CityView Portal

try again!

We are sorry but no more comments are being taken for this case

Submitted comments will appear below after staff approval.
Michael Carlson	11/26/2013 3:50:32 PM
I was a member of the previous West Dimond Advisory Committee and am a property owner affected by the project. While I am very supportive of the project overall I do not support the phased approach proposed and encourage the Commission not to approve this submission and encourage the Project Team to complete the planning process for the entire project and resubmit for approval. The proposed phasing is flawed in a number of significant ways: • It incurs unnecessary additional design and construction costs • It increases disruption and impacts to traffic patterns and nearby residents • It increases the amount of private property taken for slope and drainage easements • It does not solve the road's most pressing safety needs The primary reason for these flaws is that the Project team has not taken the time to resolve major design issues for the segment of the project between Westpark Drive and Jodhpur, specifically the location and width of pedestrian facilities and whether to strip pave or use curb and gutter in this segment. Because these issues are unresolved the proposed plan builds a gravel pad in the transition zone west of Westpark that will most likely be oversized, increasing costs, tree clearing, property takes and disruption. Excess Design & Construction Costs Phasing a small project like this always costs more money. Multiple sets of design documents are prepared, project management spreads over multiple years and there is duplicate construction activities, mobilization, traffic management, storm water plans, etc. We all know that phasing a project add cost, and there should be a significant public benefit before committing to this course of action, which I don't see in this case. Increased Disruption This entire project could be constructed over one construction season if all funding was available. The phased approach, caused by partial funding, will spread the construction over at least 2 years impacting local residents and Kincaid Park users over an extended period of time; noise, dust, traffic detours, drainage, etc. In addition the 700' transition zone will be under construction in both seasons, first creating the vehicular approach to the roundabout in phase 1 then in the 2nd phase constructing trails, landscaping and finishing the grading/drainage. During the interim period between phase 1 and 2, a period of undetermined length, this segment will be an unfinished eyesore. Increased Private Property Takes Since decisions have not been made about pedestrian facilities and curbing in the transition zone, the design report says it will be built to accommodate all possibilities. This may increase the width of the pad 10' or more over what is actually needed. Due to the topography of the area private property will need to be taken for slope and drainage easements under any scenario but the proposed phasing plan increases the amount of take over what will probably be actually necessary, all because the final design features of this segment have not been resolved. This additional take is both a cost to the project and a significant impact on the property owners. Attached is the project plan drawing with the constructed pad an property takes highlighted. You will see from this drawing that the width or area cleared and used with the current phased plan is 150’ in places, including a 50’ encroachment onto private property Phase 1 does not solve the communities' most pressing needs If the project must be phased for political or bureaucratic reasons then there should be some real conversation with the community and other stakeholders about where money on the first phase should be spent. The most significant community and safety needs are pedestrian and bicycle facilities from Westpark to to Jodhpur and the proposed Phase 1 does nothing to address these. While the improvements from Sand Lake to Jodhpur are important, they are not as critical in the near term because the two intersections are currently functioning at a high level of service and there is at least a wide dirt shoulder for pedestrians. The segment west of Westpark has minimal shoulder, limited sightlines and lots of bicycle, roller ski and pedestrian traffic with nowhere to go but the narrow roadway. This situation causes a lot of vehicles to swerve over the centerline creating unsafe conditions for both drivers and pedestrians. One of the Planning & Zoning Commission's important roles is to encourage good planning processes and thoughtful design solutions. The current phasing plan shortcut's the planning process and proposes incomplete design solutions in the interest of expediting a portion of the construction for the 2014 season. Please stand up for good planning and require the Project team to complete the entire project design in consultation with he Sand Lake Community and other stakeholders prior to your approval.

Submitted comments will appear below after staff approval.

Michael Carlson

11/26/2013 3:50:32 PM

I was a member of the previous West Dimond Advisory Committee and am a property owner affected by the project. While I am very supportive of the project overall I do not support the phased approach proposed and encourage the Commission not to approve this submission and encourage the Project Team to complete the planning process for the entire project and resubmit for approval. The proposed phasing is flawed in a number of significant ways: • It incurs unnecessary additional design and construction costs • It increases disruption and impacts to traffic patterns and nearby residents • It increases the amount of private property taken for slope and drainage easements • It does not solve the road's most pressing safety needs The primary reason for these flaws is that the Project team has not taken the time to resolve major design issues for the segment of the project between Westpark Drive and Jodhpur, specifically the location and width of pedestrian facilities and whether to strip pave or use curb and gutter in this segment. Because these issues are unresolved the proposed plan builds a gravel pad in the transition zone west of Westpark that will most likely be oversized, increasing costs, tree clearing, property takes and disruption. Excess Design & Construction Costs Phasing a small project like this always costs more money. Multiple sets of design documents are prepared, project management spreads over multiple years and there is duplicate construction activities, mobilization, traffic management, storm water plans, etc. We all know that phasing a project add cost, and there should be a significant public benefit before committing to this course of action, which I don't see in this case. Increased Disruption This entire project could be constructed over one construction season if all funding was available. The phased approach, caused by partial funding, will spread the construction over at least 2 years impacting local residents and Kincaid Park users over an extended period of time; noise, dust, traffic detours, drainage, etc. In addition the 700' transition zone will be under construction in both seasons, first creating the vehicular approach to the roundabout in phase 1 then in the 2nd phase constructing trails, landscaping and finishing the grading/drainage. During the interim period between phase 1 and 2, a period of undetermined length, this segment will be an unfinished eyesore. Increased Private Property Takes Since decisions have not been made about pedestrian facilities and curbing in the transition zone, the design report says it will be built to accommodate all possibilities. This may increase the width of the pad 10' or more over what is actually needed. Due to the topography of the area private property will need to be taken for slope and drainage easements under any scenario but the proposed phasing plan increases the amount of take over what will probably be actually necessary, all because the final design features of this segment have not been resolved. This additional take is both a cost to the project and a significant impact on the property owners. Attached is the project plan drawing with the constructed pad an property takes highlighted. You will see from this drawing that the width or area cleared and used with the current phased plan is 150’ in places, including a 50’ encroachment onto private property Phase 1 does not solve the communities' most pressing needs If the project must be phased for political or bureaucratic reasons then there should be some real conversation with the community and other stakeholders about where money on the first phase should be spent. The most significant community and safety needs are pedestrian and bicycle facilities from Westpark to to Jodhpur and the proposed Phase 1 does nothing to address these. While the improvements from Sand Lake to Jodhpur are important, they are not as critical in the near term because the two intersections are currently functioning at a high level of service and there is at least a wide dirt shoulder for pedestrians. The segment west of Westpark has minimal shoulder, limited sightlines and lots of bicycle, roller ski and pedestrian traffic with nowhere to go but the narrow roadway. This situation causes a lot of vehicles to swerve over the centerline creating unsafe conditions for both drivers and pedestrians. One of the Planning & Zoning Commission's important roles is to encourage good planning processes and thoughtful design solutions. The current phasing plan shortcut's the planning process and proposes incomplete design solutions in the interest of expediting a portion of the construction for the 2014 season. Please stand up for good planning and require the Project team to complete the entire project design in consultation with he Sand Lake Community and other stakeholders prior to your approval.

CityView Portal

Municipality of Anchorage Official Web Site