Planning Commission Minutes 2018 03 08

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Planning Commission Meeting Minutes March 8, 2018 Page 13 of 14 Brauneis responded that he did not think the railroad would consider an at -grade pass at Bullhead Gulch Zuccaro added that the railroad does not like new at -grade crossings. He also stated that the Bullhead Gulch underpass solved a lot of drainage issues. Williams asked about the status of the quiet crossings. Zuccaro stated that it takes a long time to work with the railroads. The funding was there for the majority of the quiet crossings, but the City was waiting for the railroad to approve the design. Williams asked about the funding for the crossings. Zuccaro responded that the funding was still available and the quiet crossings were moving forward once the railroad approved the designs. Rice stated that the lack of an underpass at South Boulder Road represented a roadblock for the trail system. The City's trail system had a number of similar roadblocks that impeded the trail system. He noted that there was a study for the underpass listed on the CIP, but he implored the City to look hard at building that underpass sometime in the future so we could get some enjoyment out of the trail system. He added that the biennial budgeting was a huge boon to the City. So much attention is given to planning the next year's budget every year that it precludes broader, strategic visions for budgets. A biennial budget would help solve that issue. Hoefner echoed the prioritization for trail connectivity, stating that there are places where you cannot get from point A to point B in a safe way with a bike or by walking. Howe remarked that the management of density as the City grows needs to be prioritized. Internal structures like dog parks, parks, schools, recreation centers, amenities, and streets will experience more stress as the population increases. He also thought that there could be better communication among the boards and commissions to achieve similar goals. He added that responsible resource management was an important point, and that responsible watering techniques and the like were important for the future of Louisville. Brauneis stated that he had nothing to add to the comments from his fellow commissioners, in the interest of helping staff focus on the issues they raised. He asked for further comments from staff. Zuccaro stated that he would summarize their comments and present them to Council. He added that the Open Space wayfinding plan had a list of trail connections. There was also a transportation master plan to look at multimodal transportation to create a comprehensive, multimodal plan. There would be communication among the boards and commissions on this issue. Brauneis added that trail connectivity had been a pet issue of his for a while and he appreciated having additional voices championing the issue. Williams stated that the Lake to Lake Trail was a poster child of what needed connectivity improvement as it had numerous highways and underpasses to negotiate. Howe stated that the City would have to maintain safety when connectivity was improved as connectivity aids high-speed travel. He stated that he had heard from citizens who were concerned about walking safely on the trail, especially for kids and seniors. He recommended respecting all types of use on the trails. Williams stated that she had worked on a project to connect trails across the region. She hoped that the City was still working with the county and municipalities in the area. She added that the wayfinding project included recommendations from the public, which included a concept for roundabouts. She stated that the roundabout was a safer option especially where trails converged, even though it was more expensive. Rice complemented the staff on the high quality of the memos. He stated that it was an improvement over past memos.