PUBLIC HEARING MINUTES
FEBRUARY 17, 2004
6:45 P.M.
SOUTH WINDSOR COUNCIL CHAMBERS
PURPOSE: TO RECEIVE CITIZEN INPUT ON A GRANT APPLICATION TO THE CAPITOL REGION COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS FOR FULL RECONSTRUCTION OF KELLY ROAD.
The Public Hearing was called to order at 6:50 p.m. by Mayor Havens. The Clerk of the Council read the Call of the Meeting (a copy of which is attached). The following Town Council members were present: Mayor Havens, Deputy Mayor Pelkey, and Councillors Aman, Delnicki, Fine, Paquin, Pendleton, Streeter and Yacavone. Town Manager Matthew B. Galligan and Town Attorney Barry D. Guliano were also present.
There were approximately 20 people in the audience.
The following overview was presented by Town Engineer Jeffrey Doolittle.
The Town would like to submit a grant application to the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) for federal funding under the Surface Transportation Program (STP) to reconstruct Kelly Road from Avery Street to the Vernon town line. Kelly Road is in dire need of reconstruction. The pavement is in very poor condition. There is insufficient drainage, so it results in puddles and icing problems. The sidewalks are substandard; they are crumbling in places and are too close to the road; they go up and down without regard to requirements to ADA or safety.
The Town had applied in 1994 under this program to reconstruct Kelly Road and was awarded funding. The concept plans included widening the road to 30 feet, at which point, through the public information process, the residents decided they did not want it widened to 30 feet, as they believed it would cause adverse traffic impacts and it would require the taking of some property. The Town decided not to widen the road and the funds were awarded to another project.
In 1998, the Town Council approved design improvements to Kelly Road, provided the improvements stayed within the existing right-of-way. The sidewalks were going to be replaced with concrete. The pavement would be reconstructed at a uniform 26-foot width, so there would be very little land taking necessary. The design started and a few more public hearings were held. In June, 2001, residents raised concerns once again about traffic and the sidewalks. The design work was stopped. Since that time, the State has started introducing new concepts known as “traffic calming,” which the Staff believes would help Kelly Road and address some of the concerns previously expressed by residents. It would also allow the submission of an application with a reduced road width of 26
feet, as opposed to 30 feet, as part of the traffic calming measures. This would help staff become successful in obtaining federal funding for the project.
PUBLIC HEARING MINUTES
Re: Grant Application to the Capitol Region Council of Governments for Full Reconstruction of Kelly Road
Page 2
February 17, 2004
The Town contracted with a firm, Fitzgerald Holiday, Inc. (FHI), to conduct several public hearings with the residents of the Kelly Road area to work on traffic calming measures. Susan VanBenschoten of FHI then made the following presentation.
The following data was collected to assess existing conditions:
Traffic volume:
4,000 to 6,000 vehicles per day
Volume is highest at east end of raod
Typical morning and evning commuter peaks
Evening peak ranges from 350 to 530 vehicles per hour (both directions)
High percentage of through traffic
Speed measurements:
Posted speed limit is 25 to 30 mph
Speed observations on Kelly Road measured 85th percentile speed over 40 mph – obvious speeding is occurring
Vehicle classification:
99% were passenger cars
1% were small trucks or other vehicles
Safety assessment:
26 accidents in last three full years
2 accidents resulted in injuries (8%)
Average of over 8 accidents/year – that is not outrageous, but significant enough to warrant concern.
One third of all accidents occurred at Avery Street
Three accidents at Oak Street/Diane Drive – it is not uncommon for accidents to occur at intersections.
Roadway conditions assessment:
The pavement is in disrepair
Drainage problems
Asphalt curbing is inconsistent
3-foot wide asphalt sidewalk in poor condition
PUBLIC HEARING MINUTES
Re: Grant Application to the Capitol Region Council of Governments for Full Reconstruction of Kelly Road
Page 3
February 17, 2004
What are the problems?
Speeding
Safety
Heavy through traffic
Roadway and drainage condition warrants improvement
Lack of good sidewalks
Noise
What is traffic calming?
The use of mainly physical measures to:
- Reduce the negative impacts of motor vehicle use
Alter driver behavior
Improve conditions for non-motorized street users
Traffic Calming Goals:
Increase quality of life
Reduce negative effects of motor vehicles
Incorporate preferences of people using the area along the street
Create safe and attractive streets
Promote pedestrian, cycle and transit use
Traffic Calming Objectives:
Slow speeds
Reduce frequency and severity of collisions
Increase safety for non-motorized users of the street
Reduce need for police enforcement
Enhance street environment
Increase access for all modes
Reduce cut-through motor vehicle travel
The Community Process:
More than 160 meeting notices were mailed out within the defined project area. There was excellent attendance at four meetings – 36 households were represented.
PUBLIC HEARING MINUTES
Re: Grant Application to the Capitol Region Council of Governments for Full Reconstruction of Kelly Road
Page 4
February 17, 2004
Goals of the Reconstruction:
Reduce speeds
Improve safety
Better manage through traffic
Improve sidewalks
Fix drainage
Fix road
Improve look and character
Reduce noise
4 Community Workshops Held:
Discussion of problems and concept of traffic calming
Hands-on workshop to screen and package options into a traffic calming plan
Presentation and discussion of draft plan – most of the presentation was well received; however, there were two locations that were not resolved at this meeting (the intersection of Laurel and Spruce, and the intersection of Avery and Kelly).
Follow up aimed to complete plan
Additional Outreach:
One-on-one meetings with abutters at Kelly Road and Avery Street intersection
Consultation with Fire Dept., Public Works, and Police Dept. for input on possible plan elements and design features.
