Loading...
PTC Minutes 4 4 17Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission April 4, 2017 CITY OF BEVERLY PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES BOARD OR COMMISSION: Parking and Traffic Commission SUBCOMMITTEE: DATE: April 4, 2017 LOCATION: Conference Room B Third Floor City Hall MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Richard Benevento, City Planner Aaron Clausen, Vice Chair, George Binns, Sgt. Antonio DiRuzza and MEMBERS ABSENT: John Somes OTHERS PRESENT: Greg St. Louis, City Engineer, Steve Tanzella RECORDER: Eileen Sacco 1. Benevento calls the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. 2. Traffic Safety on Eastern Avenue — Ward One City Councilor David Lan Ward One City Councilor David Lang addresses the Commission and explains that he has concerns as do the neighbors with cut through traffic and speeding issues on Eastern Avenue. He notes that people use the street as a cut through to Elliott Street and tend to speed down the street. He states that he is here this morning with some neighbors who have a petition for the City and would like to discuss what can be done. Benevento notes that Eastern Avenue is a connector street to Bridge and Elliott Streets. He explains that the City is in the process of redesigning for the reconstructing Bridge Street in conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and that should include improvements to the approaches at side streets. He explains that the improvements will include traffic calming measures with treatments which would be a help to calm traffic and improve safety for pedestrians. He also discussed how certain treatments could change the character of the entrance to the roadway. Benevento also reports that a lot of studies have been done on the use of "Slow Children" signs and states that they do not really slow the traffic down. He also notes that the City has lowered the speed limits to 25 miles per hour in thickly settled neighborhoods. Clausen reports that the Bridge Street intersections are not angled and the result is that cars tend to speed around the corners. Councilor Lang introduced Sarah Hill of 43 Eastern Avenue to address the Commission on behalf of the neighbors. Ms. Hill addresses the Commission and explains that she has drafted a list of concerns from the neighbors and they are interested in finding solutions to make their neighborhood safer. She notes that the neighborhood is a mix of long time residents and recent arrivals, many Page 1 of 13 Beverly Parking and 'traffic Commission April 4, 2017 with young children. She notes that like most neighborhoods in Ryal Side many hones are situated very close to the street. She also notes that with many businesses and parks in the area there is a lot of pedestrian traffic on Eastern Avenue. Ms. Hill explains that their objective is to explore options available to their neighborhood to mitigate excessive vehicle volume and speed. She reviews the following list of concerns with the Commission: Heavy cut through traffic between Route 62 and Bridge Street especially during rush hours • Cars travelling at high speeds • Steep hill crests in the middle of Eastern Avenue — traffic speeds down the hill on both ends of the street • Many blind driveways • Pedestrians often have little time to react to cars when crossing the street • Cars approaching the top of the hill from opposite directions have little reaction time to oncoming traffic • Parked cars have been struck • As a residential neighborhood with many young children, current traffic conditions are dangerous • Lack of effective signage; two "children" signs at both ends of the road Ms. Hill further noted the following regarding their observations of the neighborhood: • Cars looking to connect from Bridge Street to Elliott Street (Rte. 62), have other options • Current citywide speed limit is 25 mph; when facing a steep hill with blind driveways, the speed limit needs to be lower • New residential developments near Eastern Avenue will likely result in increased traffic on Eastern Avenue (i.e. Cummings Center condominiums) Ms. Hill suggests that they would like to see restricted entrance on Eastern Avenue during certain hours of the day to be for residents only noting that there is a restricted street near Henry's Market. Benevento explains that it is difficult to enforce any kind of a one way restriction during certain times day. He notes that the Commission tries to recommend other remedies that are more effective. Clausen agrees and reports that at Henry's Market there is not much cut through traffic. He also notes that it is not a good thing to remove traffic and force it on to other streets. Benevento questions how the City would police a residents only entrance. He notes that there may be other options including a one way restriction, however it would be necessary to poll the neighbors to see if they would be in favor of a one way. He also notes that right Page 2 of 13 Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission April 4, 2017 now cars are sweeping into Eastern Ave and suggests that bump out treatments would be a traffic calming measure that could be considered. Ms. Hill questions if the flashing speed limit signs that indicate the drivers speed could be installed to serve as a warning to drivers. Benevento