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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMin - TSP - 1977.09.08CALL TO ORDER Itte regular meeting of the held on Septernlcer 8, 1977; 7:30 p.m. TRAFFIC, SAI'ETY & PARKING COMMISSION September A, L977 Traffic, S.rfety & Parking Commiss ion was cal-Ied to order by Chairman Subbotin at Present I Commissioners Others Present: Thomas Jame s Reporters Linda Boscono Aliamus, Constantino, Fo1ey, craham, Gundersen, Subbotin, Su19er. E. l,loore, Traf fic,/Civil Engineer D. OrBrien, Traffic Direct,or of The Leader and Ken Costa, Boutique & Vi1laqer, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Commissioner'Foley led the Pledge of Allegianc€i to the F1ag. MINUTES Minutes of the meeting of August 17, L977 were accepted. CURRENT BUSINESS Chairman Subbotin themselves. They agenda, which was greeted the audience and indicated their interest the asked that they introd.uce concerned i"tem one on the to to to Burlingame Avenue Area Parkinq Survev.The Chairman asked Mr. Moore Mr. I4oore referred to his memo includes sixteen items suggested contemplated, there wilL be are covered with burlap bags. review events that have transpired. Mr. Kirkup dated June 9, 1977, which alLeviate parking problems . A parking lot adjacent to the Post Office has been for excl-usive use ofPost Office employees. Police Department personnel are now using someof the spaces. This has resulted in almost.emptying Lot N on the southside of Howard Avenue. Mr. I'loore explained the practice of parking Enforcement personnel when issuing citations to drivers they berievedto have been cited previously. They are enclosing copies of a mapdirecting them to appropriate long-term loti. It is recommended that the t$renty-five-cent charge be maintained on theperiphery lots to encourage people to use them for all-day parking. Included ate Lots N, r., G, H, B, and A. Lot A is the exception atfifty cents per day, and it is always 100% full. If someone has towalk two blocks, they should pay less than closer parking. Mr. Moore explained that in all the changesa trial period, during which time the signs ROI,L CALL I' Traffic, SafetY & Parking Comm.--2 An experiment has EI Camino Real. Now, however, he been quite effective on chapin Avenue just west of Ten-hour parking has been provided at no charge' believes meters should be installed' Sept,ember" B, :..977 way eastbound and converting present ten hours have been suggested. Septeniber 3., t977, to this these minutes and is attached \ ihanging DonnellY Avenue tc> five-hour meters to Parking one for Mr. Arthur Samuel, L25 Primrose Road, in attendance, responded to an invitation from the Chairman by referring to his letter dated August 18' Lg77, addressed to this Commission. He requested and it was granted that the letter be inclucled as part of the minutes, anc it is, therefore, attached as Exhibit A. Mr. Samuel spoke of his ownership of 123, L25, and 135 PrimrOse Rcad' He observes the public parking lot across the street from his place of business and there is no problem for people getting into the }ot' lle mentioned his clients and visitors to the church as well as the other .commercial establishments requiring short*term parking on the street' chairman subbotin assured him that the commission is Ioo1<ing for solutions that will benefit our community' A }etter from George PauI Lechich, dated Commission rsas also included as Part of as Exhibit B. commissioner constantino referred to Mr. Bruce Kirkbride,' in the auoience' as a member of the I'lethodist church, and asked if he could provide information on the use of the Church parking lot' Mr' Kirkbride stated he was not present in'connection with the Church property' but that they are presently using aPproximately three-fourths of the tot for parking for church functions and the Nursery school. I1he future of the lot was not anticiPated. chainnan subbotin then asked for additional comments from the audience and Mr. Kirkbride continued by asking how parking meter funds are accumulated and how they are spent? ctrairman subbotin responded that some years ago he had reviewed the record arld: - essentially, the entire amount flows to the general fund and can be allocated to any legal use for the city. It "..r,bu used for the enfgrcement of on-street parking' etc., but there is rea}ly no surplus from the general fund being put aside for further Parking' Mr. Kirkbride asked if the meter charge is increased to ten cents, rvill it go into the fund? chairman subbotin susseltgd. it might-ru.p:o?tt to recommend to city council that a resolution of intent be adopted to save the money f-or parking facilities. However, this is not binding to any members in the future Traffic, Safety & Parking comm.