AGENDA #7a
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Review of Issues Related to Europa Applications: Modification of Existing Special Use Permit and Application for New Special Use Permit
DATE: April 22, 2002
SUMMARY
Tonight the Council continues Public Hearings from March 25, 2002, regarding applications seeking approval:
· A Special Use Permit Modification for the Hotel L’Europa; and
· A new Special Use Permit for the Europa Office Building.
At the Public Hearings, concerns about traffic were raised by citizens and Council members. In response to those concerns, we have commissioned and reviewed a revised traffic impact analysis including information on the Europa Drive and US 15-501 Service Road intersection.
The findings of the revised Traffic Impact Analysis and Europa Drive/US 15-501 Service Road intersection information indicate that the additional traffic generated by the Europa Office Building is expected to have a minimal impact on the surrounding roadway network with the improvements that are planned under the superstreet design. Construction of the superstreet is scheduled for 2004. Completion of the superstreet project is expected to take approximately nine months.
Based on our review of the traffic analysis, including the Europa Drive/US 15-501 Service Road intersection, and evaluation of the evidence presented at the Public Hearings, we believe that it is reasonable to proceed with consideration of the two applications currently before the Council (accompanying Item 7b and if applicable Item 7c).
INTRODUCTION
We have received and reviewed the revised traffic impact analysis, including additional information on the Europa Drive and US 15-501 Service Road intersection. The traffic analysis and additional information on the intersection was prepared by the Traffic Engineer Consultant retained by the Town. This memorandum provides background summarizing the review of the Europa applications that has occurred to date and information on traffic. This memorandum also includes recommendations from two Advisory Boards on the revised traffic impact analysis and the Europa Drive/US 15-501 Service Road intersection information.
A copy of the revised traffic impact analysis and information on the Europa Drive and US 15-501 Service Road intersection is attached here (Attachments #1 and #2). We report in this memorandum our opinion that the findings of the analysis, including the intersection, are reasonable and that consideration of the following memoranda (accompanying Item 7b and if applicable Item 7c) is appropriate.
|
This package of materials has been prepared for the Town Council’s consideration, and is organized as follows:
|
Background
May 14, 2001 Public Hearings held on the Hotel L’Europa Special Use Permit Modification application and the Europa Office Building Special Use Permit application. Public Hearings recessed to June 25, 2001.
May 21, 2001 Citizen petition requesting the Council consider enacting a moratorium on development in the U.S. 15-501/Erwin Road/Sage Road corridor.
June 25, 2001 Continuation of the May 14th Public Hearings. Memorandum included the May 21, 2001 citizen petition and petitions from the Transportation Advisory Board and Community Design Commission requesting that a moratorium be called while a study is conducted to address growth in northeast Chapel Hill. Council decided to respond to the petitions prior to continuing the Public Hearings on the two applications. Public Hearing on the applications recessed to November 11, 2001.
September 24, 2001 Council responded to the petitions requesting enactment of a moratorium in the US 15-501/Erwin Road/Sage Road areas. The Council chose not to enact a moratorium in the area, but instead to schedule a Work Session for January 23, 2002 for the purpose of further discussing the existing and projected conditions in the northeast section of Chapel Hill. Council agreed that processing and consideration of the Europa L’ Hotel Special Use Permit Modification and Europa Office Building Special Use Permit applications could proceed. Public Hearings on the applications recessed to November 12 , 2001.
November 12, 2001 Public Hearings began with the Council discussing the applicant’s 1996 Traffic Impact Statement. Council adopted resolution directing the applicant to submit a revised and updated traffic impact analysis. Public Hearings recessed to February 11, 2002 in order for the applicant to revise and update the traffic impact statement and to allow time for Town staff to review the information and report back to the Council.
February 11, 2002 Council reviewed revised Traffic Impact Analysis. Citizen comments focused on an intersection that was not studied in the Analysis, the intersection of Europa Drive and US 15-501 Service Road. Responding to a request from the Transportation Board to be able to review any new traffic information, Council referred the applications with the new Traffic Impact Analysis to the Transportation Board, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, and Planning Board. Public Hearings recessed to March 25, 2002.
March 25, 2002 Public Hearings recessed to April 22, 2002 to allow completion of traffic study at the intersection of Europa Drive and US 15-501 Service Road and review of revised traffic impact analysis by the Transportation Board, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, and Planning Board. (No evidence received on March 25, 2002.)
