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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMins-PWC-2-18-21MINUTES CITY OF DOWNEY - PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE Special Meeting February 18, 2021 MEMBERS PRESENT CITY STAFF PRESENT Timothy J. Horn, Dist. 1 Delfino R. Consunji, Director of PW/City Engineer Beth Gendreau, Dist. 2 Edwin J. Norris, Deputy Director of PW Philip Lee Squire, Dist. 3 Gigi Rodriguez, Engineering Div. Secretary, PW Carlos Aranibar, Dist. 3 Sgt. Mark Caswell Adam Christin, Dist. 4 Dorothy Pemberton, Dist. 5 Vacant, Dist. 5 MEMBERS ABSENT Others Present Madison Munguia, Dist. 2 – absent Raebert Street Residents Denny Chavez, Dist. 1 - absent Bryan Hayman Dan Fox, Dist. 4 - excused I. CALL TO ORDER: Public Works Committee Chair Gendreau called the meeting to order at 4:05 P.M. II. CONSENT CALENDAR: Committee Member Pemberton made a motion to approve the Minutes of the January 21, 2020 meeting. The motion was seconded by Committee Member Squire. The Minutes were approved unanimously as written. III. PUBLIC COMMENT ON REGULAR MEETING AGENDA ITEMS Written/In Person comments from residents on Raebert Street regarding parking and safety issues. Mr. Bryan Hayman comment regarding the importance of planting trees in empty tree wells throughout the City. IV. OLD BUSINESS: None V. NEW BUSINESS 1. Presentation on the Urban Forest Management Plan and Street Tree Master Plan Mr. Consunji gave a brief background regarding management and maintenance of trees throughout the City then introduced Mr. Ryan Allen Dudek of Dudek Co. Mr. Dudek gave a presentation on the Urban Forest Management Plan and Street Tree Master Plan. Discussion followed. MINUTES OF THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE February 18, 2021 Page 2 Chair Gendreu made a motion to receive and file the Urban Forest Management Plan and Street Tree Master Plan presentation. The motion was approved unanimously. 2. Residential Preferential Parking District on the North and South sides of Raebert Street between Vultee Avenue and Corrigan Avenue Mr. Norris reported that a request was received in 2019 for the establishment of a preferential parking district and overnight parking restriction between the hours of 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. on the 9040-9070 block of Raebert Street between Vultee Avenue and Corrigan Avenue due to overflow parking from other nearby uses. A parking study was conducted on May 24, 2019 in compliance with the Downey Municipal Code preferential parking ordinance which showed that 100% of the on-street parking spaces on the subject portion of Raebert Street were occupied at the time of the survey and that 80% of the parked vehicles were registered to non-residents. Staff subsequently prepared a petition and transmitted to the residents for circulation among the properties on the block. Due to difficulty in obtaining signatures from 75% of the properties in support of the proposal as well as the COVID19 pandemic, the completion of the petition was delayed and the final petition was not received by staff until December 2020. Due to the time lapse, the parking occupancy study was repeated in January 2021 which showed that the same parking conditions exist on the subject block on Raebert Street, namely 76% of the on-street parking spaces were occupied at the time of the survey and 52% of parked vehicles were registered to non-residents. Discussion followed. Vice-Chair Christin made a motion that the Public Works Committee recommend adoption by the City Council, after holding a public hearing of a resolution of the City Council of the City of Downey establishing a residential preferential parking district on the north and south sides of the 9040-9070 block of Raebert Street between Vultee Avenue and Corrigan Avenue. The motion was seconded by Committee Member Pemberton. The following vote was 5-1 in favor with Committee Member Aranibar in dissent. 3. Approval of the Installation of Bus Stops on Downey Avenue at Gardendale Street and Downey Avenue at Imperial Highway by Long Beach Transit Mr. Norris reported that a request was received from Long Beach Transit in February 2020 to implement two bus stop changes along Route 22 within the City. The two proposed bus stop changes are: (1) the relocation of the existing bus stop on the southwest corner of Downey Avenue at Gardendale Street to the northwest corner and (2) the installation of a new bus stop on the southwest corner of Downey Avenue at Imperial Highway. Per the request submitted by Long Beach Transit, the owner of a piano store located on the southwest corner of Downey Avenue at Gardendale Street requested the relocation of the bus stp from its existing location at the southwest corner of the intersection to another location due to the fact that the buses are blocking the view of his store when dwelling at the stop. In response to this request, Long Beach Transit opted to explore the