--3 September A, 1977 Miss Freda Freund, in attendance, stated that she had attended a Chamber of Commerce meeting at which information was given that $80,000 had been collected for the purchase of the two Iots. It was, therefore, requested that Mr. Moore inquire about the funds. Miss f'reund continued by referring to Donnelly Avenue and the intent: to change it to one-way traffic on1y. She called attention to the trucks making deliveries and exiting the parking lot on the south si.de of Donnelly Avenue. They are sometimes thirty-five'feet l-ong. The street is thirty feet. curt to curb, and with cars parked on.both sides the trucks cannot maneuver turns. In response to a direct question, Miss Preund respondcd that she was not in favor of changing Donnelly Avenue to a one-way street. Chairman Subbotin explained there are many pluses to making Donnelly Avenue a one-way" street and drew a diagram explaining that the merg.ing traffic conflicts are reduced on a one-vray street. In ansvrer to a question, Mr. Moore stated there had been no accidents on Donnelly Avenue. The traffic movements are so slow and it is only a block long. Miss f'reund stated that she had asked Chief Fricke about emergency vehicles and he replied that they would go around Bell"evue Avenue. Chairman Subbotin expressed appreciation for the remarks offered arrd recognized the individuals' s j.ncere interest. He explained that it is the desire of the Commission to make decisions that benefit the commun ity . Mrs. Lenkurt, residing on Douglas Avenue, expressed her thought about encouraging short-term parking for shoppers in Burlingame and providing long-term parking on the s.P. Right-of-way proPerty from oak Grove Avenue, south. Mr. Moore assured her this was the.intentt that they are anxious not to encourage people to feave that 1ot and park on Donnelly Avenue . l{r. }losias, 1515 floribunda Avenue, referred to the plan for ten-hour parking on one side of Bellevue Avenue with meters. That side of the street is comprised of apartment houses.with people coming and going as vrell as to the Library. I{e inquired the reason for giving the parking to employees or commuters, causing everybody else to go bJ.ocks away. He stated the parking should not be changed to ten-hour parking. I',rr. Kirkbride then asked about Kern Jewelers and the Post Of f ice Lot. He recalled that some of the people paid to the City their pro-rata share to purchase these two lots. Chairman Subbotin stated those funds would have had to pay the assessment bonds, thereby reducing the assessment for all people participating. Commissioner Constantino requested that Mr. Kirkbride write a letter so that it might be given to the attention of City council . Traffic, Safety & Parking Comm.--4 September B, L977. A question was asked as to why Donnelly Avenue was changed from a one- way street to two-way previously? Chairman Subbotin asked for Commissioners' cornments and Cornmissioner Foley expressed the importance of realizing these recommendations are on the basis of a trial period. In answer to a cornment about driveways no longer being used, Mr. I,loore explained that the City has a program right norv caIIed, Abandoned Drivervays, which will corrc.ct the situation. Commissioner Graham stated that he had noted the problem on Donnelly Avenue; that trucks use the center of the street and just barely mal<e the turn. He asked if additional parking could be gained rnrher:,= there are nc large trucks involved. He believes this should l:e thorough.l-y studied prior to any changes. FIe told of a forty-foot truck making a delivery to his store and could not make the turn until a parkeo car moved avJay. Commissioner Grahanr referred to the area between Bayswater and Howard Avenues, and agrees that businesses do have a right for short-Lerm parkirrg on the street. He inquired about how many sFalls could be acquired without getting r+ithin one hundred feet of a commercial business, ... , He continued by stating he had been involved for the last'si;< years with trying to obtain additior:al parking. He has learhed that parking revenue gtoes to the general fund to pay meter maid salarir,:s and equip- ment used. He believes these iterns should be paid out of tax revenue which pays for police protection for the rest of the City, He stated that tax revenue from the downtown area is greater than residential-. Also, the development on the east side of the Bayshore Freeway nay require another patrol car if it becomes more densely inhabited, rvhich means five more personnel. As a comparison, the downtown area is essentially