PROCESS
One issue for the Council to consider tonight is the applicant’s revised Traffic Impact Analysis (Attachment #1) and the Europa Drive and US 15-501Service Road intersection information (Attachment #2). This memorandum includes a summary of the revised traffic impact analysis, a summary of the analysis of the Europa Drive and US 15-501 Service Road intersection and staff’s comment on this information.
A second issue for the Council is the consideration of the accompanying memorandum for the Hotel L’ Europa Special Use Permit Modification (Item 7b). If the Council approves the Hotel L Europa application, then the third component of this package can be considered: the Europa Office Building Special Use Permit application (Item 7c). We note that Council consideration of the Europa Office Special Use Permit application (Item 7c) is dependent upon the Council first approving the application for the Hotel L’ Europa Special Use Permit Modification (Item 7b).
This memorandum includes a staff report on the revised traffic impact analysis and on the Europa Drive and US 15-501 Service Road intersection. We report in this memorandum our opinion that the findings of the analysis including the Europa and US 15-501 Service Road intersection are reasonable and that consideration of the following memoranda (Item 7b) and if applicable (Item 7c) is appropriate.
SUMMARY OF APPLICATIONS
The Hotel L’ Europa Special Use Permit Modification (Item 7b) application includes:
1) A proposal to reduce the overall area encumbered by the 1981 Special Use Permit boundary;
2) A request to divide the remaining Special Use Permit boundary area and associated developments, the Sheraton Hotel and the Village Office Park, into two separate Special Use Permits;
3) A request for the Council to modify the land use intensity and buffer requirements.
In order for the Council to approve the request for modification of requirements, the Council must find that “public purposes are satisfied to an equal or greater degree.”
The Europa Office Building Special Use Permit (Item 7c) application proposes construction of a 38,000 square foot, two-story office building with 108 on-site parking spaces on a 2.24-acre site.
Please see accompanying memoranda, Items 7b and 7c, for full description of the applications and discussion of issues raised during the May 14th and June 25th Public Hearings.
DISCUSSION OF TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS
The Traffic Impact Analysis for the proposed Europa Office Special Use Permit application was prepared by the Traffic Engineer Consultant retained by the Town in accordance with the Town’s traffic impact analysis guidelines. A copy of the Traffic Impact Analysis is attached to this memorandum (Attachment #1). This analysis was prepared in response to the Council’s November 11, 2001 resolution. The Council resolution also required Town staff to review the information and report back to the Council.
Additional information on the traffic operations at the intersection of Europa Drive and US 15-501 Service Road was also prepared by the Traffic Engineer Consultant retained by the Town in response to additional Council concerns raised at the February 11, 2002 Public Hearing. A copy of this additional information is attached to this memorandum (Attachment #2).
The purpose of the traffic impact analysis is to determine the impact on the surrounding transportation system of the additional traffic generated by the proposed Europa Office Building. The Europa Office Building Special Use Permit is on tonight’s agenda for possible action (accompanying Item 7c). The traffic analysis assumes that if approved and constructed, the development will be fully built out by the year 2003. Traffic volumes from two proposed developments in the area (Residence Inn Marriott and Jefferson Commons) were included in the analysis of future conditions. Also, future traffic conditions were calculated by applying an annual growth of 5% in background traffic.
Below is a brief summary of the findings of the initial traffic impact analysis, (Attachment #1), mitigation measures and recommendations, and staff comments. Following that is a brief summary of the Europa Drive and US 15-501 Service Road analysis (Attachment #2) and staff comment.
Traffic Impact Analysis-Summary: Based on the Traffic Impact Analysis report, capacity analysis indicates that the existing traffic signal located at the intersection of US 15-501 and Europa Drive/Erwin Road is currently operating acceptably (level of service: D) during the a.m. and mid-day peak hours, but deteriorates to an unacceptable level (Level of service: E) during the p.m. peak hour. We note that the North Carolina Department of Transportation is redesigning this intersection to provide a superstreet configuration. The submitted analysis indicates that all traffic signals associated with the superstreet design on US 15-501 will operate at acceptable levels of service (C) under background (2004), and combined (2004), traffic conditions during peak times. Please see the attached summary report of Traffic Impact Analysis for details of the trip generation and analysis of the existing and proposed conditions.
The findings of the Traffic Impact Analysis indicate that the additional traffic generated by the Europa Office Building is expected to have minimal impact on the surrounding roadway network with the improvements that are planned under the superstreet design, and the improvements that are deemed necessary regardless of whether the site is built out.
