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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BPW-2005-08-10Approved on November 8, 2006 Board of Public Works Meeting j:\committee files\bpw\2005\8-10-05 bpw minutes.doc BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS PROCEEDINGS CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 4:45 p.m. August 10, 2005 PRESENT: Mayor Peterson Commissioners (4) – Chapman, Jenkins, Romanoff, Schlather (arrived at 5:40 p.m.) OTHERS PRESENT: Superintendent of Public Works – Gray Assistant Superintendent of Streets and Facilities – Ferrel Assistant Superintendent of Water and Sewer – Fabbroni Common Council Liaison – Coles DAC Liaison – Roberts Executive Assistant – Grunder Fay Gougakis – 406 Utica Street Marcia Fort – GIAC Director Gary Samuels – Court Street Resident EXCUSED: Commissioner Dotson 1. Pledge of Allegiance Mayor Peterson led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag. Meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m. 2. Approval of Minutes – No minutes to approve. 3. Additions or Deletions to Agenda Supt. Gray informed the Board that the proposed resolution 12A. Residential Parking on Irving Place that was to be supplied per the agenda has been distributed. 13A. Stewart Park Pavilion Resolution. This resolution was also distributed to the Board. 4. Mayor’s Communications Mayor Peterson distributed a copy of an editorial from the Ithaca Journal called “Nickeled, Dimed and Quartered Out of Town” which urged readers to contact the Mayor with their feelings about the parking downtown. Email received to date was also distributed. 5. Communications and hearings from persons before the Board Fay Gougakis, 406 Utica Street, expressed her concerns to the Board regarding a number of issues:  The City’s difference in opinion or division regarding the Green Street Garage.  Will the proposed movie complex be successful?  The lack of security of the City Hall.  Speeding on Cayuga Street  Motorists using cell phones while driving – police not pulling them over  The front entrance of Seneca Place  Route 13 sidewalks Marcia Fort, 236 Floral Avenue. She spoke as the Director of GIAC, 318 North Albany Street:  The intersection of Court and Albany left out of the plans for raised intersections.  She urged the City to reconsider this.  Plans to change pickup/drop-off location at Beverly J. Martin will only add traffic on Court Street. Approved on November 8, 2006 Board of Public Works Meeting J:\Committee Files\BPW\2005\8-10-05 bpw minutes.DOC 2 Gary Samuels, 426 West Court Street:  Court Street is the most concentrated little area of pedestrian traffic.  He can see a bad situation just waiting to happen without the equivalent curb outs and raised sidewalks on Court Street.  He asked the Board to rethink Court Street’s raised crosswalks and curb outs. Mary Tomlan, 211 Delaware Avenue, Common Council Member:  She acknowledged the work of the Board of Public Works Members, the Mayor, and Steve Thayer for their efforts regarding parking rates in Collegetown.  She is glad to see that Collegetown rates will be brought closer to downtown.  Tomlan then made a brief comment on the residential parking permit system (RPPS) application. Looking at the expansion of the entire parking permit system, the City will be looking at proposals for RPPS for downtown neighborhoods.  She urged two additions if the Board would be voting in favor of the 100 Block of Irving Place resolution.  Due to the nature of the time restriction currently on the 100 block of Irving Place, it doesn’t usually get commuter parkers. She gave her suggestions to modify the Irving Place resolution, which was then voted on by the Board. 6. Response to Public Court and Buffalo Streets Assistant Superintendent Ferrel made the following comments regarding Court Street and Buffalo Street:  These streets are a little bit different in that there are two four-way stops on Court Street one block apart. One is at Albany and Court, and the next block is east at Geneva and Court.  Plans were to mill and pave Court from Linn Street down to Albany this year. That has since fallen off the plate due to other projects.  There will be no paving in the Albany/Court Street intersection for this year.  The Plain/Court Street intersection will be reconstructed. This intersection will be a raised intersection.  NYSEG’s schedules have been behind which forces us to be behind even starting our work there.  They will complete 400 Block this week then they will go to the 300 Block coming up only half way.  We plan to pave only up to the area that NYSEG excavated this year.  He understands the concerns of another raised intersection. Superintendent Gray made the following statements:  There were several neighborhood groups involved in the discussion of this plan (raised intersections) with priorities set within each group.  There was only a certain amount of money.  The intent was to have new traffic circles in each neighborhood.  Common Council increased the budget at least twice due to the large push for these traffic-calming methods.  The bids were substantially more than originally expected when the neighborhoods were trying to set priorities. Superintendent Gray further stated that:  He agreed with Assistant Superintendent Ferrel that Buffalo Street is different than Court Street.  Court Street has about half the volume than Buffalo Street.  