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Home My WebLink About06 - OB-1 - Request Close Off Wall Openings Victoria - 2/16/2016CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT MEETING DATE: FEBRUARY 16, 2016 ITEM NUMBER: OB -1 SUBJECT: REQUEST TO CLOSE OFF WALL OPENINGS ALONG VICTORIA STREET AND DORSET LANE DATE: FEBRUARY 4, 2016 FROM: PUBLIC SERVICES DEPARTMENT/ENGINEERING DIVISION PRESENTATION BY: ERNESTO MUNOZ, PUBLIC SERVICES DIRECTOR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: FARIBA FAZELI, CITY ENGINEER, (714) 754-5335 RECOMMENDATION: 1. Provide direction regarding residents' request to close off the wall openings to pedestrian access along Victoria Street at the following locations: 1. Raleigh Avenue (south side of Victoria Street) 2. Meyer Place (north side of Victoria Street) 3. Miner Street (north side of Victoria Street) 4. Wallace Avenue (south side of Victoria Street) 5. Victoria Frontage (West) 6. Victoria Frontage (East) 2. Provide direction regarding residents' request to close off the wall opening to pedestrian access along Fairview Road at the following location: 7. Dorset Lane at Fairview Road BACKGROUND: Staff has received requests from residents asking that wall openings along Victoria Street (at the locations listed above) be closed in order to preclude pedestrian access to these cul-de-sac streets. Residents have also requested that the wall opening at Dorset Lane and Fairview Road be closed for the same reason. Residents are concerned that the wall openings (Attachment 1A and 113) are attracting undesired attention and/or activities such as transient sleeping and/or loitering, drug use, alcohol consumption, public urination and graffiti vandalism. In addition, the residents complain that tenants of the apartments along Victoria Street use these neighborhoods to park their vehicles and access their apartments through the wall openings. They also feel that the openings funnel noise generated by traffic on Victoria Street into the residential neighborhoods. The residents believe that closing off the wall openings at the above-mentioned locations along Victoria Street and the one location on Dorset Lane will reduce illicit activities, alleviate parking concerns and generally improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods. At the July 7, 2015 Council meeting, the Council voted 5-0 to close the wall openings at the following locations: 1. Puente Avenue (north side of Victoria Street) 2. Raleigh Avenue (north side of Victoria Street) 3. Sterling Avenue (south side of Victoria Street) ANALYSIS: Due to the proximity of schools to these neighborhoods, staff conducted a survey to assess the usage through the wall openings along Victoria Street by school children residing on or near Puente Avenue, Raleigh Avenue and Sterling Avenue. These results were presented and discussed at the July 7, 2015 Council Meeting. Subsequent to the July 7, 2015 Council Meeting, the study area expanded to include the remaining cul-de-sacs listed above in the Recommendation portion of this report. Staff sent survey letters to residents within a minimum of 500 feet of a wall opening. The results are included in Attachment 1A. Additionally, staff conducted pedestrian surveys for all of the wall openings during morning and afternoon periods to capture usage data. Results of the surveys are summarized below and also presented in Attachment 1A and Attachment 1 B. 1. Victoria Street Wall openings: In Favor of Opposed to 2. Dorset Lane Wall opening: In Favor of Opposed to Closing: Closing: g. Dorset Lane 19 2 City staff have also reached out to the Victoria Elementary School Principal and PTA President regarding the closure of the cul-de-sacs along the Victoria Frontage Road specifically since it is a main access point for student drop-off and pick-up. Based on conversations with these representatives, it appears that the school body would prefer to keep the Victoria Frontage Road West cul-de-sac wall opening available for access. Incidentally, at the Planning Commission meeting of January 25, 2016, the Commission requested that City Council consider the closure of the openings at Miner Street (either temporarily during the construction of five new homes at the south end of Miner Street and/or permanently). ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED: One alternative available to the City Council is to direct staff to close off some, or all, of the wall openings at the locations listed above. Another alternative is for the City Council to receive and file this report. With this alternative, the wall openings, other than those already approved for closure by City Council, will remain as they are and will continue to provide pedestrian access as originally intended. 1► Closing: Closing: a. Raleigh Avenue (south side of Victoria Street) 8 0 b. Meyer Place (north side of Victoria Street) 31 10 c. Miner Street (north side of Victoria Street) 13 3 d. Wallace Avenue (south side of Victoria Street) 8 2 e. Victoria Frontage (West) 11 4 f. Victoria Frontage (East) 6 5 TOTALS 77 24 2. Dorset Lane Wall opening: In Favor of Opposed to Closing: Closing: g. Dorset Lane 19 2 City staff have also reached out to the Victoria Elementary School Principal and PTA President regarding the closure of the cul-de-sacs along the Victoria Frontage Road specifically since it is a main access point for student drop-off and pick-up. Based on conversations with these representatives, it appears that the school body would prefer to keep the Victoria Frontage Road West cul-de-sac wall opening available for access. Incidentally, at the Planning Commission meeting of January 25, 2016, the Commission requested that City Council consider the closure of the openings at Miner Street (either temporarily during the construction of five new homes at the south end of Miner Street and/or permanently). ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED: One alternative available to the City Council is to direct staff to close off some, or all, of the wall openings at the locations listed above. Another alternative is for the City Council to receive and file this report. With this alternative, the wall openings, other than those already approved for closure by City Council, will remain as they are and will continue to provide pedestrian access as originally intended. 1► FISCAL REVIEW: Should City Council approve the closure of some or all of the wall openings, the approximate cost to close each one is estimated to be about $16,000. If approved, actual construction estimates will be determined based on the design of the wall closures. No funding has been allocated for this work; however, some of the residents have come forth and offered to participate financially in order to close some of the wall openings. LEGAL REVIEW: There is no legal review required for this item. CONCLUSION: Staff has received requests from residents to close off the pedestrian openings along Victoria Street at the following additional six (6) locations: 1. Raleigh Avenue (south side of Victoria Street) 2. Meyer Place (north side of Victoria Street) 3. Miner Street (north side of Victoria Street) 4. Wallace Avenue (south side of Victoria Street) 5. Victoria Frontage (West) 6. Victoria Frontage (East) Staff has received requests from residents to close off one (1) pedestrian opening along Fairview Road at the following location: 7. Dorset Lane Staff is asking for direction from the City Council on these items. ERNESTO MUNOZ FARIBA FAZELI Public Services Director City Engineer ATTACHMENTS: 1A. Wall Openings at Various Locations on Victoria Street 1 B. Wall ODenina on Fairview Road at Dorset Lane DISTRIBUTION: Chief Executive Officer Assistant Chief Executive Officer City Attorney City Clerk Staff File 3 -04 A ATTACHMENT NO 1 A Li 'o u o " u m a0 o :�} ;i : V . m ry Li 'o u o " u m a0 o c m ry o o .� 7.` 51 ~ w _VJ jr Yr MAP ft 0 ATTACHMENTIB �'`.N;�`. r�r'�.- • fir• � �- T ' dry i