06/21/2004 Planning Commission Minutes

Home Browse Search

MINUTES OF THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2004 6:00 o'clock p.m. 5. #04-3023 Woodhill Country Club, 200 Woodhill Avenue, CUP Amendment, Public Hearing (6:40-8:03 p.m.) Gaffron presented the application requesting amendments to certain conditions of Resolution No. 4305, adopted June 14, 1999. Woodhill Country Club requests that Resolution No. 4305 be amended to result in a relaxation or elimination of various limitations placed on the Club's use of Woodhill Avenue as a secondary access to the property,particularly, opening the access roadway to two-way traffic vs. the current one-way, in only. The Club's primary access is from Woodhill Road, accessing directly to County Road 15. Club representatives advised staff that access onto County Road 15 is difficult and dangerous due primarily to high traffic volumes on CR 15 with few breaks in the traffic during peak hours, but also due in part to the access's physical configuration related to the Dakota Rail crossing, and somewhat related to the configuration of County Road 15. Gaffron referred to Woodhill Avenue residents' objections during the CUP review process in 1999. Gaffron reviewed the specific amendments sought by the Woodhill Country Club, referring to the staff report, dated June 17, 2004. He recommended the Planning Commission address the Issues for Consideration included in that staff report. Further, Gaffron cited additional information received from Hennepin County for traffic counts taken on CR 15. Bob Byars at Hennepin County Transportation Planning provided accident data available for the 3-year period 1999-2001 at the 15/Woodhill Road and 15/Orono Orchard Road intersections. For Orono Orchard/l5, 5 accidents were recorded, 4 of which were right-angle collisions of vehicles southbound on Orono Orchard turning left onto 15, hit by westbound vehicles. For the Woodhill/15 intersection, 9 collisions were recorded of which 5 were weather related, 2 inattentive driving, 1 animal, and 1 no reason given; i.e. no right angle crashes due to turning movements. More recent data was not available. Gaffron reported that the City completed traffic counts for the period 12 noon on Friday, June 11, 2004 through 12 noon on Monday, June 14, to provide a brief overview of the traffic entering and leaving Woodhill Avenue at Orono Orchard Road and also that entering and leaving Woodhill Road at County Road 15. These counts do not take into account the weather or any special events that may have been held at the Club on those days. However, they do suggest a relative magnitude of traffic using the two accesses, and they show to some extent the hourly distribution during the day. Sheldon Johnson, traffic engineer at Bonestroo, reviewed the Parsons-Brinckerhoff traffic study from 1999 and verbally commented to staff that he agrees with the findings of that study, and that the recent traffic counts appear to be in line with expectations. Gaffron pointed out Exhibits to the staff report that provided those record documents which in staff's estimation provide a balanced overview of all sides of the issue as it was considered in 1999. Also, he referred to several discussion factors, including: • Reconfiguration of the Orono Orchard Road connection to Highway 12, and the impact on Orono Orchard Road traffic patterns, both short-term and long-term. • Probable increased traffic on County Road 15 in the past 5 years. • Potential future changes in the Woodhill Avenue neighborhood resulting from acquisitions of developed and vacant properties along Woodhill Avenue by an area property owner. Page 6 of 22