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FREEPORT TRAFFIC & PARKING COMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
March 18, 2008
PRESENT: Gary Profenno (Chair) Chris Parker Rodney Regier Jim Gorman
Albert Presgraves, Town Engineer Andrew Manning
Rich DeGrandpre (arrived at 7:37)
EXCUSED: Gerald Schofield, Chief of Police
The meeting was called to order by Mr. Profenno at 7:35 a.m.
ITEM I: ACCEPTANCE OF THE MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY 12, 2008
MEETING
Motion (Regier/ Manning) to accept the minutes of the February 12, 2008 meeting as printed.
Approved 4-0; Mr. Profenno abstained.
ITEM II: PRESENTATION BY ARROWSTREET AND VENASSE HANGEN BRUSTLIN, CONSULTANTS FOR LL BEAN, ABOUT DOWNTOWN TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIAN PLANNING
Mr. John Oliver, LL Bean, introduced the proposal for improving LL Bean property on the west side of Main Street by stating that the concept plan was the result of a lot of work and analysis by many qualified people, and they would welcome feedback and input from the Committee. Current plans call for the parking garage and Village Station retail shops (on the east side of Main Street) to open in January, 2009. The proposed changes to the traffic patterns in the area of the LL Bean campus would occur after that time. One of the big changes from the project would be to close Morse Street between Main Street and Cross Street, allowing the area to be converted to public green space.
He then introduced the other members of the presentation team: Randy Reynolds, LL Bean; Bill Crenshaw, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB); Shawn Selby and John Cole, Arrowstreet; Will Conway and Kylie Mason, Sebago Technics.
Mr. John Cole presented the overall project concept plan: close Morse Street to add green space; change Nathan Nye Street to two-way traffic; extend Cross Street at the south end through the Howard Place parking lot, connecting to Howard Place. He noted that this plan is intended to reduce the amount of traffic on Main Street between Justin’s Way and Howard Place, also reducing potential pedestrian conflicts, in particular at the intersection of Main and Morse Streets where turning traffic entering the LL Bean campus must cross a busy crosswalk.
Mr. Regier asked about the changes in the traffic expected at the various intersections. Mr. Crenshaw said that at Justin’s Way and Main Street, the entering traffic from the north would probably increase, but this is an “easy” right-turn movement. No change in the exiting traffic is expected. There would be an increase in the entering and exiting traffic at Howard Place. They also looked at the intersection traffic under a future growth scenario, and all of the intersections would be adequate. Mr. Crenshaw said that the capacity of the Justin’s Way intersection could be more than doubled by the installation of a traffic signal if necessary, but it was not anticipated to be required under the foreseeable traffic scenarios.
It was noted that there is no sidewalk on the south side of Justin’s Way, but that it could possibly be added. Mr. Profenno also was concerned about the turning geometry and grade at this intersection. Mr. DeGrandpre noted that this intersection, as well as the overall plan, had been discussed with the School Department, and they believed that the school bus traffic would not be impacted. Mr. DeGrandpre supports the plan to reduce traffic on Main Street between Justin’s Way and Howard Place.
Discussion of this item continued with the next item.
ITEM III: CONTINUE DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE CHANGES TO THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK ON MAIN STREET AT THE NEW FREEPORT STATION RETAIL DEVELOPMENT
When Village Station is completed, pedestrian traffic across Main Street in the vicinity of Morse Street is expected to increase substantially. Mr. Presgraves said that the idea of adding flashing lights in the crosswalk paving had been brought up by Town staff, and that the Committee had been discussing this and other possible pedestrian safety improvements at the last few meetings. He also distributed a summary of the total number of pedestrians at each of the major intersections with Main Street, based on the data provided by VHB, and previously distributed to the Committee. Pedestrian counts in the Main St area were made on Saturday 18 August, and Wednesday 22 August, 2007. The crosswalks at Howard Place, Nathan Nye, Morse, and Bow Streets were the ones most heavily used; between 16% to over 23% of total pedestrian use during the survey days occurred in each area. Justin’s Way was used only slightly less: 15% of total pedestrian use on 8/18, 13% on 8/22. Crosswalks at West, Grove and Mallett were used much less.
