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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPackets - Planning and Zoning Commission (216)1 Ancona, Jeanna From:Standish, Michael Sent:Tuesday, December 5, 2023 11:16 AM To:Ancona, Jeanna Cc:Vella, Bayer Subject:FW: Avilla at Rancho Vistoso Projects Hi Jeanna, Can you please forward these additional comments on to your P&Z members? Thank you. Mike From: Steve Snyder Sent: Monday, December 4, 2023 10:21 PM To: Standish, Michael <mstandish@orovalleyaz.gov> Cc: Snyder, Steve Subject: Re: Avilla at Rancho Vistoso Projects Mr. Standish, Thank you for forwarding my letter to the Council and P&Z. One thing that I realized I failed to mention in my last email (but which was included in my attached diagram) was the proposed connection of "Avilla Drive" to Tangerine Road. Along with my other suggestions, I would suggest a left-hand turn bay be installed along eastbound Tangerine Road at Avilla Drive. Without a turn bay there, anyone trying to get into the Avilla at Rancho Vistoso West complex from eastbound Tangerine would have to continue to the Tangerine / Rancho Vistoso intersection and either a) make a u-turn, or b) go north on Rancho Vistoso and then west on Woodburne to get to those homes. Also, a left-hand turn bay would be beneficial for other motorists on eastbound Tangerine Road who simply need to make a u-turn to head west, since there are zero left-hand turn bays between Red Mountain Drive and Rancho Vistoso Blvd. By adding the left-hand turn bay at Avilla Drive, it would allow these drivers to avoid the already congested Tangerine / Rancho Vistoso intersection, thereby improving traffic flow and safety. A left-hand turn bay would also be beneficial for the future customers trying to access the businesses that would be built on the commercial parcels on the west side of Rancho Vistoso. Thank you, Steven J. Snyder On Mon, Dec 4, 2023 at 9:52 AM Standish, Michael <mstandish@orovalleyaz.gov> wrote: Good Morning, These comments have been forwarded to Council and P&Z. 2 Thank you. Mike From: Steve Snyder Sent: Friday, December 1, 2023 1:42 PM To: Standish, Michael <mstandish@orovalleyaz.gov> Cc: Snyder, Steve Subject: Avilla at Rancho Vistoso Projects Apologies, I believe the font on the last email was not legible. (Please forward to the Town Council and Planning & Zoning Committee) Dear Mayor, Councilmembers, and Commissioners, My name is Steve Snyder and I have been an Oro Valley resident since 2009. I have also been employed as a Police Officer for the past 18 years. I am writing to you today in regards to the proposed Avilla at Rancho Vistoso project that will be coming before your respective bodies for discussion and possible action in the near future. As you know, this proposal to build high density luxury rentals at the south end of Rancho Vistoso has been a divisive topic for quite some time. Although I don't live extremely close to the project area, I do drive past the Safeway shopping center multiple times per day while working and also to take my kids to music lessons at the Artistry Academy. I'm fairly educated on NexMetro's proposal, and while I do not have a major objection to the idea of building luxury rental units in that area, I do have concerns with the traffic flow and safety in that already congested corridor, which will only get worse with 206 new homes. One of my main objections to this proposal has always been the suggested use of the existing driveway behind the Dragon Village and Rosati's restaurants to not only be a main entrance to the shopping center, but also be the only entrance for the 85 new homes that would be built on that parcel. That driveway is already fraught with congestion and blind corners; building new homes will only make it more hazardous. The driveway's exit onto Rancho Vistoso Blvd. has been a problem for the town for many years. It was slightly improved this year with the addition of the "Right Turn Only" markings and signage, but I still see drivers trying to make the illegal left turn to head south. And even for the drivers who obey the sign and turn north, those needing to make a left turn or u-turn at Woodburne Avenue are often cheating death to floor it and cut across the lanes to get into the turn bay. I think everyone agrees, something needs to be done to address that exit. 3 In comes NexMetro. Their proposal from pretty much the beginning has been to install a traffic signal at that intersection, and to continue the road on the west side of Rancho Vistoso Blvd., curving down to meet Tangerine Road. While I agree that this is one solution, it is certainly not the best. From what I have learned, and what was even mentioned by Paul Oland, the original plan in the Rancho Vistoso PAD was to have a traffic signal at the Woodburne Avenue and Rancho Vistoso Blvd. intersection, but the homes in the Horizon community (east side of Rancho Vistoso Blvd.) were built too far south, so now that prohibits a traffic signal from being built there. But the two issues with a traffic signal being installed at the existing driveway are: 1) it sits on a curve of Rancho Vistoso Blvd., and 2) the distance between this location and the traffic signal just to the south at