Lewelling Boulevard Improvements Response to Questions/Comments From October 9, 2001 Community Meeting

Transcription

1 Lewelling Boulevard Improvements Response to Questions/Comments From October 9, 2001 Community Meeting Group 1 Questions/Comments (Topic: Impact to Properties) How many residential/business properties will be eliminated? How many properties? County owns ROW already listing to communities Will we relocate displaced businesses/homeowners? Color code maps to show properties affected parking losses The color of this makes it almost impossible to be photocopies with most photocopiers. How to compensate for loss. Eminent Domain necessary Wants maps in a form that can be taken home to study Effect of this project on homeowners/businesses property values. Need to know how affected ASAP!! I own 827-E. Lewelling which is in Phase II. Do you have an idea at this time how much of my frontage that you need? Also, what about the parking lot I will lose? Morrill Street will become isolated now with 5 houses bordered by the #238 and Lewelling. What will become of the property? Would like more information on how Phases I & II will affect the value of our homes! I would like to know as early as possible if you are taking my property by eminent domain. Right now I need to do a lot of house repairs and it seems futile if I will be required to sell. I have also done a lot of improvements since I bought the house. The moderator doesn t seem to know anything or have any definitive answers. Stella Rago request: Send me copies of any and all plans any and all maps, drawings, proposals, and specifically tell me if I will have to sell to the County? Next meeting list business & homes addresses that may or may not be taken. Response to Group 1 Questions/Comments: The County presented three (3) conceptual layouts for the improvement of Lewelling Boulevard/East Lewelling Boulevard in the October 9, 2002 community meeting. These layouts were designed based on the provisions of the Ashland and Cherryland Business Districts (ACBD) Specific Plan and the Alameda County Bicycle Master Plan Update for the Western Unincorporated Areas. These conceptual layouts were designed for informational and discussion purposes only and are subject to change. A series of technical studies that include traffic (e.g. projected future traffic volumes, traffic safety, parking, etc.) and environmental impacts (e.g. noise, air quality, traffic, etc.) will be conducted to assist in the designing of the preferred layouts (lane configurations, alignments, etc.). The County currently owns two (2) properties along Lewelling/E. Lewelling Blvd. The County has obtained additional right of way on 10 properties in Phase I and five (5) properties in Phase II. Currently, we are unable to determine specifically which properties are impacted until the technical studies mentioned above are completed and preliminary designs (alignments) are developed based on these studies. When this process is completed, we will present to the public a list and descriptions of the affected properties. 1

2 If your property is affected, the County will conduct an appraisal on your property and offer you a fair market value compensation for your house/business or a portion of your front yard, driveway, or parking. Group 2 Questions/Comments (Topic: Phase I & Phase II Funding) What provisions mitigate Phase II delays? Why Phase II is NOT funded? If on ballot, how long to take? LAVMA project can funding come from that? Second phase How to mitigate effect of Phase I + LAVWMA disruption on community Cost road Hesperian/Meekland $10 Million Phase I More Meekland to East 14 th More ROW required Supervisor Miley pursuing funding possibilities (LAVMA) If we did Phase I & II concurrently, how much time? (more ROW needed 1-1 meetings with homeowner) PWA pursuing funding applications from State/Feds Could take (25?) years to move from Phase I-II Measure B approved by voters need to go back to Cities/BOS to change plan Not satisfied with Phase II. Not funded noise disruption, then not completed Seems cheaper to do Phase I-II together (II - $10 million cost complex project) If Route 238 stopped can $$ from ACTA > to Phase II? Lewelling has to be widened as traffic is terrible all the time (not just peak hours). If they are going to do it right, and not come back 10 years and do it over. PWA needs to express to the public that the money available for Phase I has to be used by specific time or we will loose the funding. I feel that funding needs to be secured for Phase II asap so that the project can continue uninterrupted until completion. Where is money collected for sidewalks no sidewalks? Response to Group 2 Questions/Comments: Currently, only Lewelling Boulevard Improvement Project Phase I has funding for design and construction (Measure B). Phase II is identified as a Tier 2 project on several funding programs. Tier 2 projects typically receive funding after all Tier 1 projects have been constructed. The passage of Proposition 42 by the voters may present an opportunity for funding of Lewelling Phase II. We look to this funding source with guarded optimism because the State could vote to use the Proposition 42 money to balance the State budget. If Proposition 42 remains as a transportation funding source, funding for Lewelling Phase II could materialize and could be available by 2008 or

