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ST9902-CS041209 MEMORANDUM FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING To: Jim Witt, City Manager From: Ken Griffin, P.E., Director of Engineering/Public Works Date: December 9, 2004 West Sandy Lake Rd. Project #ST 99-02 Public Meeting December 7, 2004 On December 7, 2004, the City of Coppell Engineering Department hosted a public meeting concerning design aspects of W. Sandy Lake Rd. Leading up to the meeting, we sent out almost 1000 notices to citizens in the adjacent subdivisions. We also posted information on the website and in the local paper. Forty citizens showed up for the meeting along with three staff members and three members of the consulting firm, Teague, Nall and Perkins, Inc. Prior to the meeting, there was discussion in the atrium area concerning aspects of the project on a one to one basis with citizens. Most of the citizens were concerned about the impact adjacent to their property and the number one concern was the removal of trees adjacent to Sandy Lake Rd. My impression of the comments received from the citizens was that most people were concerned and disappointed in the amount of trees to be removed. However, most seemed resigned to the fact that the trees would need to be removed to complete the project. The formal part of the public meeting consisted of a review of how we got to where we are today, which included information from the City of Coppell's Thoroughfare Plan dating back to 1985 and leading up to the bond election in 1999. We also discussed the timetable for construction. Currently, that timetable is such that the western part of Sandy Lake (from Coppell Rd. north to S.H. 121) is anticipated to go out to bid in the second quarter of 2005 and the remaining portion of Sandy Lake Rd. (from Coppell Rd. north to Denton Tap) is anticipated to go out to bid in the third quarter of 2007. The citizens in attendance were respectful and attentive during the presentation with the exception of one gentleman who had concerns about the placement of the proposed trail system on the south side of Sandy Lake Rd. Our current preliminary plans show a meandering trail system on the south side through HOA common areas adjacent to Georgian Place and Forest Cove. Obviously, to meander a trail in the HOA area would take permission from the HOA. The gentleman in question backs up to that common area. He has contacted the City numerous times during the last couple of years stating that he wants the trail to be straight and closer to the street. He was adamant in the pre-rneeting and very adamant during the formal part of the meeting in his comments concerning the aligmnent of the trail. He did make some disturbing comments prior to the meeting to one of my staff members concerning the fact that he would need to purchase a gun. He also made comments after the meeting to another staff member that he would need to purchase a gun. His frustration lies in the fact that I would not just commit to the fact that we would move the trail closer to Sandy Lake Rd. Meandering the trail CIT'I OF COPPI~EL ENGINEER NG - EX(ELLENCE BY )ES GN gives us a potential to save some additional trees, even though a substantial amount of trees are being removed. I stated to him during the fore, al part of the meeting that our approach would be to contact the president of the HOA to determine how decisions were made for that particular HOA, either by the board or by the body. I would then make a presentation at an HOA meeting and let the HOA vote to decide whether or not to let us in the common area. Again, the aforementioned gentlemen's opinion is that he backs up to the HOA, and as such he does not want the walkway close to his property. I also tried to tell the gentleman that we are dealing with preliminary plans, not final plans, and we are several years away from going to construction. Other than the one incident, the rest of the citizens were respectful and attentive during the presentation and did ask some good questions. The following are the current items from the meeting that will take further review by City staff. 1. There was concern about overall tree removal and the proposed landscape plan. There were several questions concerning what will be planted. The response each time by myself was that our landscape plan would replicate what was placed along Sandy Lake from Denton Tap to MacArthur. Several citizens expressed an opinion that they did not like what was planted in Sandy Lake Rd. 2. There was concern for the spacing of the median openings and the fact that not every street can have a median opening. However, every subdivision was provided some type of median opening to one of the access points to the subdivision. 3. There was some concern expressed by several residents along the north side that more of the street was being build toward the north than the south. I stated that there were existing TXU transmission lines on the south side and we are Iimited in our ability to work within their easement. There was some discussion concerning the process that we went through in dealing with TXU transmission lines on the recently completed portion of Sandy Lake Rd. Several citizens asked that we explore the possibility of moving the transmission poles to the median and then shifting the road south approximately 8-10 feet. The moving of the transmission poles would take approval by City Council and the city's involvement would be such that we would pay TXU to relocate their poles to the median and then we would pay the design consultant to redesign the plans in a different location. This particular item is probably one that needs additional discussion with City Council. 4. Another item of concern was several citizens in the Woodlands subdivision requesting that a walkway be constructed beneath the proposed bridge on Cottonwood Creek so that children could cross Sandy Lake Rd. at that location and then walk down Winding Hollow to Cottonwood Creek Elementary. I expressed some concern whether or not a walkway beneath the bridge would be utilized by children especially given the fact that because of ADA requirements it would require a lengthy meandering path to take you from the street section to the section beneath the roadway. However, we do have several of these in place. Again, the meeting was better than l anticipated and I did state that there would be a follow-up public meeting probably in 2006. I would be happy to answer any questions concerning this meeting at your convenience. "CITY OF COPPELL ENGINEERING - EX( EELENCE BY DESIGN" COP?-Ei E PUBLIC MEETING W. 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