RECOMMENDED PLAN:
At Town Line (near Gerber)
Gateway treatment
Signage
Center Median
Relocate large evergreens
Regrade to minimize slope
Gerber Road (West)
Raised Intersection
Remove existing flashing signal
PUBLIC HEARING MINUTES
Re: Grant Application to the Capitol Region Council of Governments for Full Reconstruction of Kelly Road
Page 5
February 17, 2004
Diane Drive (East)/Oak Street
Tighten up intersection through radii treatment – this basically means making the corners sharper so that individuals cannot come flying around the curve.
Maintain 4-way stop
Raised Intersections:
Gerber Road (West
Diane Drive (West)
Willow Street
Elm Street
Laurel Street and Spruce Lane
Maintain existing traffic controls
Two Speed Tables (Humps) – 22 feet long from end to end, 6 feet of up-ramp, 10 feet of flat table, 6 feet of down-ramp
To space calming features at proper intervals
Between Laurel Street and Willow Street
Between Spruce Lane and Diane Drive
Kelly Road at Avery Street
Maintain existing Kelly Road stop control
Add right-turn lane from Kelly Road
Move stop bar on Kelly Road to increase visibility and safety
Use landscaping on intersection approaches to create gateway to the traffic calmed Kelly Road neighborhood
Town Engineer Jeff Doolittle came forward to “wrap up” the presentation. He reported that they are proposing to reconstruct the road at a uniform width of 26 feet; upgrade the sidewalk at a uniform width of 4 feet; add curbing along the entire length of road; improve the drainage along the road; add a considerable number of catch basins; and increase the pipe capacity to handle the water on the road. The road will be striped for two lanes, 11-foot wide and 2-foot shoulders, with the exception of the intersection of Avery Street, where there will be three lanes—one right and one left turn coming out of Kelly Road. There will be adequate signage where necessary. There will be a widened grass snow shelf along the road between the curb and the sidewalk, which will make it more
attractive, as well as the traffic calming items, which are the four raised intersections, two speed humps, and two landscaped gateways.
PUBLIC HEARING MINUTES
Re: Grant Application to the Capitol Region Council of Governments for Full Reconstruction of Kelly Road
Page 6
February 17, 2004
This is an application for federal funding. The cost has not been finalized as yet, but it is roughly $1.5 million, including the traffic calming items. It is believed that the majority will be eligible for federal funding. The Town would be responsible for 10 percent of the right-of-way costs and the full design costs.
Town Council endorsement is being sought to apply for funding, and a resolution will appear on the March 1 Agenda. The application is due March 15.
If approved, construction is anticipated to begin in about four years.
Mayor Havens then asked if there were questions/comments from members of the audience.
John Namnoum, 108 Kelly Road, recommended that textured surfaces be avoided because of the noise issue. He questioned the exact location of the proposed speed hump between Laurel and Willow, and Mr. Doolittle responded that both speed humps are midway between stop signs. The idea is to break the gap of 600 and 700 feet so that no one can go too fast in that length. The humps will be situated so that they are not in front of anyone’s driveway and so that they will work with drainage.
Demetrius Hnath, 390 Avery Street, spoke of the speed problems on Avery Street. While applauding the presentation, he noted that neither lighting nor crosswalks had been addressed. He also spoke of the importance of site lines at Gerber.
Diane Price, 119 Kelly Road, spoke of problems on Avery Street, as well as those on Kelly Road. She questioned how much money has been spent to date on this project and questioned the need for a consulting firm. She agreed with the previous speaker concerning the need for the lighting on Kelly Road to be examined.
John Bentley, 61 Brian Road, felt that the proposed changes would be “overdoing it.” He said that the last meeting held to address this subject was the best attended and that a vote was taken on some of these measures. The vote in favor of speed humps was 10, in favor of raising intersections was 3, in favor of the landscape island was 12 and in favor of doing nothing was 20. It was his belief that by instituting some of these “harassment measures,” it would be setting a trend and a precedent which would not benefit the Town.
As clarification, Mr. Doolittle said that the votes quoted by Mr. Bentley were directly related to the improvements proposed for the intersection at Spruce and Laurel; and, as a result of that, they proposed no improvements. The votes did not apply to the rest of the road.
PUBLIC HEARING MINUTES
Re: Grant Application to the Capitol Region Council of Governments for Full Reconstruction of Kelly Road
Page 7
February 17, 2004
Ludmila Cole, 12 Kelly Road, indicated that she and her husband are in favor of the plan, for the most part. She questioned how three lanes will fit at the intersection of Avery Street, and Mr. Doolittle explained that the pavement is currently 35 or 36 feet wide. Three lanes require 37 feet of pavement and, therefore, the pavement width would not change substantially.
Robert Dickinson, 19 Birch Road, noted that Kelly Road has adequate capacity for its traffic, but the problem is the speed of the vehicles. His opinion was that traffic calming was the only alternative.
Coleen Brault, Beelzebub Road, stated that the raised intersections will affect all of the side streets, which will then require work.
Dermot Jones, 28 Kelly Road, began by commending the Town engineering staff. He suggested signage similar to that which is on Belden Street, restricting truck traffic. He also addressed the speeding problem on Avery Street.
The Public Hearing was recessed in order to call the Regular Meeting to order, and the Regular Meeting was immediately recessed to continue the Public Hearing.
Diane Price, 119 Kelly Road, noted that money collected for speeding tickets, etc., goes into the State coffers, not the Town’s. She suggested that an attempt be made to keep the funds local.
Town Manager Galligan emphasized that if the Resolution for the project was approved by the Council, there would continue to be public meetings on the subject.
Mayor Havens called for a Straw Vote, the results of which were as follows:
Those in favor of the grant application - 16
Those in opposition to the grant application - 1
The Public Hearing was closed at 8:05 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Merlyn P. Guild
Assistant to the Clerk of the Council
Attachment
| 
