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PC-09-21-10 CITY OF SHOREWOOD COUNCIL CHAMBERS PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD TUESDAY, 21 SEPTEMBER 2010 7:00 P.M. MINUTES CALL TO ORDER Chair Geng called the meeting to order at 7:02 P.M. ROLL CALL Present: Chair Geng; Commissioners Vilett, Davis, Arnst, and Hasek; Planning Director Nielsen; Council Liaison Woodruff Absent: Commissioners Hutchins and Ruoff APPROVAL OF AGENDA Arnst moved, Hasek seconded, approving the Planning Commission Meeting Agenda of September 21, 2010 as presented. Motion passed 5/0. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Approval of the September 14, 2010 Meeting Minutes was deferred to a future date. 1. PUBLIC FORUM – DISCUSS NO-RIGHT-TURN SIGN AT SHOREWOOD SHOPPING CENTER AND LAKE LINDEN DRIVE In early September a notice was sent to property owners within 1000 feet of the Shorewood Village Shopping Center property at 23800 State Highway 7 informing them of this meeting. As a result the City received written comments from area residents, and there were several persons in attendance at the meeting. For the benefit of the audience, Chair Geng described the role of the Planning Commission as an advisory body, and he explained that this meeting was a forum for information and discussion purposes, rather than a public hearing. Director Nielsen reviewed his staff report stating that in 2002 the owners of the Shorewood Village Shopping Center made application to redevelop the Center including the addition of the CUB Food Store. During the application process, the developer attempted to address concerns raised by area residents, many of which had to do with traffic on Lake Linden Drive, Yellowstone Trail and Country Club Road. One of the measures proposed was to design an entry to the Center that would preclude certain traffic movements. The driveway located on the west side of the CUB Foods parking lot was designed as a right-in/left-out only, restricting a right-turn onto Lake Linden Drive. The purpose was to prohibit truck traffic from going north on Lake Linden Drive and to discourage non-local traffic from using it as a shortcut to County Road 19. Initially the effectiveness of the no-right-turn restriction was questioned, and many local residents were ticketed for violating it. More recently, the restriction has been questioned due, in part, to lack of enforcement. The City agreed to revisit the matter after improvements were completed at the intersection of County Road 19 and Smithtown Road since the new intersection was designed to curtail cut-through traffic from the same route. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES 21 September 2010 Page 2 of 4 Roger Ludke, 5915 Minnetonka Drive, stated that he shops at CUB Foods five days a week, sometimes twice a day. He said he uses the west entry by turning left off of Lake Linden Drive, but when leaving he said he uses the main exit in accordance with the law, but which is a pain. He said he never sees trucks turning right (illegally) at the west exit, but said he often sees cars doing so. He stated that he would like to see the sign changed to restrict trucks from turning right onto Lake Linden Drive, but allow the shoppers to turn right. Jerry O’Niell, 24550 Nelsine Drive, said he agrees 100% with Roger Ludke’s statements. He said the only vehicles he sees taking a left turn out of the west exit are semis, and they couldn’t turn right if they wanted to. He said in the late afternoon the traffic is all backed up in front of the main exit, so anyone wanting to leave the parking lot is going to turn right at the west exit. Roger Ludke said he never sees the Police there to enforce the right-turn violators and it really bothers him. Sally Schwarz, 24200 Yellowstone Trail, stated she would like to see traffic discouraged from going through that area however it is possible. She said she likes to walk but there are so many people speeding and using their cell phones while driving it feels dangerous. Roger Champa, 25000 Nelsine Drive, said he sympathizes with what Ms. Schwarz said about the dangers of walking, but things have changed a lot over the last ten years. He said ten years ago, Highway 7 had five entrances and now there are only two. Shorewood has a real problem with Highway 7, especially at Eureka Road and Hwy. 7 where there needs to be a stop light. The whole picture needs to be looked at. He said he sat at CUB Foods for six minutes and saw fourteen cars turn right illegally. He said he is in favor of changing the sign, maybe to a no-left turn. Commissioner Hasek commented that he cannot understand how someone can take a right-turn where a sign clearly indicates no right-turn. He stated that while he has never violated the no-right turn himself, he sat across from the west exit on Saturday from 9:45 A.M. to 10:00 A.M. and observed eight cars leave the site at the main exit legally, and another eight