Minutes 04/09/1974 - Laserfiche WebLink

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259 April 9, 1974 74~146 - "The attached ordinance is submitted for your'consideration and I that it be placed on first reading. This appropriates $54,000 in the Capital Improvemen' Fund for the design and preparation of Master Drainage Plans for the Churchland area. Due to the rapid development that is now in progress and projected in the area, it is becoming increasingly difficult to approve off-site drainage requirements without a Master Drainage Plan. The approval of three PUD projects in the area, authori: for a new elementary school, coupled with the increased development of other projects makes it imperative that the City develop a Master Drainage Plan for this area. The cost for preparation and design of the Master Drainage Plan will be fUnded from unallocated bond proceeds in the Capital Improvement Fund. On motion of Mr. Smith and seconded by Mr. Johnson, the following ordinance was approved on first reading, and by the following vote: "AN ORDINANCE TO APPROPRIATE $54,000 FROM THE GENERAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND FOR THE DESIGN AND PREPARATION OFf,MASTeR DRAINAGE PLAN FOR THE ANNEXED AREA OF CHURCHLAND." Ayes: Early, Holley, Johnson, King, Smith, Wentz, Barnes Nays: None 74-147 - "By letter dated March 20, 1974, to the City Manager, Mayor Barnes request- ed that a report be made to Council relative to questions asked by the Mount Hermon Project Area Committee. Three questions were raised in correspondence from Joseph Parker, Chairman of the Project Area Committee to the Mayor. The following answers are based on information received from the City Engineer: (1) "Why haven't some of the streets which were scheduled for improvements for 1972 and 1975 taken place?" Several months ago, the City Engineer discussed with the City Manager proposed improvements for Mount Hermon:. These improvements involve underground utility work and drainage as well as curbs, gutters and street improvements. In some cases, utilities and/or drainage must be extended beyond the proposed street improvements. A decision was made to have prepared a complete and comprehensive plan for the area and plan such extensions beyond project limits as may be required in order to make sure that the plan provided for functional drainage and utilities systems. The plan is to be all inclusive with regard to utilities, drainage and street improvements. Design responsibility includes providing locations for both City-owned and private company-owned utilities and also schedules for work for all parties concerned. The Engineering Department is presently discussing a contract with an engineering firm to accomplish this plan. It has been the opinion of the City Engineer that we should not undertake a piecemea approach to making improvements in the Mount Hermon area. (2) "Temporary relief from an overflow of traffic along Mount Vernon Avenue from Frederick Boulevard to High Street." This section of Mount Vernon Avenue was signed some time ago to prevent through truck traffic. To the best of my knowledge, this prevents heavy trucks from using Mount Vernon Avenue as they did previously. We make every attempt to enforce this traffic regulation. Any other effort to take traffic off of Mount Vernon Avenue in this area would have to be to exclude automobile traffic from a public street and, in effect, make it a private street for residents whose homes front on the street. I am of the opinion that we cannot legally accomplish this and any attempt to regulate traffic in this manner will present an impossible enforcement problem. (5) "The walkover at Florida Avenue over London Boulevard -- no doubt the cost has doubled since the proposal.'! The walkover at Florida Avenue over London Boulevard is a part of the preliminary plan for the Mount Hermon Project. Past experience has shown us that modifications to the preliminary plans are often, necessary and desirable. In this case, the pedestrian traffic at the intersection in no way justifies the building of a pedestrian overpass. It has been proposed, and I think rightly so, that a controlled pedestrian crosswalk be established at Mount Vernon Avenue instead of the pedestrian overpass. This can be done at much less cost and will be easier to use than the elevated overpass. It will be comparable from a safety standpoint. The situation at London Boulevard and Florida Avenue is not comparable to that on 1-264 west of Frederick Boulevard. On .I~264 there is a continuous stream of high speed vehicular traffic uninterrupted by traffic control devices. On the other hand, London Boulevard traffic is controlled, there being a traffic light at Mount Vernon Avenue which is just one block to the eas~. We plan in the near future to discuss with officials of the Portsmouth Redevelo~ and Housing Authority an amendment to the project to reflect a controlled pedestrian crosswalk at Mount Vernon Avenue instead of the walkover at Florida Avenue.