CC_Minutes_2009_0420 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Regular City Council Meeting Monday, April 20, 2009 Page 12 Councilmember Pust thanked Wellington representatives for their responsiveness; and expressed appreciation for the new design, rounded building, landscaping, and increased visibility. Discussion among Councilmembers and Wellington representatives included type of shrub proposed to ensure visibility; location of and number of bicycle parking provided (five spaces located on the northwest side of the building further away from the curb cut for safety considerations); whether any reduction in the parking lot was possible to reduce impervious surfaces further based on zoning require- ments and proposed uses of the building and avoiding any on-street parking on Sandhurst to address neighborhood concerns; and landscape screening of the parking lot. Councilmember Ihlan expressed appreciation for this much-improved design. She expressed concern that the City's standards for parking seemed to negatively in- fluence the environmental and aesthetics of today's realities. Councilmember Johnson echoed favorable comments of Councilmembers Pust and Ihlan related to aesthetic and setback improvements; however, questioned the location of the curb cut and sight lines on the north side of the building onto Lex- ington. Councilmember Johnson noted that this was a prime location for pedes- • trian and bicycle traffic given its proximity to schools; and expressed concerns with the visibility for cars exiting the parking lot and encroaching onto the side- walk in anticipation of their left or right turns. Ms. Simonsen noted that currently there were 740 vehicles daily encroaching on the same pedestrian bicycle transit route, and that the new use would reduce that to approximately 340 vehicles per day, and hopefully improve traffic impacts with the proposed development. Ms. Simonsen advised that the developer was at- tempting to make the best use of the exiting curb cut and reduce traffic counts. Further discussion included whether the building could be reduced further near the curb cut even though some square footage would be lost. City Planner Thomas Paschke clarified that a visibility triangle was not part of that curb cut; and noted that the access functions now and that cars would be en- croaching on the sidewalk even with the current use with no building, and would do so no matter the use for the proposed building. Councilmember Roe, while recognizing the concerns for vehicles encroaching on to the sidewalk, opined that in his experience, traffic seldom stopped before the sidewalk; and expressed concern that such a condition may create an unnecessary hardship for the applicant to address a problem without obvious resolution. Councilmember Roe sought additional information from the applicant related to existing and proposed storm water management on the site.