03-17-1997 Planning Commission Minutes

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• MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING HELD ON MARCH 17, 1997 ( #2 - #2212 Sidney and Barbara Rebers - Continued) 2) How do the 1995 -96 safety improvements to Hwy 12 impact access to Outlot E? Is a shared access with adjacent Wear property necessary? Stoddard was informed that there would be no effect on the Wear property's gas pump access as there is a third access. However, this does not solve the access issue for the east boundary property as it would require making U -turns which is not deemed desirable by the City. 3) Will the expected future relocation of Hwy 12 in the next 5 -10 years effectively reduce the amount of traffic on existing Hwy 12 to eliminate the need for a frontage road? 4) If the traffic levels are not reduced, should the conversion of Outlot E to buildable status be the trigger for construction of the frontage road? Gaffron cited the potential traffic volume impacts of the Highway 12 relocation. It was noted that Mn/DOT projects through traffic will use the new bypass and the traffic on the current corridor will decline. The current Hwy 12 traffic through Long Lake is 23,000 cars per day. Under the "no build" option, the traffic would increase to 25,000 by 2015 with a three -fold increase on CoRd 6. Under the "Alternate 6 North" plan, Hwy 12 traffic • is expected to decline to 14,600 cars by the year 2015. This traffic level is still significant considering a daily traffic volume above 10,000 cars generally requires a limited access 4- lane roadway with service roads. Hwy 12 is projected to remain two lanes only. The Hwy 12 safety improvement plans included medians and turn lanes which preclude direct access to the applicant's parcel by eastbound traffic unless through the easterly Orono Shopping Center access. The City feels it would not be appropriate to allow Outlot E's traffic to use that access. An anticipated future curb cut for Outlot E would be a right - in/right -out access and would necessitate U -turns for eastbound traffic which the City deems inappropriate. Gaffron said the City does not believe modifications will be made to the median in the future to provide eastbound ingress /egress directly to Outlot E. Gaffron reported that the City's preference for a frontage road would reduce /eliminate direct access to Hwy 12 and bring the traffic to a semaphored intersection at either Brown Road or Willow Drive. The preliminary plat of Sugar Woods was conditioned on the frontage road being fully installed at the time of either the applicant's development of the commercial corridor or as a result of other conditions requiring the installation of the road prior to the development of the commercial corridor. The conditions of the Sugar Woods plat approval resolution indicate that installation of a road segment in Outlot D must be concurrent with development of Outlot E. •