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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTraffic Safety Work Group Minutes September 7, 2011_201402041317193144TRAFFIC SAFETY WORK GROUP Public Safety Facility Community Room, 4 Fairgrounds Road Nantucket, Massachusetts 02554 ~~ Minutes ~~ Wednesday, September 7, 2011 All or a portion of this meeting is being recorded. If you plan to record this meeting yourself, please check with the chairman of the board before you begin. Called to order at 10:33 p.m. Staff in attendance: Terry Norton, Minutes Taker Members Present: Transportation Planner Mike Burns, Jack Gardner, Arthur Gasbarro, Executive Assistant to the Town Manager Erika Mooney, Police Chief William Pittman, DPW Foreman John Smith Members Absent: Fire Chief Mark McDougall, Assistant DPW Director Mohamed Nabulsi, Commission on Disability Chair Milton Rowland I. PUBLIC COMMENT Gerry Scheide – In regards to an accident at corner of Pleasant Street and Williams Street, 84 Williams Street has a high hedge. Are residents required to keep hedges trimmed? A small black car was obscured by the hedge and I hit her lightly. Mooney - Hedge supposed to be no more than 36 inches above road grade. Encroachment letter can be sent giving property owner 15 days of date of mailing to trim hedge. Pittman – Contact Selectmen’s office to send an encroachment letter to homeowner. II. OTHER BUSINESS 1. Pittman – CSOs patrolling bike paths and have made a list of missing signs along bike paths. Preparing a report for Traffic Safety review. 2. Smith – As of late, right of way versus stakes as a result of construction crews parking all over the street. DPW removed a number of stakes owners using to try to protect their property when in fact stakes are on town property. A homeowner has threatened to sue DPW if the stakes are removed; concerned about liability of Town. Mooney – According to by-laws, cannot place stakes in right of way and are authorized to remove. 3. Mooney – At Chester and N Water Streets, stop signs being ignored and parking on the sidewalks. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Minutes of August 2, 2011 at 10:30 AM were approved as presented. IV. NEW BUSINESS 1. Discuss making Highland Avenue one-way Documentation Map of Highland Ave and surrounding roads Presentation Mooney – Congestion on road is heavy; other roads between Grant and Cliff are all one-way. Noted this morning that Cabot one-way toward Grant; Nantucket Ave one-way toward Cliff Rd and Mooers Ave one-way toward Grant. Residents would prefer Highland Ave to become one-way toward Grant/Lincoln Avenue Public None Discussion Burns – Have already made one side of Highland no parking. Gasbarro – Continue to November? Discussion followed; consensus to wait until construction subsides. Action Continued to February 2. Request for additional signage on Polpis Road bike path at intersection of Milestone Road Page 1 of 5 Documentation Email from Celene Menschel Page 2 of 5 Presentation Mooney – reviewed email requesting additional signage on bike paths indicating major intersections such as Polpis Bike path and Milestone Road Public None Discussion Burns – District 5 has been contacted Action None 3. Request for speeding enforcement, prohibiting parking, and improved sight lines on Winn Street (end by Madaket Road) Documentation Email from John Sherman Presentation Mooney – John Sherman of Madaket Road wants no parking on Winn Street and better enforcement of speeding Public None Discussion Pittman – Speeding enforcement does not need to come to this committee. Tell Sherman the issue has been passed on to the NPD for enforcement. Gardner – Not that many cars park there. Action Sherman’s concerns passed on to NPD for review and enforcement 4. Request to make South Beach Street Extension Loading Zone only Documentation Letter from Annie Teasdale Presentation Mooney – reviewed letter requesting loading zone only on South Beach Street Ext. Public None Discussion Pittman – Have told Annie Teasdale that if her drive is being blocked to call NPD. Action No action 5. Discussion regarding parking on Ocean Avenue, Broadway, Centre Street and Shell Street in ‘Sconset Documentation Email from Chief Pittman; letter from Sheila Todd Presentation Pittman – NPD betting barraged with parking complaints regarding Ocean Avenue, claiming it is so congested emergency vehicles could not get through. Pittman checked and noticed an SUV that had the road blocked; agreed an ambulance or fire truck could not pass by Summer House. Pittman attended a meeting of the Sconset Civic Association (SCA) and suggested that parking be eliminated on Ocean Ave; other options could include eliminating grass shoulder and widening road to full extent of Town ownership so there can be a parking lane. Banning parking on Ocean will move parking to the already full side streets. Special events/functions require someone to park vehicles. There are more events than off-duty police officers can fill. Suggest creation of sub-committee, to include members of SCA, Traffic Safety and Summer House, to look at situation. Public Peter Carlson, owner, The Summer House – said could be more proactive with someone on the street directing people to parking spaces and bringing attention to those improperly parked. Traffic jam does affect the business. Valet parking is tricky as many people don’t want their vehicle touched, and finding a professional valet is not an easy task. Pressure points are Fri & Sat nights in July & August; willing to have employee manage parking those days only. Mark Donato, president, SCA – Understand lower end of street went to the town with the intent that there be parking for 8 vehicles. Like the idea of a sub-committee. Kit Murphy – Biggest problem with parking is Thursday through Sunday. Page 3 of 5 Discussion Gardner - People don’t like where the parking is allowed and ignore the signs and yellow lines. Burns – Private business is causing the issue and could ask if they have any ideas. Perhaps valet parking that puts vehicles out of the area. Gasbarro – likes idea of improving parking shoulder, possibly remove grass and install grass crete; come up with a plan to present to SCA. Gardner – years ago liquor licenses requires having an establishment’s staff person in charge of parking. Mooney – To place a stipulation on the license, a letter must be submitted to Board of Selectmen with comments before the seasonal license is renewed in March. Sheila Todd submitted request to ban parking Broadway, Centre Street and Shell Street as well. Action Possible form sub-committee consisting of members of Traffic Safety, SCA and Summer House to address parking issues on Ocean Ave. No action on request for no parking on Broadway, Center and Shell Streets. 