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Home My WebLink AboutLog056 Geralyn Reinart, P.E. 1319 Dexter Avenue North, Suite 103 Seattle, WA. 98109 (206) 285-9035 RECEIVED SEP 2 2 2~"5 Traffic &. Transportation Engineering serviJ!fffRSON COrmTfT1eff85-6345 August 4, 2005 MEMORANDUM TO: Jim Pearson, Project Manager Jefferson County FROM: Geralyn Reinart, P.E. ~... I SUBJECT: Discovery Bay Golf Course PRRD - Response to Staff Comments r exPIRES: O~'l J The information that follows is intended to address the comments noted in your memorandum dated June 15, 2005 for the proposed Discovery Bay Golf Course PRRD. Responses to your comments are summarized below, with any revisions as noted. Please note that responses to some comments do not involve changes to the traffic impact analysis, but rather require further action/discussion with the Applicant that is either forthcoming or underway with Staff. The following summarizes the comments and responses. Comment #1 - Regarding peak hour counts and need to adjust these volumes upwards by a factor of 1.27. ResDonse - I concur that the tourist corridors in Jefferson .County experience seasonal fluctuations, with the month of January experiencing lowe'f.:,lhan-average volumes and July and August higher-than-average volumes. Typically, these fluctuations are associated with the AnT's on the major tourists routes (i.e., SR-20, SR-104, and SR-101) and correspond to summer vacations/travel. WSDOT haS'two permanent traffic recorders in eastern Jefferson, one at the Hood Canal Bridge and the other on SR-101 just north of SR-20. The most recent WSDOT data for the year 2004 showed that the month of March had an adjustment factor of 1.13 at the Hood Canal Bridge location, and afactor of 1.17 at the SR-101Iocation. Thesefactors are associated with the AnT's, and not necessarily with the peak commute period. The peak hour counts conducted for the traffic analysis were conducted in the month of March - a month when school is in session and the number of employees on vacation is LOG ITEM 1 # SlP Pa!?e_l_of_~ typically lower than during the summer months. All counts (with the exception of one along SR-20) were on County arterials that do not appear as if they would be significantly impacted by tourist traffic. While 1 have no documentation one way or the other, my personal observations and experience have been asfollows: 1) peak hour counts can easily vary by five to ten percent on any given weekday throughout the year simply as normal fluctuations in traffic; 2) summertime peak hour commuter traffic tends to be somewhat lower due to fewer school-related activities and employees taking vacations,. and 3) while overall highway travel is typically higher during the summer because of vacation travel, these motorists tend to avoid peak hour travel. Thus, the application of the 1. 27factor to the peak hour counts may not be appropriate. Comment #2 - Regarding trip distribution of site traffic on Cape George Road south of the golf course access to South Discovery Road. Response - Comment acknowledged. Figures 3, 4, and 5 have been revised to better show the trip assignments on the section of Cape George Road south of the golf course access. (Figures 7 and 8 already included these volumes along Cape George Road south of the golf course access in the original traffic report.) Comment #3 - Regarding statement in TIA that projected future volumes are conservative since traffic associated with the proposal would already be included in the County's growth forecasts. Response - The annual traffic growth rates developed by Jefferson County were based on historic growth in both housing and traffic. As noted in the Comprehensive Plan "This ratio was composed of both land use factors characteristic of this plan and planning area factors. .... The land use characteristics and planning area variation in the ratio served to properly weight theforecast traffic growth.". While the County's rates would not have identified any specific developments such as the subject PRRD, the housing and population forecasts would be based on the development of vacant properties in the area, of which the proposed PRRD would be one of many. The County growth rates arefor