cars turned right at Lake Linden Drive illegally. He said every single car that turned illegally crossed over the centerline due to the configuration of the curbing. He said there was also a garbage truck that turned illegally and crossed entirely into the other (on-coming traffic) lane. Along Yellowstone Trail, the problem isn’t the cars, he said, the problem is the buses and large trucks and the City needs to find a way to get some of the traffic off of that route. He noted there could have been many traffic tickets issued just within the fifteen minutes he was sitting at the site, and in his opinion the sign should either be enforced or eliminated, but the greater problem is truck traffic. Commissioner Arnst said that from looking through the information provided it doesn’t appear there was any more reason for the sign than as a way to appease neighborhood fears about traffic and large trucks. She said she supports the idea of changing the sign to restrict right-turns for trucks only, and a reconfiguration of the curbing. She stated she agrees with everyone that the real problem is traffic volume. Commissioners Vilett and Davis both agreed with Arnst about changing the sign to restrict trucks and also looking at the volume of traffic. Council Liaison Woodruff said he thinks a no-right-turn for trucks is a reasonable change and if trucks are observed violating the restriction then there needs to be enforcement. Director Nielsen said if the sign specified “trucks over 8,000 lbs” that would be clearly understandable as to which vehicles are subject to the turn restriction. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES 21 September 2010 Page 3 of 4 Hasek moved, Vilett seconded, to recommend changing the no-right-turn sign at the Shorewood Village Shopping Center northwest access to Lake Linden Drive to a no-right-turn for commercial vehicles over a certain weight. Motion passed 5/0. Council Liaison Woodruff suggested that the cost estimates for reconfiguration of the curbing be available by the time this item goes before the City Council. Director Nielsen said that would be the meeting of October 25, and he will have the curbing costs ready as well as the suggested weight limit for restricted vehicles. 2. UNDEVELOPED RIGHT-OF-WAY STUDY Director Nielsen stated that periodically the City gets requests from property owners for vacation of public right-of-way. In some cases it’s an unusually wide street right-of-way. where they just want part of the excess width vacated, and in other cases it’s a request to vacate the entire right-of-way of a “paper street”, an undeveloped right-of-way. The study is an attempt to be prepared ahead of time in the event a right-of-way vacation is requested. Director Nielsen said some of the undeveloped rights-of-way are actually old Fire Lanes. A Fire Lane Study was done several years ago resulting in a classification system for the existing Fire Lanes. These Fire Lanes remain as lake access for local neighborhoods, and no changes are being recommended. The staff report identifies fifteen undeveloped rights-of-way, provides a brief description, and a recommendation in the event of a vacation request. The Planning Commission reviewed the report street by (undeveloped) street. 3. MATTERS FROM THE FLOOR None. 4. NEW BUSINESS Commissioner Arnst stated that based on the comments received at the Forum regarding the no-right-turn sign, it appears that traffic volume in Shorewood needs attention, especially the intersection of Eureka Road at Highway 7 which is very dangerous. She noted that the volume of traffic on Smithtown Road has increased since the new intersection at the west end of Smithtown Road and Highway 7 was completed. Director Nielsen said the Commission can start a study on transportation by reviewing the traffic counts and other information that is already available. Commissioner Vilett said enforcement is another issue that should be part of the transportation study. Council Liaison Woodruff said local law enforcement gets a relatively small portion of revenues from traffic fines, which might be part of their enforcement priorities. He said if there is a consensus among the Commission for increased enforcement, then that should be brought to the attention of the City Council. 5. DRAFT NEXT MEETING AGENDA Director Nielsen said that discussion regarding the intersection of Galpin Lake Road/Highway 7 and Eureka th Road traffic information will be part of the October 5 Agenda. Also, a site visit to the Smithtown Crossing area would be slated for 6:15 P.M. that evening. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES 21 September 2010 Page 4 of 4 6. REPORTS • Liaison to Council None. • SLUC None. • Other None. 7. ADJOURNMENT Vilett moved, Arnst seconded, Adjourning the Planning Commission Meeting of September 21, 2010 at 8:33 P.M. Motion passed 5/0. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, Patti Helgesen, Recorder