Agenda - 10-04-2011 - 7a - Laserfiche WebLink

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DRAFT Michael Harvey: Any time you have a public road, with a NCDOT right of way and local citizens have concerns over traffic, access issues or congestion, they can contact the Graham Regional Office, Mr: Chuck Edwards, who is the NDCOT designated engineer and request a reassessment of traffic load and DOT may have to engage in widening, the installation of turn lanes, or what you have you. I don't want to speak for Mr. Edwards but I can tell you, as we testified to in -the May hearing, that we have submitted the plan to NCDOT who indicated thatthe existing road capacity could serve this project as proposed. Larry Wright: If they ever had a problem, they could call the Planning Department. Michael Harvey: Yes. And we could provide them the necessary contact information. Chad Abbott: In our responses to the comments to our July meeting, we responded that the #raffic engineer in our office had es#imated that the project would create approximately 268 trips per day based on that land use, 210_ single family homes for that land use category and generate about 268 trips per day_ That is per day. Brian Crawford: Mr. Harvey, Ms. Whiffed speculated there may have been changes between the public hearing and-this meeting to the project plan, are you aware of those changes? Michael Harvey: Yes. As you will recall from the May Quarterly Public Hearing and also discussed at the July regular planning board meeting. The general focus of concern was the pedestrian access areas, connectivity with both Richmond Hill and with the school, the location of hydrants, with the width of the proposed cul-de-sae to address solid waste management and a DOT concern, as well as the orientation and make up of these lots here with respect to ensuring additional open space to buffer, protect and identify wetland as the applicant has submitted. That was a BOCC's concern with Commissioner Yuhas ask if there was a way to reconfigure. There was originally four lots proposed here, it is limited to three lots and there is approximately 32 feet of additional open space separating the closed developed lots from the wetland area. You will also note that there were concerns over access to these lots and staff recommended a condition that there be a joint driveway coming out here. This- has been provided and appear to address NCDOT, Orange County Solid Waste, and potentially Orange County school concerns over providing a sufficient vehicular turn around location to allow vehicles to back up and turn around in this area. The applicant has designated the pedestrian access ways as requested by the planning board and the BOCC as portions of the proposed open space area rather than as just easements. There will be independent pathways dedicated as part of the open space. We have the designated 10-foot lot pedestrian access here, an existing trail from Richmond Hill and an existing trail connecting to the elementary school. There was some additional buffer installed here as suggested by planning board members. Referring to Attachment 1 in the abstract, the applicant has respond to all conditions including their willingness to extend the water line from Richmond Hill, which was a requirement by staff, which was agreed to by the BOCC and planning board. They have agreed that sidewalks are a good idea. The issue is who will pay for them and install. That will be a general BOCC discussion, independent of this project, at their October 6 meeting. The planning board's recommendation was that the sidewalks are encouraged but within NCDOT right of way and under the requirement that another entity be required to install and maintain them. We have been in contact with DOT and their point is that we are not going to install or maintain sidewalks but at least the condition is there. The applicant's response is a two party agreement with NCDOT to install the sidewalks. The hydrants have been tightened up as required by the Orange County Fire Marshall. There was-one moved from Tinnin Road from the western portion to the eastern portion as required by Mr. Sykes. Chad Abbott: We have also added one at the end of Tinnin Road per OAWS and we have added another one at the end of School House. Larry Wright: What is being added? Michael Harvey: There is a new hydrant at the end of School House. Larry Wright: These are the ones Ms. Whitted was addressing? 39 3