02/05/2015 Agenda Review - Laserfiche WebLink

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AGENDA REVIEW SESSION FEBRUARY 5, 2015 23 Patrick Shanley of Beechwood Ln. stated he is in favor of the traffic calming because most of the residents are senior citizens and are in fear of walking on the sidewalks. Mary Ann Piechocki commended Mr. Horvath on his presentation and stated he did an excellent job and thanked him for reading all of the resident's letters and emails. Mary Fisher, of S. Tuxedo stated she is in favor of the calming measure, and is opposed to the closing of 27" Street - Dan Demler of Tuxedo Dr. stated he is in favor of the traffic calming plan due to more traffic diverted to Tuxedo Dr. now. He added residents of Tuxedo can't back out of their driveways without difficulty. Ann Germano, of Swanson Circle stated she is in favor of the traffic calming, not closing the street. She stated she wished the City would have let her neighborhood know about the plans, adding only the Walnut Grove residents knew. Elaine Smith of Hemlock Way noted there was an article in the Tribune regarding 271h Street. She added she is in favor of opening 27" St., it is inconvenient, and just moving traffic from one street to another. Anthony Germano, of Swanson Circle stated he is also opposed to the closure of 27`h St. He noted it is an access road to Walnut Grove, and to other areas and he disagrees about walkers, adding he doesn't see a lot of people walking. He noted that emergency vehicles can't access in an emergency, it is dangerous to have it closed. He stated 27'h St. is one of only three (3) access roads currently between Jefferson Blvd. and McKinley Ave. and the neighborhoods, and the only through street from Pleasant St, to McKinley. Carl Fisher of Tuxedo Dr. stated he has never had a problem with 26`h St. and he is opposed to a 20 mph speed limit, noting that will set a precedent for other neighborhoods. Anna Knapp of Cottonwood Lane stated she is in support of the City's traffic calming plan. She added she felt pressured to sign the Walnut Grove's petition and questioned its accuracy and how many signed under pressure. She noted you can't close every road where there is speeding. Neil Stiles of Cypress Way stated she has heard a number of people talk about speeding, and it's a problem in a number of areas. She suggested wouldn't they also need patrolling by the Police to enforce the speed limit. She added there used to be many walkers out, but you don't see any anymore because of speeding traffic. She statedpeople are scared to walk and cross the street, and added she is against the traffic calming plan. Mr. Gilot stated the time limit was up for those speaking in favor of the City's traffic calming plan and asked if anyone wished to speak opposed to the plan. Jon Burke of 26°i St. stated the petition that was circulated was not for a traffic calming plan but for closure of 27`h St. He explained that Walnut Grove was never intended to be a part of the traffic pattern, never meant to be a part of the grid. He provided a drawing and pointed out that it was never built with the intent for a traffic grid. He stated when it was originally planted, it was designed for social interaction, with a cul-de-sac design. He noted it pre -dates Area Plan's requirements of a 25' setback and some homes have only an 8' setback from the street. Mr. Burke stated "We as a community do not have the protections afforded by the Area Plan Commission and Building Department". Mr. Burke thanked Eric Horvath and Kara Boyles, Public Works, for being bold to tackle this process and enabling citizens to have a voice in the process. He added they probably should have included the Swanson neighborhood in the process, but that was not done by design, they were trying to determine who would be involved in the process. He reiterated that Walnut Grove was never meant to be part of the traffic grid, and it has become a thoroughfare, and not a social area anymore. He noted people are afraid to walk around the neighborhood due to speeding cars. Jim Frye of S. Holiday stated his father used to sit on the Walnut Grove board. He stated if they are having issues they should call the Police Department or the Mayor's Office. He noted Walnut Grove is vital to the community with its unique history. He added Tuxedo Dr. has a substantial hill that is slippery. Joan St. John of stated she lives at the top of the hill in Walnut Grove. She stated she sees it all and the city stop sign is for decoration only, nobody stops there. She noted that in the morning, she has four (4) or five (5) cars go by now, where before she had a steady stream of cars. She stated they race, and they won't pay attention to signs. Andy Cook stated he doesn't currently live in Walnut Grove but he is familiar with speed bumps, and they don't work. He noted he is a former Police officer. He added stop signs don't work either. Lindsay Horak, of N. Tuxedo stated since the closure of 27`h St. there is a large increase in traffic on Tuxedo. She stated she supports calming traffic in Walnut Grove, but this closure took Walnut Grove traffic and moved it to Tuxedo. She added there arc also elderly people on Tuxedo, but also children on Tuxedo.