HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee - 05/14/2014BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN COMMITTEE
MINUTES 05-14-2014
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee held its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, May 14, 2014 at
5:30 pm in the small conference room at the city office building.
Members Present: Matthew Boulanger, Chair; Michelle Connor, Vice Chair, Dana Farr, Clerk; Cathy
Frank, David Jacobowitz, Donna Leban, Miranda Voegeli, Roy Neuer
Members Absent: None
City Representative: Todd Goodwin, Director of Recreation & Parks, Kevin Dorn
Also Present: John Calcagni , South Burlington residedent Paul Conner, S Burlington Director of
Planning & Zoning
Meeting began at 5:37 pm.
1. Changes or additions to the agenda
Kevin Dorn presented the City’s recommendation for restructuring of Committees Update.
Council is interested in maintaiing and improving volunteerism I nthe community. They would like to
have “Silos” of Large sections of policy, not covered by any committee at all. This needed to be
addressed.
Statutory committees will stay the way they currently are. The remainder umbrella committees.
the committes: Where will they go, and what will their rsues, other issues would be covered here.
esponsibilities be?
Public Lands: Rec Leisure Art, , Red Rocks, etc.
Transportation Committee: In addition to our current
Community Development
Each of these committees would have their own set of bylaws, except for the Jurisdiction piece (Article
2)
Umbrella committees would meet quarterly. Each committee could have up to two task forces that met
on a different schedule.
Wheeler Park? No management plan for Wheeler Park.
No plan for Red Rocks.
No plan for Underwood.
Two-Three people from the committee would get together and form a task force by recruiting other
community members for a designated purpose/job. When that job is completed, they would be
disbanded.
The real work for the committee would happen in the Task forces.
All meetings would be required to adhere to Open Meeting laws b/c they are public committees.
Some committees are project based: Energy Committee, for example. The recommendations is that
these committees spin off to be a membership organization. They will be a community based
organization.
Growth of “Friends Groups”, such as “Friends of Red Rocks”. A friends group could form to do
programming, trail maintenance, lead nature walks. Friends of the Library is a current group. The
library trustees is a different group.
On June 16, the City Council will meet to discuss this issue. Kevin welcomed input from our
committee.
Our role = Transportation and advise the DRB.
David asked, Bicycle Advocate…how would this be done. Kevin: A friends organization. Perhaps up
to 50 volunteers. Kevin: You are an advisory group. This could be an advocacy group.
Roy: Who would be the city rep to our committee? Kevin’s guess: Two city staff, perhaps Ilona and
Todd?
Kevin noted that not all volunteers currently on the SBBPC committee would necessarily be on the
newly formed umbrella committee. Perhaps transportation experts would be placed on the
committee.
Nine people on each umbrella committee. Each year, the umbrella committee would set up a yearly
plan for determining the sub-committees/task forces, and to plan how to achieve goals.
Cathy asked for clarity what would need to happen at that first committee meeting, otherwise
things will
Miranda: Why the limit of two task forces? Kevin: This is give and take. For instance the DRB Task
Force could be a permanent group, and there could be two additional task forces.
Donna noted that the new Transportation committee would have very broad charge. Kevin: Council
would need to work with the committee to refine and define what would need to be looked at for
the upcoming year.
Matt: Coordination between the five year City Council cycle, and these committees. Town and City
plans are “Owner’s Manuals” and the committees should then use that to determine their plan.
Email to Kevin with individual comments, and copy Matt. Matt will put together a list of comments
and ask if we want to make a formal statement.
With City Center Development, Donna felt that we needed better communication with the City.
Policy development needs to be connected to what the committees do. City Council needsto plan
ahead of time so that committees know what they need to consider well in advance so that they are
not required to produce comment/analysis with short notice. Committees will also need to
communicate to one another.