Tangerine Road and Rancho Vistoso Blvd. (one of the more dangerous intersections in the entire town) is only 800 feet. Now, the Town Engineer has defended the idea of putting a traffic signal at this driveway because the distance between traffic signals on First Avenue from Oracle Road to Main Avenue is only 600 feet, and "It works." Firstly, the thing that he is not taking into account (or at least not acknowledging) is that First Avenue is completely straight and unobstructed between those two traffic signals. Secondly, nearly all of the vehicles traveling west on First Avenue towards Main Avenue have turned off of Oracle Road, so they never get the speed necessary to create severe collisions there. Conversely, the vehicles traveling on Rancho Vistoso Blvd. are traveling at higher speeds and are navigating an uphill curve. Like many of you, I watched the Neighborhood Meeting regarding this project on November 9, 2023. When I saw the new site proposal from NexMetro and Paul Oland, I was a bit shocked. On previous proposals that I had seen, the aforementioned new traffic signal was placed at the existing driveway, as well as the new road on the west side of Rancho Vistoso Blvd. curving down to meet Tangerine Road ("Avilla Drive"). Woodburne Avenue had been untouched. But on this newest site proposal, there was a jumble of twisty new roads for us to explore. Woodburne was redirected to the south, becoming "Vistoso Drive," then terminating at "Avilla Drive." The eastern portion of Woodburne was still there, but was basically neutered. The current median break on Rancho Vistoso at Woodburne was closed off. Homeowners along Woodburne or parents of Painted Sky Elementary students would need to drive east on Woodburne, south on "Vistoso Drive", then turn left onto "Avilla Drive" to get out to Rancho Vistoso Blvd. Unnecessarily complicated. During the meeting, a question was raised by a resident about how personnel from Golder Ranch Fire Station #375 on Woodburne would get out onto northbound Rancho Vistoso Blvd. The answer from the Town Engineer was that they could install a "mountable median" so that a fire truck could go straight across the median into the northbound lanes. He provided an example of the existing "mountable median" on Lambert Lane in front of the Walgreens. But what wasn't mentioned is that Golder Ranch Fire Station #376 at Lambert and La Canada is set up so that fire trucks responding to emergencies pull out of the north side of the building, heading east on the access driveway out to La Canada, where there are flashing signals installed in both directions to warn motorists of a coming fire truck. The "mountable median" on Lambert is typically used for fire trucks heading east on Lambert that are returning to the fire station. Back to the location at Woodburne and Rancho Vistoso Blvd., since the "mountable median" would be primarily used for emergency response and there are no signals on Rancho Vistoso to warn drivers, it would be reliant on the motorists to see the fire truck's emergency lights while it is trying to traverse the median. Again, unnecessarily complicated and unnecessarily dangerous. 4 Now that I've made those points, I have a suggestion: The original plan in the Rancho Vistoso PAD was to have a traffic signal at the current Woodburne Avenue and Rancho Vistoso Blvd. intersection, and this was for several reasons: 1) because it was far enough away from the traffic signal at Tangerine and Rancho Vistoso, and 2) it made sense for traffic on Woodburne (a collector road) to connect directly to Rancho Vistoso for ease of use. The best location for a new traffic signal is at Woodburne and Rancho Vistoso. To make this work in the current configuration, Woodburne would need to be realigned to the south by about 150 feet. With the intersection moved slightly, it would allow a new entrance into the Safeway shopping center. Please see the attached mock-up. The benefits of doing this are plentiful: 1) The new traffic signal would be further north, away from existing traffic signal at Tangerine / Rancho Vistoso; 2) The new traffic signal wouldn't be in the middle of a curve, increasing visibility; 3) The new traffic signal would allow Woodburne traffic to enter/exit directly to Rancho Vistoso, increasing ease of use; 4) The new traffic signal would allow Golder Ranch Fire to exit directly onto northbound Rancho Vistoso, not have to traverse a raised median, and with the assistance of the traffic signals to stop vehicles; 5) The proposed Avilla at Rancho Vistoso East homes would exit directly to Rancho Vistoso, not further congesting the area behind the Dragon Village and Rosati's restaurants; Obviously, the developer is going to lose some square footage with this configuration, but I feel this is the best solution to the traffic flow and safety of our town's residents. Thank you, Steven J. Snyder WARNING: This email came from outside the Town of Oro Valley. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. If this looks suspicious, report it using the Phish Alert Button. WARNING: This email came from outside the Town of Oro Valley. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. If this looks suspicious, report it using the Phish Alert Button.