PIMA COUNTY – RIVER ROAD/ALVERNON WAY

CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING

March 11, 2002

            The River Road/Alvernon Way CAC meeting was held on Monday, March 11, 2002 at 6:00 pm.  Patrick Buckley, Project Manager for Pima County, and Carmen Christy and Wayne Oxtoby, Co-Chairs, presided at the meeting.

ATTENDING:

Staff:

Joanne Homer	Pima County Department of Transportation
Annabelle Quihuis	Pima County Department of Transportation
Patrick Buckley	Pima County Department of Transportation
Bill Troster	Pima County Real Property
Rafael Payan	Pima County Parks and Recreation
Linda Mayro	Pima County Cultural Resources
Jim Schoen	Catalina Engineering
Michael Ereti	Catalina Engineering

CAC Members:

Carmen Christy	Homeowner
Kristin Coleman	Binghampton Rural Historic Landscape
Katherine Galgiani	Homeowner
Evan Kligman, MD	Homeowner
Ken Light	Tucson Jewish Community Center
George Lord	Homeowner
Mike Sarikas	Catalina Foothills Estates
Wayne Oxtoby	Agro Land and Cattle/El Corral Restaurant
Peggie Wagoner	Horsefeathers Farm

Others:

Hannah Albrecht	Marianne McNamee
E.P. Cline	Kim Miller
Rene Gastelum	Doug & Judy Morris
Mary Green	Paul Oland
Jay Gordley	Bradley Rath
Bob Gugins	Lisa Rosenfeld
John Litteer	Ron Starcher
Bob and Pat Looby	Michael Tesi
Richard & Helen Masek	George Wagoner

Meeting Discussion

Patrick Buckley introduced the project team, and informed CAC members that he is the project manager assigned to manage the River Road and Alvernon Way improvements.

Patrick Buckley said the open house for this project and the proposed River Bend Park is scheduled to be held on March 20, 2002, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Junior League.  Notices will be sent out neighbourhood wide so all can attend.  All of the same displays shown at the CAC meetings will be available at the open house, copies of the draft Environmental Assessment and Mitigation Report (EAMR) will be available, and staff will be available to all the citizens should they have any questions.  Comment sheets will also be available for people to fill out.

Patrick Buckley said the CAC has seen the existing conditions section of the EAMR, and today they will receive the complete draft EAMR.  CAC members will review the draft EAMR and proceed to formulate a letter from the CAC as a group just like they did with the Location Report.  The next meeting for the CAC is going to be on March 25th, 2002 for questions and answers concerning the draft EAMR.

Jim Schoen presented a summary of finding of the draft EAMR.  A handout of the presentation was distributed to CAC members and the public.  Joanne Homer informed CAC members that the draft EAMR summarizes findings of the Traffic Engineering Report.  If anyone desires to see more details in the Traffic Engineering Report, they can contact Patrick Buckley and he will let them borrow a copy for review.

Jim Schoen briefly summarized that location report, traffic engineering report, drainage report, preliminary roadway design, and drafts EAMR have been prepared.  Conceptual planning of River Bend Park has also been done.

The draft EAMR is a compilation of several separate studies.  Some of the studies include cultural resources survey and historical assessment, biological survey, noise study, hazardous materials survey, drainage study, and traffic study.

More median openings were recommended between Camino Escuela and Hacienda del Sol because of the urban nature of the area.  An alternative two-way left-turn lane instead of a raised median for this section was considered.  Because of safety reasons a raised median was selected.  Several side streets are proposed to be realigned to provide sufficient median access.

A Frontage Road between Roger Road and Allen Road is recommended.  Basically, this frontage road follows the existing River Road alignment.  This option requires a take of three houses.  An option without taking the houses was studied and found that the proposed roadway will end-up being too close to the houses.  Another advantage of implementing the frontage road is better access from Roger Road and Allen Road to River Road.

River Road/Hacienda del Sol intersection currently warrants a traffic signal.  The new River Road/Alvernon Way/River Bend Park intersection will warrant a traffic signal.  The proposed Alvernon Way/Dodge Boulevard intersection may be signalized when warrants in the future.  Existing traffic signal at River Road and Dodge Boulevard is to be removed.

Drainage channels between Camino Escuela and Hacienda del Sol are well defined.  Camino Real Wash improvement may solve downstream flooding; if a proposal is approved by the Board of Supervisors.

Drainage patterns between Hacienda del Sol and Dodge Boulevard have few defined channels.  Finger Rocks Wash is proposed to flow across River Road at grade.  This decision was made not to raise the roadway and to avoid building long channels to Rillito River.  Current concept recommends no cross drainage or storm drain system.  This concept will require closing River Road between Hacienda del Sol and Dodge Boulevard during major floods.  Drainage between Dodge Boulevard and Ft. Lowell Road is well defined which includes Alvernon Wash.

The three landscaping concepts were discussed.  The three limits of these concepts are:  1. Camino Escuela to Hacienda del Sol,  2. Hacienda del Sol to Dodge Boulevard, and  3. Dodge Boulevard to Ft. Lowell Road.

Visual characteristic along this project was considered a key issue during the development of the draft EAMR and preliminary design.  Recreation along River Road will be significantly enhanced by the addition of River Bend Park, improved connectivity to the Rillito River Linear Park, safe trail crossings, and improved bicycle/pedestrian facilities.

Some utilities will need to be relocated as part of this project.  Existing private water systems will be maintained.  There is a potential to provide potable and reclaimed water by Tucson Water.  Noise mitigation is required at several locations.  Rubberized asphalt is proposed to be used as part of noise mitigation for the entire project.  Sound walls may be used where required, except between Hacienda del Sol and Dodge Boulevard.

Rafael Payan of Pima County Parks and Recreation gave a brief summary of conceptual planning performed for the proposed River Bend Park.  He pointed out this presentation was a preview of the open house to be held on March 20, 2002.  In summary, the park’s main services will be equestrian activity and an artist colony.  The main theme of the park is to be a good neighbour.  He said the main part of the park concept is to preserve the historic nature of the area.  There will be three egress points, and there will be two off-site parking areas that will be used during big events.

Linda Mayro gave a summary of cultural resources and historical assessment study performed as part of the EAMR.  She pointed out several key culturally significant structures.  Pima County has already started renovating some of the structures.  One example is the Davidson House.  In addition, the historic landscape registration of some properties is in the process of being approved.

The next CAC meeting is scheduled for March 25, 2002.  The purpose of this next CAC meeting will be to answer questions from CAC members by Pima County Staff concerning the draft EAMR.  After the meeting, the CAC will continue reviewing the draft EAMR and start formulating a letter that will be submitted to the Board of Supervisors with the final EAMR.

Questions

A CAC member asked if there is going to be lighted soccer fields in the River Bend Park.  The CAC member pointed out that a lighted field would destroy the view and feel of the area.

A CAC member pointed out her concern of having sidewalks on River Road.  She pointed out that there are already security problems along River Road, and providing sidewalks on both sides of the roadway may increase crime activity.