HomeMy WebLinkAbout17 - General Plan Update Circulation SystemCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item No. 17
September 13, 2005
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Planning Department
Gregg Ramirez, Senior Planner
(949) 644 -3219, gramirezcD city. newaort- beach. ca. us
SUBJECT: Review of General Plan Update Circulation System and Selection of
Project Description for Environmental Impact Report
ISSUE:
What is the "Preferred Alternative Circulation Element System" that the City Council
desires to be used in the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the General Plan
update?
RECOMMENDATION:
Review the recommendations from the Planning Commission and staff /consultant team
and provide direction on which future roadway improvements should be included in
preparing the EIR.
DISCUSSION:
In addition to the land use alternatives approved for study in the General Plan Update
Environmental Impact Report, the selection of a Preferred Alternative Circulation
Element System must be made for the traffic analysis. For the purposes of the study, a
partially constrained future roadway network that includes the development of the 19th
Street Bridge and the widening of Coast Highway to 6 through lanes through Mariner's
Mile has been recommended by the City's traffic consultant. At its meeting of August 30,
2005, the Planning Commission voted to recommend that study also include the
extension of 15th Street to Coast Highway in order to adequately study impacts should
Banning Ranch ultimately be developed.
The resultant traffic study will analyze the selected preferred land use alternatives
against both the existing conditions and a partially constrained future system that
includes those improvements selected tonight by the City Council. A letter from the
City's traffic consultant, Urban Crossroads, that includes a brief discussion of the
General Plan Update - Circulation
Page 2
recommendation as well as a listing of major roadway improvements eliminated form
the traffic model when creating the 'constrained roadway system" used for the Land
Use Alternative analysis is attached.
Environmental Review:
This action is the selection of a circulation system that will be used for the EIR on the
updated General Plan. No environmental review is required for this action.
Prepared by:
Submitted by:
Gregg FlarNrez, enior Plan r Sharon Wood, Assistant City Manager
Attachments:
A. System Recommendation Letter from Urban Crossroads
ATTACHMENT A
System Recommendation Letter from Urban Crossroads
3
41 Corporate Park Suite 300 Irvine, CA 92606 949.660.1994 main 949.660.1911 fax w mrbanxroadsAom
August 26, 2005
Mr. Elwood Tescher
EIP ASSOCIATES
12301 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 430
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Subject: Preferred Alternative Circulation Element (Roadway) System
Assumptions
Dear Mr. Tescher:
The General Plan Preferred Alternative that will be analyzed in the environmental
impact report (EIR) will consist of a combination of a Preferred Land Use alternative and
a Preferred Alternative Circulation Element (Roadway) system alternative. This letter
provides our recommendation regarding the Preferred Alternative Circulation Element
roadway system.
For the traffic analysis of the land use alternatives developed by the General Plan
Advisory Committee (GPAC), the General Plan Update Committee approved the use of
a "constrained network" as an assumption in the traffic model This constrained network
was developed in response to visioning process input that residents want to minimize
further widening and extension of the arterial roadway system, as well as staff and
consultant information on roadway improvements that are uncertain due to political or
funding issues. Key roadway changes reflected in the constrained network (versus the
Currently Adopted General Plan Circulation Element) include:
• No extension of the SR -55 Freeway
• No widening of Coast Highway through Mariner's Mile
• No extension of 19th Street across the Santa Ana River
• No widening of Jamboree Road north of Ford Road
4
Mr. Elwood Tescher
EIP ASSOCIATES
August 26, 2005
Page 2
• No grade separation at MacArthur Boulevard /Jamboree Road
No extension of 17th Street
• No extension of 15th Street to Coast Highway
For the EIR project description, our opinion is that the most prudent approach is to
reflect a relatively constrained future system that reflects political and financial realities.
However, it is also desirable to include future roadway infrastructure that is likely to be
needed to serve future traffic demand. If desired, elimination of these improvements can
be adequately analyzed through additional sensitivity analysis, after the model runs
using the preferred roadway system are complete.
Based on the aforementioned criteria, it is recommended that the Preferred Alternative
Circulation Element roadway system analyzed in the EIR be largely consistent with the
constrained network that was used to evaluate the preliminary alternatives, with the
following exceptions:
The Igth Street / Hamilton Avenue connection / crossing of the Santa Ana
River should be included.
• Widening of Coast Highway to 6 through lanes through Mariner's Mile
(Newport Boulevard to Dover Drive) should be included.
Future traffic deficiencies that would require local roadway widening above and beyond
the currently adopted Circulation Element roadway system can be expected in the
absence of these roadway additions / widenings. It is our opinion that, if necessary, the
overall analysis can still be structured in a manner that addresses the elimination of
these improvements in a manner that adequately addresses the environmental analysis
requirements associated with the General Plan update. This will allow the decision -
making process to explicitly consider the need for these specific improvements.
�J
Mr. Elwood Tescher
EIP ASSOCIATES
August 26, 2005
Page 3
Urban Crossroads, Inc. is pleased to provide this letter summarizing our guidance
related to the General Plan update process. Please feel free to contact me at (949) 660-
1994 x210 if you wish to discuss this matter further.
Sincerely,
V /I�►i� � �r�
Carleton Waters, P.E.
Principal
CW:mg
J N:01232 -20
Attachment
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