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Item 9A Staff MemoCity of Southlake Department of Planning MEMORANDUM February 10, 2004 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Ken Baker, AICP, Senior Planner SUBJECT: Resolution No. 04- 014- Amemdment of the Master Thoroughfare Plan Map (The Rucker Road Alignment will only be considered at this time). Action Requested: At its January 20, 2004 meeting, the City Council requested that the Planning and Zoning (P &Z) Commission review two roadways alignments (Rucker Rd & Kirkwood Blvd) currently on the Master Thoroughfare Plan (MTP). More specifically, City Council requested that the P &Z Commission determine the following. 1) Rucker Road - If the current alignment of this roadway should be moved further north towards FM 1709 (See Adopted MTP- Attachment A); and 2) Kirkwood Boulevard Extension - An appropriate alignment of this roadway as it crosses the N. Carroll Ave./E. Highland St. intersection (See Adopted MTP- Attachment A). Issues: Rucker Road — The current alignment for this roadway is approximately 900' south of and parallel to FM 1709. The issue raised by City Council is whether or not this alignment is too far south of FM 1709 to adequately serve future office and retail development (Most retail /commercial /office lots on the south side of FM 1709 are less than 900' deep)(See Attachment B). Kirkwood Boulevard Extension The current MTP does not indicate an alignment for this roadway through the Carroll Avenue/Highland Street intersection (See Attachment Q. With the completion of the SH -114 project, the likelihood of development occurring north of SH 114 in the vicinity of the Carroll Ave./Highland St. intersection will increase. (The Panatonni Development Company project located at the southwest corner of the Carroll Ave./Highland St. intersection was recently approved by City Council -- January, 2004). At its January 20, 2004 meeting, the Carroll Independent School District (CISD) Board of Trustees approved a $210,924 bid by Stillwell Building Systems, Inc. to renovate the Administration Annex, 3051 Dove St. in Grapevine. This renovation will allow the CISD to consolidate most central office administrators and support personnel into one location. School officials have stated that by renovating the building on Dove St. will allow the current administration building located at the northeast corner of the Carroll Ave. / Highland St. intersection to be vacated and the land op ssiblX put up for sale. Work on the Administration Annex building on Dove St. is expected to be completed by the end of the school year. The CISD property at the northeast corner of the Carroll Ave. and Highland St. intersection has not been platted. Also, CISD has indicated that the Carroll Intermediate School (located at the southeast corner of Carroll Ave. and Highland St.) will remain closed for the 2004- 05 school year. However, the Trustees have not made a final decision on whether or not the school will be reopened in the fall of 2005. This property has also not been platted. As a result of these events, some City Council members believe that it is necessary to determine an alignment of the Kirkwood Blvd Ext. through the Carroll Ave./Highland St. intersection prior to any additional development occurring in this vicinity. Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting: On February 5, 2004, the Planning and Zoning (P &Z) Commission held a public hearing on these two roadway (Rucker Rd & Kirkwood Blvd Ext.) alignments. At that meeting, the P& Z Commission made a recommendation on the Rucker Rd alignment; however, the P &Z Commission instructed staff to conduct a SPIN meeting on the Kirkwood Blvd Ext. alignment. In addition, the P &Z Commission requested that representatives from Newland Communities (Aventerra) and the Carroll Independent School District be present at the SPIN meeting on Kirkwood Blvd Ext. to discuss future development plans for their properties. Furthermore, the P &Z Commission instructed staff to conduct the SPIN meeting in late March, after the CISD spring break (March 15 - 19 Therefore, City Council will only be considering the Rucker Rd. alignment at this time. A public hearing at P &Z for Kirkwood Blvd Ext. is schedule for April 8, 2004. Overview of Current Alignment: Rucker Road - is designated as an undivided 2 -lane