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1 District 1 Neighborhood Meeting Report 5/29/2014 6:00pm Puyallup United Methodist Church Citizens attending: Approximately 49 Hosting Councilmembers: Mayor Knutsen, Councilmembers Hopkins and Vermillion City Staff: City Manager Bill McDonald, Police Chief Bryan Jeter, Management Analyst Melanie Harding Citizen Comments & Follow UP Emergency Management & Railroad Traffic Citizens are not the only ones concerned with railroad safety and the increased presence of oil transport. The Pierce County Fire Chiefs along with Pierce County Emergency Management and the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) will be developing a response plan for an accident involving these trains. The City of Puyallup is actively involved in this effort, and multiple jurisdictions began meeting on June 4th to begin working on this issue. Crosswalk Requests, Traffic Engineering, Streets, & Sidewalks Crosswalk 17th & West Pioneer: City Staff studied this location in response to citizen requests in April 2011. Based on pedestrian data collected, only 5 pedestrians were observed during peak hour and therefore, it did not meet the criteria (need 20 pedestrians per hour) for a marked crosswalk. Additionally, the existing marked crosswalk nearby at 15th St SW is scheduled to be enhanced with street lighting/curb ramps/Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons. Crosswalk mid‐block near Sam Peach Park: Where the trail emerges, there are no curb ramps for ADA, stroller, or bike access. Traffic engineering is researching a possible crosswalk at a nearby intersection. Fair Traffic being diverted down 18th St NW: This practice was instituted before Fairview Drive was built. Traffic Engineering and Streets are researching whether this fair traffic route can be removed without causing additional impacts or safety hazards. ---PAGE BREAK--- 2 6th Ave SW Sidewalk between 11th & 13th: The Streets Division has visited this site. There will be some grinding and patching work done to smooth the sidewalk surface and reduce hazards. Although it may vary based on weather and other variables, this work is currently scheduled to occur by the end of the month. Sidewalk replacement and maintenance is the responsibility of adjacent property owners under city code, and it would be up to those property owners if they wanted to replace sidewalk sections to create a more aesthetically pleasing sidewalk. Onstreet Parking on 8th Ave NW (Low Impact Development Street near 900 block): As of June 13, this item is being researched in reference to emergency vehicle access. Our Traffic Engineer has reported that residents can petition to remove parking from one side of the street. Removing parking on one side of the street would require agreement by at least 60% of the neighbors. Onstreet parking services as a type of “traffic calming” measure. The speed of traffic on the street would likely increase if parking was eliminated from one side of the street. Temporary Asphalt Patch from prior utility work: As of June 13, this item is being investigated. New Development along Stewart Site History / Number of Units: Stewart Crossing is the redevelopment of a previously approved but expired project formerly known as The Lakes. At the time that The Lakes was approved, it was an 80 acre development proposing more than 1000 units, with a stormwater system designed to the 1990 King County Surface Water Design Manual. Today, Stewart Crossing is moving forward under new permits consisting of 67.43 acres with a total of 368 units proposed. Stormwater Improvements: The new project is required under current city and state codes to design their stormwater system to the Department of Ecology’s 2005 Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington, which was adopted by the City in 2010. The site had been partially improved under previously issued permits and there are several homes and accessory structures which will be removed during construction of the project. Some improvements have been made to infrastructure on the site, including work on roads, storm water, and other utilities for a majority of Phase 1 of the project. The existing on‐ site improvements will be completed to include sidewalks, lighting, and utilities which were not previously constructed. 26th Street NW (adjacent to the project) will be rebuilt, to include water, sewer, storm and roadway widening along the west side. The existing stormwater facility located in the northwest corner of the site will be enlarged in order to accommodate the requirements of the 2005 design manual. Under the new manual, Stewart Crossing is expanding the pond and modifying the storm water outlet structure to reduce the flow rate to city’s storm water system. All lots within the project will have direct connection to the public ---PAGE BREAK--- 3 storm system, allowing for the new impervious surfaces to drain directly into that system. Exceptional rains contributed to standing water in low lying areas throughout the city this spring. Police Services & Criminal Activity Sam Peach Park Activity: The Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit is actively following up with citizen reports of narcotics activity at Sam Peach Park. Residents are encouraged to call 911 to report all suspicious activity. Police Response to Call for Service: A concern with police response to a call for service involving a homeless individual trespassing on property was investigated. The citizen who reported the concern was contacted with the details of the police response and associated dispatch activity, and the issue was resolved to their satisfaction. Enforcement at Hwy 167 & Meridian: The Chief of Police confirmed that city police officers are working the area and have stepped up patrols. After the new bridge is completed, this area will be evaluated for possible photo enforcement. Freezing Nights Pick Up Site Impacts: The Police Department will contact Freezing Nights about site selection and practices prior to upcoming shelter season. Stormwater Fees & Public Works The fees for stormwater are used to maintain a citywide system. While not every property is adjacent to stormwater service, this citywide systems allows all residents and visitors to travel on unflooded city streets. The system also ensures that stormwater runoff has minimal impact on the environment and minimizes pollution to Puyallup’s streams, creeks, and river. Grass Along Stewart Ave: Mowing along the section of Stewart with curb/gutters (5th to 26th) occurs 4‐5 times per summer depending on workload. We are researching whether the railroad may have additional responsibilities to maintain this section of property. Stormwater Drainage in the 900 block of 18th Street NW and the 400 block of 22nd St NW: As of June 13, these items are being researched by water collections staff. Other Topics of Discussion ---PAGE BREAK--- 4 Sound Transit: There was significant discussion around the issue of transit station location and associated parking needs and traffic impacts. It was noted that Sound Transit is still taking public comment on their website. Wheels Up in Downtown Puyallup: There was discussion around this topic at the meeting and answers were provided by the councilmembers in attendance. This item is scheduled to return to Council for first reading of an ordinance amending the current law on June 17th.