ST9902-CS061106Ken Griffin - Re: Denton Tap - Town Center Intersection Area, Crosswalks, Etc. and ST 99 -02 B
From:
Jim Witt
To:
Ken Griffin
Date:
11/6/2006 10:54:01 AM
Subject:
Re: Denton Tap - Town Center Intersection Area, Crosswalks, Etc
Let's chat then.
>>> Ken Griffin 11/6 10:47 am >>>
Yes, I'm available at 8:30 am tomorrow.
ken g
>>> Jim Witt 11/6/2006 10:43 AM >>>
Ken are you available around 8:30 on Tuesday?
>>> Ken Griffin 11 /6 10:11 am >>>
Jim
and ST 99 -02 B
I wasn't sure how you wanted this last email from Mr. Bradford handled, but, my response is below.
First bullet: This is already being addressed with the study and current changes to the crossing. Additional
items will be discussed at the 11/14/06 Council meeting.
Second bullet: Yes, there are ways to install crossings mid -block that can have pedestrian activated
crossing lights. These are typically used when there is a large amount of traffic that needs to cross and
there are not other options. It's always safer to cross at a controlled intersection. That being said, lights
and a painted crosswalk was not considered for Heartz because the crossing takes place on a weekend
when traffic is light. We have not prohibited crossing mid - block, we just have not encouraged it. As my
prior response stated, if the church still wants a crossing painted, they should contact me with that
request. As for as placing lights and a crosswalk across Sandy Lake, that cannot be provided unless we
can make the route to and from the crossing safe and ADA complaint. Once a temporary light goes up at
Whispering Hills and Sandy Lake, there will be breaks created in the flow of traffic to allow for a safer
crossing of Sandy Lake.
Third bullet: See the end of bullet two for why we should not place a crossing. His response states that he
cannot think of a way to provide a crossing but that we need to be creative and come up with a solution.
Given the fact that the Georgian Place Subdivision will not let us behind the row of trees we really do not
have an option to construct a sidewalk on the south side. However, if they did let us behind the trees to
build a temporary sidewalk (remember this would go behind the house of the person who stated "he would
have to buy his wife a gun for protection if we placed the sidewalk behind the tress ") we would then have
to reconcile the fact that we would be providing a mid block crossing at Oak Trail and encouraging kids to
walk in the street on Oak Trail, where there are no sidewalks. Crossing kids at Whispering Hills would lead
them to a borrow ditch on the north side and again to Oak Trail which has no sidewalks.
NOTE: My recommendation for a logical and safer crossing is to proceed with the acquisition of three
parcels of right of way on the north side of Sandy Lake (between Whispering Hills and Oak Trail) and
construct a sidewalk on the north side. The three parcels are owned by Barney Barnett, Bill Mills and Mark
Bestor. The total right of way needed from these three parcels is about 12,000 square feet. DCAD lists the
land value on these parcels as ranging from $6.20 to $9.65 per square foot. Using DCAD values, the cost
to purchase the needed right of way would be about $85,000. The city has a history with some of these
property owners, so it's possible that the acquisition of the right of way will require condemnation. Once
the right of way is obtained, we could then remove necessary trees on the north side and build a sidewalk
on the north side of Sandy Lake. Hopefully, we could cross the borrow ditch and get on the north side of it
with the sidewalk without filling it in. If we have to fill the ditch in, we would need to construct some
extensive drainage improvements. The sidewalk would still lead kids to Oak Trail, which has no sidewalks,
but at least the crossing of Sandy Lake would be safe and legal.
Page 1
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Ken Griffin - Re: Denton Tap - Town Center Intersection Area, Crosswalks, Etc. and ST 99 -02 B Page 2
If you concur with proceeding with my recommendation, please let me know so I can have the consultant
finalize the right of way documents for these three parcels so I can proceed with acquisition.
ken g
>>> < Bruce.Bradford @frostbank.com > 10/25/2006 4:37 PM >>>
Jim:
Many thanks for the thoughtful response to my email earlier this month. I know that much thought and
planning goes into all that makes this city a great place to live and work, and while I am freely flowing my
ideas I'd never want to be in your shoes or those of your various managers as tough decisions about
resource allocation and reasonableness must be made. With that being said, I'll still step back into
questions mode:
What needs to be done to create a school zone on Denton Tap at Town Center? Short of a school
crossing guard, or an elevated walkway, that may be an effective tool to aid in assuring the safety of our
high schoolers headed eastward (those headed south don't have such great options, see below).The
City's response to my email implied in two instances that mid -block crosswalks don't make sense (are
unsafe if not in conjunction with a traffic signal or stop sign), yet when I was travelling in Highland Park
yesterday (Lovers Lane between the Tollway and Preston) I came across a mid -block crosswalk that was
very effective -- excellent signage prior to the crosswalk, including signs with "chasing" fluorescent lights
highlighting the sign when activated, a sign noting that it is a state law to yield to occupants of a crosswalk,
and crosser - activated buttons to engage the aforementioned chaser lights. I'd sure think that to be a better
solution than nothing as now exists on Sandy Lake for our high schoolers, and for other applications within
Coppell (Heartz in from of First United Methodist amongst those others).) know that the response letter
also noted that a crossing without a sidewalk on each side is also not acceptable (I certainly understand
the logic). The reality of the situation is that the City is not yet ready to move forward in the re- construction
and widening of Sandy Lake Road westward from Denton Tap to Coppell Road. Because there is no way
for pedestrians to get safely from south of Sandy Lake to north of Sandy Lake it is imperative that a
creative (perhaps not permanent) solution be developed, before another of our youth is lost. There is no
safe and logical walking alternative that I can think of, but we have pedestrians (high schoolers primarily)
-.who must make that dangerous crossing every day.
Many thanks,
Bruce
214 - 418 -3830 cell
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