph's Market and; therefore, the formula has not changed. C/Mehta expresses his concerns that there would be an on-going parking issue because it is already difficult to find parking close to his bank (Bank of America). He experienced the same difficulty with parking when Ralph's Market was open and he feels it will be even more problematic when the Walmart Grocery opens. JANUARY 8, 2015 PAGE 5 T&T COMMISSION A. Grand Avenue Beautification Project — AE/Beshay reported -that on Wednesday, January 7th, a meeting was held for all contractors interested in bidding the project. Approximately fourteen (14) contract companies met with the City's design team. Topics of discussion included the scope of the project, Federal Funding Compliance, schedule and timelines, work hours and traffic control. At the conclusion of the meeting and discussion, an addendum was issued to adjust the mandatory nighttime work hours and lane closure requirements to ensure a quality product and competitive bid pricing. Bid opening is scheduled for Tuesday, January 13th at 2:00 p.m. Depending on the results of the bid opening, a contract for construction will be presented to City Council on either January 20th or February 3rd. The Engineer's cost estimate is $1.575 million and construction is scheduled to begin on or before March 2, 2015. In preparation for this project, Southern California Edison intends to perform a vault replacement at the southwest corner of Grand Avenue and Diamond Bar Boulevard (near US Bank) which will require extensive construction work at that intersection. Staff will be working very closely with Edison to ensure commencement of the work within the next week or two to have it completed before the proposed March 2nd start date for the project. PWD/Liu added that staff has indicated there will be a lot of activities in 2015 in terms of construction and Public Works improvements. As mentioned, if everything goes according to plan, this beautification project will start at two locations: Grand Avenue at Diamond Bar Boulevard and Grand Avenue at Longview Drive. In preparation of these events, the utility companies must complete their work before the project begins. In addition to replacement of the vault, new conduit will run across Grand Avenue and south on Diamond Bar Boulevard. PWD/Liu wanted to make sure the Commissioners were aware that the perception of the general public will be that for the next 12 or so months, there will be a lot of concerns on the part of residents about why all of these projects are happening at the same time. He explained that the City does not have control about how the utility companies move forward with their work and staff is doing everything possible to minimize the impacts. As it happens, the need to upgrade the utilities has nothing to do with the beautification project, it just happened to coincidentally occur at this time. Therefore, staff is attempting to have the utility companies look at the possibility of doing the work during the nighttime rather than during the daytime. C/Pechy asked if the City considered enhancing the decoration for patriotic and seasonal events as part of the beautification project. During the recent holidays, for example, aside from a few strategically placed banners, there were very little, if any, seasonal decorations put up. PWD/Liu stated that residents who serve in the military are acknowledged with banners that are kept up year-round along the major boulevards. He said he would convey C/Pechy's inquiry. JANUARY 8, 2015 PAGE 6 T&T COMMISSION B. Comprehensive Groundwater Drainage Study —AE/Malpica stated that due to additional field assessments, the study has been delayed and is now scheduled to be delivered to staff by the consultant by the end of January. C. Traffic Signal Battery Backup Project — AE/Malpica reported that the contractor has partially completed the burn test of 13 batteries and one will be tested next week. Following completion of the test, the inspector will provide a "Punch List" which should be completed by the end. of next week. Subsequently, the Notice of Completion will be scheduled to be taken to the City Council for approval during an upcoming City Council meeting. D. Morning Canyon Rehabilitation Project — AE/Mosley indicated that the bid opening for this project was December 16th. The project. scope of work includes removing and replacing 16 existing pine trees from Diamond Bar Boulevard to Stone Pine Street along Morning Canyon Road with roadway and other concrete improvements. The project received eight (8) bids with the lowest apparent bidder being CEM Construction Corporation with a base bid amount of $194,330 and an alternate bid item for tree removal and replacement in the amount of $48,000, for a total bid amount of $242,330. The Engineer's estimate is $250,000. At this time, staff is vetting CEM Construction including checking references to verify responsiveness of the bid. The bid award is scheduled for a City Council meeting in late January/early February. VC/Carrera asked if the $48,000 bid included the tree removal. AE/Mosley confirmed that amount included tree removal and replacement. C/Mehta asked for details of the Morning Canyon Road project which were provided by AE/Mosley. The roots of the 16 pine trees have uplifted the roadway, sidewalk and curb and gutter on the street. In order to mitigate the situation, it will be required to remove the existing 16 pine trees and as much of the root systems as possible. The roadway treatment will include a near full -depth reconstruction and a grind and overlay for the half of the street not affected as well as, new curb and gutter, sidewalk, etc. and the replanting of new tree species. PWD/Liu added that about five years ago, the City ground down most of the roots and smoothed the roadway pavement on Morning Canyon Road. As long as these invasive trees continue to grow they will continue to undermine and lift the roadway pavement and sidewalk areas. In short, the City has done all it can to provide safe roadway and sidewalk areas and preserve the trees. Residents will react to the loss of the trees and staff will continue to dialogue with the residents about what needs to happen and what new trees will be installed as replacement trees. JANUARY 8, 2015 PAGE 7 T&T COMMISSION E. Lemon Avenue Interchange Project — AE/Beshay reported that the right-of- way phase of this project remains on track with a certification date of February 1, 2015. Project plans are expected to be submitted to the District Office of Engineer this month for final approval. Once approved, the project will be listed with a projected construction start date of late summer 2015 and continue for approximately 18 months. F. Area 2 CDBG Sidewalk