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HomeMy WebLinkAboutICRC - 09/04/1997 - INDUSTRIAL/COMMERCIAL REVITALIZATION COMMISSION MEETING September 4, 1997 5:30 p.m. Chernick Conference Room Commissioners present: Jim Petri, Co-Chairman Tom Farrell John Gullo Jeff Snyder Jack Connelly George Johnson Tom Porte Ron Behm Commissioners absent: Sam Lissner, Co-Chairman Pat Paulson Bob Kleckauskas Scott Golbeck Frank Ciangi Staff present: Nancy Carlson Mary Jo Pye Scott Bernholdt Deputy Police Chief Schmidt Sgt. Dion Zinnel Chairman Petri introduced Commissioners to staff members present. Chairman Petri reported that he had met with Pete Pointner and expressed concern that most of the information we have received to date has been information that has come from the Village staff and/or the Commission. His concern is that we're not hearing anything "'new" from the team. Pete Pointner replied that most of what they have been doing so far is gathering, analyzing and documenting information and that starting with the September meeting, we will be hearing some new ideas. Jack Connelly mentioned that if you look at the timetable in their proposal, that is exactly where they said they would be at this rime. continued/. . . . . Commercial/Industrial Revit. Comm. Mtg Minutes 9-4-97 page 2 Tom Porte asked how much we have paid Planning Resources to date. Nancy Carlson reported that as of July 16, 1997 we have paid them $39, 841 . 25 of the $259,390 contract . Tom said that he would volunteer to summarize each month's invoice for Commissioners to review at each meeting. Nancy will see that he gets a copy of the invoices as they are received. It was the consensus of the Commission to table any action on the proposal for Supplemental Services for Retail Centers until after it is known what is suggested for retail centers that are included in the original proposal . Nancy Carlson reminded the Commission that the International Council of Shopping Centers Conference will be held on September 9 and 10 at the Hilton Towers in Chicago. We have two registrations and Commissioners were given an opportunity to sign up for time slots that were convenient for them to attend this conference. Commission adjourned to Rooms ABC at 6:15 to continue meeting with consulting team. Consultants present: Pete Pointner, Planning Resources Amy Skarr, Planning Resources Larry Lund, Real Estate Planning Group Don Eslick, Public Finance Assoc. Karl Heitman, Heitman Architects Kathleen Meyerkord, Civiltec:h Engineering See attached minutes prepared by Pete Pointner. Meeting was adjourned at 8:10 p.m. cc: Commercial/Industrial Revitalization Commission President and Board of Trustees Village Clerk Village Manager Director, Engineering & Community Development Finance Director Director, Public Works Police Chief Economic Development Officer - PIannin LResources PLANNERS • ECOLOGISTS • LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS Memorandum P9728-00 TO: Industrial/Commercial Revitalization Commission Members From: N.J. "Pete" Pointner II, AIA,AIC _T Planning Resources Inc. x Date: September 5, 1997 Revised September 8, 1997 Subject. Minutes of September 4, 1997 Meeting Present: See attached attendance roster. Purpose of the Meeting: See attached agenda One Commission member questioned if the Consultant Team felt that they were on schedule. Project Manager, Pete Pointner, replied affirmatively. In order to lay out alternatives for input from the Commission, the transportation elements are scheduled for two meetings, the landscape and urban design proposals are scheduled to be presented at two meetings and the architectural potentials for building and site reconfiguration are scheduled for one meeting. These presentations are indicated on the overall schedule distributed at the last Commission meeting. There are some elements that do not involve major graphic presentations. In order to get these materials on the table for Commission review, they will be covered with text and smaller scale graphics distributed prior to subsequent meetings with an opportunity for Commission members to comment directly to the team or at the following Commission meeting. Once a pallet of programs and proposals have been reviewed, the Consultant will work with the Commission to refine the alternatives, establish priorities and package them in an implementation program. One Commission member noted that they had received some duplicates in the hand-outs. Pointner apologized, but noted that in some cases, such as the matrix of funding sources, data had been updated and refined so that previous copies could be disposed of. The Consultant Team will identify any changes in materials reissued. Kathy Meyerkord made a presentation and fielded questions relative to micro-scale transportation improvements. Planning Resources Inc. • 615 West Front Street Whea:on, Illinois 60187 Ph 630,668.3788 • Fax 630.668.4125 Elk Grove Village Industrial Commercial Revitalization Page 2 September 4, 1997 Commission Minutes September 8, 1997 Items Distributed: 1. Preliminary graphic titled "Functional Classification and Average Daily Traffic Volume Map". Kathy acknowledged a misspel ling in the title; and, 2. Description of Roadway Functional Classification and Figures Ll through L4 and N1 showing proposed roadway alternatives superimposed on the aerial photograph base. Items Discussed: 1. The two functions of the roadway system are to provide access to individual properties and mobility to and through the region. Typically,these are conflicting functions on any given street. Kathy reviewed the traffic count program noting that there had been twenty-four hour machine counts and peak hour turning movement counts at intersections with signals and also at some collector to collector junctions. She explained that minor arterials function as major roadways (ie arterials) in terms cif the volumes of traffic and the functions they perform, but that they do not have the regional continuity of the major arterials. 