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Home My WebLink About1990-09-25 - AGENDA REPORTS - VACATE PORTION RAILROAD AVE (2)• AGENDA REPORT City Manager Approval Item to be presented by- PUBLIC HEARING John E. Medina DATE: September 25, 1990 SUBJECT: RAILROAD AVENUE - REQUEST FOR VACATION DEPARTMENT: Public Works BACKGROUND The City received a request from Bill and Marie Foster, owners of property at the northeast corner of Railroad Avenue and San Fernando Road to vacate the road easement on Railroad Avenue between San Fernando Road and 4th Street. The attached diagram depicts the area of this request. At your July 24, 1990 meeting, the Council postponed action on a staff recommendation to grant this request. Council, at that time, suggested. a more detailed analysis of the possible future use of Railroad Avenue as a by-pass route for San Fernando Road. A one-way.operation is envisioned. Staff has conducted a detailed evaluation of current traffic conditions along San Fernando Road to determine any capacity or safety constraints. This study concluded that the segment of San Fernando Road between 5th Street and Lyons Avenue is operating at an acceptable level of service. The study also concluded that -left turn demand at the minor intersections in the commercial area was low and did not contribute significantly to either delay or increased accident potential. Furthermore, the overall accident history was shown to be favorable for the amount of traffic accommodated. For these reasons, the study did not recommend any immediate. changes to the roadway geometrics or parking arrangements. While the study did not find any significant operating deficiencies along San Fernando Road, there are reasons to believe that future traffic patterns would be substantially different. With the recent improvements along San Fernando Road south of 5th Street and planned improvements north of Lyons Avenue, there is a strong possibility that traffic demands will increase along the length of San Fernando Road. We believe that there is presently a significant volume of traffic on San Fernando Road north of Lyons Avenue which chooses to use Lyons Avenue for access to the I-5 Freeway. We also see a significant volume of traffic -using Newhall Avenue to by-pass the Newhall commercial area along San Fernando Road. Continued To: ► -'t2 r Agenda Item: O 0 Railroad Avenue • Vacation Page 2 There are a number of options available to accept this future traffic demand. One option would be the construction of Rio Vista as a parallel route to the east. Rio Vista could act as an alternative to San Fernando Road through any of the various routes being considered. Other more direct and possibly less costly options are discussed below: 1. By removing parking on one side of San Fernando Road, a 4' raised .or striped median could be installed. This would eliminate left turns in and out of mid -block driveways. It would also be recommended to prohibit left turns . or U-turns at each of the intersections at 6th Street, 8th Street, and 9th Street. Left turns would be allowed at Market Street where short (about 100' in length) left -tum pockets would be provided. This would necessitate the prohibition of parking on both sides of San Fernando Road for 200-250' both north and south of Market Street. Only about 35 percent of the total parking on San Fernando Road would be retained. 2. By removing parking on both sides of San -Fernando Road, a two-way left -tum lane could be striped the entire length between 5th Street and Lyons Avenue. This would provide free movement in and out of mid -block driveways and reduce potential conflicts at intersections. These considerations would be justified by identifiable increases in traffic volumes, accident rates, or intersection turning movement volume. Both alternatives would reduce the number of expected accidents involving left turning vehicles and allow for wider travel lanes. Consequently, these improvements would be expected to create better traffic flow through the area. These alternatives are shown in cross-section on the attached diagram (Figure 1). Other more costly options would involve the widening of San Fernando Road between 5th Street and Lyons Avenue by four feet on either side. This proposal would narrow the sidewalks from 12 to 8 feet. This roadway section would allow two lanes in each direction continuous left turn opportunities and parking on one side of the street. We believe that any proposal that eliminated significant on -street parking would be met with strenuous objections from the merchants in the area. Off-street parking could be developed in conjunction with any proposal to off -set the lost parking. Railroad Avenue Vacation Page 3 Another option would be to develop Railroad Avenue as an alternative -route to San Fernando Road. The most viable geometric would be a one-way couplet. Railroad Avenue would be the northbound element from south of 4th Street to north of Lyons Avenue. San Fernando Road would be the southbound roadway within these limits. A 60 foot right-of-way on Railroad Avenue would accommodate a 48 foot one-way roadway which would support three through driving lanes, parking on the sides and a ten foot parkway on the west side.Any variation of this width which allows extra width for turn lanes with parking restrictions at intersections would be acceptable. The existing 56 foot roadway width on San Fernando Road could accommodate three through traffic lanes and parallel parking at both curbs. This width could also accommodate extra approach lanes at intersections if desired, if parking is prohibited in those areas. In order to effect a good alignment of Railroad Avenue, a 60. foot roadway easement would be needed between 6th Street and 8th Street. The area needed is presently railroad right-of-way. It is currently occupied by a nursery and storage. There are no significant private improvements. The existing Railroad Avenue easement between 6th Street and 8th Street could be developed as off-street parking. Such a use could also be used to provide needed access to the property abutting the west side- of the current Railroad Avenue easement. There would be a narrow (10 foot) strip of property now under railroad control (between Railroad Avenue and the proposed road easement that could be incorporated.into the off-street parking lot). This proposal could be partially financed under a street lighting and landscaping assessment district. We believe that the Railroad Avenue one-way couplet concept with attendant off-street parking between 6th Street and 8th Street has considerable merit. It could be accomplished at an estimated (rough) cost of $600,000 including roadway easements from the railroad between 6th and 8th Streets. For this reason, we recommend that all existing road easements along Railroad Avenue be retained and that the request for vacation be denied. ATTACHMENTS Area Map Diagram of Alternatives /gmm 0 CITY OF SANTA CLARITA . NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO ORDER THE VACATION OF RAILROAD AVENUE AT 4TH STREET AND SAN FERNANDO ROAD IN THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN: A Public Hearing will be held before the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita to order the vacation of Railroad Avenue at 4th Street. and San Fernando Road in the City of Santa Clarita. This item will be heard by the City Council in the City Hall Council Chambers, 23920 Valencia Blvd., lst Floor, the 24th day of July, 1990, at or after 6:30 p.m. Proponents, opponents, and any interested persons may appear and be heard on. this matter at that time. Further information may be obtained by contacting the City Clerk's Office, Santa Clarita City Hall, 23920 Valencia Blvd., Suite 300. Dated: June 27, 1990 George Caravalho City Clerk Publish Date:• July 3, 1990 July 10, 1990 • PUBLIC HEARING PROCEDURE • 1. Mayor Opens Hearing a. States Purpose of Hearing 2. City Clerk Reports on Hearing Notice 3. Staff Report (City Manager) or (City Attorney) or (RP.Staff) 4. Proponent Argument (30 minutes) 5. Opponent Argument (30 minutes) 6. Five-minute Rebuttal (Proponent) a. Proponent 7. Mayor Closes Public Testimony 8. Discussion by Council 9. Council Decision 10. 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