|
to: |
Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager |
|
from: |
Lance Norris, Public Works Director |
|
subject: |
Approval of a Resolution Endorsing Alternative Roadway Configuration on Weaver Dairy Road near Timberlyne Shopping Center |
|
date: |
March 9, 2009 |
The attached resolution would endorse an alternative roadway configuration on Weaver Dairy Road near Timberlyne Shopping Center. The resolution also requests the North Carolina Department of Transportation include a median opening and associated widening in the Weaver Dairy Road Widening Project for the alternative roadway configuration.
We recommend that the Council adopt the attached resolution.
The Weaver Dairy Road Widening Project includes a median at Perkins Drive, which would prohibit left turns at this intersection. We requested a traffic signal at this intersection with
NCDOT staff, and they do not recommend a traffic signal at the Perkins Drive/Weaver Dairy Road intersection for the following reasons: 1) The spacing between Perkins Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard is approximately 550 feet and the NCDOT guidelines require 1200 feet minimum between two traffic signals, and 2) The proposed Weaver Dairy Road.
However, NCDOT staff agreed with Town staff to allow “full” access (without median traffic control) on Weaver Dairy Road at Perkins Drive until 2011, at which time the median would be constructed as part of the larger improvement project. Also, NCDOT staff agreed to allow installation of a pedestrian refuge island on Weaver Dairy Road east of Perkins Drive, to accommodate pedestrian movements across Weaver Dairy Road until such time that the proposed roadway traffic-control median is installed.
On March 26, 2007, the Council created the Northern Area Task Force to advise it how to better manage future development in the Northern Area of Chapel Hill, including advice in developing recommendations for the Council’s consideration on design standards and appearance guidelines for the implementation of transit-oriented development along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Weaver Dairy Road and Eubanks Road, and advice in developing recommendations on pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements throughout the study area.
At its January 14, 2008 meeting, the Council adopted several recommendations presented by the Northern Area Task Force. At the same meeting, the Council adopted a resolution that it was the Council expectation that future development applications in the area would incorporate the realignment of University Station Road with a new entrance at Timberlyne Shopping Center. The Council also adopted the realignment of the roadway network as an element of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan and directed the staff to work with the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the area property owners to realign the roadway network. A copy of the January 14, 2008 Council resolution is provided in Attachment 1.
Town staff met with NCDOT staff several times and discussed possible options to include in the Weaver Dairy Road Improvement Project. As part of that discussion, Town staff developed a traffic simulation model with the existing and proposed conditions, including an option for a median opening with a traffic signal on Weaver Dairy Road between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Kingston Drive. The parties agreed to a median opening at a location 800 feet west of the Kingston Drive on Weaver Dairy Road. However, this required us to negotiate with many developers and property owners on both sides of Weaver Dairy Road near Timberlyne Shopping Center.
An area map with the recommended realignment of the roadway network is provided in Attachment 2. The elements of the recommended roadway alignment as presented in the area map are described below:
Approved Road: This roadway section was approved by the Council as part of the Residences at Chapel Hill North development. This roadway section would connect Perkins Drive with Old University Station Road and the construction is expected to start this year.
Roadway #1 (Relocated Timberlyne Shopping Center Entrance): The existing entrance to the Timberlyne Shopping Center would be closed and moved to the western side of the vacant lot along the Weaver Dairy Road frontage. The property owners of the Timberlyne Shopping Center and the vacant lot have tentatively agreed to this proposal. The owner of Timberlyne Shopping Center agreed to close the existing driveway entrance and build the new driveway entrance (Roadway #1) at no cost to the Town. This includes elements such as landscaping and drainage. No purchase of right-of-way is required by the Town for Roadway #1.
Roadway #2 (Realignment of Old University Station Road): This recommended roadway section is a realignment of the Old University Station Road that would connect the new “approved road” (for Residences at Chapel Hill North) and the “Roadway #1” (Relocated Timberlyne Shopping Center Entrance). This recommended realignment would be located on an undeveloped property. Negotiations between the Town and property owners on north side of Weaver Dairy Road were not successful.
The Weaver Dairy Road Widening project is scheduled for construction in spring 2010. NCDOT requested that the Town send a resolution approved by the Town Council supporting the alternative roadway configuration so they can include a median opening and associated widening in the widening project. A preliminary plan showing the new median opening and associated widening is provided in Attachment 3.
NCDOT agreed to include the following elements in the widening project at no cost to the Town:
Because we were not able to get agreement with the property owners associated with Roadway #2, we recommend that the Council approve a T-intersection with Roadway #1 as shown in Attachment 2. This would allow NCDOT to revise the plans to include a median opening in the widening project.
If the attached resolution is approved by the Town Council, we will work with NCDOT and owners associated with Roadway #1 to incorporate the alternative roadway configuration in the Weaver Dairy Road Project. Also, we will continue to work with area developers and NCDOT to implement Roadway #2 alignment.
We recommend that the Council approve the attached resolution that would endorse an alternative roadway configuration on Weaver Dairy Road near Timberlyne Shopping Center. The resolution also requests that the North Carolina Department of Transportation include a median opening and associated widening in the Weaver Dairy Road Widening Project for the alternative roadway configuration.