explains that driver feedback signs are effective in some areas but notes that in this case they may not be appropriate given the local roadway classification. Clausen states that there are several streets in the city that need geometry improvements. Ms. Hill notes that some of the schools have signage in the area telling drivers to slow down and the speed limit is reduced and notes that the Ayers Ryal Side School is in the neighborhood and they do not have one of those signs. She also notes that school buses go up and down Eastern Avenue to get to the school. Benevento states that the requirements for the location of school zones are regulated by the state. Councilor Lang suggests that the Commission visit the site before the next meeting to see if some ideas and suggestions can be looked at. He also notes that there is a narrow strip of grass where students wait for the bus near Northern Avenue that is also dangerous. Benevento notes that the same problems were reviewed by the Commission for Livingston Avenue. Benevento explains that the Parking and Traffic Commission is an advisory board to the City Council and they can only make recommendations to the City. He notes that some of the things that we have talked about could help such as signage. He also states that he would not be in favor of one way restrictions entering the street at certain times. Ms. Hill states that she will reach out to the neighbors and notes that she has a petition signed by 26 residents that support her suggestions. She also notes that the busiest time of day is from 3 -7 p.m. Benevento suggests that the Commission members visit the area to observe before the next meeting in May. Councilor Lang suggests that Cressy Street should be looked at as well. Councilor Lang thanked the Commission for their time this morning and notes that they would appreciate anything that the Commission could do. Sgt. DiRuzza suggested that he would have the Police Department do some traffic enforcement and check to see what the speed limits are. Page 3 of 13 Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission April 4, 2017 There being no further questions or comments regarding this matter Benevento thanked Councilor Lang and Ms. Hill for attending the meeting and notes that the Commission will check into this and report on it at the next meeting. 3. Special Permit Application #153 -17 and Site Plan Review Application #127 -17 — Construct Two Self - Storage Buildings —105 Sam Fonzo Drive — Beverly Airport Self Storage, LLC -- Miranda Gooding, Glovsk_y and Glovsk� Attorney Miranda Gooding addresses the Commission and explains that they are here this morning for a recommendation to the Planning Board for the construction of two self- storage buildings, one general commercial /light industrial building and a request for three driveway accesses at 105 Sam Fonzo Drive. She notes that she is joined this morning by Tom Ford and Rick Salvo the Engineer for the project. Atty. Gooding explains that the project includes the construction of three buildings and related improvements and the two self-storage buildings will be state of the industry facilities offering secure, climate controlled storage buildings with elevator access that will serve both commercial and residential customers. She notes that all storage will be within the buildings and there will be no outside storage on the site. Atty. Gooding explains the location of the site and notes that the property is a vacant lot of approximately 174,432 s.f. with 634.85 feet of frontage on Sam Fonzo Drive and 429.72 feet of frontage on L.P. Henderson Road in an 1R Zoning District at the outer edge of the airport industrial park. She further notes that there are no residents abutting the property. She also notes that Cicoria Tree Service is across the street and the remaining land around the site is undeveloped. Atty. Gooding explains that the proposed self-storage buildings will include a three story building containing 62,400 +/- s.f. and a smaller two story building of 12,880 s.f. She notes that in addition to the self - storage facility the applicant proposes to construct a third building on the site which will be developed and offered for lease for general commercial and light industrial purposes. She explains that the one story multi- tenant building will consist of 10,500 s.f. of space and have separate access and parking areas from the self - storage facility. She notes that the lot is a corner lot of triangular shape which is essentially divided in half by an intermittent stream and associated buffer areas. Atty. Gooding explains that the project will meet all parking requirements and they are proposing 47 parking spaces noting that 38 spaces are required by zoning. Atty. Gooding also explains that they are requesting three curb cuts for the site noting that two are allowed by right and they are requesting the third curb cut by special permit. Atty. Gooding introduced Tom Ford to snake a presentation on the proposed Self- Storage Facility. Page 4 of 13 Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission April 4, 2017 Ford addresses the Commission and explains that they are proposing a state of the art self - storage facility that will be climate controlled with elevator access and security provided. Ford explains the location