Carrollton-CS 890609 Engineer
TO: Russell Doyle, City
FROM: Mark Leonard, Lieutenant ~
DATE: June 9, 1989
SUBJECT: Landfill Request
The request from the City of Carrollton for a landfill site
in the northeast section of Coppell has been thoroughly
reviewed as to impact on City operations. After careful
consideration, I feel that to allow this landfill at the
requested site would be somewhat detrimental to traffic
patterns, diminish citizen safety and would seriously impact
cost of roadway maintenance.
First: The Sandy Lake Road Bridge, which would be on a
major traffic route to the landfill site, was inspected
in April, 1989, with the recommended load capacity lowered
to only 24,000 pounds due to bad structural condition.
Located between Carrollton and Coppell at the spillway,
this bridge will be the major route for Carrollton citizens
to their landfill. With the lowering of maximum load capacity
to 24,000 pounds, the City is now prevented from moving
fire apparatus across this bridge. The 80,000 pound weight
of a refuse truck, and it's load is almost four times too
heavy for the bridge.
If the bridge is damaged for any reason, the diverted traffic
caused by the closing of Sandy Lake Road onto East Beltline
Road would be not only hazardous for our citizens, but with
the present and planned construction on Beltline, it would
only compound our problems.
Second: With the main access to the proposed landfill being
Sandy gake Road, a two lane asphalt roadway, the addition
of Carrollton traffic to an already overloaded trafficway
does not appear to be wise. Currently, numerous complaints
are received about the volume of traffic along this roadway.
I believe the extra traffic that would be generated by a
landfill could not be tolerated on this roadway as citizens
would need to cut across traffic for entry and exit to the
site. I do not believe any benefits of use of this facility
if it were offered to us would outweigh the costs to maintain
the roadway; to deal with the traffic problems it would
cause and the traffic hazards that would exist.
Second cont: Roadway design of either Sandy Lake Road or
East Beltline Road do not now provide for this type of use.
Third: Alternate routes to the proposed landfill have been
studied. One of these, East Beltline Road, is and will
be under construction for many months. I cannot recommend
its use for a heavily-traveled alternate route to the landfill.
Both the primary and alternate roads in this case are only
two lanes which is the major factor in my recommendation.
The bridge between Coppell and Carrollton on East Beltline,
is a potentially dangerous area. There have already been
several major accidents on or at the bridge due to the rise
in the roadway just west of the bridge. It would be unwise
to tie up traffic at this point in the roadway which would
surely backup at least one mile to the west in Coppell.
This condition would create more traffic hazards by drivers
attempting to turn around to avoid the original problem.
The MacArthur Boulevard area is presently being developed
into a beautiful combination of greenbelt, residential and
commercial areas. At present, there is the Riverchase Golf
Course with future plans for a country club/bicycle/walking
path. The planned use of this area is not compatible with
trash trucks and 18-wheel open-top vehicles with trailers,
and its designation of a "truck route" will most assuredly
create problems with the developers. It will also be a
disturbing factor to vistors and citizens alike, and make
Coppell a less desirable area in which to move.
Four: Along with the MacArthur Boulevard route, Carrollton
officials propose to use Denton Tap Road, north and south,
and Sandy Lake Road west of the landfill from Denton Tap.
With these trucks possibly traveling the entire length of
one of our City's main roadways, there would be a constant
overshadowing potential for accidents caused by heavy traffic,
falling debris from these trash trucks that drivers are
not historically known to stop and retrieve. An "eyesore"
in the making as well as more work for the Street Department.
Debris of this sort should be looked at from the standpoint
of liability should it injure a pedestrian or motorist.
Fifth: Most of Sandy Lake Road and MacArthur Boulevard,
as currently zoned, are residential in nature, one of which
contains a school zone. Added truck and other traffic gen-
erated by the proposed landfill would create not only an
undesirable situation but a hazardous one for motorists,
children and citizens as well.
As a City dedicated to the protection and well being of
it's citizens their children and vistors, we should not
allow a neighboring City to use Coppell as a driveway to
a landfill. This would take away from our plans for a beauti-
ful future and would probably turn our streets and right-
of-ways into something less than desirable.
Please consider this recommendation, from our position of
Public Safety, and react favorably to our determination
that a hazardous situation would most certainly develop
if this proposal is approved.
If you have any questions, please contact me.
M.S.L.
MSL/sgs
c/Alan Raltiff, City Manager
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