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PC & TC Minutes-2008-04-2932400 PASEO ADELANTO %, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL . SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA 92675 (949) 493-1171 L — SAM ALLEVATO ID(DRPDRfliE0 THOMAS W. HRIBAR (949) 493-1053 FAx ESTABLISHED I96I MARK NIELSEN www.sanjuancapistrano.org 1776 JOE SOTO ® ® DR. LONDRES USO MINUTES OF THE JOINT MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION Tuesday, April 29, 2008 — 6:30 p.m. A. ORGANIZATION 1. CALL TO ORDER: 6:30 p.m. for Business Session 2. ROLL CALL Planning Commission Transportation Commission Chairman Sheldon Cohen Chairman Ken Ficklin (absent -excused) Vice Chair Gene Ratcliffe Vice Chair Matt Gaffney Robert Cardoza Erin Kutnick Ginny Kerr Charles Lange Tim Neely (absent -excused) Larry Kramer (absent -excused) Staff members in attendance: Grant Taylor, Assistant Planning Director; Nasser Abbaszadeh, Engineering and Building Director; Alan Oswald, Senior Engineer - Traffic; Sue McCullough, Recording Secretary 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE B. PUBLIC HEARING 1. Interstate 5/State Route 74 (Ortega Highway) Interchange Improvement Project — Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Assessment (DEIR/EA) Written Communications April 29, 2008 Staff presentation & recommendation Mr. Oswald presented the staff report and recommended that the Planning Commission and Transportation Commission open the Public Hearing, take public comment, close the public hearing and provide input from each of the Commissioners. Mr. Kevin Haboian, Parsons Consultant, provided a Powerpoint presentation and asked for feedback on the Draft EIR. Mr. Haboian said that Alternatives 3 and 5 address the main purposes and objectives of the project. San Juan Capistrano: Preserving the Past to Enhance the Future �p Printed on recycled paper PC & TC Meeting Minutes 2 April 29, 2008 Commissioner Questions and Comments Commissioner Lange asked where the data comes from of the estimated increase from 99,000 to 215,000. Mr. Haboian said that Austin Foust Associates worked with the County and OCTA to develop the data. Art Garbagan, noise expert, said the future noise resulting from Alternative 5 would be the same or less than Alternative 3. Commissioner Kutnick asked what would have been done with traffic going southbound in Alternative 3. Mr. Oswald said both options are within an acceptable level of service. Vice Chair Gaffney asked if the $58 million is 2008 or 2011 dollars, and if it will cost a lot more than originally planned? Mr. Haboian said the cost estimates reflect late 2007, early 2008 dollars, and over time costs go up. Vice Chair Gaffney asked how much of the $58 million the City would pay and how much Caltrans would pay. Mr. Haboian said all the funding is coming through the OCTA Measure M program, and that the funding should take care of inflationary measures that will take place over the next two years. Vice Chair Ratcliffe asked if the geometric problem that disqualified Alternative 4 is present in Alternative 5, i.e., the difficult acute turn from the southbound off ramp onto eastbound Ortega. Mr. Haboian said in Alternative 4 it is a larger skew angle. Commissioner Cardoza asked who made the decision to eliminate Alternative 4. Mr. Haboian said the off ramp alignment of Alternative 4 was done by Parsons and Caltrans to minimize the impact to the school. Commissioner Cardoza said that special landscape treatment should be given to the window to San Juan. Mr. Oswald said the City could enter into an agreement with Caltrans, with the City having more of a financial responsibility for aesthetic treatments to the walls. Commissioner Kerr asked if this project could be affected by budget shortfalls. Mr. Haboian said that the timeline is an accurate optimistic schedule, and that incoming revenue should remain. Chair Cohen asked how the high level of accidents would be mitigated. Mr. Haboian said that removing the left turn for vehicles getting onto the northbound onramp and an 8 -foot shoulder should lessen the accidents that occur at the Ortega Highway intersections and traffic coming off the southbound off ramp. Chair Cohen asked what the public review process will be on the final EIR. Mr. Haboian said public comments are responded to, and the City in consultation with Caltrans would determine the final alternative to recommend. PC & TC Meeting Minutes 3 April 29, 2008 Mr. Taylor said that the final EIR would come back to