the 2024 projections, roughly a 2G-year period. Traffic increases typically do notfollow a straight line, i.e., some years may see no increase in volumes while others may see much larger increases than average. While the completion of any specific project may result in short-term "higher-than-average" increases, the long-term growth over a ten to twenty year span would be more representative of the average. Thus, while the arterials adjacent to the PRRD would see higher than average increases in the short-term because of the development of this parcel, traffic growth could easily become static in the vicinity thereafter until another large parcel is developed. As such, the background traffic growth should have included the subject parcel as part of the long-term growth projectionsfor the population and housi'ngforecasts; therefore, the projections shown in the traffic analysis may be somewhat conservative. LOG ITEM # ,5 \.0 Pag'3 _~ot~ 2 Comment #4 - Regarding non-motorized facilities and use of adjacent roadways by bicyclists. Response - The statement cited ("... relatively low volume of traffic on the roadways in the area lends them to reasonable safe travel for bicyclists, although the roadways must be shared with motorized ... ") andfound in the "Existing Conditions" section was never intended to imply that the adjacent roads in their current condition should be designated as shared facilities. The statements in this section were merely acknowledging that non- motorizedfacilities were not available near the site, but for those wanting to cycle in the area, the volumes on the adjacent arterials are not of a magnitude that would make cycling unsafe for experienced riders, especially during non-peak hours or on the weekends. Comment #5 - Regarding non-motorized facilities and the extension of the Larry Scott Trail. Response - Comment noted. The Applicant has met with County Staff to discuss potential options associated with the trail construction, maintenance, and easement issues and further decisions regarding this issue will beforthcoming. Comment #6 - Regarding project impacts and Staff recommendations for appropriate mitigation. Response - Comment noted. The Applicant understood when the traffic analysis was submitted that discussions with County Staff would be needed to determine the appropriate roadway mitigation. As such, only the references for various AASHTO cross-sections associated with ADT's were noted with no specific recommendations for improvements included in the report. Since the receipt of the subject memorandum, the Applicant has begun discussions with County Staff regarding appropriate mitigation. Upon completion of these discussions, recommendations from Staff for inclusion with the SEPA declaration are anticipated. I trust that the above information has adequately addressed your concerns. Please give me a call with any questions. Attachments LOG ITEM # S0 Pagg._..l_ of.. !e..~_ 3 . NORTH (N.T.S.) .,,.... .. .-...... .. ..., ...~ """.,.. "J ./ r- , , , --- I / , , / " / , / , ", / ./ , , / . \ " Project Site . , \ / , , ...... / " \ (Loc I) DISC ~;S~'\-- OVER. Y8Ay . , " " \ --- :'\, , ' \ . , '\. { xx% - percent distribution xx - daily volume 50% LOG ITEM # 51.0 Page_+otJrL ESTIMATED DAILY TRIP DISTRIBUTION/ASSIGNMENT FIGURE 3 Rev. 08 02 05 Geralyn Reinart. P.E. 1319 Dexter Ave. N., #103 Seattle, WA. Discovery Bay Golf Course Jefferson County, WA. Page F-3 . NORTH (N.T.S.) ,..... "" .---.... ... "" "" "" "" /' ~, ./ ,.., , --- , I / " . , / " / . ..... / , \ Project Site , , \ r- I \ , , " , , I \ '- \ - ........ ~, , - \ r.:, '-, , . ( LOG ITEM # . 5~ Page_~ot~ Geralyn Reinart, P.E. 1319 Dexter Ave. N.. 6103 Seattle. WA. ESTIMA TED AM PEAK HOUR TRIP ASSIGNMENT FIGURE 4 Rev. 08 03 05 Discovery Bay Golf Course Page Jefferson County, WA. F-4 A NORTH (N.T.S.) .-- /"""... - ----- - ., " - - ./ " . /' , . "", " ...--- I I " / .' / ,....' / I \ , , Project Site , . "- r~ , , \ / , I '" / , , \ " " \ . ....... ;'\, I . \ ,,-::' , " . , "- , I LOG ITEM # S(p page_{Q ofI.a- Geralyn Reinart. P.E. 1319 Dexter Ave. N.. #103 Seattle. WA. ESTIMA TED PM PEAK HOUR TRIP ASSIGNMENT FIGURE 5 Rev. 08 03 05 Discovery Bay Golf Course Jefferson County, WA. Poge F-S