HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP-78-0000 - Decision - 0155 Dorset Street�d3je' SSP
A
NOTIC_ OF DECISION AND FINDINGS OF FA
1. The applicant seeks final subdivision plat and. site plan.
approval to construct and operate a 250 seat -restaurant, Red
Coach Grill, on the west side of Dorset Street, approximately
600 feet south of the Dorset Street -Williston .Road intersection.
2. The applir�znt-has obtained preliminary subdivision approval on
�77. This approval was not appealed. This ap
July 5, 1proval-was
conditioned on adequate sewer capacity becoming available and the
subdivision of traffic'cata to show that all approaches to the Dorset
Street - Williston Road intersection would operate at a volume to
capacity ratio_ of 85% or less, at the peak street hour.
3. 1•,ith the exception of traffic i, pact and access, the- Co:nrnission
finds that all- other aspects of subdivision (Sect. 416:, nrs. 1-3 -
and 5-8) and site plan (Sect. 11.70 of the zoning oreinance) review,
such as landscaping, internal circulation, parking, sev:aoe capacity,
etc., are satisfactory.
Z. Persuant to Ch 137-T_24, sect 4417 -3, the Co=ission finds that
the land shown on the.'.. plat cannot be safely used for'•building
purposes; further construction in the immediate vicinity of the
TDorset-Tiilliston intersection woulo pose a clear anc im-Anent threat
to the health, safety; and convenience of existing residents and
businesses in the i,iwnediate'-vicinity, as well as that of the general
motoring public.
5. Persuant to Sect. 416 z14, of the Municipal Subdivision Regulations
and sect. 11.70, 8� of the Zoning ordinance the Commission fines
that this application, -if approved, would cause unreasonable high-
way congestion and un sa fi conditions with reaard to existing and
proposed highN.a ys. The plan has not been approved by the. City
P,- gineer.
£: The choice of an 85/0-volume to capacity -ratio was chosen as
_h, midpoint of the range for level of service "D", characLerized
in the Transportation and Traffic-E-Enoineering-Handbook as "approach-
ing unstable flow" and a level of service which -"most privers would
consider to be unsatisfactory". This choice is further confirmed as
z conservative performance standard -by the 1973 guinelines for high-
way capacity of the American' Association of State Highway and Trans-
portation Officials, as well -as by the report of traffic consultant
Professor Thomas Adler, in his evaluation of the impact of the pro-
posed Pyramid Mall.
7. Existing and anticipated traffic congestion at the -Williston
Road - Dorset Street intersection precludes the Commission from
approving this application because:
(a) The projected level of opacity for each aal.roach, or
more particularly, each lane of approach, e_:ceees z'reasonable
n6ar6 of comic_-stion. -
('?% This sacncare of congestion ap_ li s not to tii'_' overall
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average V/C rati for the three major appi ches, but rather to
each specific (lane) approach; if one were to pursue this line of
reasoning, then an intersection's overall capacity would be gauged
by averaging the capacity of all approaches into one V/C ratio, which
would tend to, obscure the fact that one or more approaches may be
operating-at.intolerable.levels of congestion. Similarly, averaging
the V/C ratios for all lanes in each approach (.68, .70, .75)
obscures the fact that some of these lanes are uor-will_ be operating -
at nacceptable levels congestion - (90 ION)- It is the Commissions
judgement that all approaches, or all approach lanes, ,can be reasonably.__
expected to. operate at _a "D" range level of- service, for an inter-
section :which is one of, if not the most i;-portant one in the city.
'he proper functioning of this intersection is of paramount Liportance,
on a local as well as a recional ba sis. - To .this end, -the city has
enacted interim <zoning affecting this and otl-hareas subject to
unreasonable traffic congestion, existing or anticipated.
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�{c) E.isti37g congestion --at this interseclionhas been docunerit:ec -
bv counts ta%en by the 7Chittencen County Regional Planning Co:w�mission
in May, 1975.
(d) r.ntici-Date(3 conaestion is a function of inereasec inter-
section capacity resulting from intersection i7m_rovements now under-
i,cy as well as new cevelopments approved since, ?`.ay, 19.75y which iTToact
this intersection plus - the normal annual -growth in traffic levels.
Lhe increased capacity has been 6ocumeente6 by a traffic engineer
(�ruce Houghton g, letter of 6/14/77). Erosionrof this increased cap-
aci ty occurs -from projects which have been approved or- are unEertway
zno located so as to affect this intersection=(.see Bruce Houghton
letter 6/14/77), to the extent that the intersection wi11 "revert -
to its previously unstable condition. Those 6evelopments zwhich will
or have had a direct impact on this intersection include 4300 square
feet of r�ew retail space at 100 Dorset Street,.- pproxirrately 200,000
sc-uare feet of new retail space being addeC to University Mall, and
the 91 unit rnchoraae Motel. In ado'ition, the construction or
approval of some 306 motel units, and some 800 resil-ntial units
w-" thin a radius. of 1;� - - miles will further ;tax the capacity of this
intersection.:
(e)., The documentation submitted -is either obsolete or is of
a generally speculative nature. As for the former, no data con-
f arming V/C ratios at this . intersection is : rare recent- then 19?5
As for the latter, Mr. Knapp' s letter of B/3/77, gives us no in-
dication that he has any awareness of the rate or magnitude of
cevelopment :which is occurring in this area of South Burlington.
(f) It is the Commission's judgement that the major conflict
bet�.:een the oroposed restaurant anc the ca_acity of the inter-
section would occur at the noon peak hour, and toKlessel extent
at the evenlno peak (roar";,av, hours) . The Er)-roach""s of particnalar
concern are the Route 2 east approach le -,Ft turning traffic 2ne
^.a Dorset Stree-t south approach str- c"In . cna left turning traffic,
':-he Com.-_„ssic_1 is ODan 2nc receptive to the fulj iission of -more L'D
to date counts (in a reao'--lication) to accu:at 11' porirc�% t �tatL's
of the intersection -..ith the i_.iDrovements cc..D1c41-Ad -,i icn will,
a-onc o`h_r things, provide en incicator of the iTpzcts of recent
c :_ve-looments on the 1975 traffic data we now -nave.
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(g) The' -location of=the proposed curb cut, while it is the
most-fe�sinle arrancement for an aocitional curb cut, has been.
.critic#zed-_ fornot alioninza faith the entrance to the shopping center
across the street (Bruce Boughton letter 6/14/77), The"oz) rtunities
for ;more: appropriate location of this access. have been severely
restricted by previous subdivision activities of the applicant, as
well as the location -and extent of eevelop�ent on the parcel pro-
posed for subdivision. n
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