of the building and the layout on the site and reviews the access to the site and the buildings. Clausen asks for a review of the elevations on the site. Ford notes that he has another facility on Martha's Vineyard and relays his experiences operating that facility. Tanzella asks if there will be 24 hour access to the property. Ford states that there will not be 24 hour access and explains that emergency vehicles will access the gates with a personal code. Ford explains the circulation of the site and notes that there will be one way access around the buildings and notes the location of the access and the fire gate. Clausen asks if the only access to the site will be from Sam Fonzo Drive. Ford states that the only access will be from Sam Fonzo Drive. Benevento asks what the parking calculations are for the contractor storage /office building. Atty. Gooding states that it would be the sarne zoning calculation as it is the same zoning use. Benevento states that there appears to be a cul -de -sac on the east side and questions what kind of vehicles will be accessing the site. Ford explains that they would be small U -Haul and vans etc., and notes that there will not be any tractor trailers in that area. Benevento asks if the Fire Department ladder truck would have to get in there. Clausen asks who the potential users of the facility would be. Ford explains that it varies and notes that it is about 70/30 construction vs. residential use. He explains that at the Martha's Vineyard site Martha's Vineyard Hospital used some space during their renovation, and some small businesses and contractors use the storage space to store materials during construction projects until they are needed. Salvo explains that this use is a low traffic generator and notes that the traffic counts they did at existing facilities showed about 1 car every two hours. Benevento questions if the drop in the back of the building would be a problem for the Fire Department. Tanzella states that 10% is fine noting that they cannot access under b %. Atty. Gooding states that they could work off L.P. Henderson. It was also noted that they could move the access but that would result in a 3 -4 foot grade change. Page 5 of 13 Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission April 4, 2017 Clausen requested that they reduce the pavement to a 30 foot wide strip. Clausen asked where the snow storage space is on the plan. Salvo explains that they will push the snow to the perimeter of the site with a Bobcat. Clausen asks if they have considered land banking on the site for additional parking spaces. Clausen asks what type of tenants they expect for the 10,000 s.f. building. Ford states that they have had 1 inquiry from a sign company that letters trucks and they would like to do it in an indoor space. Benevento states that he would like to see them clean up the driveway entrances. Atty. Gooding states that considerable time was spent on the design around the condition of the site. She explains that there is a 600 foot span and three curb cuts are an appropriate request given how much of Sam Fonzo Drive is constructed and the truck traffic. She also notes that it is about separating the uses. Binns states that three curb cuts does not bather him noting that one of them will be seldom used. Clausen asks if there will be a sidewalk on Sam Fonzo Drive. Salvo reported that there will be a sidewalk on Sam Fonzo Drive. It was noted that there is no sidewalk on L.P. Henderson Road. Benevento asks if it is anticipated that there will be sidewalks on L.P. Henderson. Clausen states that there may be sidewalks installed if it is ever reconstructed. Benevento suggests that they should look at installing handicap ramps. Benevento asks if there is a reason for the skewed driveway. Salvo explains that it is designed to reduce the impact on the wetland. There being no further questions or comments regarding this matter, Clausen suggests that the Commission make a recommendation to the Planning Board on the Site Plan Review and the Special Permit Application. Clausen: Motion to recommend approval of the Site Plan Review Application #153- 17 and Special Permit Application #127 -17 with the following recommendations: • Include additional fire access at the east end of L.P. Henderson • Provide details with respect to equipment and fence for fire department access • ExpIore moving western drive aisle for L.P. Henderson fire access • Check site distribution of driveways and provide information to the Parking and Page 6 of 13 Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission April 4, 2017 Traffic Commission. Binns seconds the motion. The motion carries (5 -0). Tanzella left the meeting at this time (9:45 a.m.) 4. Review On- street Parking and Safety Concerns on Wellman Street and !Webber Avenue -- as Requested by the Mayor's Office Clausen explains that the Mayor's office has received a request from the residents of Webber Avenue in Goat Hill for restricted parking on one side of the street. Benevento asks if the neighbors have been consulted on this request. Clausen states that they have not been consulted. He also states that he would not recommend changing the parking on the street. Benevento agreed noting that he is not inclined to eliminate parking without neighborhood input. Sgt. DiRuzza reported that he has been out there a couple of times and did not see any issues. Clausen suggests that he would recommend "No Parking Here to Corner" signs be installed. Benevento states he would have no problem with that. Benevento suggests that Clausen explain the situation to Kevin Harutunian regarding the request for restricted parking and that the Commission would recommend the No Parking Hereto Corner signs. . Clausen states that he will write a letter to Mayor Cahill with the recommendation for the No Parking Here to Corner signs and cc Kevin Harutunian. Binns: Motion to recommend that "No Parking Here to Corner" signs be installed at the corner of Webber and the approach to Wellman Street. Clausen seconds the motion. The motion carries (4 -0). 