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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB Study Session 2013-03-21      Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, March 21, 2013 Minutes of a Study Session meeting of the TOWN BOARD of the Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting held in the Board Room in said Town of Estes Park on the 21st day of March, 2013. Board: Mayor Pinkham, Mayor Pro Tem Blackhurst, Trustees, Elrod, Ericson, Koenig, Norris and Phipps Attending: All Also Attending: Town Administrator Lancaster, Assistant Town Administrator Richardson, Attorney White, Director Zurn and Town Clerk Williamson Absent: None Mayor Pinkham called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. FEDERAL LANDS ACCESS PROGRAM (FLAP) GRANT DISCUSSION. Director Zurn stated the Town has the opportunity to apply for a FLAP grant to improve transportation downtown by rerouting Highway 34 and thereby improving access to federal lands, i.e. Rocky Mountain National Park. The five to seven year program has $56 million available for projects with a 17.21% match by the local government. CDOT has verbally committed to provide matching funds of $8 to $10 million to reroute the highway out of downtown; however, there would be no matching funds for a parking garage. CDOT would include the project in their upcoming budget to be approved by May 15th, prior to the grant application deadline. Staff hired FHU to design options including a one-way couplet, two–way reroute of downtown, parking garage with approximately 150,000 sq. ft. in new commercial development, increasing the commercial downtown by 40%, and a trail west toward the Park. The property owners and business owners located in the potential affected areas were invited to a meeting and a public meeting prior to the study session. Those attending were asked to rank the options with the parking structure ranked number one, followed by the one-way couplet, trail, two-way and do nothing as the last option. Peggy Campbell/Visit Estes Park President stated a recent study of the visitors experience in Estes Park has ben completed. Estes Park enjoyed high ratings in most categories; however, parking and traffic received rating well below average. This rating affects the customer/visitor experience in a negative manner. Preference would be given to projects which provide access to federal high-use recreational sites or federal economic generators. The grant application would be evaluated on the support of economic vitality, increase the safety and security of the transportation system, increase the accessibility and mobility of people and freight, protect and enhance the environment, enhance the integration and connectivity of system, promote efficient system management and operation, and emphasize the preservation of the existing transportation system. Staff stated the proposed designs would compete well for the grant funds based on the criteria, especially with the partnership with CDOT and support of Rocky Mountain National Park. Mayor Pro Tem Blackhurst stated the main issue is not whether or not vehicles can get through downtown Estes Park but if the vehicles can get to Estes Park in the first place on Highway 34 and 36. Director Zurn affirmed the two highways are on CDOTs list of roadways to address with accelerate and decelerate lanes and passing lanes to help increase capacity. The traffic counts are increasing and downtown traffic is increasing.       Parking Structure The mix-use parking structure would be four-stories high off of Moraine Avenue, two- stories closer to the river, and a terrace promenade walkway above the river edge with 350 to 510 new parking spaces as well as acting as a transportation hub. The structure would displace approximately 13 businesses, including the post office and 93 current parking stalls at a cost of $14.6 million with matching funds required by the Town. The parking structure would have an entrance off of Moraine Avenue and a second entrance off of West Riverside Drive. Staff is investigating whether or not the donation of land could be used as the match. Board comments have been summarized: Mayor Pro Tem Blackhurst stated the Town Hall parking lot is more valuable, and therefore, would be a better option for a parking lot downtown. Trustee Norris requested a review of the pros and cons of the possible locations for a parking structure. Trustee Elrod stated a parking structure downtown would be incongruous to the recent construction of the transportation hub at the Stanley Fairgrounds and the upcoming parking garage at the Visitor Center, which have been approved to limit traffic congestion downtown and improve air quality. Trustee Koenig stated the parking structure design presented continues the aesthetics of the riverwalk. Director Zurn stated there are two parking issues that need to be addressed. The parking garage at the Visitor Center would capture the morning congestion by removing visitors and park visitors from their cars before entering downtown. The afternoon congestion coming back through downtown from the Park would be captured at the new parking garage downtown. The