2006-10-02 - Laserfiche WebLink

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10 Ms. Angela Tucker, Development Services Manager in Neighborhood Development Services, said that a consensus was reached on a voluntary plan, including: tractor trailers accessing the self-storage business will be directed to avoid the Franklin Street/East Market intersection and enter by way of Carlton Avenue; H. T. Ferron will voluntarily reroute their truck traffic by dispatching trucks via Carlton Avenue except when a train is visible when they will route to Franklin Street. She said that all present at the meeting expressed concern about shifting the problem to other neighborhood areas, especially if Franklin is made one-way. She said residents, particularly south of the railroad overpass, continue to voice concern about the impact of future development. She said various signs will be installed to enhance traffic operations. She recommended that these measures be tried and then reassessed after a period of time. Ms. Hamilton said two issues remain from the last discussion, and she asked if there had been any discussion of the pedestrian issue and adding a small sidewalk and barrier. She said Mr. Alex Wright said he and other business owners are interested in contributing to a solution to protect Mrs. Scruggs’ house. Ms. Tucker said staff is meeting with Mrs. Scruggs tomorrow. She said the group acknowledged that the pedestrian issue is a challenge and staff can assess if a sidewalk will work. Responding to a question from Dr. Brown, Ms. Tucker said 409 trucks used Franklin Street in a seven day period, half of which were greater than two axles. Mr. Lynch said he would guess that one quarter of the other half of the trucks are local. Mr. Norris asked if part of the plan is to approach other businesses, and Ms. Tucker said that can be done. Mr. O’Connell suggested that a discussion be held with the neighborhood at the end of the month to talk about the concern about speed on the underpass and the possibility of speed humps or other ways to slow traffic down. Mr. Taliaferro said he would like to see a 90 day test period of time, and Ms. Hamilton suggested a 60 day period. Ms. Tucker said a quarterly assessment can be done. She said it is best to give people time to adjust to the new signs and voluntary measures. Responding to a question from Ms. Hamilton, Mr. O’Connell said a planner in Neighborhood Development Services is trying to get Franklin Street removed from directions on MapQuest. Mr. Lynch thanked the residents and businesses who got together. He said having heard the real issues, he thinks we have a solution without negatively impacting so many people. Mr. Taliaferro also thanked those who participated in the meeting. Dr. Brown said he wants this to be successful and said the item will be put back on Council’s agenda in January or February. He said this will not be the final outcome until we see that it is successful. Ms. Hamilton said she thinks it is a good idea to have more meetings to see if concerns are being addressed. Dr. Brown suggested that other businesses be identified who can contribute to the effort, and that the businesses talked to and those who made voluntary efforts be part of the report. Mr. Norris said one glaring omission is participation of residents from the other side of the tracks, and he encouraged them to stay involved.