Agenda - Council - 08/08/2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Breanne Dalnes From: Matt Tews [Matt @TewsInteractive.com] Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2006 2:38 PM To: Breanne Dalnes Subject: Concerns regarding the proposed intersection on 151st Lane NW Breanne: Could you kindly forward this e-mail into the communications to the Planning Committee and City Council for me? Thank you in advance. To all it may concern: Separate from a variety of other concerns I have regarding the proposed Sky Pointe development, I would like to restate some very major concerns I have regarding the plan to create a new intersection where it appears . to be currently proposed in LHB's revised concept sketch. I am a resident with a driveway immediately across from the proposed. intersection. I'll admit to having personal reasons not to have the new intersection immediately across from the front of my house and my driveway, but those aside, I would like to point out for your consideration and discussion that the slope and bend in 151st Lane poses some very serious safety concerns that need to be addressed if a new road in its proposed location remains a part of the planning going forward. The upward /downward pitch of 151 at the proposed intersection site is already particularly hazardous in the Winter and early Spring. Although this section of the street is plowed and often sanded well, attempts to slow to a stop before making a turn, or attempts to start moving up the slope from a stand -still are very often too difficult to perform without several attempts. This section of the street receives very little sun making a thorough 'melt' of the snow /ice coating nearly impossible. We do get partial melting from the street surface to the East (immediately above the steepest pitch), but any moisture produced flows back down into the shaded, frozen section compounding the traction issues. It has never been an issue of type of vehicle nor condition of the tires in use. 1 have personally witnessed large refuse trucks, postal vans, and UPS /FedEx delivery trucks at one time or another making multiple attempts to regain enough momentum from a stand -still to complete the short climb to the top of the slope. I made it a point to speak with the drivers from UPS (1), FedEx (1), Ace Refuse (1) and USPS (2) who have all affirmed to me that the slope is one of the more challenging on their routes to negotiate. I have contacted the main offices for each of these services /businesses, and while I did receive some verbal support for my claims, none so far have been willing or able to go on record with any kind of safety advisory statement. This past Spring, the fire hydrant near the bottom of the slope (approximately 30yds West of the proposed intersection site) was taken out by a vehicle which lost control and slipped off the (currently) straight section of 151St. I fear the same type of 'mishaps' will occur on a regular basis if any amount of regular traffic is expected to stop and make a turn in the middle of the current slope. I can call the hydrant a 'mishap' because as far as I know, there were no injuries or deaths that occurred from the accident. Had there been pedestrians or other vehicles in place of the hydrant, the event could have ended very differently. Again as a resident who has made thousands of left-hand turns off of and right -hand turns onto 151st at this exact section of the street, I cannot express clearly enough how strongly I feel that a intersection at or near this point on 151S Lane is unthinkably, irresponsibly wrong. I know this for fact...1 make these turns nearly every day of the year. My fear is that if - by some chance - the new intersection looks good enough on paper to get approved and it gets installed, there may be numerous accidents /tragedies and we will be without any real recourse to correct the situation. I would like to strongly urge that this particular portion of the development be evaluated early on by any /all experts who may have valuable insights and opinions. Please take the above comments into serious consideration if the proposed development nears an approval stage where the location of the intersection is included. Thank you. -Matt 6/29/2006 -255-