HomeMy WebLinkAboutGATEWAY TO HARMONY ROAD PUD - PRELIMINARY - 1-88A - CORRESPONDENCE - MEMO / P & Z BOARDCITY OF FORT COLLINS
OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, PLANNING DEPARTMENT
April 18, 1988
MEMORANDUM
TO: Planning and Zoning Board Members
FROM: Debbie deBesche, City Planner Ddl��L�
RE: Harmony Road Access for the Gateway at Harmony Road PUD
Staff has reviewed the information submitted by the applicant for access onto
Harmony Road between College Avenue and Mason Street and has determined
that this access does not meet the City's design standards for a major arterial.
The access as proposed would have a considerable negative impact on the
traffic flow in the area, therefore, Staff recommends denial of this access.
With the proposed access, the project does not meet the following criteria of
the Land Development Guidance System:
"8. Does the project comply with all design standards, requirements and
specifications for the following services or have variances been granted?
i.e. streets "
"33. Does the street and parking system provide for the smooth, safe and
convenient movement of vehicles both on and off the site?"
Attached for your review are letters from Rick Ensdorff, ZVFK Architects,
and Matt Delich, and a copy of the Gateway at Harmony Road PUD site plan.
SERVICES, PLANNING
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DATE: April 15, 1988
MEMORANDUM
TO: Tom Peterson, Planning Director
FROM: Richard L. Ensdorff, Transportation Administratorc�
RE: Harmony Road Access for the Gateway at Harmony Road PUD Proposal
In review of the site plan for this proposal I have reviewed the requested
access on Harmony Road between College Avenue and Mason Street and have
found that I cannot recommend approval of this access for the following
reasons:
o Harmony Road is designated in the City's Master Street Plan as a major
arterial. As such, it is important to provide an improved flow for
traffic even above our arterial standard. The City standard design
speed for major arterials is 50 mph. The proposed access to this
project on Harmony requires a deceleration lane that is designed to
adequately handle the posted speed on this roadway. The posted speed
that we believe is appropriate for a major arterial is 40 mph. The
applicant in the analysis of this access (see attached memorandum dated
February 8, 1988) indicates that their design for the proposed
deceleration lane is equivalent to 26 mph, using the City standards.
This significant variation from the City standards is unacceptable.
o Other sections of major arterials that we have had an opportunity to
review for access control have been required to meet the City standard.
Case in point is Arbor Plaza on the south side of Harmony. No access
points were approved in this development between Mason and College.
College is also designated as a major arterial. Over the past several
years, we have required all development to meet major arterial standards
for approval of the design of access points. An example would be the
Pavilion shopping area.
In the February 8 memorandum from the developer, the developer's traffic
engineer indicates that data from a policy on geometric design of
highways and streets (ASSHTO) provides supportive data that would
justify a deceleration lane of approximately 160 feet. I believe that
this supportive data is out of context and does not reflect the
appropriate reference to determine design of deceleration lanes. The
City standard for deceleration lanes is taken from the same ASSHTO
Design Guidelines and I believe is the appropriate reference to be used
in determining the length of a deceleration lane such as the one
proposed on Harmony Road.
In conclusion, I feel that the request for an access on Harmony Road in
this location does not meet our design standards for a major arterial and
therefore would have a negative impact on traffic flow in this area. I
would recommend that the access on Harmony not be approved.
1900 Grant Street, Suite 720 Eleven O own Square, Suite Z00
Denver, Colorado 80203 Fort Co1IWColorado 80524 , �'
(303) 832-0032 (303) 493-4105
April 14, 1988
Ms. Debbie DeBesche
Project Planner
City of Fort Collins
P.O. Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
RE: Planning and Zoning Board Work Session McDonald's Preliminary Site Plan
Dear Debbie:
This is to confirm our request for a special Planning and Zoning Board work
session to review the staff recommendation on the McDonald's Preliminary P.U.D.
To recap the current positions of the parties: McDonald's is requesting access
from Harmony Road, Mason Street and Kennsington Drive as shown on the previously
submitted site plan. Staff has recommended that no access be granted on Harmony
Road.
The basis for this recommendation is that based on a design speed of 45 miles
per hour, there is insufficient space for a deceleration lane along Harmony
Road. The developer's traffic engineer has pointed out that this portion of
Harmony Road is posted at 35 miles per hour and that based on this design speed
and the design speed of the curb returns into the driveway the deceleration lane
shown on the site plane is adequate.
Denial of the access on Harmony Road places a severe hardship on McDonald's
since they would be on Mason Street. All other access would be across property
owned by another developer. This would make the property useable for a highway
oriented use. This would mean that the property would have to be used for a
more destination -oriented use. Such users tend to pay less for their sites.
We have included a letter from the developer's traffic engineer documenting his
findings.
If you have any questions or would like additional information, please let me
know.
