Jamestown (CSi) The Jamestown City Planning Commission has approved an ordinance requiring traffic impact studies be done for large development projects.

The Ordinance will be forwarded to the Jamestown City Attorney for review.

The ordinance would require a traffic study for any development or change in zoning that generates traffic of 1,000 vehicles per day.

The city engineer’s office would have the discretion to waive the requirement or enforce it on smaller projects if needed.

SRF Consulting’s Cindy Gray says, the study would be performed by an engineering firm under contract to the city, with the costs billed to the developer.

City Engineer Reed Schwartzkopf says the study could indicate changes, to traffic signs or lights, blocks away from the development.

The Jamestown City Council to determine if the developer would be required to cover the costs of the upgrades to the city’s infrastructure.

A Public Hearing on the Land Use and Transportation Plan will be Monday, May 18, 2015 at 5:00 pm, at City Hall.

The Planning Commission also asked SRF to continue researching the number of parking spaces required for assisted living centers and senior living centers.

Current city ordinances require 0.65 parking spaces per living quarter for such properties.

Clarice Liechty, said senior living centers could be re-purposed to standard apartments easily. If a building was built for assisted living and later converted into apartments, it would have too few off-street parking spaces resulting in residents parking on the streets.

Jamestown zoning ordinances currently require 1.5 parking spaces for a one-bedroom apartment and two parking spaces for larger apartments.

The Planning Commission has authorized Schwartzkopf to meet with city utility providers to determine what utility easements are necessary in new developments, to lead to a new zoning ordinance that would specify what land should be dedicated for utilities on new lots being created in new developments.

Jamestown Traffic Impact Study Draft Ordinance

1. Purpose/Intent

The purpose of the Traffic Impact Study is to identify the effect of a development, or group of developments, on the transportation system relating to capacity, level of service and safety. The primary goal of the traffic impact study is to assess what improvements, if any are needed to:

a. Protect the existing investments of the public street system;

b. Avoid the creation of or mitigate existing hazardous traffic conditions;

c. Minimize the impacts of higher intensity land use traffic on lower intensity areas in the community;

d. Maintain adequate capacity of public roadways serving development areas; and

e. Create a condition to allow safe traffic operations along roadways and intersections in the vicinity of the development.

2. Applicability

Traffic impact studies may be required at several stages of the development process. The City Engineer shall be the responsible party for determining if a traffic impact study is needed in accordance with the regulations of this section.

a. Traffic impact studies are required under any one of the following circumstances: i. A development that could generate at least 1,000 or more trips per day beyond the existing use;

ii. A proposed rezoning or land use plan amendment to a higher intensity use; or

iii. At the discretion of the City Engineer, traffic impact studies may also be required based on one or more of the following: 1. Proposed use is of higher intensity than what is shown in the future land use plan;

2. Sensitivity of surrounding neighborhoods that may be impacted by the increase of traffic from the development, such as cut through traffic; and

3. Other conditions as recognized by the City Engineer.

b. Traffic impact studies may be required at any of the following stages of development: i. Application for a Land Use Plan Amendment

ii. Application for a zone change

iii. Application for a subdivision

iv. Application for a building permit

3. Traffic Impact Study Requirements

A traffic impact study shall contain shall address the following information within the report. The City Engineer shall be the responsible authority to be consulted regarding the scope of the study.

a. Verify the expected number of trips generated using national or state recognized resources and procedures;

b. Discussion and/or diagrams showing site circulation and site plan;

c. Sight distance evaluation at study intersections;

d. Study intersection design;

e. Include a recommendation on the need for right and/or left turn lanes, including length of the proposed turn lanes; i. Turn lanes recommended along the ND State Highway System shall utilize the NDDOT’s polices and design practices for turn lane warrants and design.

f. Capacity analysis at study intersections;

g. Crash data analysis of the study intersections;

h. Trip distribution (evaluate number, location, and spacing of access points);

i. Background traffic growth and evaluation of future traffic;

j. Traffic signal warrant analysis – with a recommendation of signalization (including timing, phasing, protected/permissive turns, and other signal coordination), roundabout or other traffic control devices; and

k. Evaluate adjacent intersections that may be impacted by the development. The study shall take into consideration any applicable transportation plans in the area.

4. Process

The following process shall be followed when a traffic impact study is required:

a. The applicant shall be responsible for the cost of the traffic impact study, unless a condition exists where cost sharing may occur or a large study area is defined, as determined by the City Engineer.

b. The City of Jamestown shall be the contracting agent with the consultant(s) from whom estimates are received, and with the consultant hired to carry out the study.

5. Waiver

Applicants may apply for a waiver of the traffic impact study requirement through the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission shall hear and approve or deny the request for a waiver of the traffic impact study.