Replacement Project — AE/Beshay indicated that this project in the neighborhood bounded by the SR -57/60 to the west, Grand Avenue to the north; Diamond Bar Boulevard to the east and Pathfinder Road to the south had a bid opening on November 19, 2014. Thirteen (13) bids were received and TSR Construction and Inspection was the successful low bidder with a bid of $124,420. The Engineer's cost estimate for this project was $190,000. City Council awarded the construction contract to TSR on December 2, 2014 and the pre -construction meeting has been held with work slated to begin either January 26th or February 17th. The date will be finalized next week and depend on the contractors' work completion scheduled in other cities. The project will have multiple phases including the demolition of old sidewalks. The City's arborist will take two to three days to evaluate up to 80 trees to determine whether root pruning or complete tree removal is required. This process will take approximately two weeks and once the arborist's report is received, the contractor will move forward accordingly. Once the treatments have been completed, the contractor will pour the new sidewalk. Residents whose property fronts the project area will be notified about the work schedule. PWD/Liu further explained that in advance of a slurry seal project, which typically takes place during the summer months when school is out, the City L moves forward with tree removal and sidewalk repair. Diamond Bar did not receive the usual amount of CDBG funding in 2014 and while staff was planning and programming the sidewalk project, we learned that there was an opportunity for additional funds which came to the City in October 2014 after the slurry seal projects were completed. This allowed the City to proceed with the sidewalk repair work. Therefore, in this exceptional case, the tree removal may create minor damages to the slurry seal project which will be mitigated on a case-by-case basis. G. r.Willow Heights Construction Update — AE/Mosley reported that All American Asphalt will begin the mobilization for the roadway improvements on January 12th for this project. The project includes roadway widening and landscape improvements along Diamond Bar Boulevard as well as, Brea Canyon Road to facilitate access to the Willow Heights frontage. Improvements will be performed per the recommendations of the approved Traffic Impact Analysis and the Developer Agreement. Additionally, a new traffic signal will be installed at the intersection of Cherry'dale Drive and Diamond Bar Boulevard along with landscaping and striping modifications. Construction will begin in the vicinity of Diamond Bar Boulevard/Cherrydale Drive intersection so that the new signal and project entry is completed in JANUARY 8, 2015 PAGE 8 T&T COMMISSION March 2015 for the grand opening of the model homes. Improvements in the vicinity of Diamond Bar Boulevard and Brea Canyon Road will be completed this summer. VC/Carrera asked if the traffic light installation would include a turn lane in and out of the area. AE/Mosley indicated that it would. PWD/Liu added the new signal at Cherrydale Drive off of Diamond Bar Boulevard will be the main ingress/egress for the Willow Heights Development. VC/Carrera asked if there would be additional lighting up and down the south part of the street. PWD/Liu responded affirmatively. The traffic signal at Brea Canyon Road and Diamond Bar Boulevard will be updated this summer and will include signal and intersection improvements. Also, the signal poles will be replaced with decorative signal poles similar to the beautification upgrades along Diamond Bar Boulevard at Grand Avenue and Grand Avenue at Longview Drive. C/Mehta asked if there would be protected left turn lanes on Diamond Bar Boulevard onto Cherrydale Drive. AE/Malpica responded that there will be left turn pockets; however, he would have to review the plans to determine whether they would be protected (turn on green 'arrow only) or protected permissive (turn on green arrow and green light). H. Reagan/Peterson Parks Parking Lot Construction — AE/Beshay indicated that this project is in the design phase and staff will be meeting with the design firm to finalize the project estimates. Based on the initial design concepts, there will be 64 parking spaces for Peterson Park (an increase of 34 stalls) and 44 parking spaces for Reagan Park (an increase of 12 stalls). The design phase is scheduled to be completed by the middle of February 2015, with construction to commence at the end of June. Chair/Mok asked where the additional parking stalls would be for both parks. AE/Beshay explained that Reagan Park has a circular turnout; therefore, staff is looking to removing the turnout and adding the parking stalls along both sides. Chair/Mok asked if there would be another turnout close to the tennis courts. AE/Beshay responded "no". The design includes an empty space for a u -turn at the end of the aisles in the first parking lot. The sidewalk will be pushed back further into the park to create the additional spaces at Peterson. Chair/Mok asked if the disabled parking spots would be moved. AE/Beshay said there would be one more disabled spot added to both parks in the area of the current disabled parking spots. Chair/Mok asked if the additional parking spots would impact any existing structures such as the restrooms or trash areas. AE/Beshay responded "no." Staff is meeting with the design engineer on Tuesday and once there is agreement on the location of the parking spots and final design, staff will bring the design drawings to the Commission for their information. PWD/Liu stated that last month, the City Council reorganized. The new Mayor is Steve Tye and the new Mayor Pro Tern is Nancy Lyons. On Monday, January 5th, the City Council interviewed 11 candidates to fill the unexpired JANUARY 8, 2015 PAGE 9 T&T COMMISSION term of Council Member Ling -Ling Chang during its adjourned regular meeting. At the conclusion of the interview process, the City Council selected former Traffic Commissioner and current Planning Commissioner Jimmy Lin, who served as Planning Commission Vice Chairman, to fill the unexpired term through November 2017.. CC/Cribbins administered the Oath of Office to C/Lin. During Tuesday's regular City Council meeting on January 6, 2015, C/Lin was introduced to the residents. IX. SCHEDULE OF FUTURE CITY EVENTS: As stated in the agenda. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to come before the Traffic and Transportation Commission, Chair/Mok adjourned the meeting at 8:23 p.m. The foregoing minutes are hereby approved this day of rc6kuAkx1 2015. T_ Respectfully Submitted, Da4idlb. 66, Secretary Attest: �/ �//'. Chair Ken Mok '