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ST8201-CS 890623 GINN, INC. June 23, 1989 Mr. Russell R. Doyle, P.E. city Engineer city of Coppell P.O. Box 478 Coppell, Texas 75019 Re: CONSULTING ENGINEERS Denton Tap Road Improvements from Belt Line Road to Sandy Lake Road - Sandy Lake Crossing requested left turn lane Dear Mr. Doyle: This letter is in response to your memorandum concerning the above dated June 8, 1989, which we received on June 19, 1989. The following numbered statements correspond to the items enumerated in your memorandum: The applicant is correct in that the median opening being constructed is approximately 45 feet short of the 420 foot required spacing between median openings measured nose to nose in accordance with the city of Coppell Subdivision Ordinance. The reason for this is included in No. 2 below. To the best of our knowledge during the early phase of design of the Denton Tap Road Improvements project, there were no plans submitted for consideration to the City of Coppell for the property situated on the west side of Denton Tap Road between Braewood Drive and Sandy Lake Road. Due to the short distance between Braewood Drive and Sandy Lake Road along Denton Tap Road there is only space enough for one median opening. In that space, the Minyards store in Town Oaks Centre was the largest traffic generator. With no firm acceptance by the City of Coppell of site/thoroughfare planning for the property west of Denton Tap Road at that time the median opening was located in its current location with the idea that a primary entrance for the proDerty to the west might be made to align with the designed median opening or the westward extension of Braewood Drive. In summary for this item, we designed the project to serve existing uses and could not, in good conscience, change the plans later to suit a proposed development which might not occur. 17103 Preston Road · Suite 100 · LB 118 · Dallas, Texas 75248 · Phone 214/248-4900 "Monitored", as used in our May 24, 1989 letter, could mean anything from visual observation of traffic using the left turn lane and recording driver's reactions to simply keeping a record of traffic accidents for later analysis and comparison to accident rates experienced in similar traffic situations with standard left turn lanes and median openings. The criteria for closure of the proposed left turn lane would probably be along the lines you mention in your memo. We suggest that the criteria would be best developed by a consensus of those staff individuals in positions of responsibility with respect to public safety and maintenance and operation of public facilities, a Traffic Engineer and the City Attorney. It will be acceptable to Ginn, Inc. Consulting Engineers to receive, review, and include plans for the proposed left turn lane in the Denton Tap Road Improvements project as a Change Order under the following conditions: The plans shall be signed and sealed by a Registered Professional Engineer currently registered in the State of Texas; be prepared on sheets identifying the Engineer by its normal corporate title; and would be approved by the City Of Coppell, upon a recommendation by Ginn, Inc. Consulting Engineers. The developer shall furnish a hold harmless and indemnity agreement in favor of the City of Coppell and Ginn, Inc. Consulting Engineers, in a form acceptable to the City Attorney and Ginn, Inc.'s legal counsel, which shall hold harmless and indemnify both parties from all liability and damages arising out of any and all traffic accidents in which the proposed left turn is in any way involved. Ginn, Inc. Consulting Engineers shall be compensated promptly at its standard hourly rates by the City of C0ppell for all work performed, including telephone conferences and attending meetings, in relation to this item from this time on. In addition to the above, a brief chronology of the major events leading up to this time is in order: Preliminary Design for the Denton Tap Road Improvements from Belt Line. Road to Sandy Lake Road was completed prior to display of paving plans at the Property Owners meeting held in Town Center on the afternoon of February 16, 1987. This meeting was attended by councilmen Wolfe and Cowman, and notably by Howard Herrington representing Mr. H. T. Ardinger (Owner of the property concerned herein). On February 27, 1987 Mr. Jim Kurtz of PAWA-Winkelmann and Associates, Inc. (subsequently acquired by Kimley- Horn and Associates, Inc.) called our office at 11:21 AM to set up a meeting to discuss the Denton Tap Road Improvements plans and their relationship to the Ardinger property and proposed development of Sandy Lake Crossing. 3. On Monday, March 2, 1987, Mr. Kurtz met with myself and Wayne Ginn at 2:00 P.M. in our office to discuss the Denton Tap Road Improvements project and its impact on the proposed Sandy Lake Crossing development. In discussing the addition of a median opening and left turn lane serving the development in the same location as proposed herein, we informed Mr. Kurtz that one would not be allowed that close to the one already included in the Denton Tap Road project except by variance to the Subdivision Ordinance. On March 23, 1987 we transmitted review comments pertaining to the Preliminary Plat for Sandy Lake Crossing to Taryon Bowman. These comments, copy attached addressed, among other items, median openings and driveways on Denton Tap Road. On Tuesday, May 12, 1987 at 8:30 AM another meeting was held with Mr. Kurtz, myself and Wayne Ginn in attendance to discuss the proposed Sandy Lake Crossing development and the median opening and left turn lane requested previously. Mr. Ginn told Mr. Kurtz that we were not authorized to approve variances to the Subdivision Ordinance, and that the applicant should request a variance as a part of his plat approval. The purpose of the above limited chronology is to illustrate that this issue has been well documented and under consideration for more than two years, and was predated by the design of the Denton Tap Road Improvements project. The applicant has been fully aware of the City's requirements for the entire time, and in the interim they have not developed any projects at Sandy Lake Crossing which would justify the need for a major permanent access point at the location indicated which cannot be accommodated by the interior circulation afforded by the current median opening and the westward extension of Braewood Drive through their property. On the City's behalf, we have been reluctant to encourage the approval of what eventually has become the limited access left turn lane requested by the applicant because it is non-standard in the City of Coppell and conceivably could expose the City to additional liability due to traffic accidents which could be attributed to such things as the unfamiliarity of drivers to turn lanes of this sort. Also, this item is to be built to serve a specific user, and not necessarily the general public, and as such, it might be a good idea to allow this to be built along with the development it is intended to serve. If this non- standard left turn lane is built as a part of the Denton Tap Road project and the development fails to materialize, the City may be left with all of the costs and liabilities of this item with no benefit to anyone. We strongly recommend that the property owners on the east side of Denton Tap Road across from the applicant's property be given the opportunity to give their input to the proposed limited access left turn lane. The property owners on the east side of Denton Tap Road may be opposed to the approval of the proposed left turn lane since they have not been allowed left turn access in front of their property. It is our recommendation that the applicant's request be denied. Please call me if you have any further questions. Sincerely, John C. Karlsruher, P.E. Project Engineer enclosure H. Wayne Ginn, P.E. Kevin Peiffer, P.E. File 378/260 (a:kfc305)