Planning Commission Minutes 2016 02 11

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Planning Commission Meeting Minutes February 11, 2016 Page 13 of 18 concept. We are not approving a plan that will add to density. As Robinson has said, this plan is based upon the existing ability of people to build on these properties. As I pointed out when I was asking questions, in large measure, the residential increase has already been approved through the planning process. We are not approving a plan that will add, in any significant way, to the density of what exists in this particular area. With regard to the school issue, I am at a loss. Every time the PC approves a development plan, we get feedback from BVSD. It is one of the key things we solicit. Time and again, when I see the proposals come through, BVSD says they can serve and it will have minimal impact. I don't know what else to say besides the fact that we have to defer to those people on their ability to decide how the schools could be operated. It is over my head to be able to tell them how to run the school district. I think it is important to know that we don't look past that and we don't ignore it. In fact, it is something that is given due consideration in every case. Lastly, it is also key to understand that this is not a development plan. We are not telling someone what to develop or when to develop it or how much to develop. We are simply trying to give an overall addition to the Comp Plan in terms of this particular area and how we would like to see it built out. With regard to the issue of the traffic signal, to me that is a feasibility issue. We will have to rely upon people who are expert in the area. The information we have now suggests that if you add that intersection being called Kaylix (to the north) but it Cannon (to the south), at peak time there is an 11 second difference in the morning and a 29 second difference in the afternoon. As I pointed out, in the westbound direction, it is actually faster. I found that hard to believe but apparently, the experts tell us it is faster if you put in the Kaylix light. In the evening, it is 14 seconds additional time. If those numbers are accurate, this is feasible and reasonable to me. We started this process a long time ago. Nobody wants traffic jams and we have to be careful about it. I think we are using due care. On the open space, I can only echo that it seems to be logical open space. If it is economically feasible to acquire the land, I would support that. Moline says I don't have too much to add based on what my fellow commissioners have said. I thank the public for coming out and speaking on these issues. I have one minor thing. On page 12 of the plan, there are some maps. In some of the maps, they show significant pressure for development and some of those properties are open space. I think it is the value of the land and very little improvement on them. They show as very threatened. I think it would be important to get that corrected so the public understands it. Related to that, some of the maps are not to scale. When they are to scale, I would recommend against using verbal scales when they are on the web. At that point, people are zooming in and zooming out. A 1 "= 400' doesn't mean as much as a graphic scale. I am someone who has lived and traveled in this corridor for 20 years, almost every day. This is one area of town that I think I know well. One thing that I asked the city to look at, and I would like to keep it on the table, is dealing with storm water on South Boulder Road. It is being conveyed in curbs in some portions of the corridor. I wonder if there is the potential of undergrounding it. One of the intersections I use almost every day is Centennial and South Boulder Road (next to Alfalfa's). Partly because of storm water issues, as you approach the intersection, you head down the hill that leads you into the intersection. It prevents the most optimal traffic flow in that intersection and it is worsened when you have ice and snow. I hope it can be looked at from a public works transportation perspective. I feel the plan's design guidelines and design policies are things that would be great enhancements for this corridor. It needs to make those connections. We have really good open space and park resources on the periphery of this corridor. I appreciate that the plan attempts to improve the trail connectivity of places between Cottonwood Park, Steel Ranch Parks, Hecla, Waneka, and Harney. In this part of town, those are great resources as people mentioned. By virtue of the plan, enhancing those connections to those areas makes it a better plan. I like the schematics about what is proposed at the King Soopers site. I like that kind of look for future redevelopment of that area. The new mall in Longmont (The Village at Twin Peaks) offers a model and reflects some of what we are proposing tonight. I think it works. I do have the concerns about the parking. Pritchard says I am supportive of the process. We have come a long way and there are a few areas we need to tighten up such as the cost analysis. It would give us more clarity. When it