Planning Commission Agenda and Packet 2011 10 13

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Page13of110 Planning Commission Staff Report October 13, 2011 In recent months Planning Staff, the Public Works Department, and the applicant have discussed whether the addition of a shoulder to Empire Road is the best design solution to reflect the rural context of the area surrounding the roadway. The picture on the left below is how Empire Road appears today and demonstrates how it fits the character of the surrounding rural area. The picture on the right is of Highway 42. Highway 42 is a regional road and has an eight foot shoulder. The addition of an asphalt shoulder changes the character of the road from a rural roadway to that of a high volume arterial. The proposed PUD amendment reduces the roadway shoulder from eight feet to two feet. The paved shoulder is replaced by an eight foot soft surface trail set back 25 feet from the road (see image below). The addition of the soft surface trail provides a place for pedestrians and cyclists to travel adjacent to Empire Road, without changing the rural nature of the road itself. Due to the low volume of traffic and low speeds on Empire Road, staff finds it is not necessary to provide shoulder space for disabled vehicles or bicycles because traffic will have room to maneuver into the oncoming lane to get around. To accommodate the addition of the soft surface trail, the trees originally adjacent to the roadway have been moved further north, adjacent to the parking lot. The same number of trees are included in the amended PUD as were shown in the original PUD. The monument sign was relocated further to the west so it would not impede the vision of motorists crossing the soft surface trail as they leave the storage center. 4