HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-21-2014 City Council Special meeting minutes -- State Route 85 MINUTES
MONDAY,APRIL 21,2014
SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING
STATE ROUTE 85 EXPRESS LANES PROJECT WORKSHOP
Mayor Lo called the meeting to order at 6:36 p.m. in the Joan Pisani Community Center
Multipurpose Room at 19655 Allendale Avenue.
ROLL CALL
PRESENT Mayor Emily Lo, Vice Mayor Howard Miller, Council Members
Manny Cappello, Chuck Page, Jill Hunter
ABSENT: None
ALSO PRESENT: James Lindsay, Community Development Director
John Cherbone, Public Works Director
Crystal Bothelio,
ry City Clerk
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ON NON-AGENDIZED ITEMS
None
COUNCIL DIRECTION TO STAFF
None
1.. State Route 85 Express Lanes Project Workshop
Recommended Action:
Conduct public workshop on the State Route 85 Express Lanes Project.
Mayor Lo provided opening remarks and invited Community Development Director
James Lindsay to lead the meeting.
Community Development Director James Lindsay gave an overview of the State Route
85 Express Lanes Project, described the meeting process, and addressed questions from
the audience. He explained that the meeting would be conducted in a workshop format
with an emphasis on small group discussions at the tables. He also noted that the City
Council would be acting as observers during the meeting,to allow the meeting to focus
on the concerns and thoughts of the meeting participants. He then asked the meeting
attendees to discuss concerns about the project among their table groups.
At the end of the small group discussions, a representative from each table reported
concerns identified at their tables. The meeting scribe, City Clerk Crystal Bothelio,
recorded these concerns on flipcharts.
Reported Concerns:
1) Choke points -project will increase traffic at these locations along State Route 85
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2) Access to carpool/HOV lanes -retain current access to carpool/HOV lanes,
proposed location of HOT entrances/exits will result in loss of access *
_ 3) Noise of existing roadway surface
4) Light rail -project may prohibit light rail, fear possibility of light rail will be lost
5) Adequacy of noise, environmental, traffic on surface streets (including impact of
HOT entrances and choke points on traffic/surface streets) is lacking
6) Short-term solution
7) Enforcement of agreements by West Valley cities—prohibition of large trucks on
85 and all elements of the agreements *
8) Lack of voice/representation
9) Upholding agreements and who determines if agreements are upheld
10)Follow through on original EIR mitigations *
11)Request full EIR analysis on the project, including analysis of pollution *
12)Council representation/support *
13)Inequity of the HOT lanes—wealthy can use, poor may not be able to afford to
use it
14)West Valley cities should retain legal counsel to define rights and legal position *
15)Why was the second HOT lane a surprise?
16)Saratoga gets all the impacts, none of the benefits
17)Group consensus at the meeting: opposed to the project
18)237 HOT lane impact on local roads
19)Light rail and bus need to be analyzed as an alternative for"mass transit" *
20)No negotiation against ourselves *
21)Impacts to homes—light, noise, and air quality
22)Use of Union Pacific line for light rail *
23)Project will not resolve congestion
24)HOT lanes do not encourage carpooling
25)Growing population will result in an increased need for public transit
26)Alignment of housing and mass transit *
27)General lack of awareness of the project, including 2 HOT lanes
28)Existing pollution impacts, including dust and oil
29)Carbon footprint analysis of the project should be done *
30)Existing vibration
31)How to prevent future agreement violations, since the existing
agreements/conditions are already being violated (noise, landscaping, design).
Hard to trust new agreements/conditions will be honored. *
32)Up to 10 lanes in some areas
33)Project will be obsolete 6 years after projected completion
34)Council should request an EIR
35)Structure of VTA Board/governance
36)Revenue oriented project
37)Residents should be surveyed
*Possible solutions/strategies identified during issue/concern identification
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After concerns were reported, Community Development Director James Lindsay
announced a short break.
After the break, Community Development Director James Lindsay asked the meeting
participants to return to their table and invited the small groups to identify possible
solutions and strategies to address the concerns that had been identified.
Representatives from each table reported the solutions and strategies identified by their
group. These solutions and strategies were captured by the scribe and are noted below.
Solutions/Strategies Identified:
1) Find out if agreements can be enforced, then enforce (if enforceable)
2) Act as team of West Valley cities,take regional approach
3) Focus on/solve the real problem—alternatives to congestion relief, such as light
rail
4) Sue if agreements are violated
5) Annually review the agreements
6) More community involvement with VTA Board, establish Saratoga voice at VTA
Board meetings
7) Council vote to request/require EIR
8) Council vote to oppose the project
9) Mail notice citywide on the project
10)No additional lanes north of State Route 17, resolve choke points first
11)Rubber asphalt overlay to.reduce existing road noise
12)Landscaping to reduce existing noise
13)Enforce local noise regulations on State Route 85
14)Study/analysis of successful public transportation
15)No extra lane
16)Keep carpool/HOV access
17)Establish long-range plan for light rail
18)Engage politicians at State level
19)Engage environmental groups
20)Outreach to West San Jose
21)No concrete median barrier
22)Additional noise mitigation/noise barriers and sound absorbing material for
existing noise
23)Light rail on 85 and connect to other transit systems/corridors, including
Mountain View to State Route 87
24)No tolls
25)Meet standards of old EIS/EIR
26)Regional planning, more inclusion
27)Inform VTA: Saratoga will not endorse bond measure for project if agreements
are not honored
28)Give informational report/update on the project at every Council meeting
29)Obtain legal opinion on the agreements,perhaps from a retired judge
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30)Categorize strategies/solutions identified at meeting into options that delay the
project vs. defeat the project
31)Ask VTA to solve the congestion issue
32)File lawsuit demanding full EIR and enforcement of the agreements
33)Increase staff accountability on VTA Board
34)Work with VTA Citizen Advisory Board
In addition to the concerns and strategies/solutions, staff at the meeting also noted
questions and items for follow up. These items are below.
Questions/Follow Up:
1) Obtain/distribute schedule of VTA meetings (date and times), including a link to
the VTA board meeting information
2) What is the source for matching funds required for the project?
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Lo adjourned the special meeting at 9:40 p.m.
Minutes respectfully submitted:
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Crys al Bothelio, City Clerk
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