By putting one raised intersection in, the traffic patterns would be more easily identified.  By putting all four in at once would not give an accurate finding of the impact. If all were effective, and the traffic stays where it was, would not help us determine what to do in the future. The process doesn’t end. Approved on November 8, 2006 Board of Public Works Meeting J:\Committee Files\BPW\2005\8-10-05 bpw minutes.DOC 3 Commissioner Chapman responded that if one looks back on the history of this, the Buffalo Street curb extensions were in the plan from the beginning. He further commented that he doesn’t think that traffic will move from Buffalo Street to Court Street. Buffalo Street is used more often due to its accessibility to Trumansburg and West Hill as well as up the hill to Collegetown and Cornell. Commissioner Romanoff commented on what Superintendent Gray pointed out. The traffic circles are so new to the Ithaca area. They really are a test to see how they work inside the City. DAC Liaison Roberts told the group that the DAC is very much in favor of the traffic calming plans. RPPS and Irving Place When asked by Mayor Peterson whether Tomlan was in favor of the Irving Place resolution, she stated she wasn’t sure. The alternative as Tim Logue has explained it; is to take off the 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. prohibition and then see if there are 75% parked up by commuters and then go for the RPPS. Alderperson Coles then asked if there is a parallel to the downtown parking and East Hill. Tomlan responded that the concern she raised with down town was because there was an overlap with the East Hill parking area. The potential of two separate sets of regulations could possibly mean that someone could live in lower East Hill and be part of two separate areas. She’s looking for consistency across the City. As you enlarge the potential number of streets, things should be applied fairly and evenly. Bill Gray responded that his impression of the residential parking permit system (RPPS) is that it certainly addressed commuter parking in the residential neighborhoods, but that is a side impact. It also distributes the parking load from areas where houses are being converted over and develop even higher parking demand. 7. Report of Council Liaison – Nothing to report. 8. Report of Superintendent and Staff Rick Ferrel, Assistant Superintendent of Streets and Facilities, addressed the Board with what his work crews have been doing:  Milled and Repaved East State Street from the City line down to Bridge Street. Street has been opened.  Milled two (2) sections of Forest Home Drive.  Albany Street – tacked on milling and paving onto traffic calming contract.  Intersections Buffalo/Corn and Buffalo/Albany are scheduled to reopen next Monday.  At the same time, the intersection of Buffalo/Plain will close down to do the raised-intersection work  400 Block of Court Street – NYSEG has been excavating for a new sewer pipe.  Washington Street – South of the Esty Street intersection, NYSEG found contamination in the intersection as they moved toward Court Street on Washington – DEC is having them do some excavation work on the north side of the Esty Street intersection just past the first driveway – a 24-inch sugar maple tree had to be removed.  First Street – crews started reconstruction over the W&S work from Adams to Hancock Street and around the corner on Adams over to Alice Miller Way.  Paving crew will be broken up after Forest Home Drive and move to Court Street. 9. Report of Other Department Heads – Nothing to report. 10. Buildings, Properties, Refuse, and Transit – Nothing to report. Approved on November 8, 2006 Board of Public Works Meeting J:\Committee Files\BPW\2005\8-10-05 bpw minutes.DOC 4 11. Highways, Streets, and Sidewalks A. Uniform Sidewalk Improvements – 300 Block of Elmira Road Moved by Commissioner Schlather, seconded by Commissioner Romanoff. WHEREAS, the Board seeks a comprehensive sidewalk installation program along Elmira Road to the City’s Southwest boundary which will provide continuous pedestrian access along this corridor, and WHEREAS, the Board feels that recent development along the 300 Block necessitates the completion of the sidewalk network at this time to provide safe alternative forms of travel as well as to accommodate existing pedestrian demand in the area, and WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works has held a public hearing for the purposes of directing uniform sidewalk improvements along the 300 Block of Elmira Road following notice to the adjacent property owners as required by Section C-73 of the City Charter, and WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works wishes to accomplish this work in the most cooperative manner possible, that minimizes the costs to all parties, while producing a safe network of sidewalks in a timely manner, now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Board of Public Works directs staff to provide written notice to the adjacent property owners along the 300 Block that the Board gives them until May 15, 2006, to have installed sidewalks which meet the City standards and which conform to the proposed Uniform Sidewalk Improvements, after which time the Board will seek bids and award a contract to complete the Uniform Sidewalk Improvements, and be it further RESOLVED, that the Board directs staff to assist the property owners while issuing sidewalk permits which expire no later than May 15, 2006, and to have in place bid documents for June 1. 