Residents object to 2005 study, hamel fears turn lane might cause confusion

“We don’t see this as a problem,” said Kevin Dhal, the developer’s representative. He explained that Terra Bella Parkway is a local street with a very limited amount of traffic that’s more for convenience than access. The main access is Victoria Way.

“My recommendation is take out the turn lane and just make it two lanes,” Hamel said, adding that otherwise, it “could be confusing. Who knows who’s in the right of way?”

Some area residents continued to express concerns with traffic and objected to the age of the study. Patrick Van Dyne Hoven, a 38th Place resident who would be adjacent to the proposed subdivision, urged the commission to look at the “big picture,” which includes all proposed 105 lots, and not just the 25 lots that are part of Unit 2.

He also pointed out that the traffic was done in 2005, when his house hadn’t been built. “In my personal opinion, a traffic study done in 2005 currently would not be valid.”

Van Dyne Hoven stated that an updated traffic study should be done to include the homes and traffic currently there.

Miguel Lopez, who lives next to Van Dyne Hoven on 38th Place, agreed with Hamel that there should be another entrance on Avenue 5½ E, “not only one but perhaps two.” He also noted that the traffic study was done when there were almost no homes in the area. The entire subdivision, with all phases built out, would mean 105 new homes and with at least two cars per house, potentially translating to a couple of hundred new cars in the area.

“The ones that end up paying the consequences are going to be the ones that stay there. The subdivision owners, they just want to do it fast, I can understand that, but we are going to end up residing there,” Lopez said.

Al Wharton, another 38th Place resident, said he was more concerned with plans to bury a canal, which he believes would greatly impact traffic flow. “I do believe a traffic study 16 years old, although still accurate, shouldn’t carry that much weight,” he said.

Wharto noted that the neighborhood has several children who play outside. “We worry about our children,” he said.

Dahl insisted that the quantity of cars won’t change. “We’re talking about an internal intersection, 100 vehicles in a subdivision. This study accounted for the whole 80 acres. If this development had gone forward and the economy didn’t crash, it would have been developed, we wouldn’t be talking about it now. Traffic flow hasn’t changed. It’s still the same subdivision,” he explained.

“This developer has gone through the process and met all the requirements of the subdivision code,” Dahl added.

Hamel said he was still concerned about the north half of the subdivision. “If someone is living in that north half, you’re going to get a large amount of traffic probably coming in from the east or the south. That’s a long way to be driving around with an awful lot of cars,” he said. “I personally would have liked to see an entrance coming in from 5½ E, between a couple houses.” He acknowledged that the developer would have to redesign that portion but that it would slow traffic down.

Commissioner Joshua Scott addressed concerns with the age of the traffic study, noting that it took into account the entire buildout. “Whether it happens in one year or ten years, the traffic numbers won’t change. To Andrew’s point, with the slowdown, it did take time to develop, that’s why we’re so far down the road, but still valid.”

Although, agreeing with Hamel, he would have liked to see an Avenue 5½ E entrance or another one to serve the north part of the subdivision, the final plat met the required conditions, he said.

Scott then motioned for approval of the final plat; Commissioner Barbara Beam seconded the motion. It was approved with a 4-1 vote.