collector with 60'of right -of- way (C2U -60'). The roadway is located between Byron Nelson Parkway and Carroll Ave. (north of Rockenbaugh Elementary -See Attachment B). Also, the text portion of the MTP was amended to include a modified site plan for Rockenbaugh Elementary which would allow bus traffic on the school site to access directly onto Rucker Road (See Attachment D). Design features for this roadway include (See Attachment E): -2- MTP Amendment • Approximately 35' wide roadway with the possibility of parallel parking on one or both sides along portions of the roadway. • Urban cross - section which includes curb, gutters, street trees and sidewalks. • Speed limit not to exceed 25 m.p.h. • Design as a local slow movement roadway. • Crossing at the Carroll Ave. intersection will ultimately be controlled through traffic signalization or 4 -way stop. • Pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Carroll Ave. and Rucker Rd. should be provided. BACKGROUND: ROLE OF THE CURRENT MASTER THOROUGHFARE PLAN The current Master Thoroughfare Plan (MTP) was adopted in March of 1997. The MTP is the City's general plan for guiding thoroughfare system improvements, including the construction of new roads and the widening and extensions of streets and highways. The plan primarily consists of a map showing enteral locations and ultimate cross sections of future road improvements. The primary objective of the MTP is to ensure the reservation/dedication of adequate right -of -way on appropriate alignments to allow for orderly and efficient expansion. Also, there are many other benefits that the MTP provides which include: • Minimizing the amount of land required for street and highway purposes; • Identifying the functional role (i.e. collector, arterial) that each street should be designed in order to promote and maintain the stability of traffic and land use patterns; • Informing citizens of future street plans so that private land use decisions can anticipate which streets will become major facilities; • Provide information on thoroughfare improvements needs which can be used to determine priorities and schedules in the capital improvements program; and • Minimizing the negative impacts of street widening and construction on neighborhood areas and the overall community, by recognizing where future street improvements may be needed. BASIS FOR PROVIDING A FUTURE LOCALIZED ROADWAY NETWORK IN SOUTHLAKE The following is an overview that provides information on the basis for the city providing a future localized roadway network (i.e. Rucker Rd., Kirkwood Blvd. Ext., S. Village Dr. Ext., Durham Rd.) that parallels SH 114 & FM 1709. -3 - MTP Amendment STATE HIGHWAY (SH) 114 Broadly defined, the SH 114 corridor is an approximately forty (40) mile stretch, from its intersection with Interstate 35E in Dallas to Interstate 35W in Fort Worth. Southlake's transportation planning efforts generally focus on that portion of SH 114 west of SH 121. The corridor includes some of the fastest growing communities in Dallas -Fort Worth and links several of its major employment centers (Los Colinas, DFW Airport and Alliance Airport). The corridor will also serve future employment centers in Southlake and Westlake (Circle T Ranch). State Highway 114's function as a link between DFW Airport and Alliance Airport deserves particular emphasis: DFW is one of the nation's busiest airports, while Alliance is an increasingly important multimodal distribution center. Together, they represent the key transportation hub of the mid- continent United States and make the area extremely attractive nationally and internationally as a location for business and industry. State Highway 114 should be viewed as an economic development imperative, both to accommodate a steadily increasing volume of motor vehicle traffic and to ensure that traffic congestion does not jeopardize the ability of the corridor communities to compete successfully for new business and capital investment (Source- Explosive Growth in the 114 Corridor, H. Gross, PhD.,B. Weinstein, PhD. And T. Clower, MS- University of North Texas Center for Economic Development and Research). FM 1709 FM 1709, is a regional arterial that runs from SH 114 west to Interstate 35W. This roadway is designed to serve regional and major traffic generators. Its primary purpose is to carry what is considered