Analysis Mitigation Measures/Recommendations: The majority of suggested mitigation measures/recommended improvements noted in the analysis and summarized below, are the result of planned improvements, improvement committed to by this applicant, or other necessary improvements attributed to the significant background growth from the surrounding community.
· Planned Improvements (Superstreet): The intersection of US 15-501 and Europa Drive/Erwin Road will be modified by the North Carolina Department of Transportation under TIP U-4008. A superstreet design will be provided so that two-phase signals can be utilized to process the heavy traffic volumes along US 15-501. Movements (left and through) associated with Europa Drive and Erwin Road will basically be converted into u-turn movements at nearby median breaks.
· Improvements Committed to by Applicant: The analysis notes that an exclusive southbound left turn lane into the office development’s proposed driveway on Europa Drive should be provided as part of the proposed development in order to remove vehicles turning left into the site from the through lane. This left turn lane would also prevent left turning vehicles from impeding the progress of vehicles traveling southbound on Europa Drive. This improvement could be accomplished by re-striping the painted median that currently exists on Europa Drive between the Europa Center parking deck drive and the Sheraton’s southern drive as a left turn lane. The Europa Office Building applicant has proposed this turn lane as part of the Special Use Permit application.
· Other Necessary Improvements (Background Growth): In order to serve the heavy turning movements on Legion Road at the intersection with Ephesus Church Road, the analysis notes that an exclusive left turn lane is needed regardless of whether the proposed development is constructed. In addition to separating the left turning vehicles from the right turning vehicles, the left turn lane would also permit the right turn movement to be serviced under a protected green arrow, in conjunction with the protected southbound left turn movement on Ephesus Church Road. These improvements would require pavement widening and some minor signal modifications.
Comment: We concur with the findings of the analysis. In regard to improvements required of the applicant we offer the following: We agree with the analysis and the recommendation that the applicant provide a southbound left turn lane into the office development’s proposed driveway on Europa Drive. The applicant has offered this improvement. Additionally, we recommend that the applicant provide an exclusive eastbound left turn lane from Legion Road onto Europa Drive. Resolution A, B and C, attached to the Europa Special Use Permit memorandum (Item 7c) stipulates both improvements.
We also note that the traffic analysis finds that an exclusive west bound left turn lane, from Legion Road onto Ephesus Church Road, is needed regardless of whether the proposed development is constructed. Therefore the Manager’s Recommendation does not include this improvement.
Europa Drive and US 15-501Service Road Intersection Analysis-Summary: The capacity analysis indicates acceptable operating conditions at the intersection of Europa Drive and the US 15-501 Service Road. The minor movements and approaches are expected to experience minor delays and operate at a level of service (LOS) C or better during peak periods of the day.
Comment: We agree with the findings of the Traffic Engineer Consultant. The capacity analysis indicates a level of service C or better during peak periods of the day. The Service Road approach is expected to incur minor delays due to the proposed development in this area.
Recommendations
At the February 11, 2002 Public Hearing, the Council referred the Revised Traffic Impact Analysis to the Transportation Board, Planning Board, and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board. The Europa Road and US 15-501 Service Road intersection information was also available and reviewed. The latest Advisory Board recommendations are summarized below.
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board also recommended that the Council consider requiring the applicant to make a payment toward improvements to fill in the sidewalk gaps on Legion Road, given the increased pedestrian traffic that the project will generate in the area. Please refer to accompanying Item 7c for additional discussion on this recommendation.
Planning Board Recommendation: The Planning Board reviewed the traffic impact analysis and the Europa Road and US 15-501 Service Road information on April 2, 2002 and voted 8-0 to recommend that the Council approve the application for the Hotel L’ Europa/Village Office Park Special Use Permit Modification with conditions as recommended in Resolution B, the Planning Board’s Recommendation, dated February 11, 2002 and that the Council approve the application for Europa Office Building Special Use Permit with conditions as recommended in Resolution B, the Planning Board’s Recommendation, dated February 11, 2002. Please refer to the attached Summary of Action for additional information.
After the April 2, 2002 Planning Board meeting, the Mayor and Council received a letter from a Planning Board member concerning the individual member’s vote during the meeting. A copy of the letter is attached (Attachment #5) to this memorandum.
Transportation Board Recommendation: The Transportation Board was scheduled to review this item on April 16. We will provide the Council with a copy of the Transportation Board’s Summary of Action as soon as it is available.
Manager’s Recommendation: Based on our evaluation and the evidence presented at the Public Hearings, we believe that it is reasonable to proceed with consideration of the two applications currently before the Council.