01-27-1997 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Zoning File #2196 November 15,1996 Page 5 weekends, Geiimar customers have been known to use Windward Marina's parking areas, not only to avoid having to walk across County Road 15, but Vcause the Genmar parking lot has been full. It is difficult to argue against the need for Genmar parking on the west side of County Road 15, other than to argue that the additional 39 slips should not have been allowed in the first place. However, those slips exist and unless the property owner agrees to eliminate a significant number of those slips or the City forces that to occur, a parking and crossing safety problem will exist. Police Chief Cheswick was asked to comment on the proposed new parking area. He noted the following: Creating an additional access point on County Road 15 at this location will not necessarily enhance the safety of that County Road. The additional traffic ingress/egress will add one more potential problem point along that road. In addition, parking that close to the Tanager Lake bridge will likely increase the amount of trespas.sing and pedestrian traffic in the area of the channel. Mr. Jacobs, owner of Genmar, has indicated that trespass and the safety of trespassers on the property continues to be a problem, especially near the bridge. The cross walk required by the City is likely little used and as functionally ineffective as most other cross walks that are not optimally located. A better solution to the problem of pedestrian traffic crossing County Road 15 might be installation of a bridge or a tunnel across the road. The existing traffic level of 20,000 cars per day is likely not going to decrease, and this site will only become a greater concern in the future. The concept of a tunnel or pedestrian bridge was discussed in 1989, but cost and security issues were given as reasons this did not go forward. The police department has provided an eight year history of incidents in the stretch from the Tanager Lake bridge to just north of Windward Marina. The number of recorded incidents involving pedestrian slip users crossing County Road 15 is indiscernible. However, these records do not indicate the number of close calls, or define the degree of inconvenience experienced by marina users waiting for a gap in the traffic. Engineering Review City Engineer Shawn Gustafson has reviewed the proposed parking layout from an engineering standpoint and finds it generally acceptable. Please review his letter dated November 4, 1996 (Exhibit K). Note the following engineering concerns: 1.The skimming and ponding basins should be expanded to accommodate the runoff from a 2 1/2" rainfall to meet the NURP standards.