2. Kathy described the functional classification system. Average Daily Traffic (ADT) is not an absolute determinant of the classification. The range of numbers will vary by location. For example, six thousand vehicles a day may be typical of a major arterial for a small rural community, but in an urbanized developed area such as Elk Grove Village, roads with such traffic are considered collectors. Within the study area, the arterials will carry thirty to fifty thousand vehicles per day with collectors carrying six to fifteen thousand. 3. The characterization of Touhy as a collector does not extend east of IL Route 83 because east bound traffic cannot proceed across the; median nor make a left hand turn onto IL Route 83. 4. The focus of the alternatives shown in L1 through L4 is on Lively Boulevard between Devon and Landmeier. The alternatives are prototypes which could be applied to other collector and local streets depending on the specific conditions of a given block or area. The principles and criteria suggested for intersection improvements and traffic controls would also serve as prototypes for collector to collector, collector to local and local to local street intersections. A second collector for which alternatives were presented was Nicholas Boulevard between Pratt and Landmeier. There is a difference in the pavement width between the two collectors chosen as examples. Generally, Lively's pavement is approximately thirty-eight feet (38') while Nicholas Boulevard is forty-eight feet (48'). 5. On Lively the base proposal is to maimain the existing roadway width, but to restripe the roadway so that it functions better. Th,-- alternatives evaluate radii improvements for WB50 trucks (wheel base of fifty feet) and W365 trucks both with and without parking permitted Elk Grove Village Industrial Commercial Revitalization Page 3 September 4, 1997 Commission Minutes September 8, 1997 on the perimeter. It was a unanimous consensus of the Commission to only consider improvements which would handle 'W1365 trucks,without forced encroachment onto opposing traffic lanes or curbs. 6. Lively has an eighty foot(80') right-of way which could provide for a landscaped parkway or pavement widening to a dimension similar to Nicholas. From the center line to the curb is approximately nineteen feet (19'). It was suggested that the roadway be restriped for fourteen foot (14') lanes with a four and one half foot(4.5') shoulders. The shoulders could be used for short term deliveries such as UPS or Federal Express. This would still leave room for trucks to pass a parked vehicle without crossing the center line. 7. There are four way stop signs at the collector to collector intersections. The Consultant has checked to see if these streets meet the stop sign warrants. Warrants are established by the transportation industry. Stop signs that do not meet the warrant criteria could present the Village with a legal challenge. The Greenleaf and Pratt intersections meet warrants for a traffic signal, but the Consultant does not recommend such a signal. 8. The question was raised as to whether or not Lively should be converted into a four lane roadway. Kathy pointed out that a two lane facility can handle up to approximately fourteen thousand ADT. Lively now carries approximately sixty five hundred ADT. Even though traffic would increase if the roadways capacity was increased, it is not anticipated that traffic volumes would grow to a point warranting a four lane cross section. 9. Does the Consultant have hourly volurnes? What if there is a low ADT, but high peak hour volumes? Kathy responded that all of the traffic counts have been documented on an hourly basis whether carried out with machines or by manual count. The consultant will reevaluate 24-hour volumes on Lively to determine if the hourly percentages correspond to that of an "average" road. The key to improving flow is in proper stripping and improvements to intersections, particularly between the collector and the major arterial. It was recognized that to speed traffic to these intersections and then have them jammed up on the arterials did not respond to the entire problem. The Consultant Team will look at the remainder of the system,with special emphasis on the arterials and public transportation at the November meeting. Part of the problem with the existing roadway is that there are abrupt tapers of the left turn lanes, abrupt and unsigned parking zones and in many cases broad expanses of pavement without adequate stripping so that a vehicle is often unsure as to where they should be within the roadway. 10. Kathy then described treatments north and south of Landmeier on Lively. South of Landmeier most of the businesses front on side streets and therefore, parking on the Lively frontage is less important. It was suggested that all parking be removed from Lively between Devon and Landmeier. Secondly, it wits recommended that the left hand turn lanes be removed from the four way stops. Kathy explained how this actually reduces the efficiency of the intersection along this particular stretch of roadway. Elimination of the left turn also Elk Grove Village Industrial Commercial Revitalization Page 4 September 4, 1997 Commission Minutes September 8, 1997 provides more maneuvering room so that WB65 trucks have an adequate radii to turn onto the local streets. A third recommendation was that a left hand turn lane not be maintained on the local streets so that trucks entering have more maneuvering room within existing pavements. Alternates L1 and L2 illustrated geometries for WB50 trucks where W1365s would have to cross the center line to snake turns. Alternate L1 assumed no parking on Greenleaf whereas Alternate L2 assumed maintenance of parking on Greenleaf. Again,the Commission consensus was to consider only WB65 criteria. Alternate L3 illustrated the geometries to handle WB65 trucks so that they can make any turn without encroachment into opposing lanes. L4, also for W1365's, showed intersection improvements assuming parking was maintained similar to the existing conditions on Greenleaf. 