HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 7.3 Civic Center Study Committee (2) i 6
CITY OF DUBLIN 2 00-(D
AGENDA STATEMENT
MEETING DATE : April 25 , 1983
SUBJECT Civic Center Study Committee
EXHIBITS ATTACHED Traffic Engineer ' s Report dated April 19 , 1983
RECOMMENDATION Designate Civic Center Study Committees 1( /
FINANCIAL STATEMENT: None at this time -
DESCRIPTION In accordance with City Council direction, the
Traffic Engineer has evaluated the access problems
which were previously identified with utilizing the
Dublin San Ramon Services site for a permanent City
office location. The Traffic Engineer has indicated
that those access problems could be mitigated with
both on-site improvements and improvements to Dublin
Boulevard.
It is Staff ' s recommendation that the City Council
designate a Civic Center Study Committee , consisting
of two City Councilmembers and Staff. The Committee
would be charged with the responsibility of surveying
those sites within the City which might be suitable
for a permanent City office location. The survey
would also include a preliminary review of the
advantages and disadvantages of each site . In
addition, the Committee would also meet with
representatives of the Dublin San Ramon Services
District regarding the potential for the use of the
DSRSD site .
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COPIES TO:
ITEM NO. ~'
MEMORANDUM
TO: Richard Ambrose
City Manager
FROM: Chris D. Kinzel
DATE: April 19, 1983
SUBJECT: D.S.R.S.D./City Hall Site Traffic Analysis
At the request of the City Council , I have examined the traffic
implications of establishing Dublin City offices at the existing DSRSD
site on the north side of Dublin Boulevard between Village Parkway and
Clark Avenue. As I understand it, all City operations including the
Police Department would be located at this site in addition to existing
DSRSD operations. This memorandum summarizes our investigation.
Existing Conditions
Dublin Boulevard is a four-lane roadway along the site frontage -
generally with parking prohibited. There is a center continuous two-way
left turn lane, for a length of approximately 500 feet between the median
near Village Parkway and the eastbound left turn lane for Clark Avenue.
Dublin Boulevard varies in width along the frontage of the DSRSD site
with approximately 84 feet curb-to-curb on the west end of the site and
approximately 68 feet curb-to-curb at the east end of the site. In
effect, Dublin Boulevard is transitioning from what was originally
designed to be a four-lane undivided roadway east of the site to a
four-lane divided roadway west of Village Parkway. The site lies within
that transition area.
It is expected that the City Council will consider the adoption of
future width plan lines for Dublin Boulevard within the next two to
three months . At that time, it is possible that the need for long range
widening of Dublin Boulevard in this area may be recommended. However,
widening would appear to only involve the relocation of curb, gutters
and sidewalks and minor landscaping throughout most of the length of the
street, as no major improvements such as buildings are within the path
of a widened facility.
Two driveways currently serve the DSRSD site; one at either end of the
Dublin Boulevard frontage. The main entrance is at the east end of the
property and serves automobile traffic related to the site as well as
some maintenance and operation vehicles. The driveway at the west end
of the site passes through a fenced gate at the site of the corporation
yard.
Between the DSRSD site and Village Parkway, there are a total of four
driveways serving various commercial buildings and uses. Most of these
driveways are of inadequate width and some ( such as the Wendy' s
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driveway) are at awkward locations. East of the site, the auto club
building is located which has no driveways onto Dublin Boulevard.
Traffic volumes are relatively heavy in the area with a total of some
24 ,000 vehicles per day on Dublin Boulevard, 2,000 vehicles per day on
Clark Avenue north of Dublin Boulevard, and 1 ,000 vehicles on Clark
Avenue south of Dublin Boulevard. Traffic volumes at the intersection
of Clark Avenue and Dublin Boulevard are not sufficiently high to
indicate that traffic signals are needed or desirable at this
intersection at the present time. Based on the relatively complete
development in the area , it is not expected that traffic volumes on
Clark Avenue will increase appreciably in the future. For this reason,
it is not expected that there would be a need for traffic signals at
this intersection in the future.
City Hall Operation
It is expected that the site would house all City operations. This
would include staff and visitors, police operations and could include
day and night meetings involving the public. The use of existing- DSRSD
driveways for access is rather awkward. These driveways are too narrow,
especially when used for right-turn movements since the through traffic
lane is immediately adjacent to the curb. In addition, occasionally the -
traffic congestion in the area and specifically the backup from the
Village Parkway intersection blocks the frontage of the DSRSD site.
In the future, it may be necessary to widen Dublin Boulevard along the
frontage to accommodate a full four-lane divided roadway. Driveways
could be improved at that time if not sooner. In addition, it is also
possible that the existing continuous left turn lane could be replaced
with a raised landscaped median. Because of the location of the main
DSRSD driveway, such a median would restrict the use of this driveway to
right turn movements in and out only. However, the DSRSD frontage is
sufficiently long such that an opening for left turn entrances could be
created in the possible future median at a point approximately midway
between the two current driveways. Therefore, it is safe to assume that
left turn egress from the site could be changed , restricted or
eliminated in the future.
None of these issues should present insurmountable problems to those
users of the City Hall in the categories of staff, visitors or attendees
of public meetings. However , the el i'mination of left turns by police
vehicles on emergency runs could be a problem. It is noted that many
police emergency runs would be made from patrol locations in the field
rather than emanating from City Hall itself. In this case, restricted
left turn access need not be of paramount consideration.
Alternate access from the DSRSD site to Clark Avenue via the auto club
parking lot was considered. It is assumed that such an access would be
made via an easement in which a clear area is maintained both for access
to the auto cl ub site as wel 1 as the DSRSD site. In this case, it is
assumed that such an access point would lie at the extreme northern edge
of the auto club parking lot and would connect with the north edge of
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the DSRSD property. Such a access facility would require fairly
extensive modifications to the auto cl ub parking lot in the form of
revised and modified landscape area in order to widen the driveway.
Such an access to Clark Avenue would enable either regular or emergency
vehicles to gain access to Clark Avenue and then either to Dublin
Boulevard or the residential districts to the north . Although
left-turns could be made at Dublin Boulevard from Clark Avenue, as
stated earlier based on present traffic volumes , traffic signals would
not seem to be necessary at this location in the foreseeable future.
Conclusions
From a traffic standpoint, the Dublin Boulevard DSRSD site has good
public exposure and access. A number of access related issues currently
exist and which may change in the future as Dublin Boulevard experiences
increased traffic and possibly widening with installation of a raised
median . It would appear that most of the problems or issues related to
the site could be resolved by improvements such as street widening,
driveway widening or the installation of a new access point.
Although there are some benefits associated with providing a direct
connection to Clark Avenue via an easement through the auto club parking
lot, this would seem to be an expensive connection considering the
changes required on both sites.
I will be present at the April 25th Council meeting to answer any
remaining questions that the Council may have on this matter.
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