CCMIN090412 - Laserfiche WebLink

off Bernal Avenue. He noted the right turn lane coming from the freeway, which is signaled to allow traffic from Bernal roughly 2/3 of the time, and did not anticipate any real delay at this entry point. He also noted that upon entering the parking lot, traffic would make a free right turn, thus avoiding any backup towards Bernal Avenue, before passing by Wells Fargo and entering the fuel station. He did concede that during peak hours, the queue could fill and vehicles may have to circulate around the lot, though he expected this would occur for a very brief period if at all. He assured the Council that fuel ambassadors are present at both the Dublin and Livermore stations and that they would be instructed to ensure the Wells Fargo driveway is kept clear. Councilmember McGovern requested and Mr. Tassano demonstrated the anticipated flow of traffic headed to the drive thru coffee shop. She expressed concern that the concentration of vehicles in this particular area could create issues for those attempting to back out of spaces along the main drive. Mr. Tassano said that the design would ideally be a bit different but that almost any parking lot design will include a main roadway that also has parking stalls. He said staff had looked at shifting the roadway but ultimately advised against it due to decreased function and an insufficient number of stalls for the overall location. Councilmember McGovern believed the roadway looked narrower than that at the Dublin station, which does not have adjacent grocery parking or the additional drive thru traffic with which to contend. She felt that these factors, added to other high intensity uses at the center, create the potential for a traffic issue. She referred back to the minutes of the Planning Commission and requested assurance that staff feels confident they can identify a plan to address these issues if need be. She asked whether staff has discussed removing this row of parking with Safeway. Councilmember Sullivan shared her concerns. Mr. Dolan said the question was raised at the Planning Commission, though not that specific suggestion, and Safeway agreed to work with the City to make changes if needed. Mr. Fialho advised that the Council could condition the project such that if traffic becomes a problem, the Director of Community Development and Traffic Engineer work to eliminate the necessary parking. The Council directed staff to add this as a condition of approval. Councilmember Sullivan asked if staff has prepared an analysis on traffic at the Gateway development, with or without this fuel station, once the high-density housing and office space is developed. Mr. Tassano explained that the Environmental Impact Report, traffic study and operational analysis were prepared assuming the original office development anticipated as phase two of this project. Operationally, the 588,000 square feet of office space that was previously approved would have produced twice as many trips as the high and medium-density residential that are proposed there now. The 2009 studies as well as that conducted through the Housing Element show that both major intersections would operate at more than adequate levels. Councilmember McGovern noted that during large events at the fairgrounds, timing adjustments are made to the light at Bernal in order to move traffic out of the fairgrounds but that this creates significant backups into the Safeway lot. She stated that the current proposal creates an intensity far beyond what currently exists and asked if these changes are something that can be expected on a regular basis. Mr. Tassano acknowledged and shared the concern that special events do create a difficult situation. He explained that the City recently gained control of the Bernal intersections, which were previously operated by Caltrans. Staff is working on plan to handle these larger events but there will always be times where the traffic goes beyond what can be managed within existing constraints. He also noted City Council Minutes Page 7 of 11 September 4,2012