The Committee welcomed input on this topic from VHB and Arrowstreet. Mr. Crenshaw said that the major crosswalks would generally not need to have warning lights because they are used so heavily, but there may be some safety improvement from lights during times that the crosswalks are not used so much. He recommended against the use of pedestrian controlled warning lights as too disruptive to vehicular flow on Main St. He noted that warning lights tend to be of greater benefit to pedestrians when traffic flow is faster or there are poorer sight lines than are the case along this section of Main Street. Mr. DeGrandpre asked about the use of reflectors. Mr. Crenshaw said that reflectors would be a definite safety improvement, virtually equal to the use of embedded lights.
There was some discussion of the amount of street lighting in the area of the new crosswalk. It was noted that existing crosswalks are not equally well-lit, but because all of the power poles in the area had some type of street light, it may not be easy to add more lighting. It was also noted that two new private lights are proposed for the east side of the crosswalk at the entrance to the Village Station development.
Resident Ray Ramage was recognized, and he described a vision of closing Main Street to vehicular traffic, and converting the street to a pedestrian-oriented environment, with traffic by-passed on some (undesignated) surrounding streets. The Committee was generally supportive of the concept, recognizing that many issues would need to be addressed before such a vision could be implemented. Mr. Regier noted that the current proposal is a small version of this concept of reducing vehicular traffic and improving pedestrian amenities.
Motion (Regier/ DeGrandpre) to recommend that the Town Council support the following:
1. The concept plan shown on the sheet titled Campus Master Plan, by Arrowstreet and Sebago Technics, dated 3-2-2008;
2. Further development of the proposed intersection improvements at Justin’s Way and Main Street, considering street geometry and grade, sidewalk improvements, and a possible future traffic signal;
3. Improvements for all crosswalks on Main St between Howard Place and Justin’s way that could include reflectors, and/or improved street lighting; and
4. Clear signage directing traffic in the parking lots and Cross Street to appropriate exits, away from the residential areas around this project.
Approved 5-0. Mr. Gorman abstained.
ITEM IV: DISCUSS RESULTS OF THE WORKSHOP WITH TOWN COUNCIL REGARDING THE FINAL REPORT FROM THE SOUTH FREEPORT TRAFFIC & PARKING COMMITTEE DATED DECEMBER 31, 2007, AND FUTURE ACTIONS
Mr. Profenno noted that most of the Committee had attended the Workshop with the Town Council. He summarized the Town Council’s desires as the following:
1. Monitor and review the use of the Brewer lot.
2. Consider parking restrictions on Main Street; and
3. Consider an Ordinance amendment to allow some limited amount of parking for non-accessory uses.
He also recommended that the Committee continue to discuss these and other issues under the standard protocol for notice to residents, and then after a general approach is developed by the Committee, consider holding a special meeting in the evening for South Freeport residents to discuss the Committee’s ideas.
Motion (DeGrandpre/ Gorman) to table this item to the next meeting.
Approved unanimously.
ITEM V: DISCUSS DRAFT FREEPORT COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION STUDY, PHASE II, RECOMMENDED INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS, JANUARY 31, 2007
Motion (DeGrandpre/ Gorman) to table this item to the next meeting.
Approved unanimously.
ITEM VI: OTHER BUSINESS
Mr. Presgraves distributed a copy of a letter from Tim Paul, FMA to the Maine DOT dated March 13, 2008 requesting that they re-consider their proposed closure of I-295 southbound between Gardiner and Topsham for this summer. This letter was for informational purposes, only.
ITEM VII: ADJOURNMENT
Motion (Gorman/ DeGrandpre) to adjourn the meeting until Tuesday, April 29, 2008,
7:30 a.m.
Approved unanimously.
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