through traffic. ROLE OF SH 114 AND FM 1709 State Highway 114 and FM 1709 in Southlake are design to function as thoroughfares that: • Carry high volumes of traffic regionally and inter - regionally • Carry traffic into Southlake (i.e. shopping /work) • Conduct traffic out of Southlake (i.e. Dallas commute) • Pass traffic through Southlake. The SH -114 freeway and FM 1709 are not designed to carry local trips. WHY IS TRAFFIC CONGESTION OCCURRING ON SH 114 AND FM 1709? Much of the traffic on FM 1709 and SH 114 is non - Southlake residents traveling to and from work and places of business in Dallas, DFW, Alliance Airport, Los Colinas and other employment centers. In addition, most of the local Southlake -4- MTP Amendment traffic is forced onto FM 1709 and SH 114 to access the area's shopping centers, businesses, employment centers, etc. This results in the mixing of local trips and regional trips on FM 1709 and SH 114. See Figure #1. + F ■ r #i * • 41 V M # # i # ■ + +� *+ # ■ + f 4 40 # mom ■ + + 4 +� r# _ Figure #1 - Typical Suburban Roadway Design Lam Every vehicle trip from one use to another makes use of an arterial. WILL TRAFFIC VOLUMES CONTINUE TO INCREASE ON SH 114 AND FM 1709? Yes, Southlake is expected to more than triple its daytime workforce to over 20,000 persons during the next twenty (20) years. Most of the non - residential development constructed to accommodate this future workforce will occur on the SH 114 and FM 1709 corridors, which will substantially increase traffic volumes on these roadways. In addition, traffic pressures along SH 114 and FM 1709 will escalate further as development continues at Alliance Airport, Circle T Ranch, DFW Airport and communities surrounding Southlake continue to grow. WHAT CAN SOUTHLAKE DO TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC CONGESTION ON SH 114 AND FM 1709? Realistically, until an alternative form of transportation (i.e. commuter rail) is provided for the area, the traffic congestion levels along SH 114 and FM 1709 will continue to worsen. The possibility of providing light rail service near Southlake (Cottonbelt- SH -26) is at least 10 -15 years into the future. The widening of SH 114 and FM 1709 will only provide temporarX relief to Southlake's congestion issues and do not offer a long term solution. However, Southlake can provide a local roadway network that allows its citizens -5- MTP Amendment and work force the ability to access the City's commercial, office and shopping areas without having to drive on SH 114 or FM 1709 (See Figure #2). err • # ## #► ♦ �k ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ # # # # # ■ r # ■ ■ n Figure #2 —Every trip from one use to another makes use of a local collector instead of the major arterial. GENERAL BACKGROUND: HISTORY OF RUCKER ROAD In March of 2002, staff presented the Planning and Zoning Commission with four possible roadway alignment options (See Attachment F). Also, staff in conjunction with the CISD staff developed a MTP modified site plan for Rockenbaugh Elementary which would allow bus traffic on the school site to access directly onto Rucker Road (See Attachment D). SPIN MEETING On February 20, 2002, the Planning Department conducted a citywide SPIN meeting and presented the four alignment options for Rucker Road (See Attachment F). CISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES On February 25, 2002, the Planning staff presented the Rucker Road alignment and Rockenbaugh Elementary redesign to the CISD Board of Trustees. The Trustees' approved of the drive connection from Rockenbaugh Elementary to Rucker Road (See Attachment D). PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION- RUCKER ROAD -6- MTP Amendment On March 7, 2002, the Planning Commission recommend approval of Rucker Road with alternative 1 and alternative 4 to be indicated on the MTP map (See Attachment F). The Planning Commission stated that it is likely that Rucker Rd would serve as a future boundary -line between residential and non - residential uses and believed that alignments #2 and #3 were located at a distance too far south from FM 1709. CITY COUNCIL MOTION- RUCKER ROAD On April 16, 2002, the City Council accepted the Planning Commission recommendation for alternative #1, but removed the Southlake Commons portion of the roadway (Option #4) and allowed a full access onto Carroll Ave. as