requiring eight hours a day for meter maids, etc. Commissioner Graham remarked that there does. not seem to be money for addi.tional parking at the present time and, perhaps, there should be a fund for future parking. He referred to the possibility of increased revenue and to ask City Council to have a definite fund for revenue from par)<ing. He then asked for a continuance of iiny decision for thirty days until city CounciL has an opportunity to think of this aspect, and asked that it be considered as a motion. Corunissioner Gundersen seconded the motion. Commissioner Constantino called attention to the changing character of this area. Homes are being demolished and apartments and garden- type condominiums are being erected as weII as offices. The occupancy Traffic, Safety & Parking Comm.--5 Septembex B, 1977 is entirely different, and the changes directly affect this Commission with regard to parking and safety. He also was interested in the reason for changing Donnelly Avenue back from one-way to two-way traffic. AIso, the problem of trucks turning onto Donnelly Avenue should be answered. He agreed that it is only a matter of thirty days and some of the questions and answers should be investigated by the Commissioners and the Traffic Engineer. Then, dt the next meeting, all will be better inforrned and able to make right decisions. He asked everyone to keep in mind that any changes would be for a trial periocl to be sure they are successfttl. In response to Chairman Subhotin's call for a vote on the motion, it was repeated that it is requested that any action on the suggested parking changes be deferred for thirty days and that City Counci.I be requesLed to consider establishing a fund exclusively for parking revenue to support additional future parking. Conrmis-"ioner Guridersen repeated his second and the motion passed unanimously. Chairman Subbotin asked that each Commissioner study all of the sixtben items in I'1r. I,loore's proposal. At the next nreeting of this Comnrissiot: those items that have unanirnous support rrrill be recommended to city Council for action. For those elements which do not have a consensus of support, he proposed taking each one individually and discussing i.t until it is suppo.rted or rejected. Conunissioner Graham asked that while the City Council is lookingr at the revenue aspect of this and creating a fund, that City Council also investigaLe paying off revenue bonds on the exipting parking dist.rict. A great deal of the problem involves office buildings. If there wcre no parking district, the offices would have had to install parking on site. The parking district might also be costing more than four per cent l,liss Freund asked if the City should purchase the Denmark i'Iouse property for parking? Chairman Subbotin replied that such a subject should be addressed to City Council for their consideration. Commissioner Sulger asked that Mr. I,loore have the answers to the redsoo- ing from Commissioner Constantino for the Cornmission's next meeting. 9:10 p.m.--eight persons arrived. in the auCience departed and City Planner Swan REVIEW Chairman Subbotin referred to for the King Building and the Planner Swan stated that they City Council's consideration of the EIR variance for compact car spaces. City certified the variance. Traffic, Safety & Parking Comm.'-G September B, L977, Under Chula Communications, the reconrmendation for Stop signs at Majilla and Vista Avenues was transnritted by the City Manager. ,Joseph Karp, theatre building developer, appealed to City Council and the Planning Commission to reduce the number of parking spaces he had to pay for. In his development of the building, h€ is creating larger walkways, two verandas and overhangs on front and back, with no lease- able spac-e under them on the first floor. This space is considered uncler the "raindrop method" r^rhen calculating how much they should have to pay per space. He explained that when gross area is mentioned, should it. include area for beautification rather than gross area reduced to leaseable area. This rvould afford variety from four vralls straight up and down. Mr. Karp volunteered $5000.00 for the two buildings and it was passed by City Council The Planning Commission on August 22, 1977 discussed a twenty-five unit condominium on Bellevue Avenue--code requirements are satisfied. Fifteen units'on Oak Grove Avenue also meet the code City Council, August 15, 1977, talked about the King Building--dererred. Also, received a letter requesting a traffic patt,ern evaluation and count at the five-way intersection in front of Floover. School. l4rs. Peter, President of the P.T.A., asked that it be done the first