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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003 09 08 Other - Document was given to John Baker by Helga Schwartz during Public Input Date: 090803 The following Document was given to John Baker on 9/08/03 by Helga Schwartz during "Public Input". Page 1 of 2 John Baker From: Highlandshhoa(~aol.com Sent: Monday, September 08, 2003 3:38 PM To: Andrea Lorenzo-luaces; Ron McLemore; John Baker; John F. Bush; Robert Miller; Michael Blake; Edward Martinez; Sally McGinnis Subject: Dollar General Store -McVay Wood & Associates Traffic Study [GFI-T8250-3F6209D16C639840j Dear Mayor and Commissioners: This Highlands Homeowners' Association's is continuing to notify the City of Winter Springs of its valid concern regarding direct negative impacts to traffic flow onto Sheoah Boulevard, neighboring public streets (e.g., First Court, Algiers Court), and in the vicinity of the Winter Springs Elementary School as a result of the Dollar General's future store operation. This is a matter of public safety that the Association will not concede or ignore regardless of the traffic study performed by McVay Wood and Associates and deemed acceptable by the City of Winter Springs. The study findings highlighted in City Manager Ronald McLemore's memo of July 25, 2003 to the Mayor and City Commission do not address the main concerns of the Association. This memorandum only addresses the finding of the increase of peak traffic volume on SR434 is less than 1 °~, so special and deceleration lanes are not required. No true quantification of what °less than 1 %" means is identified in the memorandum. However, the inference made is that the quantification of less than 1 % percentage is of minimal impact to the Highlands or surrounding area. It is anything but minimal. In fact, the main documented findings in the McVay Wood traffic study, which only support the Association's concerns, have been ignored and are not addressed at all by the City of Winter Springs. Specifically ignored is the sheer number of turning movements that will be introduced at the expense of the safety of Highlands residents, school children, and other citizens living in the vicinity when a raised median on SR434 is introduced. As documented in the study, the traffic movement prior to and after a physical median on SR434 is introduced uncovers the following. PRIOR TO PHYSICAL MEDIAN ON SR 434 IS INSTALLED The McVay Wood traffic study purports that 22 vehicles FROM the direction of 17-92 on SR 434 will be entering its store during peak hour trips. By the study, this translates into 178 vehicles FROM the direction of 17-92 per day. The McVay Wood traffic study purports that 23 vehicles FROM the direction of Moss Road on SR 434 will be entering its store at peak hour trips. This, by the study, translates in 179 vehicles FROM the direction of Moss Road per day. AFTER PHYSICAL MEDIAN ON SR 434 IS INSTALLED However, after the physical median is introduced on SR434, the McVay Wood traffic study shows that NO vehicles FROM the direction of 17-92 on SR 434 will be entering its store during peak hour trips. This, by the study, results into 0 (zero) vehicles FROM the direction of 17-92 per day. This is a significant drop in traffic flow from that direction. Yet, this does not mean that 178 vehicles from 17-92 will not be trying to access the store per day. They will only be forced to come from another direction. This is upheld by the study itself. In looking at the traffic flow AFTER the physical median being introduced on SR434, the McVay Wood traffic study shows that now 45 vehicles FROM the direction of Moss Road on SR 434 will be entering its store at peak hour trips (instead of 23 vehicles prior to the median installation). This, as the study shows, now translates in 357 vehicles (no longer 179) FROM the direction of Moss Road per day. It is cle8r from the McVay Wood traffic study, that 178 vehicles FROM 17-92 will be forced each day into an unsafe and undesirable traffic maneuver when the physical median is introduced on SR 434. This means approximately 178 vehicles per day (22 per peak hour) will need to make some type of directional change to access the store. With or without traffic restriction signs at the intersection of SR 434 and Sheoah Boulevard, it is the Association's firm belief that Sheoah Boulevard will be the first and main opportunity for those 178 vehicles to make the directional change required to access the Dollar General store. It is highly anticipated that this traffic will attempt to make a U-turn at the SR434/Sheoah intersection. However, due to SR 434 being too narrow in this location, this maneuver is impossible without necessitating a 3-point turn. As a result, traffic will flow onto Sheoah to make a U-turn in front of the Sheoah I condominiums in the vicinity of First Court, or make a U-turn in the school parking lot, or turn onto Sheoah and make right turns onto First Court and then onto Algiers Court to access westbound SR434. The introduction of a "NO U-TURN" sign on SR 434 at Sheoah Boulevard will not cure the problem but only encourage traffic to flow onto Sheoah Boulevard, neighboring streets or the school parking lot. 9/8/2003 Page 2 of 2 The potential introduction of 178 extra vehicles per day on Sheoah Boulevard for the sole purpose of making a U-tum is wholly unacceptable by the Association. This number of vehicles is not minimal. It is important to note that included in the 178 vehicles will no doubt be the semi-trucks Dollar General uses to make deliveries to its stores. Hopefully the City of Winter Springs has plans in place to restrict any cut through treffic by any Dollar General delivery truck or other vehicle that attempts to use the path outlined above or that of Sheoah Boulevard through the Highlands to Shepard Road to access 17-92 and vice versa. In its response to the SR 434 business community, the City successfully lobbied the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to remove the raised median proposed between Sheoah Boulevard and Moss Road. The core basis of the request was public safety and access to the businesses and elementary school. If the City of Winter Springs is intent upon approving the Dollar General store at the current location, then it should apply the same logic of removing the raised median between Sheoah Boulevard and Belle Avenue. The Association firmly believes it is not too late for the City of Winter Springs to pursue this matter with FDOT. However, in the meantime, the Association would like a firm commitment that some type of traffic control plan is put into place by the City prior to the Dollar General opening and not as a reaction to when some terrible accident occurs as a result of it The Highlands Homeowners' Association, in hopes that its concerns are treated respectfully and with due diligence, is submitting this information as notification of its position on the matter. Sincerely, Helga Schwarz President, Highlands Homeowners' Association 2200 Shepard Road Winter Springs, FL 32708 407-327-0640 highlandshhoa~aol.com 9/8/2003