I just reviewed the agenda for the upcoming Planning Commission meeting on Thursday 1/12/23 for the Bell Ave. Commercial Center.
It appears that the only change to the original plan is moving the driveway on Katharine and restrictions on delivery hours. And that the plan will be approved at the 1/12/23 meeting.
Speaking for myself, as opposed to for the YHNA, my specific concerns is an increase in traffic on the streets directly adjacent to my home near Youngs and Balsam:
1. There will be a significant increase in traffic from Eastbound Bell Ave, turning right on Balsam, passing by my house, and turning left on Youngs to exit the neighborhood and bypass the congestion/delay at the light at Raley and Bell
2. There will be a significant increase in traffic from Northbound Raley, turning left on Youngs, passing by my house, and turning Right on Balsam. This traffic will exit the neighborhood at Balsam and Bell by turning right. This is the most direct and easiest way to access the restaurants/property for anyone coming from the highway. I expect that to be significant. It's a lot easier than going to the light at Bell and Raley, making a left, and then making a U-Turn and then a right. Unless there is a barrier at the intersection, I'm sure many will try to make an immediate left from Bell, but that isn't my problem.
At "peak" times there is already a lot of traffic using these routes, passing by my house, and through the neighborhood. I can see this being really substantial which is why I suggesting blocking it somehow. My solution would be to block Balsam Ave, North of Youngs.
Currently, Youngs is used more than Katharine because it has an explicit left turn lane on Northbound Raley and because traffic entering Southbound Raley from MacArthur interferes with using Katharine. With trucks now making a left from Raley onto Katharine, assuming most deliveries are coming from the highway, it is going to be a real mess.
Traffic is already a mess at the Bell/Raley intersection, for many reasons, but mostly people trying to access and or leave the AM/PM on Bell, putting another such property at that location will just make things crazy. There are many scenarios, but a common one is someone exiting the AM/PM directly onto Eastbound Bell and making a right at the light. Lots of tire squealing and hanging out in traffic for that.
Generally, there are 3 ways into and out of Youngs Heights: Youngs, Katharine, and Balsam. Youngs is already difficult to use because of traffic cutting the light and the Chevron station. You can often really only make a right. At many times of the day, it is difficult to exit at Balsam because of heavy traffic and traffic backed up from the light and you can only make a right. Now, Katharine is going to be messed up. I'm not looking forward to that. Besides, there really shouldn't be 45 foot commercials vehicles using Katharine, which is a residential street.
Before approval of this project, actions should be defined to mitigate these issues.
Good Morning,
I just reviewed the agenda for the upcoming Planning Commission meeting on Thursday 1/12/23 for the Bell Ave. Commercial Center.
It appears that the only change to the original plan is moving the driveway on Katharine and restrictions on delivery hours. And that the plan will be approved at the 1/12/23 meeting.
Speaking for myself, as opposed to for the YHNA, my specific concerns is an increase in traffic on the streets directly adjacent to my home near Youngs and Balsam:
1. There will be a significant increase in traffic from Eastbound Bell Ave, turning right on Balsam, passing by my house, and turning left on Youngs to exit the neighborhood and bypass the congestion/delay at the light at Raley and Bell
2. There will be a significant increase in traffic from Northbound Raley, turning left on Youngs, passing by my house, and turning Right on Balsam. This traffic will exit the neighborhood at Balsam and Bell by turning right. This is the most direct and easiest way to access the restaurants/property for anyone coming from the highway. I expect that to be significant. It's a lot easier than going to the light at Bell and Raley, making a left, and then making a U-Turn and then a right. Unless there is a barrier at the intersection, I'm sure many will try to make an immediate left from Bell, but that isn't my problem.
At "peak" times there is already a lot of traffic using these routes, passing by my house, and through the neighborhood. I can see this being really substantial which is why I suggesting blocking it somehow. My solution would be to block Balsam Ave, North of Youngs.
Currently, Youngs is used more than Katharine because it has an explicit left turn lane on Northbound Raley and because traffic entering Southbound Raley from MacArthur interferes with using Katharine. With trucks now making a left from Raley onto Katharine, assuming most deliveries are coming from the highway, it is going to be a real mess.
Traffic is already a mess at the Bell/Raley intersection, for many reasons, but mostly people trying to access and or leave the AM/PM on Bell, putting another such property at that location will just make things crazy. There are many scenarios, but a common one is someone exiting the AM/PM directly onto Eastbound Bell and making a right at the light. Lots of tire squealing and hanging out in traffic for that.
Generally, there are 3 ways into and out of Youngs Heights: Youngs, Katharine, and Balsam. Youngs is already difficult to use because of traffic cutting the light and the Chevron station. You can often really only make a right. At many times of the day, it is difficult to exit at Balsam because of heavy traffic and traffic backed up from the light and you can only make a right. Now, Katharine is going to be messed up. I'm not looking forward to that. Besides, there really shouldn't be 45 foot commercials vehicles using Katharine, which is a residential street.
Before approval of this project, actions should be defined to mitigate these issues.
-Gary McGlinn