5. Review and Comment — Downtown Beverly Parkins Strategy Clausen explains that the City conunissioned a parking study by Nelson Nygaard to explore a Downtown Beverly Parking Strategy last year and this morning they are presenting the draft plan and recommendations to the Commission. Clausen explains that the study included an additional scope of work on Cabot and Rantoul Street and included traffic counts and surveys for the municipal and private parking lots from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Page 7of13 Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission April 4, 2017 Clausen reviews the draft study and notes that the parking should be managed in a manner that ensures that there is both perceived and actual parking availability. He notes that the downtowns highest parking demand is primarily concentrated during dinnertime peak hours along Cabot Street where many restaurants are located and evening activities take place. He notes that it was found that during the peak hours it is difficult to find available parking on Cabot Street and parking in nearby lots is not incentivized and just as hard with little wayfinding information. He also notes that most of the downtown business district has time limits for on- street parking and customers and employees and visitors have a difficult time finding long teen parking nearby and are searching for nearby curbside parking spaces. Clausen continued that the study notes that parking is never about parking itself and also relates to local economic viability, business health, resident and visitor friendliness, development potential and the walking and biking environment. Clausen reviews the following recommendations that are intended to guide the City's parking management system and resolve current challenges as follows: Recommendations: Create Availability Through Pricing Eliminate time limits for metered parking A large portion of downtown on- street parking is managed by various time limits which limit the length of customer and visitor stays from as short as 15 minutes to 2 hours. Recent reinvestment in the downtown and cultural district shows increasing night activities and increased parking demand and length of stays. Eliminating time limits gives visitors and customers parking options to stay as long as they want while managing demand through pricing can ensure that the right amount of parking availability. It is suggested that all time limits of metered spaces throughout downtown should be removed and regulated only metered parking, while the adjacent streets in the residential neighborhoods will keep the time limits to protect resident parking from commuters. Implement demand -based pricing Existing parking utilization patterns indicate clear boundaries of high and low demand for on- street parking spaces in downtown Beverly. Parking along Cabot Street from Dane Street to Bow Street where there are many restaurants, retail outlets and the Cabot Theater has the highest demand during the peak evening hours and throughout the day, while many of the metered spaces on the side streets have a lower utilization rate. The regulations and pricing should be changed to be reflective of the demand of these areas, driving utilization up on some of the side streets with a lower price while creating availability on Cabot Street with a higher price. Page 8 of 13 Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission April 4, 2017 On- street parking in downtown Beverly including the core area along Cabot Street and the Commuter Rail station area along Rantoul Street, should be managed using tiered pricing; the highest priced parking should be should be on the blocks with the greatest demand, lower pricing on blocks with modest demand and free in the areas of little or no demand to maximize the efficient utilization of the existing parking supply. The study recommended initial pricing for on- street parking and can be subject to change upon regular utilization monitoring to achieve the availability goal for curbside parking. Incentivize off-street employee parking Commuters are particularly sensitive to the cost of parking and within a comfortable distance, will look for the least expensive parking available for a full day. Beverly can take a proactive role in managing and accommodating employee parking while ensuring availability of high demand on- street parking spaces by incentivizing off-street parking for commuters. Price public lots at $0.50 per hour (lower than on- street parking) Monday Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. with