5.8. PCS 01-25-2005 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Carson Business Park December 20, 2004 Page 2 . on this property, that it would develop as 18 townhomes. One thing that the traffic analysis does not deal with but is shown on the site plan is the driveway to the Urista office building ,currently being constructed on the lot just to the west along Main Street. That office building is just over 5,500 square feet and there is a condition on it that its individual driveway onto Main Street be closed when Carson Avenue is. constructed. The traffic analysis concludes based on the information provided above, that the p.m. peak hour will be the most critical. During the p.m. peak hour, it is estimated that 434 trips will be generated by this development, 219 entering and 215 exiting the site. Figure 4 in the report provides a weekday peak hour level of service diagram. In the p.m. peak hour, it estimates that the left turn. and straight-through movements out of the development will operate at Level of Service F. It also estimates that the left turn out of the commercial area north of Main Street will operate at a Level of Service F, as well as the straight -through after the Carson Business Park is developed. . I believe it would be inappropriate to approve a development that their own traffic analysis indicates the main intersection servicing the development, and in this case the only intersection servicing the development, will have two of the three movements operate at Level of Service F at full build out, as well as lowering an existing leg of the intersection's movements to Level of Service F. Their own traffic analysis prepared by Benshoof & Associates states in the text, "Level of Service (LOS) F represents the worst intersection operation with excessive delay. Most agencies in Minnesota consider that LOS D represents the minimal acceptable LOS for normal peak traffic conditions." I would recortunend that the platting of this property have a condition on it that the uses and/or mixes. of commercial development result in a LOS D in the worst case scenario for all movements in the a.m. or p.m. peak hour at the intersection of Main Street and Carson Avenue. B. Other Issues If the development of Carson Business Park is to move forward, we would offer these additional comments: 1. Carson Avenue should be.straightened between the Main Street intersection and at least the first driveway to provide for ease of traffic movements. Currently, the road . alignment is curved through the driveways with a very short tangent prior to meeting Main Street. 2. We would recommend that restricted access be provided around the entire perimeter of the plat with two exceptions, those being where Carson Avenue meets up with . Main Street, and where the driveway is shown to Meadow Park 2nd Addition to service the Urista office building. (No access to the Great River Energy site because this just makes the traffic issues worse.) . 3. The Technical Evaluation Panel. reviewed this proposal and approved the wetland impact for Carson Avenue. It also approved the wetland mitigation plan. It disapproved the wetland impact shown fonhe driveway to the Great River Energy property. S:\PLANNlNG\Case Files\2OG4\P 04-11 Carson Business Pk\12 20 04 Engineer's merno.doc