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HomeMy WebLinkAboutstaff reportDecember 15, 2016 ITEM NO.: 15 FILE NO.: MSP16-01 Name: Master Street Plan Amendment, Remove 4th Street (Alexander Road) Location: 4th Street (Alexander) Request: Removal of Minor Arterial Classification Source: Holloway Engineering, Surveying & Civil Design, PLLC. PROPOSAL / REQUEST: The amendment to the Master Street Plan amendment is to remove a Minor Arterial east of Town of Alexander at the end south of Alexander Road. A Minor Arterial provides connections to and through an urban area and their primary function is to provide short distance travel within the urbanized area. A Local Street provides access to adjacent property. The movement of traffic is a secondary purpose. Residential street use by heavy trucks and busses should be minimized. The Local Street generally has a right-of-way of 50 feet. In suburban location with larger acreage single family tracts, Local Streets may be designed with paved shoulders and open space drainage. In the case of short residential streets, a lesser standard is allowed. CURRENT MASTER STREET PLAN: 4th Street (Alexander) is shown as a Minor Arterial on the plan. Master Street Plan proposes 90' Right of Way and 59' minimum paving width. The existing part of 4th Street (Alexander) is not built to arterial standards and it is approximately 19' currently. A Minor Arterial provides connections to and through an urban area and their primary function is to provide short distance travel within the urbanized area. Entrances and exits should be limited to minimize negative effects of traffic and pedestrians on Minor Arterials. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN: With the length of 750 LF, 4th Street (Alexander) is the southern extension of Alexander Road and boundary between Little Rock and Alexander. The north and northwest of 4th Street (Alexander) is the Town of Alexander and it is single family area. Southeast of 4th Street (Alexander) within Little Rock city limits the area is shown as Residential Low (RL) Density. It is an un -built area, and mostly woodland. December 15, 2016 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 15 Cont. FILE NO.: MSP16-01 HISTORIC DISTRICTS: There are no historic districts that would be effected by this amendment. CITY RECOGNIZED NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION PLAN. There aren't any neighborhood plan in the area. ANALYSIS: This amendment is on the southwest edge of Little Rock adjacent to Town of Alexander. 4th Street (Alexander) continues south of Alexander Road which is shown as Minor Arterial. The 4th Street (Alexander) is 750 LF 3 blocks in length and wholly within the Little Rock city limits. 4th Street (Alexander) is lined with single family houses on the north side of the street and with currently vacant undeveloped land to the south of the street, in City of Little Rock. Currently there is no constructed road or any connection between 4th Street (Alexander) and State Highway 111 in Saline County, a length of one city block. The parcels of Original City Alexander on that block have no access to a public Street. There is no street or right-of-way. The portion of 4th Street (Alexander) which has been built is 19 feet wide in a 50 foot right-of-way. This is substandard for any Street Standard in the Master Street Plan. 4th Street (Alexander) is a Minor Arterial on the Master Street Plan (MSP). Minor Arterial should be 90 foot of minimum right-of-way and 59 foot for the minimum pavement width. The intend of the Master Street Plan with this designation is to provide a traffic by-pass around Alexander connection Alexander Road north of Alexander to State Highway 111 south of Alexander. The Master Street Plan proposes a similar traffic by-pass south of Mabelvale. City staff met with Metroplan staff and discussed the future transportation projects and plans for the area. CARTS (Central Arkansas Regional Transportation Study) has developed the Regional Arterial Network (RAN) as a network of major roads (Arterials) to connect and serve the regional transportation needs of Central Arkansas. On this plan Alexander Road from 1-30 passes around the town of Alexander to the east connecting to Highway 111 south of Alexander. This in part is to allow a grade separation at the Union Pacific rail line near Alexander. The CARTS functional Class Network shows the Arterial function along State Highway 111 from south of Alexander through Alexander on 3rd Street (Alexander) to Alexander Road east to 1-30. This is the current state highway 2 December 15, 2016 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 15 (Cont.) FILE NO.: MSP16-01 designed route. Saline County Master Street Plan also shows the arterial designation along 3rd Street (Alexander). Little Rock's MSP proposes to relocate the arterial to the east (4th Street, Alexander) to allow the traffic to bypass Alexander and move directly from Alexander Road south to State Highway 111 in Saline County. Based on current traffic counts most of the traffic appears to move from Alexander Road in Little Rock to the freeway through Alexander or from State Highway 111 in Saline County through Alexander to the freeway. The RAN improves this connection with a grade separation for the Saline County traffic and keeps it from entering Little Rock. Since CARTS controls the federal funding, the RAN option is the most likely future change to the current traffic pattern. 4th Street (Alexander) is one block short of connecting Alexander Road in Little Rock to Highway 111 south of Alexander. There are plotted lots with no access in that `one block' making the desire for this connection greater. With the connection between State Highway 111 to Alexander Road via 4th Street (Alexander), 4th Street (Alexander) becomes a convenient connection and more than a local street. The Master Street Plan does not show any bike routes on 4th Street. Thus the requested change should have no impact on the bicycle section of the Master Street Plan. The applicant is requesting the removal of 4th Street (Alexander) from the Master Street Plan as a Minor Arterial. Staff believes more than a local street standard is needed for 4th Street (Alexander). STAFF UPDATE: Staff received an email from the applicant, Hollaway Engineering, on December 1, 2016 to amend their application to downgrading 4th Street (Alexander) on Master Street Plan from a Minor Arterial to a Collector standard with 60' foot right of way and a 36' minimum pavement width (back to back of curb). This was after they had submitted a revision to their subdivision plat, also on this agenda, with proposed dedication along 4th Street (Alexander) for a 'Collector' Standard roadway. 3 December 15, 2016 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 15 (Cont.) FILE NO.: MSP16-01 NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: Alexander Road Neighborhood and Southwest Little Rock United for Progress. Staff has received no comments from area residents. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff believes amended application downgrading of 4th Street (Alexander) from a Minor Arterial to a Collector Standard is appropriate. 12 December 15, 2016 SUBDIVISION ITEM NO.: 15 (Cont.) FILE NO.: MSP16-01