2. Comments from the public not related to the agenda
3. Accept & approve Minutes of November 13, 2013 meeting
David: Moved to approve the minutes as amended
Miranda: Second
Vote: Unanimous
4. Future Path Development – letter from John Calcagni
Off East side of Dorset St on Link road in a development called Dorset
links.
9 households (7 single family, 1 duplex)
No access to the bike path except for traveling 2/10 of a mile on Dorset
street. Currently the path circumvents us going up behind us on old cross
road and eventually to the cider mill development).
Suggestions:
Extending down Dorset Street past Old Cross Road and to the cider mill
itself.
Connect Dorset Links to the bike path by extending the path two tenths of a
mile south from Old Cross Road.
What steps does The Links neighborhood need to take to become linked to the
Rec Path? Matt advised that this part of the path has been on our “Wish
List” for a long time. It comes down to getting it to be a priority on the
city’s agenda to designate the funds. Write letters, get signatures.
Penny for Parks.
5. City Center/Market Street Changes
6. Development Review
· Autumn Hill: Sidewalks that run throughout the development. Got an easement from the
development through to Scott Property. This will not be bikable, but would be walkable. The
reason for this easement is that at a future point, we may try to have fewer entries to Dorset
Street from this area. The Scott property may allow a connection from it to Cheesefactory Rd if
an easement is granted by another property owner. Potential connections were granted on all
sides of the parcel. Good!
·
Donna: What mechanism would cause Autumn Hill to become a public road? A change in the
intensity of use, said Matt. Donna: It may never happen, but the possibility exists.
· Larry Michaels and Andrew Gill– O’Brien Brothers Agency
Old Farm Road, adjacent property. Headquartered in South Burlington. Larry is a cyclist, pedestrian,
etc… He lives in Queen City Pkwy neighborhood. He has helped with funding bike facilDrive ities in
Hardwick. School involved. “Affordable Housing” and “Open Space” committee member. Old Farm Rd,
along Kimball with some retail. How connect kennedy Drive to the Whales Tails? How to connect the
area around Old Farm Road. He would like to put together a plan to connect the area before he goes to
the DRB. Current bike path goes through Eldridge St. They want to put a bike path that extends off
Eldridge Street. They would like to put the bike path on the side of the street that has curb cuts for
houses. Parallel parking will be on the other side of the street. Matt asked if people would back out of
those curb cuts? Larry: Yes. There are 11 curb cuts over 1600 feet. Matt asked that Larry consider
making it with both sidewalks of the street. Larry said that if a sidewalk is incorporated, then he would
prefer to do it on one side of the street. There will be at least two areas (2-3) where pedestrians should
cross the street. Miranda: Put the dedicated rec path on the lawn but w of the road next to the parallel
parking. Larry is looking for information about where the path belongs. Underground and surface
parking will happen when the retail and apartment buildings are built. Semi-improved trail system along
Old Farm Rd that goes through to Tech Park. Shared bike path/pedestrian suggestion is good feedback.
7. General matters
· The Other Paper Articles
· Pedestrian Crosswalk Signals
Burlington Rec Path Connection. Todd met with someone...
They will redirect the path away from the parking lot. He wants to connect part of the path by the
Water Department. Would we add signage “Burlington to Red Rocks”. The area between the railroad
tracks on Home Ave and Oakledge is going to be improved. Todd will send a link of the proposed
changes to the Burlington Rec Path. Simple way to improve connection between S Burlington an
Burlington along the Queen City Park Way?
Queen City Park Road Striping: David- Justin needs to be reminded that we have requested new striping
on this road for a long time. Donna- On our official map, Queen City does not even show that this has
been requested.
Todd: Roy asked about Federal Funds for Bike infrastructure. Rte 116 Sidewalk extension to Tilley
Drive…this is being requested again.
Todd requested that we put our ideas about the committee restructuring together and make it known
to the Council.
8. Adjourn
Miranda: Motion to Adjourn
Matt: Second
Vote: Unanimous
Meeting ended at 7:34 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Dana Farr, Clerk