3 We met with Livermore-Amador Valley Water Management Agency (LAVWMA) staff to determine whether the Lewelling Boulevard Improvement Project and the LAVWMA pipeline project could be constructed at the same time. Both agencies felt that a joint project was not possible and that it was in the best interest of the community to have the LAVWMA constructed as soon as possible. This would allow LAVWMA to be completed prior to the widening of I-238 in the fall of We also believe that constructing both Phases I and II of Lewelling Boulevard Improvement Project would minimize community impacts. Mitigation(s) on potential disruption to the community due to Phase I and LAVWMA construction will be addressed in the project s Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The County will take appropriate measures to implement the mitigations identified in the EIR to minimize disruption to the community. Based on this recommendation and comments received at the first Lewelling Boulevard Improvement Project community meeting, the County will pursue all efforts to work with the funding agencies to pursue funding for Phase II to allow the construction of both Phase I and II together. Sidewalks are proposed on this Lewelling Boulevard Improvement project. Group 3 Questions/Comments (Topic: Project Information on Websites) Wants listing add to website PR in Daily Review on website yes! Response to Group 3 Questions/Comments: We will provide updated information about the Lewelling Boulevard Improvement Project on the Public Works Agency website. The website address is: This website will contain instructions on how to contact us if you have questions or would like more information about this project. Group 4 Questions/Comments (Topic: Underground Utility) Undergrounding How disruptive? Electronic power from line to meter undergrounding homeowner/business owner can hire contractor for hookup. Why should homeowners/businesses have to pay anything for undergrounding conversion? Undergrounding conversion needs to be voted on by citizens Response to Group 4 Questions/Comments: To improve visual aesthetics and public safety along Lewelling Boulevard, the undergrounding of utility distribution facilities is recommended. The utilities to be undergrounded will include electric lines, phone lines, and cable TV lines. 3

4 The homeowners/citizens on Lewelling Boulevard will have the opportunity to vote to form an underground utility district. The process starts with forming an underground utility district. If such district is approved by the voters, the respective utility companies will underground their portion of facilities within their right of way. Property owners will be responsible for converting/undergrounding their facilities within their property. During the conversion process, property owners may experience temporary disruption in utility service. Property owners will need to coordinate with the various utility companies during the design and construction phases of the utility undergrounding. Group 5 Questions/Comments (Topic: Roadway Alignment/Width/Geometrics) Medians may cause problem for businesses. Stay on North side less businesses + houses Opposition to bike path? Path needed priority Current width wide Future width 106 (Phase I) & 98 (Phase II) Any possibility of parallel path? 1. Board of Supervisors approval 2. EIR ROW survey, etc. ROW Design can parallel County preference North or South side Proposed lane widths seem too generous save property 12 too big Lots of schools to BART need bike lanes Will speed be increased with 4 lanes? Is it possible to make the lanes narrower? (Yes.) In the event, the plans of widening Lewelling Blvd. materialize, I request that north & south sides of Lewelling Blvd. be widened equally. Thank you for your consideration on this matter. This project will bring the already insufferable automobile boom boxes, ambulance sirens, and loud Harley motorcycles, more directly into my home, rendering the house uninhabitable. Therefore, I am against putting any four lane highway right in my front yard. How will vehicles access my parking lot from the west. They will not be able to make a left turn into our lot. Proposed right of way is too wide! We just want a sidewalk!!!! Schools in the area and BART commuters need the bike lanes. Proposed lanes are overly generous. Eight feet could be retained by reducing traffic lanes to 10 and 11 feet with a 12-foot medium. 4

