Council
Communication

Office of the City Manager
 
 

Date

January 7, 2008

 

Agenda Item No.       44

Roll Call No.              08-

Communication No.  08-018

Submitted by:  Jeb E. Brewer, P.E.

                                   City Engineer

 

 

AGENDA HEADING:

 

Amending Chapter 114 of the Municipal Code regarding traffic regulation changes as follows:

 

A.                 Passenger Loading Zone—Adjacent to Polk County Convention Complex entry area on Grand Avenue.

 

B.                 Removal of Commercial Loading Zone—South side of High Street east of 16th Street.

 

C.                 Removal of Watson Powell Jr. Way between Grand Avenue and 2nd Avenue.

 

D.                 Petition for Parking Restriction – Scandia Avenue from SE 5th to SE 7th, and Removal of Stop Sign at SE 7th and Scandia.

 

 

SYNOPSIS:

 

Recommend approval of the Traffic and Transportation Division staff recommendations and Traffic Safety Committee recommendations, including first reading of the Ordinance regarding the traffic regulation changes.

 

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

 

Amount: Minor costs.

 

Funding Source:  2007-2008 Operating Budget, Page 133, Engineering Department Traffic & Transportation – Sign Installation and Maintenance, ENG100413.

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 

 

A.        Staff at the Polk County Convention Complex, 5th and Grand Avenues, has requested that the loading zone on the north side of Grand Avenue be modified to provide passenger loading.  This change would be very useful to them during events, as this is adjacent to the main ground level entrance to the building.  The following change to the Municipal Code is needed to designate this area for passenger loading. 

           

Sec. 114-3248.  Grand Avenue—Fifth Avenue to Sixth Avenue.

 

Grand Avenue, on the north side, from Fifth Avenue to a point 150 feet west thereof, passenger loading zone.

 

B.         The Traffic and Transportation Division received a request from the doctors office at 1540 High Street, regarding the lack of parking for their office.  Currently, there is an unused loading zone on the south side of High Street east of 16th Street adjacent to their building.  Staff recommends that the 30-foot loading zone be removed to allow for more parking.  The following revisions in the Municipal Code are necessary to place this change into effect.

 

Sec. 114-3312.  High Street—Fifteenth Street to Sixteenth Street.  High Street, on the south side, from a point 50 feet east of Sixteenth Street, to a point 30 feet east thereof, commercial loading zone 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

 

C.        In conjunction with construction of the Hansen Triangle, Watson Powell Jr. Way has been removed between Grand Avenue and 2nd Avenue.  While no new parking restrictions are proposed, the following ordinance corrections are needed for proper referencing for the existing restrictions.

 

Sec. 114-3244. Grand Avenue—Watson Powell Jr Way Des Moines River to Second Avenue.

 

Grand Avenue, on the south side, from a point 200 feet east of Second Avenue Watson Powell Jr Way to a point 75 feet west east thereof, loading zone.

 

Grand Avenue, on the south side, from Second Avenue to a point 200 feet east thereof a point 75 feet west of Watson Powell Jr Way to Second Avenue, no parking any time.

 

Grand Avenue, on the north side, from Watson Powell Jr Way to Second Avenue to a point 330 feet east thereof, no parking any time.

 

Grand Avenue, on both sides the south side, from Watson Powell Jr Way a point 55 275 feet east of Second Avenue to a point 55 feet east thereof, no parking any time. 

 

Sec. 114-4096. East Grand Avenue—Watson Powell Jr Way Des Moines River to Robert D Ray Drive.

 

East Grand Avenue, on both sides, from a point 55 330 feet east of Watson Powell Jr Way Second Avenue to a point 125 feet west of Robert D Ray Drive, ten-hour meters, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

 

D.        The City has received a petition from residents near SE 7th Street and Scandia Avenue to prohibit parking on the north side of Scandia from SE 5th to SE 7th.  Related to this petition, they have also requested removal of the stop sign on Scandia at the “T” intersection with SE 7th.

 

Scandia Avenue currently allows parking on both sides of the street, with some limited corner clearance restrictions.  The street is not wide enough for two-way traffic where vehicles are parked on both sides of the street.  In addition, due to the terrain and development pattern in this area, Scandia is the only east-west street that connects to SE 5th Street, which is the main north-south collector street.  Therefore, Scandia is used by the neighborhood to access SE 5th Street.  Staff notified the residents on this section of Scandia, as well as the person who submitted the petition, that the Traffic Safety Committee would consider a proposal to prohibit parking on the north side of Scandia, and to remove the stop sign that was recently installed at the intersection of SE 7th and Scandia.

 

A stop sign was installed for Scandia at the intersection with SE 7th Street during the construction project that closed the SE 5th and McKinley Avenue intersection this past summer.  It is common traffic control to have no stop signs at low volume residential “T” intersections.  Staff concurs with the request to remove the stop sign at this intersection to return to the traffic control that existed for many years.

 

At the December 18 Traffic Safety Committee meeting, five residents along Scandia appeared before the committee, and were all opposed to prohibiting parking.  They stated that during the construction at SE 5th and McKinley this past summer, Scandia and SE 7th became a de-facto detour, with heavy traffic and speeding problems.  Residents intentionally parked vehicles on both sides of the street in an attempt to slow this traffic.  Now that the construction is completed, traffic is back to normal, and very little parking occurs on Scandia.  These residents all stated that they have not experienced any problems with mail delivery, emergency vehicle access or snow removal due to parked vehicles for many years.

 

Based on this input from the residents in attendance at the meeting, the Traffic Safety Committee recommended that the stop sign be removed at the intersection of SE 7th and Scandia, but that no changes be made in the current parking.  The following change to designated through streets is needed to implement the removal of this stop sign.

 

Sec. 114-2007.5.  Southeast Seventh Street.

 

Southeast Seventh Street, from the south line of East Trowbridge Street to the north line of East McKinley Avenue, stop. 

 

 

PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION(S):  NONE

 

 

BOARD/COMMISSION ACTION(S):  Traffic Safety Committee

 

Date:  December 18, 2007

 

Roll Call Number:  N.A.

 

Action:  Approved  traffic control changes in item D.

 

 

ANTICIPATED ACTIONS AND FUTURE COMMITMENTS: 

 

Second and third readings of ordinance.