HomeMy WebLinkAboutTSMinutes_2011_07_14BROOKINGS TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
City Hall meeting room
Thursday, July 14, 2011
12:10 p.m.
The Brookings Traffic Safety Committee held its monthly meeting on Thursday, July 14, 2011, at
12:10pm in the City Hall meeting room.
Members Present: Carol Rettkowski, Louis Skubic, Jackie Lanning, Keith Bruinsma, Pete
Kirchheuel, Brian Lueders, Jeff Miller, and Tony Sonnenburg.
Members Absent: Daryl Englund, Skip Webster, Tim Heaton, and Mike Fossum.
Others Present:
Call to Order: Lanning called the meeting called to order. Rettkowski / Skubic moved to approve the
minutes from the May meeting. All present voted aye.
Addition to Agenda:
Old Business:
New Business:
Request to remove parking on Telluride Lane from Western Avenue to Copper Mountain R oad.
Corey Morrow, 422 Telluride Lane, stated he was concerned that if parking is removed the vehicles
would park west on the block. Roland Couser, 412 Telluride Lane, was concerned if parking is
removed there would be no parking for his guests. Lanning asked how often vehicles park there.
Morrow stated vehicles park there all the time especially during the school year. During the winter
months the street intersection of Telluride Lane and Western Avenue ices up and the west side of the
street radius narrows due to the ice. Lanning described the phone calls she received and they were
all in favor of the removal of parking. Lanning stated if parking was removed from the north side of
Telluride Lane she would recommend 20 feet of no parking zone by the stop sign on the south side of
Telluride Lane. Skubic/Bruinsma made the motion to allow parking on the south side of
Telluride Lane and remove parking on the north side of Telluride Lane between Copper
Mountain Road and Western Avenue South and to add 20 feet of no parking on the south side
of Telluride Lane by the stop sign. All present voted aye. Motion passed.
Request to install signage near the Children’s Museum and Public Library to alert drivers of children
in the area Lanning stated this was brought to the committee from the City Safety Committee. The
concern is with the vehicle traffic around the museum that signs would be helpful to remind drivers
children are in the alley area. She stated there are a couple of 15 mph signs on 5th Avenue and 4th
Street from the previous school and have not been removed. Miller asked if we are allowed to keep
those signs in place when there is no school. Lanning asked if the wording on the sign states school
crossing. Kirchheuel said the sign reads “15 mph when children are present”. Bruinsma stated
children are present in this area. Lanning stated with sign wording does fit the situation. Sonnenburg
made the motion to install yellow children at play signs at the north and south end of the alley
way on the west side of the Brookings Library. All present voted aye. Motion passed.
New Business:
Discussion on requiring sidewalks in areas of Brookings that currently do not have sidewalk. Lanning
passed out several maps along with a list of residents in the different are as in Brookings that do not
have sidewalks. The city has received complaints in the past from residents about areas that do not
have sidewalk and the City Council discussed this issue at a recent meeting. The City Manager
asked the Traffic Safety Committee and the Committee for People Who Have Disabilities to review
this issue, and each committee’s recommendation will be provided to the City Council for discussion
at a future meeting. Lanning stated that sidewalks are primarily a pedestrian issue, but it can turn into
a traffic safety problem if pedestrians need to walk into the street because there is no sidewalk. Chief
Miller and Officer Sonnenburg visited all these areas prior to the meeting. One area Miller is very
concerned with is 15th Street South near the Camelot Intermediate School. This is a highly travelled
pedestrian traffic area where children walk to school. He said there should be sidewalks on both sides
of 15th Street South between Medary Avenue S. and 17th Avenue S. as well as any area that directly
affects a school should have sidewalks for children’s safety. Kirchheuel stated he would also like to
see sidewalks placed in the Broken Bow Trail area because children ride in the street going to and
from Sarah Renee Park. Lanning asked the committee their opinion on sidewalks in the Western
Avenue S. area. She asked if the committee thought that sidewalks should only be required along
Western Avenue S. and allow the fronts of the lots to install sidewalks at a later date. One example is
Lowell Hyland’s lot, which is a three sided lot. The committee thought just the Western Avenue S.
sidewalks should be required in that case. Kirchheuel said that installing sidewalks along Western
Avenue would allow children to get to the park safely and that sounded reasonable. Lanning stated
that the City will be installing all the accessible curb ramps this year on Martin Blvd. and Regency
Court. Lueders mentioned there are two or three houses south of the Hillcrest School that don’t have
sidewalks. Lanning stated that the property line is right behind the curb and gutter and there is no
right-of-way on the south side of 3rd Street near Hillcrest School. Lanning stated that 13th Avenue
also has a very narrow boulevard. Bruinsma stated the committee should put a timeline on installing
sidewalks or it could take a very long time for them to be installed. Lanning stated that under City
Ordinance, sidewalk is required in areas where after two years, and 70% of sidewalk has been
installed between two streets so that issue is covered in the current ordinance. Bruinsma/
Kirchheuel made the motion to require sidewalks for the safety of pedestrians who would walk
in the streets where there are no sidewalks. All present voted aye. Motion passed.
Submitted by: Chris Larson
Member Reports
The next meeting will be August 11, 2011. Meeting adjourned.
Submitted by: Chris Larson