long as it did not negatively impact the residential properties in Oak Tree Estates (See Attachment B). CONSIDERATION OF THE RUCKER REALIGNMENT: RUCKER ROAD REALIGNMENT OPTIONS Staff has prepared three options for the City Council to consider at its February 17, 2004 meeting. Option #1, keeps the alignment in the same location as approved by City Council in 2002. Option 92, moves the roadway located on Village of Timmaron and Pecan Acres sites to the north closer to FM 1709 and reopens the northern drive to Rockenbaugh Elementary. Option # 3, moves the roadway closer to FM 1709 (See Attachment G). ISSUES TO CONSIDER • The developer of the Village of Timarron and Pecan Acres (John Drews) has agreed to dedicate right -of -way and construct that portion of the roadway consistent with option #2 and construct a drive leading to the Rockenbaugh Elementary property. • School bus traffic from Rockenbaugh Elementary will access directly onto Rucker Road after dropping off and picking up children at the school. • CISD has indicated a desire that the northern drive to Rockenbaugh Elementary remain as currently designed (with a median cut) due to busses, faculty and staff accessing the school from the north. • Ensure adequate spacing from FM 1709 to prevent the possibility of back- ups from left turns from Rucker Road onto Carroll Avenue. • Roadway may create a demarcation line between residential and non- residential uses. -7- MTP Amendment Public Hearing: Five people spoke at the public hearing: These individuals were as followed: Harry Ingalls (CISD Assistant Superintendent of Operations). Stated that option #2 that moved Rucker Road to the north on the Office of Timarron and Pecan Acre land areas and allowed the north drive to Rockenbaugh Elementary to remain open was the school district's preference. Zena Rucker (620 Carroll Ave., Southlake). Stated the existing MTP alignment along her property was preferred. Carolyn Hayes (807 Southlake Blvd). Stated the existing MTP alignment along her property was preferred. Phillip Bressinck (200 Swallow Dr., Southlake). Stated that the road should continue across the Southlake Commons property (Weitzman tract) and eventually connect to Central Avenue in Town Square. John Drews (3625 N. Hall St., Dallas). Stated that he favored an alignment consistent with option 92. Planning Commission Recommendation: At its February 5, 2004 meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended (6 -0) that the MTP plan be amended to reflect the option #2 alignment (as modified by staff and that the Rockenbaugh Elementary MTP site plan that is currently illustrated in the text portion of the document be amended to indicate that the northern most drive remain open. Also, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended that "Rucker Rd." be renamed "Zena Rucker Rd." (See Attachments H & I). Also, the P &Z Commission continued the public hearing for Kirkwood Blvd Ext. until the April 8, 2004 meeting and instructed staff to conduct a SPIN meeting on this item in the interim and requested that representatives from Newland Communities (Aventerra) and the Carroll Independent School District be present at the SPIN meeting to discuss future development plans for their properties. Finally, the P &Z Commission instructed staff to conduct the SPIN meeting in late March, after the CISD spring break period (March 15 -19 As a result of P &Z's action, City Council will only be considering the Rucker Rd. alignment at this time. Staff Presentation: Staff will provide City Council an overview of the alignment options for Rucker Road at its February 17, 2004 meeting. If you have any questions or need any additional information, please contact me at 481 -2046. Attachment A- Adopted Master Thoroughfare Map. -8- MTP Amendment Attachment B- Rucker Road Alignment displayed on an Aerial Photo. Attachment C- Kirkwood Blvd. Alignment displayed on an Aerial Photo (w /Aventerra Tracts). Attachment D- Modified MTP site plan for Rockenbaugh Elementary. Attachment E- Rucker Road Design Elements. Attachment F- Rucker Road Alignment Alternatives presented to P &Z in March, 2002. Attachment G- Rucker Road Alignment Options presented to City Council. Attachment H -P &Z's recommended alignment for Rucker Road. Attachment I -P &Z's recommended modified MTP site plan for Rockenbaugh Elementary. -9- MTP Amendment