the Planning Commission to include Response to Comments and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program. Public comment period ends May 12t . Chair Cohen asked how traffic will be enhanced to balance losing the gateway and the entry statement on the west side of the freeway that would be lost with Alternative 3. Mr. Haboian said a number of analyses have been done to insure one to two better levels of service. Chair Cohen said that questions would not be answered this evening, but would become part of the EIR, and formal responses would be given to those questions. Public Comments Ted Stroscher, Del Obispo, opposed Alternative 3 and 5, spoke in favor of Alternative 4, asked if Measure M covers condemnation awards to be made on the private property that is being taken, and said there would be problems with condemnation. Silvia Pule, 31642 EI Camino Real, Principal, San Juan Elementary School, said that Alternate 3 provides the best option for the school. Eric Altman, 102 Lattice, Irvine, spoke on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee, read from and presented a letter to the dais regarding traffic, economic, and street alignment impacts as well as the need for improved access to downtown. Specifically, the study must address 1) Traffic impacts on the local streets such as Ortega, EI Camino Real, Del Obispo, and Camino Capistrano, 2) evaluate economic impacts of the west side street alignments during the construction phase and after completion of the interchange, 3) How to provide improved access to downtown, and 4) Identify and address the adverse impacts on the street alignments on the downtown. Laura Freese, 26332 Paseo Toscana, spoke in favor of Alternative 3, said the gateway to downtown is important, and asked that Stonehill be opened up to reduce the pressure on Ortega Highway. Carmen Escamilla, 31372 Guadalupe, spoke in opposition to Alternative 5 and asked that a no -build alternative be considered. John D. Gantes, P.O. Box 80340, Rancho Santa Margarita, owner of Arby's Restaurant, asked if under Alternate 5, the building could be reconfigured to include a drive-through. Sia Adabkhah, 27142 Ortega Highway, owner of Denny's Restaurant, spoke in opposition to the item, and said that 200 employees and their families would have to relocate. PC & TC Meeting Minutes 4 April 29, 2008 Commissioner Questions and Comments Commissioner Lange asked if the Measure M money covers condemnation costs. Commissioner Kutnick suggested closing Ortega in front of the Mission, making it a plaza, and realigning with Verdugo before Alternative 3 begins. Vice Chair Ratcliffe voiced concern regarding pedestrian and bicycle circulation, and asked if the loop ramp and northbound ramp would be a signalized free right. Commissioner Cardoza said he would like to see if Alternate 4 could be amended to make it a workable solution and viable alternative design. C. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: Persons wishing to address the Commissions on city business that is not listed on the agenda may do so at this time. None. D. ADJOURNMENT: 1. Planning Commission: to Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chamber. The Planning Commission meeting adyourned at 7:40 p.m. to the Regular Meeting of the Planning Commission of 7:00 p.m. on May 13, 2008 at 7:00 p.m., in the City Council Chamber. 2. Transportation Commission: to Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chamber. The Transportation Commission meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m. to the Regular Meeting of the Transportation Commission on May 14, 2008 at 7:00 p.m., in the City Council Chamber. E. CERTIFICATION: The agenda was posted at City Hall, the San Juan Capistrano Library and the Community Center Reception Area on April 24, 2008, before 5:00 p.m. Ap roved: Steven A. Apple, AICP Planning Director Alan P. Oswald Secretary to the Transportation Commission Those persons desiring to make public comments on agenda items will be given an opportunity to do so. Written information pertaining to any of the items must be submitted to the Planning Department by 5:00 p.m., on Monday, April 28, 2008 at 32400 Paseo Adelanto, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675. E-mail correspondence may be sent to: plan ningdep�a.san0uancapistrano.org and should reference the project name and/or project planner in the subject line. Individuals desiring to submit written information at the meeting must request and be granted approval by the Chairman.