Sincerely,
ZVFK ARCHITECTS/PLANNERS
John L. Barnett
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MEMORAND V-1
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To: Ed Zdenei, , � V F E':
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Rick Ensdorff, Fort Col l i n=. Traffic Engineer
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From: Matt Del ich YQ[)
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Date: February 8, 1 _Tpr
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Subject: Harmony Road right-in/right-out t access to the
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This memorandum documents my research and analysis
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t,.i i th regard to the proposed Harmony Road right-in/right-
out a.cces.s to the McDonald"s site. City Staff requested
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information regarding the deceleration lane geome tr i cs
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for this access mint. The desion speed n
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Road was assumed to be 35 mRh which i s the ex i =t i ng
posted speed of the street. The proposed access is
between College Avenue and Mason Street.
centerline_ The
distance between these two streets is 540 feet. It i
assumed that the City Staff would require a. "pedestrian
bulb" at the College/Harmony intersection. This would
require that the taper for the deceleration lane could
begin no closer than 50 feet from the flow line on the
i.,:ie=.t side of College Avenue. Ideal l y, the City Staff
would like the proposed right-in/right-out a.cces=.
designed to l cr i ter i a. set forth in the State Highway
Acces=. Code. If the s.e standardscan not be met, other
criteria/standards/examples should be provided with
r•ega.r•d tci the necessary dece l er at f I In lane.
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For the 35 mph design speed, the State Highway
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Access Code require=. ._. deceleration lane of 235 feet
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plus 120 feet of taper (total - 355 feet) using .a 15 mph
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turn at the access point. A 15 mph turn requires a. curb
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return radius of 40 feet. The deceleration lane based
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upon these criteria would place the right-in/right-out
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access --=.=. approximately im.a.te1;.• �ii fee ci
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Mason Street. This is unacceptable to all parties
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concerned
rned with this •a.Cce=.=.,
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In order to have a. developable lot on the northeast
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corner of the Harmony/Mason intersection, the centerline
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of the proposed right-in/right-out access must be
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approximately 150 feet east of the east right-of-way of
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Mason Street. Assuming a. 0 foot wide access, a` total
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of 1 5 feet areareavailable for deceleration and taper.
According toDesign Cr i ter i a. and St.a.ndard=. for Street=.
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Cit:. of Fort Collins, Jul. 1='86, Section 1.02.08,
Deceleration Lanes - Arterial Streets, the deceleration
lane plus taper is 250 feet for. 30 mph and 370 feet for --
40 mph. Using the 310 feet (250 + 370 2) for 35 mph,
it can be seer, that the Fort Collins ins standard cannot be
met. According to A Policy on Geometric Design of
Hi ghway = a.d =;tree t•_ , AASHTO 1 ='84
"The length of the a.ux i l i a.r'y lanes for turning
vehicles consists of three components: (1) -
deceleration length, (2) storage length, and
) entering taper. , Desirably, i r.y. F t=1 y, the total length
of the a.ux i 1 i a.r•y lane should be the Sum of the
length for these three component_.. Common
practice, howeveris to accept a moderate • .m_ Jn
of deceleration within the through lanes and to
consider the taper a Fa part deceleration
of the deo e
p 1 r-.tion
length. Where intersections occur as frequently
as four per mile, it is customary to forego most
of the deceleration length and to provide only
the storage length plus taper• . "
According to Figure 1, copied from A Policy on Geome tr• i r_
Design of H i ghwoys and Streets, ryr'';'=HTO, 1?84, pg. 36,
the distance needed to comfortably slow a vehicle
tr'a.ve l 1 i ng mph _.peed on Harmony) to a 15 mph turning
_.peed is 160 feet. Given th j =., the length of decelera-
tion lanes should be at least 160 feet. Since acces=.es
along both of these streets are more frequent than four
per mile, this distance includes the taper. Storage
length is not required on a. right -turn lane of this type
since vehicles will not be delayed in entering the site.
Given that there is I F5 feet available for deceleration
lane and taper, this distance should be used. The
portion devoted to full width deceleration lane and the
portiondevoted to taper is an engineering judgment. I f
the taper length is as short as possible, then the
exiting vehicle can fully uti 1 ize the full width of the
deceleration lane being fully removed from the right
through lane. This more abrupt type of design of the
taper offers improved driver commitment to the ezi t
maneuver and also contributes to driver security and
safety because their vehicle can be fully out of the
through lane. The shortened taper can only be
introduced at lower design =.peeds and in urban
.-i tua.t i on=_•, where frequent exits to deceleration lanes
are common place and expected. Offering early exit to .a.
full width deceleration lane could also improve the
capacity of the arterial street because the slow -down
interference to the through lane would be diminished.
Using a. symmetrical reverse curve design (from
Figure IX- 5C: in A Policy on Geometric Design of
Highways. .and Streets, with a. radius of 150 feet, a taper
length of 86 feet for a 12 feat lane results. This
allows 10? feet r 1?5' - 860 of full width deceleration
lane at this location. This is in excess of the minimum
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braking distance for• wet pavements
Curve ''r in Figure 1 ? . This design
the f~ASHTO design manual and can be
proposed right-in/right-out Harmony
at 25 mph (1 0 feet -
meets the criteria in
accommodated at the
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I 0 50
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Q Q 30
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X
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p 10030°0200 300 400 500 600
DISTANCE TRAVELED IFTI
DECELERATION DISTANCES
FOR PASSENGER VEHICLES
APPROACHING INTERSECTIONS
SPEED REACHED
(COMFORTABLE RATE)
A - 50 MPH
8 - 40 MPH
C 30 MPH
D 20 MPH
E - 0 MPH
MINIMUM BRAKING DISTANCE
X - DRY PAVEMENT
Y - WETPAVEMENT
FIGURE 1