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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 05192009 - D.2 (2)RECOMMENDATION(S): A. OPEN the public hearing and receive testimony on the proposed Amendment to the Contra Costa Centre Area Specific Plan, and CLOSE the public hearing; B. DETERMINE the Mitigated Negative Declaration adopted November 5, 2002 for the Specific Plan Amendment (SP2002-02) and Approval of the Planned-Unit District Rezoning (RZ023116) and Preliminary Development Plan (DP023041) is adequate and has been prepared consistent with State and County CEQA guidelines; C. ADOPT the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Specific Plan Amendment; D. CONSIDER The County Planning Commission’s recommendation regarding the proposed Specific Plan Amendment and APPROVE the proposed Amendment related to the elimination of the Treat Boulevard pedestrian overcrossing at Oak Road; E. ADOPT the attached Resolution with Growth Management Findings as it related to the Specific Plan Amendment; and APPROVE OTHER RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE Action of Board On: 05/19/2009 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER Clerks Notes: VOTE OF SUPERVISORS AYE:John Gioia, District I Supervisor Gayle B. Uilkema, District II Supervisor Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor Susan A. Bonilla, District IV Supervisor Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor Contact: Maureen Toms, 335-1245 I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown. ATTESTED: May 19, 2009 David J. Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors By: June McHuen, Deputy cc: Jim Kennedy, Maureen Toms, Public Works Department, BART D. 2 To:Board of Supervisors From:Jim Kennedy, County Redevelopment Director Date:May 19, 2009 Contra Costa County Subject:ADOPTION OF THE AMENDMENT TO THE CONTRA COSTA CENTRE (PLEASANT HILL BART STATION) AREA SPECIFIC PLAN (SP2002-02) RELATED TO THE OAK ROAD OVERCROSSING F. DIRECT the Department of Conservation and Development to file a Notice of Determination and pay the filing fees to the County Clerk, RECOMMENDATION(S): (CONT'D) and FISCAL IMPACT: The proposed cost of the Oak Road Bridge project is primarily the responsibility of the property owners/developers of Area 12 and Area 15. A Deferred Improvement Agreement exists for Area 15, as does a Cost Allocation Agreement with respect to Area 15. The rezoning action for the BART site (Area 12) was conditioned to include similar agreements. The County Redevelopment Agency may have an obligation to pay a portion of the project costs to cover enhanced design if the facility remains in adopted plans. In the long-term, funds could be available, if needed. The current Deferred Improvement Agreement for Area 15 provides for a capital contribution of $800,000 (2001 dollars) plus an access and construction easement. An agreement is part of conditions of approval for the BART property. No design has been completed and no funds have been spent. BACKGROUND: A. Specific Plan Background: The Contra Costa Centre Area Specific Plan (previously the Pleasant Hill BART Station Area Specific Plan) was adopted in 1983 to guide the public and private development decisions with more clarity than that provided by a 1975 Area Plan. The Oak Road pedestrian bridge was an element of the 1983 plan to allow removal of the at-grade pedestrian crossing of Treat Boulevard and provide greater capacity for autos. The pedestrian bridge was envisioned to connect second level public space and building entrances on both sides of Treat Boulevard. In response to community desires and the request of the East Bay Regional Park District, the Specific Plan was amended in 1998 to include, among other things, an overcrossing of Treat Boulevard one block east at Jones Road, aligning with the Ironhorse Trail. The 2001 BART Property Design Charrette resulted in a preliminary development plan for the BART property including street-level retail and commercial uses with residential development on the upper levels. The urban design concept activates the street level by bringing all pedestrian activity to the street-level immediately adjacent to all commercial uses, replacing the earlier concept for designing buildings with second-level public space. B. Reassessment of Second Bridge: In 2000, the Agency conducted a Community Design Program for the pedestrian and bicycle overcrossings proposed in the Specific Plan. During this program, divergent views were expressed about how the overcrossings should look and whether an overcrossing at Oak Road should be constructed. In June 2002, a study was prepared to assess the underlying premises for the second overcrossing of Treat Boulevard at Oak Road. The objectives of the traffic study were to define the features of an overcrossing at Oak Road; assess existing and future traffic operating conditions on Treat Boulevard with and without a pedestrian overcrossing; assess the impact of the overcrossing on pedestrian travel time; and provide advice on the need for the overcrossing relative to other means of improving traffic operations on Treat Boulevard. The analysis of pedestrian travel times showed that all overcrossing alternatives would require more travel time than the existing crosswalk even for pedestrians taking the most direct route served by the overcrossing. For routes of travel less directly served by the overcrossing, the pedestrian travel times would be substantially greater than using the existing crosswalk. Illegal pedestrian activity (jay walking) would likely increase if the crosswalks were removed and an overcrossing constructed. In addition, conditions that would encourage use of the bridge, such as second level public space and building entrances on both sides of Treat Boulevard do not exist and are no longer planned. The 1983 Specific Plan envisioned approximately 750,000 square feet office space plus 300 hotel rooms on the BART property. The plans for this property now involve 270,000 square feet of office/commercial space, 35,590 sq. ft. retail area, 12,130 Sq. ft./10 units of live-work/retail area, 19,4000 sq. ft. conference center, and 549 dwelling units, and concentrates pedestrian activity at the street level. The pedestrian bridge, by diverting the street-level pedestrian activity to an upper-level crossing, is inconsistent with the change in the planned focus of activity in the Pleasant Hill BART Station Area. The 1983 Specific Plan, which called for the overcrossing at Oak Road connecting the BART property on the north side and Area 15 on the south side of Treat Boulevard also envisioned 431,000 sq. ft. of office use and with approximately 1,300 employees in Area 15. Area 15 is now built-out with 125,000 sq. ft. of office, 69,000 sq. ft. commercial (health club), and 175 hotel rooms