Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2.d. Placement of Sidewalks in New Developments EXECUTIVE SUMMARY City Council Work Session: December 12, 2016 AGENDA ITEM: Placement of Sidewalks in New Developments AGENDA SECTION: Discussion PREPARED BY: Dan Schultz, Parks and Recreation Director AGENDA NO. 2.d. ATTACHMENTS: Chart of Sidewalk Requirements, Resource Page and US DOT Guidelines APPROVED BY: ddj RECOMMENDED ACTION: None, discussion only. ISSUE Per the City’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan, the Parks and Recreation Commission is the assigned advisory board to the City Council with regard to implementing the walk-bike network. Following the review of the development plans for the Prestwick Place 13th Addition, you may recall that the City directed the developer to install sidewalks on both sides of a neighborhood street instead one side, which is our normal standard. It was requested that the Parks and Recreation Commission review our standards for locating sidewalks in new neighborhoods. The current policy requires sidewalks, or sidewalk and trail on both sides of designated arterial and collector streets and one side on local streets. The policy also recognizes that in certain circumstances, the City may vary from the policy. Staff has requested in the past additional sidewalks in areas with higher density and also adjoining commercial areas to allow neighborhoods better pedestrian access. The Parks and Recreation Commission recommended that we change our current standard. Currently we require a sidewalk on one side of neighborhood streets with a review on a case by case basis. The Commission is recommending that we change our current practice to a new standard that requires sidewalk placement for local streets on both sides of the street plus a review on a case by case basis. Staff feels that the current standards have served the City well and is recommending we keep our current standard, which is a sidewalk on one side of all local streets and with review on a case by case basis. One item shared with staff was that when the extra sidewalk was added to the Prestwick Place 13th Addition the change resulted in an additional $100,000 to the project. It is assumed that the extra cost will be passed on to the people buying lots in the development. Aside from the immediate costs of sidewalk installation, there are financial implications for doubling the amount of sidewalks in the new developments. The sidewalks are part of the public infrastructure and therefore there are long term maintenance and replacement requirements the City will be taking on. BACKGROUND Listed below are the standards that we currently follow for locating trails and sidewalks in new developments or redeveloping areas: Road Type Types of Improvements (examples) Local streets Sidewalk on one side of the road (also reviewed on a case by case basis) Collectors Bituminous trail on one side and concrete sidewalk/or bituminous trail on the other side (Shannon Parkway, Chippendale and Ave Connemara Trail) Minor Arterials Bituminous trail on one side and concrete sidewalk/or bituminous trail on the other side (County Highway 71, 46, 38 and 33) Principal Arterials Bituminous trail on one side and concrete sidewalk/or bituminous trail on the other side (Hwy 52, Hwy 55 and County Hwy 42) Included in the packet is a chart that identifies what some other local communities require for sidewalks in new developing neighborhoods. The topic of the placement of sidewalks and trails in new subdivisions was discussed at the October Parks and Recreation Commission meeting. The Commission asked that staff look at some of the standards from other organizations. Staff looked into their request and has found the following “Great Resources” page from the US Environmental Protection Agency (attached). This page lists a number of organizations that either promote walkable communities or provide information for planning for pedestrian facilities. The US Department of Transportation (US DOT) is one organization that provides guidelines on the placement of sidewalks and trails. Attached is a table that identifies guidelines that they recommend for new sidewalk installation. The City of Rosemount’s current practice of placing sidewalks and trails is very similar to that of the US DOT. One difference is that the US DOT recommends additional sidewalks in areas that have a more dense development, such as apartments or multi-family townhomes. The City looks at these types of developments on a case by case basis. SUMMARY Staff feels that the current standards have served the City well and is recommending we keep our current standards. Staff would like for the City Council to review the standards and recommendation from the Parks and Recreation and provide direction to staff.