2006, which when awarded will complete the improvements by September 1, 2006, and be it further RESOLVED, that the Board directs staff to undertake a second 2005 sidewalk contract in other areas of the City where a back log of priority sidewalk work or existing notices are already in place. Carried Unanimously 5-0 12. Parking and Traffic A. Irving Place 100 Block Residential Parking Permit System Application Moved by Commissioner Romanoff (with additional language marked in bold); seconded by Commissioner Schlather WHEREAS, on June 9, 2004, the Board of Public Works (BPW) adopted regulations for the Residential Parking Permit System, which was established by Common Council on May 6, 1998, to assist residential neighborhoods in the vicinity of Cornell University to manage the volume of commuter parking, and WHEREAS, the City Clerk’s Office received a residential parking permit petition from the residents of the eligible 100 block of Irving Place on June 30, 2005, and WHEREAS, the BPW regulations require the City Traffic Engineer to conduct a parking survey over two separate days during average weekly peak hours to determine that at least 75% of the legally available parking spaces are being utilized, and WHEREAS, current parking regulations on the 100 block of Irving Place prohibit parking on the west side of the street between the hours of 12pm and 3pm and prohibit parking on the east side of the street at all times, and WHEREAS, these parking regulations will in all likelihood prevent a parking survey from showing the required commuter utilization in this block, and Approved on November 8, 2006 Board of Public Works Meeting J:\Committee Files\BPW\2005\8-10-05 bpw minutes.DOC 5 WHEREAS, residential parking permit regulations have been adopted on many of the streets surrounding the 100 block of Irving Place, including blocks on the east side of Ithaca Road, which showed the required parking utilization levels, now therefore be it, RESOLVED, that the Board of Public Works hereby waives the parking utilization requirement for the 100 block of Irving Place and accepts the utilization studies from surrounding blocks as adequate proof of parking demand in this block. Carried Unanimously 5-0 B. 2005 City Parking Garage and Meter Rate Adjustment Moved by Commissioner Schlather, seconded by Commissioner Jenkins. WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works adopted new rates for parking meters and the City’s parking garages at its meeting of December 15, 2004, which were intended to cover 2005, and WHEREAS, observations by members of Common Council, Board of Public Works, and City staff as well as comments from Collegetown Merchants about the utilization of the Collegetown facility, in addition to problems with staffing, operations, and equipment at that garage have led the Board’s Parking Subcommittee to recommend several rate changes, now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Board of Public Works makes the following adjustments and additions to the rates adopted December 15, 2004;  Addition – Lost Ticket Fee at all locations  A minimum-parking fee of $20.00 shall be charged to all vehicles requesting to exit the garage, which are unable to produce a valid parking ticket.  The City reserves the right to charge a higher parking fee to any vehicle which has been known to be parked for an extended period of time such that the number of observed days times the maximum daily fee for the facility produces a charge greater than $20.00 (e.g. 4 days in the Seneca Garage at $7.00/day is a charge of $28.00 to exit). This fee will be charged for that vehicle even if the driver produces a valid parking ticket, which would otherwise produce a fee less than the calculated charge.  Modifications  Hourly Rate at Dryden Road Garage  Existing rate = $1.25/hour Proposed rate = $1.00/hour  Parking Meters in Collegetown  Existing Rate = $1.25/hour Proposed Rate = $1.00/hour And be it further, RESOLVED, that additions and modifications will be posted and become effective August 15, 2005, and be it further RESOLVED, that staff is directed to hand out an information sheet to garage patrons concerning the Lost Ticket Policy for a period appropriate to the particular facilities’ operations in order to inform the patrons, but in no case for a period less than two weeks. Carried 4-1 Ayes (Romanoff, Schlather, Jenkins, Peterson) Nays (Chapman), Absent (Dotson) 13, Creeks, Bridges, and Parks A. Request for Waiver of Stewart Park Pavilion Fee Approved on November 8, 2006 Board of Public Works Meeting J:\Committee Files\BPW\2005\8-10-05 bpw minutes.DOC 6 Moved by Commissioner Romanoff; seconded by Commissioner Jenkins WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works has received a request from the City’s Picnic Committee to waive the pavilion fee at Stewart Park for the City of Ithaca Employee Recognition Picnic on Friday, September 16, 2005, now therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Board of Public Works approves waiving the fee for the use of the large pavilion at Stewart Park for the City of Ithaca Employee Recognition Picnic on September 16, 2005. Carried Unanimously 5-0 ADJOURNMENT Motioned by Commissioner Schlather; Seconded by Commissioner Jenkins. Meeting was adjourned at 6:58 p.m. ____________________________ ___________________________ Deborah A. Grunder Carolyn K. Peterson Executive Assistant Mayor