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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1668 . RESOLUTION NO. 1668 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ARCADIA, CALIFORNIA, RECOMMENDING TO THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED CIRCULATION AND TRANSPORTATION AMENDMENTS TO THE GENERAL PLAN. WHEREAS, the City recently conducted a Transportation Master Plan study to evaluate future growth in the City, identify existing and future transportation deficiencies and recommend circulation system changes and future transportation improvements; and WHEREAS, the results of the Transportation Master Plan study affect the General Plan Circulation and Transportation Element and require an amendment to update the document; and WHEREAS, a public hearing was held on April 23, 2002, at which time all interested persons were given full opportunity to be heard and to present evidence; and WHEREAS, pursuant to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act, the Development Services Department performed an initial study for the proposed General Plan amendment and prepared a Negative Declaration. Said initial study did not disclose any substantial or potentially substantial adverse change in any of the physical conditions within the area affected by the project including land, air, water, minerals, flora, fauna, ambient noise and objects of historical or aesthetic significance. NOW, THEREFORE, THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ARCADIA, CALIFORNIA, DOES HEREBY FIND, DETERMINE AND RESOLVE AS FOllOWS: SECTION 1. That the factual data submitted by the Development Services Department in the attached report dated April 23, 2002 is true and correct. SECTION 2. This Commission recommends that the City Council approve the amendmenUo the City's General Plan Circulation and Transportation Element to reflect the following: . 1. New names for the Circulation System Street designations (Exhibit 1). . -1- . . . 2. The change of designation for eleven (11) streets from the previous plan (Exhibit 3). 3. An updated circulation system map with new street designations and eleven street designation changes (Exhibit 4). 4. A revision to the Circulation and Transportation section text to identify the changes and the future deficiencies (Exhibit 5). SECTION 3. The Secretary shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution and shall cause a copy to be forwarded to the City Council of the City of Arcadia. , HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution No. 1668 was adopted at a regular meeting of the Planning Commission held on April 23, 2002 by the following vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: Commissioners Baderian, Murphy, Oison None Commissioners Huang and Kalemkiarian ,LJ.k.~ Chairman, Planning Commission City of Arcadia g:zTT 5 : //~ , {/ . ~/~ Secretary, PI ning Commission City of Arcadia APPROVED AS TO FORM: . ~~.~ Stephen Deitsch, City Attorney City of Arcadia -2- SfAFF REPORT Development Services Department April 23, 2002 FROM: Planning Commission Philip A. Wray, City Engineer, Engineering Services Administrator~ Prepared by: Ed Cline, Traffic Engineer TO: SUBJECT: GENERAL PLAN CIRCULATION AND TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT AMENDMENT SUMMARY . The City recently conducted a Transportation Master Plan study to evaluate future growth in the City, identify existing and future transportation deficiencies and recommend circulation system changes and future transportation improvements. The Development Services Department is recommending an amendment to the City's General Plan Circulation and Transportation element to reflect the recommendations of the Transportation Master Plan. The recommendation for approval includes (1) new names for the Circulation System Street designations; (2) the change of designation for eleven streets from the previous plan; (3) an updated circulation system map with new street designations and eleven street designation changes, and (4) a. revision to the Circulation and Transportation section text to identify the changes and the future deficiencies. BACKGROUND The City's General Plan Circulation and Transportation Element is intended to assure that the City's street system has the capability of accommodating traffic associated with the General Plan Land Use Element. In other words, the street system is expected to match traffic growth generated by the development of the City's Land Use Plan. For this reason, the Circulation and Transportation Element is occasionally revisited to determine if any updates are advisable. A Transportation Master Plan study was completed last year that examined the City's arterial and collector street system to determine any existing or potential future deficiencies. The study looked at the circulation system network as a whole and at twenty-three (23) critical intersections within the network. The results of the study and its recommendations are outlined in the attached documents. . . . . Planning Commission April 23, 2002 Page 2 PROPOSAL Based on the Transportation Master Plan study, four changes are proposed as follows: 1. New Names for Circulation System Street Desianations (Exhibit 1) Currently, the Circulation and Transportation section of the General Plan designates the major streets as divided or undivided and by numbers of lanes. The geherally accepted industry standards for master plan street designations are major arterial, primary arterial, secondary arterial and collector. The City proposes to use these designations to define its circulation system. Exhibit 1 (Table 3-1) sets forth the new designations consistent with the industry standard. This table is recommended to be incorporated into the General Plan. A comparison chart is provided on Exhibit 2 to show the relationship between the previous designations and the new ones. 2. Eleven Street Desianation Chanaes (Exhibit 3) Street designation changes are proposed for eleven streets for various reasons. Exhibit 3 provides the detail and the reasons for the eleven street changes. 3. Revised Circulation System Map (Exhibit 4) A new Circulation System Map has been prepared that incorporates the new name designations identified in Exhibit 1, and the eleven street changes identified in Exhibit 3. 4. General Plan Circulation & Transportation Section Text revisions (Exhibit 5) The General Plan text has been revised to incorporate the 'lew street designation names (exhibit 1) and the new map (exhibit 4). These exhibits are attached and referred to as the "General Plan Circulation and Transportation Element Amendment". DISCUSSION As outlined in the General Plan Circulation and Transportation Element Text Amendment, staff is recommending, based on the results and findings of the study, certain changes to the General Plan. The arterial and collector designations will help to define the functional classification of the street network. For example, the function of an arterial is to carry through-traffic with limited local access. The sub classifications . . Planning Commission April 23,2002 Page 3 help to define the intended traffic volumes based on design characteristics, such as numbers of lanes and with or without medians. The function of a collector is to provide both land access and traffic circulation linking residential, commercial and industrial areas to the arterials. For the most part, these changes and the additional information in the table are intended to better define the physical dimensions of the various streets rather than make significant changes to the system. The text amendment also identifies five intersections that will fall below the accepted level of service standard D with future development. The Level of SerVice is a technical term, which helps define the performanCe ratings of the intersections. The Transportation Master Plan identifies certain enhancements to these intersections that will restore acceptable levels of service to comply with the City's Level of Service goals as outlined in the existing General Plan. CEQA Pursuant to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act, the Development Services Department has prepared an initial study for the proposed General Plan amendment. Said initial study did not disclose any substantial or potentially substantial adverse change in any of the physical conditions within the area affected by the project including land, air, water, minerals, flora, fauna, ambient noise and objects of historical or aesthetic significance. When considering the record as a whole, there is no evidence that the proposed project will have any potential for adverse effect on wildlife resources or the habitat upon which the wildlife depends. Therefore, a Negative Declaration has been prepared for this General Plan amendment. RECOMMENDATION The Planning Commission should adopt Resolution 1668, a Resolution of the Planning Commission of the City of Arcadia recommending approval of the proposed Circulation and Transportation Amendments to the General Plan. Approved By: Phil Wray City Engineer, Engi ering Services Administrator . DP:PW:EC:pa