no time limits Offer monthly parking permits for commuters, priced at $25.00 per month, with limited quantities available. Clausen notes that this would hopefully encourage employees to parking in the lots and not on the street. Benevento states that there have been discussions in the past about designated parking areas for employees. Clausen explains that they do not want to get into that because a good portion of the lot would be vacant during the day. • Protect residential streets Demand for parking during peak hours causes spillover into residential neighborhoods, which leaves residents without a place to park. Residential parking permits, price incentives for visitors, and time limits can be employed to protect parking for residents while making efficient use of the city's parking supply. It is recommended that the following strategies be implemented on residential streets between the commuter rail station and the core area around Cabot Street: Provide residential parking permits for $25.00 per year, which residents can apply for based on their mailing address. Offer monthly commuter parking permits at $25.00 per month with a limited quantity available for commuters. Page 9 of 13 Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission April 4, 2017 Four -hour time limit except by permit, Monday — Saturday 8:00 a.m. — 6:00 p.m. Explore Smarter Parking Management Upgrade parking payment technology Parking management technology has advanced to create a more user friendly customer and visitor parking experience allowing the use of credit cards and payment by mobile phones. Upgraded parking technologies can also make operations easier by providing capacity to monitor and evaluate parking demand and by streamlining the efficiency of parking enforcement personnel. Technology can include Smart Meters, Parking Kiosks, or Pay -By -Phone smartphone apps. Beverly's Go Parkit program is a location based pay -by -phone app where users can sign up for an account and quickly pay for parking through the Parkit app which allows users to add extra time remotely. The app should be further advertised by the City including Beverly Main Streets and on special event websites, as a convenient option for residents and visitors. Encourage shared parking between businesses Shared parking agreements provide an opportunity to make more efficient use of existing parking supply, by addressing the fact that most spaces are only used during certain times of the day by particular groups. A shared parking district provides separate sets of parking standards and would allow and encourage organizations and businesses to cooperate to provide sufficient parking at peak hours for the relevant group. Opportunities for shared parking include: Create a shared parking district (e.g. Beverly Arts District) Implement zoning changes to support shared parking and shared parking models for development in downtown Directly facilitate shared parking agreements, i.e. the City could lease private parking lots for public use or act as an agent between two private entities. There are several arrangements that could work well, including offering maintenance services in exchange for access to privately owned parking. Clausen explains that a possibility for shared parking could be the TD Bank parking where the City may pay a small fee to manage the parking. Benevento asks if there are any concerns about liability in a case like that. Clausen states that lease agreements would address liabilities and would be covered by the insurer. He notes that they would have to see what the liabilities would be and how it would affect business customers. He notes that the City could take a direct roll or initiate the discussion with the businesses. Page 10 of 13 Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission April 4, 2017 Improve event parking management Special events place unique demands on the parking system, while attracting visitors from out of town who know least how to use the system. Each event has a different dynamic, mix of users and localized impact on parking and transportation. The City can work with stakeholders to develop targeted event management plans, with specific actions and strategies that can be implemented during events to make parking more efficient and convenient. These strategies may include: Provide parking information online in advance of the event, including websites for the city, the Cabot Theater and Beverly Main Streets Temporary on- street parking directional signs Designate parking facilities for use during event times, and signage during the event that indicates when lots are fill Provide parking off -site and providing a shuttle, or consider the use of valet parking Access for disabled /special permit parking Explore Downtown Multimodal Experience • Provide better parking information and signage Parking and wayfinding signage that is easy to read and understand is a critical component to deciphering a parking system. Signage that guides motorists to on and off street parking deters drivers from excessive cruising and frustration. A wayfinding program should encourage a "park once" or "park and walk" enviromnent, focusing on not just getting cars into the parking facilities, but getting people to visit multiple destinations on foot without