5 We ask that both sides (North and South of Lewelling Blvd.) have an equal amount of property taken. We request that you not take more from the South Side of Lewelling. We request that you consider having the lanes narrower than freeway size lanes. We request that the County pay for underground utility hook-ups to existing homes. We do not feel it is fair to expect existing homeowners to pay to have their utilities hooked-up. We are also concerned that the light signal located at 195 East Lewelling Blvd. (at the end of Ashland Avenue) remain in place as it will be impossible to exit the driveway otherwise. Also, the children from the high school and St. John s School use the light signal to cross the street in that area. Our major concern is that too much land area will be taken for this project thus creating a freeway like atmosphere for the area. Please keep us informed of any future meetings related to this project or any projects in this area. List speed limit for new 4 lane Blvd. Response to Group 5 Questions/Comments: This project has not advanced far enough to provide specific answers to most of the questions listed above. As mentioned in our earlier responses, we will be conducting a series of technical studies that include traffic (e.g. projected future traffic volumes, traffic safety, parking, etc.) and environmental impacts (e.g. noise, air quality, traffic, etc.) to assist in the designing of the preferred layouts (lane configurations, alignments, etc.). In addition, we will be referring to the provisions of the Ashland and Cherryland Business Districts (ACBD) Specific Plan and the Alameda County Bicycle Master Plan Update for the Western Unincorporated Areas, both adopted by the Board of Supervisors, to assist us in our design. We expect to include features identified in existing adopted Plans to improve motorist, pedestrian, and bicycle safety including median islands, turn lanes, landscaping, bicycle lanes, parking, and wider sidewalk areas. As we advance further in the project design, we will schedule community meetings at key stages of the project to keep the public apprised of our progress. Group 6 Questions/Comments (Topic: Parking/Traffic/Construction Detour) What happens to businesses requiring parking permits/conditional Use Permits? Phase I (funded); Phase II (not funded) 4 lanes to 2 lanes cause traffic backlogs? How to mitigate? Detour? Traffic how? Accidents on Lewelling at Orchard Supply Lots of traffic on Meekland Consider traffic calming measures (bulb out, etc.) on side streets in particular Meekland at Lewelling. Signal to the freeway needs to be a 3 way signal. The traffic is terrible at all times of the day. You can t do Phase I & not do Phase 2. 5

6 Response to Group 6 Questions/Comments: As with Group 5 Questions/Comments, we do not have sufficient information to answer specific questions such as parking permits/conditional Use Permits, detours, traffic calmimg issues, traffic signal modifications, etc. However, some of these issues will be examined and addressed in the traffic study. The traffic study will assist us in the design of the preferred layouts that will incorporate the needed improvements to improve traffic flow and safety for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians on Lewelling Boulevard/East Lewelling Boulevard. During construction, traffic control and appropriate detour routes will be implemented. Group 7 Questions/Comments (Topic: EIR Study) PWA needs EIR, ROW, & survey before proceeding time intensive Could project be halted because EIR study? Response to Group 7 Questions/Comments: The Public Works Agency (PWA) will need to conduct an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), a Right of Way (ROW) assessment and acquisition, and a survey of the project area. These tasks are time intensive and are part of the long project implementation process that will be presented at the July 30, 2002 community meeting. It is possible that the findings in the EIR could halt the project. Group 8 Questions/Comments (Topic: Public Involvement) What is the process to change specific plan? County will do what it wants to do without public consent! Lack of answers tonight frustrating what info. can homeowners/businesses get to help them plan their futures? Response to Group 8 Questions/Comments: In brief, the process to modify a specific plan begins with a request to the Planning Commission to initiate a review of the plan or a portion thereof. Thereafter, if the Commission approves this review, the modification will be subjected to the regular process of adopting a specific plan, which includes an environmental impact report, public hearings, etc. The Board of Supervisors and the Public Works Agency will continue to conduct public meetings at key stages of the project to inform the community on the project s status. The Agency also welcomes any comments from the community regarding the Lewelling Boulevard Improvement Project. LUPE/SPECIAL PROJECTS/LEWELLIING RESPONSES TO COMMENTS ON MTG REV doc 6