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Comprehensive Transportation Plan Amendment – Wake Road/Kit Creek Road (EN10-023A)

STAFF REPORT

Town Council, February 11, 2010

Comprehensive Transportation Plan Amendment – Wake Road/Kit Creek Road (EN10-023A)

10-CPA-01
Consideration of a public hearing for a request to amend the collector system on the existing Comprehensive Transportation Plan
Speaker: Ms. Laura Cove

From: Tim Bailey, P.E., Director of Engineering
Prepared by: Eric Simpson, P.E., Engineer
Approved by: Benjamin T. Shivar, Town Manager
Approved by: Michael J. Bajorek, Assistant Town Manager

Executive Summary: Staff received a request from residents to amend the Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP). Several residents from the Wake Road area have requested a change to the Kit Creek Road, Wake Road alignment. Staff recommends following the initial Public Hearing, forwarding to a second public hearing at the Planning and Zoning Board on March 15, 2010. Items in bold below have been added since the last staff report.

Background: During the update of the Comprehensive Transportation Plan in the Fall of 2008, several citizens were concerned with a portion of the plan in the Kit Creek Road and Wake Road area. Council asked staff to continue to work with the community to try and resolve their concerns. Staff received a letter in September 2008 from fourteen Wake Road area residents requesting the modification of Wake Road alignment on the Comprehensive Transportation Plan. Staff and the Wake Road residents worked together over the past year to develop the proposed amendment request. The Wake Road residents sent a letter October 5, 2009 with nineteen signatures supporting the realignment for Wake Road. On behalf of the Wake Road residents, staff submits this report and recommendation to Town Council for action in accordance with section 3.2.2 of the Land Development Ordinance (LDO).

Wake Road is located near the intersection of Alston Avenue and Kit Creek Road. It is shown on the Comprehensive Transportation Plan as a western extension of Kit Creek Road to directly align with existing Wake Road. A location map with the current Comprehensive Transportation is provided. A map showing the preferred realignment is also provided.

Staff from both the Engineering and Planning Departments reviewed the request and support the amendment for the following reasons:

  • The new alignment avoids impacting three existing residential properties.
  • The new alignment bypasses a pond located at 7633 Wake Road.
  • The curvature of the alignment limits drivers to the 35 mph speed limit. The local residents support a low speed limit of 35 mph.
  • The local residents west of 7512 Wake Road are in agreement with the new alignment.

Staff would also like to provide points of concern in the realignment proposal:

  • Two vacant properties not affected by the existing alignment are now impacted by the new alignment.
  • Introducing the curvature to the roadway limits the ability to raise the speed limit above 35 mph.
  • The property owners to the east of 7521 Wake Road have not been involved in the proposed change to date.
  • To create the realignment, the design uses minimum sight distance values to determine the geometry. Driver visibility is reduced as compared to the original alignment.

Summary of Process and Actions to Date:

Request to Amend the Comprehensive Transportation Plan

On December 10, 2009, Town Council approved moving forward with the Comprehensive Transportation Plan Amendment process (Staff Report EN10-023).

Notification

Ads appeared in the January 27 and February 3, 2010 editions of the Cary News for the February 10, 2010 Town Council Public Hearing.

Property was posted on January 26, 2010 for the Town Council Public Hearing.

Fiscal Impact: None

Staff Recommendation: Following the public hearing, staff recommends forwarding the case to a second public hearing at the Planning and Zoning Board meeting on March 15, 2010.