new parking structure would help to address environmental issues by addressing the reverse traffic out of the Park. One-way Couplet The one-way couplet would have traffic going west down Elkhorn Avenue with three lanes, increasing traffic through the intersection of Elkhorn Avenue and Moraine Avenue by 40%. Traffic going east bound would be directed down West Riverside Drive past the post office to Ivy Street and on to East Riverside Drive. The option would displace 1 to 3 businesses, up to one residence and 5 to 39 parking stalls at a cost of $11.75 to $13.1 million. Board comments included: Mayor Pinkham stated the increased traffic flow off Elkhorn Avenue onto Moraine Avenue would cause a bottle neck later down the road as it pinches down to one lane on Moraine Avenue. Trustee Norris commented the Transportation Visioning Committee (TVC) has presented a number of recommendations such as electronic signage that should be included in the grant application. Mayor Pro Tem Blackhurst stated the options go against the efforts to date to keep traffic out of downtown by creating parking outside the downtown corridor, approving additional shuttle improvements, and a parking garage at the Visitor Center. The options would change the character of Estes Park and the Town needs to maintain its quaint mountain character. Staff and FHU addressed the issues stating the intersection at Elkhorn/Moraine currently limits the number of movements through the intersection to approximately 900 vehicles per hour. The new configuration would almost double the number of vehicles moving through the intersection. The one lane at Crags and Moraine would not be a capacity constraint as it is only at 30% capacity and would likely increase to approximately 80% with the one-way couplet. Staff would not recommend including small projects such as signage in the grant application. Staff would recommend the Town consider applying for a phased project in partnership with CDOT for the one-way couplet followed by the parking structure sometime in the future beyond the five to seven years. This would allow staff time to work through the issues associated with developing the structure. It may be appropriate to develop a Master Plan for the area in order to identify to current and future landowners the potential development. Mayor Pro Tem Blackhurst stated the Board in 2008 was presented with the one-way couplet by staff. He recalls the Board being adamantly against the rerouting of the       roadway at the expense of homes and businesses. Trustee Koenig commented the Town needs to continue to look at options and move forward. Two-way Road The two-way road option would completely remove Highway 34 from downtown, thereby eliminating over a mile of highway from the state system. Elkhorn Avenue and Moraine Avenue through the downtown business corridor would become Town owned roadway and would be maintained by the Town moving forward. The option would be preferred by CDOT and with their match becomes the most affordable option. The highway would be reroute beginning at the Moraine/Crags intersection eastbound onto West Riverside Drive past the Post Office, onto Ivy Street, connect to East Riverside Drive, and finally reconnect to Elkhorn Avenue. The option would displace 5 to 7 businesses, 17 residences, and 28 to 62 parking spaces. The estimated cost of the project is $19.5 million. Big Thompson Trail The trail would connect Crags Drive to Marys Lake Road requiring 13 easements in addition to the current easements in place at a cost of $7.4 million. The option is the least likely to be funded by the grant. Board Discussion Trustee Elrod would favor taking advantage of the opportunity with the one-way couplet and no phasing for the parking structure. Trustee Norris stated support for a phased project with the parking structure and one- way couplet and would like to understand the control points through the design and NEPA process. He would request addressing the TVC recommendations. Trustee Koenig stated support for the one-way couplet with the phased parking structure. She commented the TVC recommendations for signage should be a separate issue addressed during the budget process. Mayor Pro Tem Blackhurst suggested the Board discuss the effects on the community prior to discussion options. He recommended a broader discussion on how it changes the community. He requested the Board discuss the philosophy of whether the Town should be pursuing a grant in the first place. Trustee Phipps would support the one-way couplet without the phasing of the garage and would also like to understand the control points for the project. Trustee Ericson agreed that further discussions should be heard on the affects to the community for all options; stated concern with the Town moving forward with a phase project at a cost of approximately half of the $56 million available; the TVC recommendations should be a separate discussion; and would favor the two-way couplet to provide more flexibility downtown. Mayor Pinkham stated support for the one-way couplet. There being no further business, Mayor Pinkham adjourned the meeting at 7:38 p.m. Jackie Williamson, Town Clerk