possibility of relocating the Stop to the nearside of the intersection at the northwest corner, subject to City approval. The installation of the bus stop at the northwest corner of the intersection will require the installation of 100 feet of red curb at this location. In addition, Long Beach Transit is proposing to install a new bus stop at the southwest corner of Downey Avenue at Imperial Highway to comply with their bus stop spacing policy of one-quarter mile (1,320 feet) and to improve access to their service. Several requests have been received for a bus stop at this location. Currently, bus stops are in-place at the Imperial Highway at Brookshire Avenue and Downey Avenue at Gardendale Street intersections, a distance of approximately 3,917 feet. The installation of the bus stop at the southwest corner of Downey Avenue MINUTES OF THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE February 18, 2021 Page 3 at Imperial Highway will require the installation of a concrete landing in the parkway as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Based on the request submitted by Long Beach Transit and the information gathered from field observations, staff recommends approval of the proposed bus stop locations. Upon approval by the committee, Long Beach Transit will be required to notify the owners of the properties adjacent to the proposed bus stops and any impact the new bus stops may have on their respective properties. Long Beach Transit will coordinate with the City in regards to the installation of the concrete landing at the Downey Avenue at Imperial Highway location. Discussion followed. Committee Members Christin and Horn expressed concerns regarding the relocation of the existing bus stop from the southwest to the northwest corner of Downey Avenue at Gardendale Street due to potential safety concerns from pedestrians alighting the bus and stepping out into on-coming traffic on Downey Avenue from behind the front of the bus. Mr. Norris explained that the Downey Avenue at Gardendale Street intersection is signalized with protected pedestrian crossings. Committee Member Christin replied that there is no guarantee that motorists will stop when the southbound signal on Downey Avenue is red or that pedestrians will wait for a “Walk” indication before they cross Downey Avenue. Due to the concerns with the bus stop relocation request at the Downey Avenue at Gardendale Street intersection, Committee Member Christin requested that separate votes be taken on the two bus stop requests. Committee Member Aranibar made a motion that the Public Works Committee approve the request for the relocation of the bus stop from the southwest to the northwest corner of Downey Avenue at Gardendale Street. The motion was seconded by Committee Member Pemberton. The following vote was 4-2 in favor with Committee Member Christin and Committee Member Horn in dissent. Committee Member Pemberton made a motion that the Public Works Committee approve the request for the installation of the new bus stop on southwest corner of Downey Avenue at Imperial Highway. The motion was seconded by Committee Member Squire. The following vote was 6-0 in favor. VI. PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE COMMUNICATIONS 1. Discussion/Review of Public Works Committee By-Laws at the next meeting. 2. Follow up - Dedication Plaques – Vietnam War and Firefighter memorials in front of City Hall. 3. 8600 Donovan Street - Vehicle speed feedback sign. 4. Appreciation of work well done by contractor in the Orange County Estate area. 5. Blind spot for motorists on Wiley Burke N/B at Florence Avenue caused by Oleander shrubs. MINUTES OF THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE February 18, 2021 Page 4 6. Traffic signal timing too short on E/B Imperial Hwy left turn to N/B Lakewood Blvd. 7. Inquiry: Flag salute at the beginning of meeting and oath of office. VII. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS Updates were given on the following: 1. CIP 20-03 - FY 19-20 Residential Street Resurfacing – construction near completion 2. CIP 21-03 - FY 20-21 Residential Street Resurfacing – authority to bid on March 23rd 3. CIP 16-20 - Old River School Road Pavement Rehab – construction on-going 4. CIP 20-23 - Third Street Water System Imp. Project (Old River School Road to Rives Avenue) – construction to start on 3/8 5. CIP 20-34 - Florence Avenue Water System Imp. Project (Tweedy Lane to Brookshire Avenue) – start construction next week 6. CIP 20-32 - Traffic Signal Paramount at Fire Station #1 & De Palma – implementation scheduled the 2nd week of March 7. CIP 18-07 - Imperial Hwy Traffic Safety Improvements – construction on going 8. Paramount Boulevard and Stewart & Gray Road Traffic Signal Upgrade Projects – construction on going 9. CIP 21-01 - FY 20-21 Misc. Concrete Repairs in Dist. 2 – start construction on Monday VIII. NEXT MEETING: March 18, 2021 The Public Works Committee meeting was adjourned at 6:18 P.M.