11. Lively north of Landmeier is characterized by smaller properties, many of which have access directly onto the right-of-way. Greenleaf Blvd., as shown in Alternate L4 with parking on one side, would handle WB65 trucks and meet the anticipated need for parking. The impact of removing parking to facilitate street movement would have to be evaluated on a block by block basis prior to implementation. 12. Representatives from the police department noted that there are frequent requests for waivers to the no parking zones. These are tied in when a business has a demonstration or a show open to the public or salespersons, when remodeling affects onsite parking or for businesses who have showrooms for retail customers. 13. Some of the Commissioners felt that Lively should be widened to a four lane facility in anticipation that in the long term,the Elgin/O'Hare Expressway would be implemented and Lively would play an important functional role in handling traffic to and through the study area. It was acknowledged that the study area is relatively built out and that there are some examples where the density of employment has increased by converting obsolete warehouse space into smaller more intensively used manufacturing and service businesses. It was also acknowledged that there is no intent that Lively should become a bypass for Busse Road traffic. 14. The pros and cons for a center median were discussed. The principle constraint is that it restricts truck movements. To have a continuous center left turn lane invites trucks to park there while they are waiting to enter local streets or adjacent properties. The general perception is that there are parking shortages in some parts of the study corridor area. 15. One alternative for Lively would be to move the curbs back to the sidewalk edge, creating a "carriage walk" and plant trees on the private property. If Lively remains a two lane roadway with sixteen foot(16) travel lanes this would increase the parking/shoulder area to a width which might encourage cars to pass slow moving trucks on the right through the parking lane. The police department was concerned about the accident hazard of such an arrangement and suggested that the parking or waiting areas on the side had to be marked by more than just pavement painting. Elk Grove Village Industrial Commercial Revitalization Page 5 September 4, 1997 Commission Minutes September 8, 1997 16. The difference between"short term" and "will call" and longer term parking for salespersons or employees was noted. It was also noted that some people take other local streets to travel through the study area and avoid Lively because of congestion. 17. The consensus of the Commission was that Nicholas Boulevard should remain a four lane facility as it exists. There are not many front doors which would stimulate off-street parking. Kathy suggested two sixteen Foot(16') lanes with an eight foot (8') striped shoulder on each side for temporary deliveries. The key recommendation was that the four way stop signs be maintained only at the intersection of Nicholas Boulevard and Greenleaf. Considerable discussion ensued concerning the confusion resulting from the signage at the other four way stop signs. Civiltech will look at the possibility of coordinating stop signs on Nicholas Boulevard with those on Lively. The overall objective is to create an identity for each functional classification of street which will help people find their way to and through the area and provide some identity for sub-areas associated with the street classifications and associated landscape design and signage. 18. If changes are made to parking or stop signs, a program should be initiated to communicate these to property owners, employers and employees prior to the installation and, warning signs or flags should be installed temporarily to assist people in becoming accustomed to the changes. News releases, business newsletters and special mailings to selected carrier routes are ways to communicate these changes. 19. Considerable discussion ensued about 1he possibility of signalizing the intersection at Touhy and IL Route 83. Additional technical analysis of the feasibility and consequences of such a light will be carried out and be presented at the November meeting. Similarly, the possibility of a traffic signal at Touhy and Tonne was suggested. There is concern that the addition of a traffic signal at this location, and possibly with a signal on IL Route 83, traffic might be induced through residential neighborhoods which are adjacent to Elk Grove Boulevard (Touhy extended west of Tonne). 20. At the November meeting the implications for the local network occasioned by the Elgin/O'Hare Expressway and the west O'Hare bypass will be presented. Although a conceptual design exists,the Elgin/O'Hare extension and the O'Hare Bypass are currently on indefinite hold. C:\AKS Files\Elk Grove\Minutes\9-4-97Commission.wpd NJP:mas r09/08/97