TO: Chair and Planning Commission
FROM: Eva Cutro, Community Development Director
Paul Michaud, Senior Planner
DATE: February 20, 2018
CONTACT:
Staff Contact
Paul Michaud, 480-348-3574
End
AGENDA TITLE:
Title
Consideration of Resolution 2018-06
Acceptance of the Walk & Bike Plan and a Minor General Plan Amendment to modify portions of the 2012 General Plan with the Walk & Bike Plan
Body
Recommendation
RECOMMENDATION:
Make a recommendation to the Town Council whether to approve, deny, or continue the application request for the acceptance of the Walk & Bike Plan and its associated Minor General Plan amendment that makes the Walk & Bike Plan a supplement of the Town’s General Plan effectively amending the following portions of the 2012 General Plan:
1) The deletion of the goals and policies of Section 4.2, Non-Motorized Circulation, replaced by the goals and policies of the Walk & Bike Plan;
2) The deletion of the Implementation Measures 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, and 14 of Section 4.5, Implementation Measures, of the 2012 General Plan, replaced by the implementation measures of the Walk & Bike Plan; and
3) The deletion of Section 4.6, Map and Standards, of the 2012 General Plan that includes the maps, facility definitions, and typical street cross-sections, replaced by the maps and standards of the Walk & Bike Plan.
Staff recommends Option 1 to forward approval to the Town Council Resolution 2018-06, approving the Walk & Bike Plan, dated February 13, 2018, as a specific plan and its associated Minor General Plan amendment.
RESOLUTION 2018-06
Option 1 Recommendation of Approval
I move that the Planning Commission recommends forwarding to the Town Council approval of Resolution 2018-06, accepting the Walk & Bike Plan prepared by Coffman Studio, PLLC, dated February 13, 2018, as a specific plan with the revisions as noted in this report and the associated Minor Amendment to the 2012 General Plan. I find that this Plan fulfills a quality of life initiative of the Town and an implementation measure of the 2012 General Plan, the plan process has given residents opportunity to discuss issues and concerns, and I believe the approval of this plan is in the best interest of the Town.
Option 2 Recommendation of Denial
I move that the Planning Commission recommends forwarding to the Town Council denial of Resolution 2018-06, accepting the Walk & Bike Plan prepared by Coffman Studio, PLLC, dated February 13, 2018, as a specific plan with the revisions as noted in this report and the associated Minor Amendment to the 2012 General Plan. I find that this Plan is not in the best interest of the Town. [Specify reasons for denial]
Option 3 Recommendation of Continuance
I move that the Planning Commission recommends continuing their action to a specified or an unspecified meeting date.
UPDATE
The attached Walk & Bike Plan includes the corrections from the February 6, 2018 meeting, along with a couple additional revisions as noted below:
• Inclusion of a map key after the proposed projects.
• Relocation of the “Words to Know” sheet back to the front.
• Addition of missing titles on some of the graphics and prioritization worksheet.
• Movement of graphics to remove excessive white space.
• Enlargement of the font size on the “Resort Loop” labels on the map sheets.
• Addition of a date on the "Existing CIP" label.
• Replacement of the mid-block crossing and bike sensor photos on page 2.20.
• Addition of two new policies on bike sharing with Goal 4.4, Integrated Bicycle System, along with a definition of bike share.
• Inclusion of a list of all the tables and figures in the back of the plan.
• Addition of a back cover.
BACKGROUND
The reasons for preparing the Walk & Bike Plan came from both an implementation measure of the Town’s 2012 General Plan and a Town Council Quality of Life initiative. The purpose of this plan is to develop a long-range plan for the desired future condition of the Town’s pedestrian and bicycle facilities. The proposed improvements in the plan will occur over several years.
The planning process has five phases: initiate, analyze, define, refine, and approve. See attached Plan Process Summary for more information. The initial project timeline was to conclude in 10 months. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the project is approaching 24 months. A starting point in the project was the 2012 General Plan that was ratified by Town residents. It includes a map of bike lanes/routes and several goals and policies on non-motorized transportation.
DIFFERENCES FROM 2017 DRAFT PLAN
The June 2017 Statement of Direction (SOD) shifted the focus of the Walk & Bike Plan. Differences in the 2018 draft plan from the 2017 draft plan include the following:
• Less emphasis was placed on trying to accommodate a separate pedestrian shoulder and acknowledgment of bike routes on certain local streets that were either designated as a bike route in the 2012 General Plan or had existing conditions showing heavy usage. The 2018 Walk & Bike Plan focuses more on traffic calming and enforcement to mitigate conflicts.
• The SOD resulted in identifying the general as-is condition as the preferred facility type on Lincoln Drive, Tatum Boulevard, and McDonald Drive. The 2017 draft plan had several options for consideration from adding bike lanes and shared use paths, to leaving the existing facility system unchanged. In general, and except for a designated resort loop, the 2018 draft plan leaves the existing facility system in place on these streets. Leaving McDonald Drive in its relatively current state is a departure from the 2012 General Plan’s proposed bike lanes.
• Less emphasis is placed on signage. In particular, route identification signage was removed. Although, by the Planning Commission request, the 2018 draft plan includes the possibility for route identification with pavement markings along the Resort Loop.
• In response to the above-noted differences, the goals, policies, and implementation measures were edited accordingly.
• The format was simplified, and hopefully is now more user-friendly.
SUMMARY OF 2018 DRAFT PLAN
The 2018 Walk & Bike Plan is broken into four sections: Introduction, The Plan, Projects + Costs, and Moving Forward. The format of the plan is geared toward the online user.
The Introduction summarizes the guiding principles developed through public input and the Town Council Statement of Direction process. This section explains the mission of the plan. The mission was based off the non-motorized intent in Section 4.2 of the 2012 General Plan. The rest of this section summarizes the public input process and five phases of the plan process. Also, it provides benefits in walking and biking, safety tips, and education and enforcement approaches.
The Plan section includes maps, typical roadway cross-sections, and a description of the Town’s preferred facilities and elements (or toolbox) related to its walking and biking system. The Proposed Pedestrian and Bicycle Map illustrates the future location of the various walking and biking facilities for the Town. The Pedestrian Map and the Bicycle Map look at each system separately. These maps provide an understanding of what facilities already exist, what facilities are in the 2018-2022 CIP, and what facilities are proposed. The Street Classification Map replicates the street classification map in the 2012 General Plan. There are no changes in street classifications proposed. The typical street cross sections build off the street cross-sections in the 2012 General Plan, with revisions to make them consistent with the Walk & Bike Plan. The Toolbox section describes each of the pedestrian and bicycle facilities. It also lists the supporting elements of the system related to traffic calming, crossings, and wayfinding.
The Projects + Costs section provides a worksheet template the Town Council or Town staff may use in prioritizing future CIP projects. It also describes in more detail the projects illustrated on the pedestrian and bicycle maps of this Plan. Estimated costs and rough time frames for completion are provided, but may change as projects are funded during the annual Town budget process or as future circumstances develop.
The Moving Forward section lists the six goals and related policies developed during the plan process. Many of these goals and policies came from the 2012 General Plan. This section continues with implementation measures, performance measures, and methods to fund the proposed improvements.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution 2018-06
2. Plan Process Summary
3. Cost Estimates
4. Compliance to SOD
5. Walk & Bike Draft Plan
C: - Applicant
- Case File
Note: Past information on the plan, including public comments, are available at <http://www.paradisevalleyaz.gov/555/Bicycle-Pedestrian-Master-Plan>.