with a total of 630 employees. The less intensive development of this area is another aspect that reduces the need for an overcrossing. The 2002 traffic study also concluded that the overcrossing would not make significant improvements to either the delay index or travel speeds along Treat Boulevard, which are the performance measures for the corridor established in the Contra Costa Transportation Authority’s Growth Management Program. With the overcrossing, year 2020 conditions are predicted to improve slightly in the AM peak hour for westbound travel and deteriorate slightly in the PM peak hour for eastbound travel. The Oak Road overcrossing, together with the BART track overcrossing of Treat Boulevard to the west and the future Iron Horse Trail overcrossing to the east, represents three overcrossings within a 1200 ft. section of Treat Boulevard. The concentration of overcrossings within a small area was expressed as a concern during the 2001 Design Charrette and the Community Design Program. C. Previous Consideration by the Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission: The Specific Plan Amendment was considered by the Board of Supervisors in November 2002 (along with the BART site development program) and again on June 10, 2003 (along with the design consideration for the Iron Horse Trail Bridge over Treat Boulevard). In 2002, the proposed Amendment to eliminate the Treat Boulevard pedestrian overcrossing at Oak Road was deferred so it could be brought back with consideration of the design of the Iron Horse Trail overcrossing. In 2003, this issue was brought forward for consideration and again deferred until the development plans for the BART site were more detailed. Consideration of the Plan Amendment to remove the Oak Road Bridge was considered by the Board of Supervisors on December 14, 2004. The Board declared their intent to amend the Specific Plan for the Contra Costa Centre Area Specific Plan, removing the Oak Road Bridge. It was determined that the Amendment should be delayed until development of the BART property and the Iron Horse Trail Bridge were assured. The development of the BART property is well underway and development of Blocks A and B, fronting Treat Blvd., are expected to be complete by mid 2010. The Iron Horse Bridge project went to bid in mid April and the project is expected to have a bid awarded on the same date of this hearing. D. Pedestrian Safety Concerns: When the County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors considered a recommendation on the Specific Plan Amendments in Fall 2002, concerns were expressed about the portion of the Specific Plan Amendment dealing with the pedestrian overcrossing and pedestrian safety at the Treat Boulevard/Oak Road intersection. The Planning Commission recommended approval of the amendment, subject to the Board of Supervisor’s consideration of incorporating the following measures to improve pedestrian safety and ease in crossing Treat Boulevard: 1. Separate crosswalk surface from Treat Boulevard asphalt such as colored pavers. 2. In-roadway warning lights at the crosswalk during cross cycles. 3. A pedestrian refuge in the median with a push button for walk signal. 4. A raised island between the right through-lane and the right-turn lane on westbound Treat turning into the BART station, to reduce the length of the pedestrian crossing. 5. Steady signal indicator for right turns on northbound Oak Road to yield to pedestrians in combination with a pedestrian signal head. 6. Left turn signal from southbound Oak going east on Treat so it doesn’t conflict with the pedestrian movement. 7. A pedestrian interval countdown display for the pedestrian signal head. Public Works and Community Development staff reviewed the recommendations of the Planning Commission and have the following comments: 1. The separate crosswalk surface (i.e., pavers) would be a maintenance concern for long-term viability of a paving material other than asphalt for the busy Treat Boulevard. However, white pavement markings to increase the visibility of the crosswalk using a ladder or zebra design is feasible, but not recommended by Public Works at a controlled intersection. 2. In-roadway warning lights on the crosswalk are not permitted by state regulations if the crossing is already signalized. 3. The concept of a center island refuge was considered during the previous consultant study and was not recommended to be implemented because there is not adequate width in the current medians. Additional width would be necessary to have the six ft. width needed for a pedestrian island refuge. This would require frontage widening and associated tapers (pedestrian refuge with push button already exists in the median at this crosswalk). 4. A raised island between westbound through-lane and the right-turn lane from westbound Treat Boulevard to northbound Oak Road (the BART Station) already exist. 5. Yielding to pedestrians that have the right-of-way is already the law. The County has installed standard “Observe the pedestrian right-of-way” signs to all legs of the intersection. 6. The existing eight-phase traffic signal cycle currently does not give a conflicting pedestrian right-of-way/left-turn movement. 7. The countdown signal is an approved California traffic control device and can be used at this location. E. Contra Costa Centre Area Municipal Advisory Council: The Contra Costa Centre Area Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) unanimously recommended amending the Specific Plan to remove the bridge from the plan. In addition, the Walden Improvement Association recommended removal of the bridge from the Specific Plan. Both groups cited the reasons identified in the report, as well as aesthetics of having three overcrossings within a short distance. F. Conclusion: Staff recommends the removal of the Oak Road pedestrian bridge from the Contra Costa Centre Area Specific Plan. This recommendation is based on the following: • the overcrossing would be underutilized due to the increase in pedestrian travel time; • the existing built environment in Area 15 and the urban design concept for the BART property do not include second level public spaces, rather focus on activating the street levels with pedestrian activity; • delay index or travel speeds along Treat Boulevard would not significantly improve with the construction of the second overcrossing; and • the visual impacts of three overcrossings within a short distance along Treat Boulevard would be reduced. CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION: Two pedestrian overcrossings of Treat Boulevard (the Iron Horse Trail and the Oak Road overcrossings) would remain in the Specific Plan. ATTACHMENTS Resolution No. 2009/203 Contra Costa Centre MAC CPC Resolution CPC Staff Report Pedestrian Travel Time Initial Study-CEQA