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City of Homer
Planning &
Zoning
Telephone
(907)
235-8121
491 East Pioneer Avenue
Fax
(907) 235-3118
Homer,
Alaska 99603-7645
E-mail
Planning@ci.homer.ak.us
Web
Site
www.ci.homer.ak.us
M E M O
R U N D U M 04-85
DATE:
June 8, 2004
TO: Homer City Council
THRU:
Walt Wrede, City Manager
FROM:
Beth
McKibben, City Planner
SUBJECT:
Draft Homer Non-Motorized Transportation and
Trails Plan, May 3, 2004
The Homer Advisory Planning Commission held two work sessions, May 19 and June 2, 2004 respectively, to discuss the May 3, 2004 Draft Homer Non-Motorized Transportation and Trails Plan. They also advertised and held a public hearing on May 19, 2004. At the regular meeting held June 2, 2004 the Commission voted to recommend the City Council adopt, and recommend the Kenai Borough Assembly adopt, the Homer Non-Motorized Transportation and Trails Plan (NMTTP) as an element of the 1999 Homer Comprehensive Plan, with amendments. The amendments recommended by the Planning Commission are as follows:
Attached is a new section 1.0, Introduction, 1.1, Economic Benefits, and 1.2, A Comprehensive Plan, drafted by Ann Marie Holen. The existing section 1.0 should be replaced with the attached language, including the addition of the proposed sections 1.1 and 1.2. The existing section 1.1, Methodology, should be renumbered as 1.3.
The NMTTP identifies the accommodation of non-motorized transportation as an amenity. Accommodating non-motorized transportation is not an amenity but a necessity, and a part of our community’s infrastructure. All references in the NMTTP plan to non-motorized transportation as an amenity should be changed to refer to infrastructure.
“Greenways” should be defined.
Maps to be corrected so as to accurately identify trails that exist or are proposed, and existing trails that provide legal access and those that only provide physical access.
Additional language should be added to identify the need for non-motorized connections between West Hill and West Homer Elementary School.
Lake Street should have sidewalks on both sides of the street.
Non-motorized connections are needed between Lake Street and Heath Street (particularly along Waddell near the Homer Hockey site).
North/South connections need to be identified between the Middle School and the Boys and Girls Club
Keep a bike/pedestrian lane on south side of Ocean Dr., and separated pathway west side of Beluga Lake crossing (in addition to suggested west side pathway).
A reference to the Town Center streets including sidewalks on both sides of the streets, and the non-motorized facilities will provide connectivity to the non-motorized system outside of Town Center.
A connection is needed between Shelford Street to Lee Drive as shown in the figure below
All references to the “City of Homer Design Manual” should be clarified to be the “1987 Design Criteria Manual for Streets and Drainage” so as to not create confusion with the newly adopted Homer Community Design Manual. When the Homer Community Design Manual is referenced the date of adoption should be included to help eliminate confusion.
Page 37 - Policy 1.3 Action: Should be amended as follows:
Implement
a policy requiring all plans reviewed for zoning permits or submitted
for
approval by the planning commission to include alternative
transportation
amenities and provide links to the existing non-motorized
transportation and
trail system. Establish a system by
which this review takes place in concert with existing review
procedures. If streamlined into the
existing process,
the non-motorized transportation review will not increase the amount of
time it
takes to receive platting approval or a building a permit.
Consider
amendments to the City Code for subdivisions to include alternative
transportation infrastructure and provide links to the existing and
planned
non-motorized transportation and trails system. Additional
possible amendments to the City Code is to require
non-residential development to provide internal pedestrian access as
well as
integration with the existing and planned non-motorized transportation
and
trails system.
Page 41 Policy 4: Should be amended as follows:
… Recommended changes to existing policy
statements are
underlined and appear in bold print.
….Possible amendments to existing City code which may be used to implement this Plan are underlined and appear in bold print. References to public access and public access easements are understood to include easements and rights-of-way which may be designated solely for non-motorized transportation.
Page 41 Policy 4 Action: 3 Should be amended as follows:
…..or other non-motorized transportation
facilities to
ensure convenient mobility, convenient access to parks,
recreation
areas, trails, playgrounds, schools and places of public
assembly.,
and a means of mobility.
Page 42 Action 3: Should be amended as follows:
“Development shall not preclude the existence
of
historical access route(s) in use on the property at the time of
development”
“If there is an existing historical access route, the development shall allow for continuation of historical trail uses, with realignments as needed for best development practices.”
Page 42 Action 5 : Should be amended as follows:
“Development shall not preclude the existence
of
historical access route(s) in use on the property at the time of
development”
“If there is an existing historical access route, the development shall allow for continuation of historical trail uses, with realignments as needed for best development practices.”
Page 43 Action 7 : Should be amended as follows:
“Development
shall not preclude the existence of historical access route(s) in use
on the
property at the time of development”
“If there is an existing historical access route, the development shall allow for continuation of historical trail uses, with realignments as needed for best development practices.”
Page 44 Action 1: Should be amended as follows:
“Public Access Easements and rights-of-way”
Page 44/45 Action 2: Should be amended as follows:
….and the Economic Development Plan. The City can accept easements that compliment plans and goals and can require neighborhood trail segments which do not connect or extend city-wide trail systems.
Page 45 Policy 5.2: Should be amended as follows:
Establish
a clear and simple method for
dedicating public access easements and rights-of-way for
non-motorized use.
Page 45 add new Policy 5.5
Establish a method to allow existing utility and drainage easements to be used as pedestrian easements.
Action
Develop a set of guidelines to be used in evaluating existing utility and drainage easements for their use as pedestrian easements.
Page
49 Policy 8.1, Action: Strongly
encourage
all schools, public buildings, and the central business district to
provide
bicycle parking amenities infrastructure in their
respective
locations. Install these same amenities infrastructure
at all recreation
facilities managed by the city.
Page 52 paragraph at the top of the page
There is a separated pathway that crosses
Beluga Slough
on the west side of Ocean Drive. If
this pathway were relocated to the east side of Ocean Drive, it could
connect…..
Construct an additional pathway on the east side of the Beluga slough causeway, where it could connect to….
Page 52
Main Street:
both sides from Bayview Fairview
to
Ohlson Lane.
Page 53
Ocean Drive:
bicycle lane striping on south side