Agenda - Planning Commission - 03/03/2005

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there needed to be more· than one access'into !the .Mallard Ponds development and that the gated access at Argon Street be removed. Howeve?, the; Committee also recommended that local resident input on this proposal be ~olici~ed and;that some traffic modifications be considered to minimize traffic from outside the ~neighborh°,°d.. City Engineer Jankowski indicated staffwou!d support the posting of a sign south of the intersection of 142nd Avenue on Argon Street stating "No Through Traffic - Private Street" to discourage public travel: through t!ie Mallari:l pOnds subdivision as was suggested by a neighborhood resident at the Pub!i¢ Works Meeting. Staff has also prepared a preliminary analysis of the traffic impacts caU,S,,ed byth6 e, losure of 142nd Street between Argon Street and the private back road serving the comr~erclal ProPerties on the west side of TH 47. This information has been included in the Council,'s, pack, et.· .This ,was a suggested remedy to discourage public travel through this neighborhood ~at was p?es6nted at the Public Works Committee meeting. He advised staff recommends that the,City Council support the closure of the Barium Street access onto CR 116. This closure will.beiinc!uded on the plans for the cR116 project. 8taffalso recommends that the City begin d~cussi0n, s witli the Mallard Ponds Homeowners Association for the removal of the gated access acrOss-Argon;Street. He noted one email was received from a resident in opposition of opening the gate. Councilmember Elvig explained the Public'W0rks Committee did not formally bring ~his forward for Council consideration:because,they did not hear from all the residents at the meeting. Councilmember Cook stated it would cause a vast improvement if 142nd Avenue were closed down. It is not only an issue with. removing ~egate, but also when talking about the 142nd Avenue and Highway 47 intersection there is:a great deal of concern about people coming in on Dysprosium Street and going dom to 1'42 Avenue and causing more traffic on Highway 47. They should look into closing 1'42 Avenue offand keeping'the residents on one side and the businesses on the other side. Assistant Public Works Director Olson concurred. Judy Mack, 5352 140th Lane NW·in Mallard Estates Townhomes,' ~tated when Mallard Estates was first developed a proposal was presented,for an open egress at Argon Street, and that was denied. They were told to come back with Somehhing that would work,'and the result was closing off Argon Street and making Mall~dEStates a private drive. She stated their streets are not of regulation size. As it is noW, the Ass. ociati0n has to have a letter on file to just have someone come down to move carS;away from .the fire lane that is posted. The City is now talking about bringing in additional vehicles tO an a. rea-that only leaves the emergency lane available when a car is parked on one side 'of the street.I It is not engineered or designed as a road; it is a private drive in a private estate area. It is ao extension of their driveways. There is not enough land to bring it up to code. She Stated it is like the City is trying to take something private, and make it public, and by doing that, in essence it is 4ike they are allowing people to trespass on the property. This is private grounds; the Association carries liability insurance on this property, including the drive, and the. City is!asking tfiem to open that up. The liability ·insurance will cost an arm and leg if the Association clan even get it, .and it is not going to work well at all. One of City Counieil/February 8, 2005 , -Page7of30 P47