6. Request for traffic sign at intersection of Burnell and Clifton Streets in ‘Sconset Documentation Email from Alice Malone Presentation Mooney – Since it was paved, Burnell Street has been used as a cut through to avoid Sconset village and vehicles are speeding. This specific request is for installation of stop or yield on Clifton street going west as it intersects Burnell and a yield sign going south on Burnell so that motorists can anticipate a dangerous intersection. Public Kit Murphy - she lives on corner of Burnell and Coffin – cars do speed down the road now that it is paved; requested a stop sign at Coffin and Burnell. After a second summer, something really needs to be done at that corner. Donato – in agreement with Murphy Discussion Traffic Safety discussed appropriate uses for stop and yield signs. Pittman – a yield sign could possibly be warranted at that intersection. There seems to be a lot of foot traffic out there. Hesitant to put up stop signs because people don’t look at them anyway; but yield signs are a different story. Could place a “slow-children” sign. Gasbarro – suggested installation of stop sign on Clifton; cut back brush and install intersection sign on Burnell. Action Place a stop on Clifton at intersection of Burnell and yield on Burnell and cut back vegetation. 7. Request for stop sign on Miacomet Road at intersection of dirt road and Pond View Drive; reduced speed limits; four-way stop at Miacomet Road and Surfside Road. Documentation Emails from Chief Pittman, John Devaney, Sandy MacDonald Representing Mooney – reviewed emails, re: issues with speeding, request for stop sign, 4-way stop at Surfside Rd/Miacomet Rd intersection Public None Discussion Gardner – Had a stop sign coming out of Pond View; if it is gone, should be put back. Resident at that corner removes sign because it obstructs view of pond. Smith – speed limit is posted. Pittman – can’t post as 10 PMH Action Install stop sign on Pond View as intersects with Miacomet Rd. No action on 4-way stop at Miacomet & Surfside. 8. Request of yellow line at 46 Easton Street Documentation Letter from Anne Stinnett; map of property Presentation Gardner – Resident wants yellow line; claims she cannot get out of driveway. Suggest she not back out; lot is big enough to turn around in. Public None Discussion Smith – will check to make sure yellow line is in place and proper width Action Yellow line will be widened if Smith feels current line is too short Page 4 of 5 9. Request to limit parking on one side only on Walsh Street between Easton Street and East Lincoln Avenue. Documentation Email from Linwood Butler Presentation Mooney – Butler of the Brandt Point Area Plan Work Group asking for limited parking. Need to come up with area plan first then address parking issues. Public None Discussion Pittman – Suggest if banning parking, ban it on W side of street. Need to base this on area plan. Motion No action to be taken until Brant Point Area Plan approved as don’t want this request to impact other aspects of plan. 10. Request for yellow lines at corner of Derrymore Road. Documentation Map of subject corner of Derrymore Road Presentation Jim Cranston – Requested yellow lines on both side of street from Delaney Road around the corner to the fire hydrant. A car has been parked there all summer which makes taking the corner safely difficult. Traffic is increasing on that road. Public None Discussion Gardner – A high hedge adds to the issue. Smith – there was a yellow line at the hydrant. The McAuley’s mail box also extends into the right of way. Action Paint lines as requested; have Diane O’Neil send encroachment letter to McAuley/20 Derrymore Rd to move back mailbox 11. Review curb cut request for 8 Pine Street resulting in loss of on-street parking. Documentation Curb cut application; property maps; photo Presentation Gasbarro recused. Mooney – Curb cut will not eliminate a parking space but requires a hydrant to be relocated. Will follow up with Bob Gardner to discuss hydrant relocation. Public None Discussion None Action Mooney will speak with Bob Gardner about hydrant relocation. V. OLD BUSINESS 1. Review prior recommendation regarding Macy’s Lane in light of abutter letter. Documentation Emails from Orla Murphy-Lascola, Robert Sarkisian, Town Manager; Traffic Safety 7/26/11 recommendation to Board of Selectmen; map with recommendation Presentation Mooney – Traffic Safety recommended in July to BOS to make no parking on west side of Macy’s Lane. Resident Burt Ryder now has “buyer’s remorse” and wants no parking on the east side. Do we want to keep it as originally recommended or change to east side? Public None Discussion Burns and Gardner - Did the right thing. Action Leave as originally recommended. 2. Berkley Avenue – discuss possible widening and posting as no parking. Documentation Email from Louis Gerstner; map; photos Presentation Mooney – Traffic Safety discussed widening road after site visit but abutters think that is not a good idea. In favor of widening. Public None Discussion Gardner – Like all beaches and we need more parking. Pittman – Had a situation where cars were parking down by Monomoy beach and a resident complained. Monomoy beach is Land Bank property, which wants to ban parking by the stairs. Smith – Parking and turn around by the beach stairs has been discouraged. Page 5 of 5 Action Mooney will speak with Town Manager. Consensus of Traffic Safety is to widen Berkley Ave and providing additional spaces for parking VI. ADJOURNMENT Motion to Adjourn at 11:55 AM Submitted by: Terry L. Norton