week of school and hoped it would qualify the warrants needed for control. Remova.l of pa::king restrj.ctions. at Sanchez and }lajilla Avenues was approved at the request of the City I'lanager. Chairman Subbotin is to attend future Lernd Use 'Study Meetings and Cornmissioner Grahanr agreed to attend rnectings if Chairrnan Subbotin is unable to do so. Propo sed Conventi.on Center, Draft EIR-438. Chairman Subbotin reviewed highlights of the EIR, specifically pages 35 through 49. He asked that the Commissioners review these pages for oiscussion next month. Mr. Swan stated that the EIR is scheduled by the Planning Commission for their meeting September 28, L977. If there are any. questions from this Cornmission,.it would be helpful to raise them so the consultant can be given the opportunity to responC before the Draft EIR is acted upon and the Final prepared. Chairman Subbotin suggested the Commissioners caucus before the meeting and be represented at the'meeting on the 28th, addressing so1ely traffic, safety and parking to be sure these aspects have been adequately documented as to the impact of this project. Also, that they have identified measures to reduce the impact of traffic safety and parking Chairman Subbotin asked the Commissioners if they thought it was their duty to participate and each member agreed that it is. Therefore, I -Traffic, Safety & Parking Corun.--7 September' B. L977 Ctrairman subbotin proposed that each member re-study the Draft ErR regarding that which is pertinent to the o.bjectives of this Commission, plus the new addendwn, and he wil)- try to attend the Planning Coirmis- sion meeting on the 28th. City Planner Seran spoke of the John Blayney Land Use Study of the Bay- front, including the convention Center, and asked that it be kc'pt in mind. He explained that the advice of this Commission is needed as a basis for decisions and members are included in the meeting scheduled at 11:00 a.m.. September 17, 1977. It is the opPortune time to raise any questions. Mr. Blayney will be there and it would be the time to present and develop what is best for the City of Burlingame, not necessarily the alternatives. Chairman Subbotin stated that he would like the commission, as a group, to address the needs of traffic, safety and parking, then they coul<r speak about other items of their own. He suggested that the Commissioners study the Repart prior to the meeting and evafuate whether the proposals are viable. on September l7th, they would meet at 10:30 a.m.. for a consensus of those who are interested in contributing. city Planner Svran suggested that the assumptions on page 6 for develop- ment in 1980 be reviewed. He prepared the list but asked that each item be considered, "I.Ii]I it go or not"? "Is it aPpropriate now"? ,,What should the ..,consultant use f rom now on" ? Chairman Subbotin suggested that City Council consider a BART sub-stationi some higher level of service from San Mateo County Transit or some competitive mode; accept or reject access or egress from Bayshore or widening of any existing overpass. Commissiotrer are we going Constantino agreed Lo move pcople out that those were main priorities. Ilow of the east of Bayshore Freelvay area? Mr. Moore spoke of the report from I'tr. Drachman presenting only minor improvements and the results. The second phase wilJ. take consideration through 1985 and the expenditures and improvements that will have to be made fo support this development. The consultants will then start integrating their thinking and at the end of sixty days they will have submitted proposals of what could happen to 1995. Copies of the FirsL Phase Report by J. D. Drachman Associates, dated September B, 1977 will- be provided for the Commissioners. Agenda Items. Chairman Subbotin suggested, and it was until agreed, that the the next meet ingremainder of the items on the agenda be deferred of the Commission in october. OLD BUSINESS Commissioner constantino asked about changing parking near Broadway to Traffic, Safety &.Parking Comm.--8 September B,' L977' all-day on both sides of the streets, and l,lr. Itloore responded that he &'as sure it has been passed by City Council and is just in the thirty- day waiting period. I{EW BUSINESS Commissioner Aliamus asked if there is an ordinance involving mopeds and tIr. Moore replied that our ordinance takes care of sidewalk riding in a lirnited area. The State law is poorly worded and difficult to interpret. It is a serious prol:lem. At Chairman Subbotin's suggestion, would start at 7:30 p.m. it was agreed the meeting in October ADJOURNMBNT The meeting adjourned at.10:10 p.m" Respectfully subrnitted, Joseph A. Aliamus, Secretary