moving their cars. In addition to parking facilities, signage should identify key sites of interest and their approximate walking distance (in minutes), such as area businesses, social activity centers, municipal buildings, and other points of interest. Using street names to rename and brand municipal parking lots based on their locations can go a long way to making a system more accommodating. Before You Arrive Making parking information available for visitors and customers before arriving in downtown will allow parkers to plan their trips ahead of time and find parking with ease. Having a single, simple map posted on the City's website, downtown merchants' websites, and posted at other activity centers will provide a consistent informational guide. Page It of 13 Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission April 4, 2017 At Your Arrival Signage should be clearly visible, designed consistently, placed in strategic loations and should provide clear guidance to and from parking locations. Garages should have easy to read entrance and exit signs, including rate information. During Your Stay Providing clear pedestrian signage helps create and promote a "park once" district, allowing customers to feel comfortable walking to multiple locations on foot. + Create a Parking Benefit District Many improvements to the parking system such as upgrading the payment technology or installing parking or wayfinding signage as previously recommended will require additional funding from the city. + Improve walking and bicycling environment Parking is not just about parking; it is about getting from the car to your destination or destinations and back to the car. The City should explore improvements to the walking environment to encourage a more connected network and more pedestrians on the street. Encouraging walking, cycling and transit can help to create a "park once" environment effectively reducing the number of parking spaces required to support activity downtown. Secure bicycle racks encourage and welcome people to travel by bicycle, while improved crosswalks can extend the reach of transit as riders feel safe walking to and from stops. Clausen explains that the next step for the City is to develop an implementation plan. and reports that the City is getting feedback now on the type of technology they want to use. He notes that it will take a million - dollar investment in Kiosks which the city could bond for and would also require an ordinance change by the City Council. Benevento questions if that would include Rantoul Street. Clausen reports that they are not putting parking meters on Rantoul Street and it would be included in the parking project. Clausen states that lie anticipates that they will be back to the Parking and Traffic Commission for further feedback as the implementation plans progress. 6. Old / New Business Clausen reports that Barnat is moving forward with their project and have submitted a preliminary traffic management plan noting the areas that will be closed at certain times during the project. He explains the plan and notes that it shows police details during the day when lanes are closed and notes the driveway access on Rantoul Street for the garage. Clausen reported that the final paving on Rantoul Street is scheduled for the end of the Page 12 of 13 Beverly Parking and Traffic Commission April 4, 2017 summer. He notes that he has asked their to come to the next meeting to explain the plan further. Benevento states that they need to show signage details as well and he wants to know what will happen with the equipment on the street at night. Clausen states that MA DOT has standards that have to be followed during lane closures. He also notes that he is not sure if the light at Railroad Avenue will be operational by then. Sgt. DiRuzza reported that the light is in operation now. He also states that he would like to meet with them prior to the start of construction. Benevento suggests that a representative of Middlesex Construction be invited to the meeting as well. Clausen reported that as part of the Route I project Gloucester Crossing will be closed at the same time as the railroad bridge repairs. He notes that the MBTA will be bussing people from Salem to Gloucester and Rockport. Clausen will contact Sarah Barnat and inform her that they need to be sure that they follow the standards of MA DOT during lane closures, coordinate with the contractor for the Rantoul Street project, and that adequate signage and barrels need to be provided for the construction staging process. 7. Approval of Minutes The minutes of the Parking and Traffic Commission meeting held on February 7, 2017 were presented for approval. Benevento requests that the approval of the minutes of the February 7, 2017 Parking and Traffic Commission meeting be postponed until the next meeting as he has some edits he would like to make. S. Next Meeting The next meeting of the Parking and Traffic Commission will be held on Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 8:30 a.m. 9. Adjournment There being no further business to come before the Parking and Traffic Commission this morning, Binns moves to adjourn the meeting. Sgt. DiRuzza seconds the motion. The motion carries (4 -0). The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 a.m. Page 13 of 13