HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 10/7/2000 - Community Development Committee �
� C stal Lake Road Comdor Plan Page 4
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� assume that approximately 20 to 30 percent of the traffic projected for Crystal Lake Road
without the bypass would be diverted to the new facility when constructed. The bypass is
� therefore an unportant element for reducing traffic congestion within the study comdor.
Corridor Improvements
� The followin numbers refer to the"Corridor Transportation Plan" graphic.
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� 1. A new access drive for exiting traffic only is proposed with a left hand tuf-n restriction
exiting the high school site to Oakwood Drive. This will facilitate an alternative exit
connection fr.om the school site with ample stacking and good sight lines at Royal Drive
� where a new ixaffic signal is recommended. Access would still be provided from Crystal
Lake Road and traffic control personnel would be used at the peak hours. The exit
would,however,provide safe access to a traffic signal for the smaller peaks and off peak
� exiting traffic for which traffic control persoruiel are not available. A"traffic caltnirig"
design is shown to discourage traffic from making an illegal left hand tum to the west on
Oakwood Drive. Landscaping is proposed to screen the adjacent Garden Quarter
� apartments adjacent to the existing easement where the new exit is proposed.
This improvement will require coordination with the school district and implies .
�,`.- modification of the internal circulation pattern on site, a recommendation also made by
their own transportation consultant.
� 2. A landscaped treatrnent and signage on Royal Drive north of the junction with Oakwood
Drive will discourage traffic from heading north to IL 120 through single family
� residential neighborhoods. It will also create a distinctive gateway entry to these
neighborhoods.
3. A new traffic signal at Royal Drive will facilitate safe movement onto and off of Crystal
� Lake Road(CLR) and create gaps in traffic closer to the school site to facilitate off peak
�' traffic entering onto Crystal Lake Road. The intersection and approach road from CLR to
�� Oakwood Drive should be improved to conform to the details of a separate engineering
evaluation underway at the time of this study.
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4. Consolidated curb cuts between the Post Office and Ace Hardwaze will reduce turning
� conflicts.
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5. Add a deceleration lane for south bound traffic entering the High School to further reduce
� conflicts between slowing traffic enteri.ng the site and through traffic.
6. Re-orient bus movements in front of the high school so that students embark and
� disembark on the sidewalk side toward the school entrance.
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7. Create a continuous median in front of the High School which is clearly delineated by
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� Crystal Lake Road Corridor Plan Page 5
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� reflective pavement inserts, solid or stri ed paint,masonry pavers or other methods as
detemuned by more detailed engineenng�e iv ew. This will provide an island of some
� safet}�for cars entering and leaving adjacent properties and the school site in particular. It
will reduce conflicts between through and local traffic.
� 8. Build Kelter Street and extend a new section along the rear of the deep properties facing
CLR to Marietta Street. Improve the sechon of Marietta Street to the park and connect
with Ponca Street. This would require acquisition of right-of-way along the reaz of the
�, very long lots facing CLR. However,the rear or east half of each lot could then be
developed for single family homes with access on the new road and a view of Cold
Springs Park. This development potential could provide financial compensation for the
� right-�of-way and for the proposed limitation in use for the properties facing on CLR for
single family residential only. Existing commercial uses could be grand fathered. A bike
path is also proposed along the new improved right-of-way of Kelter Street to connect
� with the Park and the regional bike trail along the railroad right-of-way to the east. Kelter
Street should also provide access to the existing parking lot in Cold Springs Park.
� 9. Annex, and zone for single family use,the lots identified on the graphic and consolidate
curb cuts.
�� 10. Plan for a future traffic signal at Winding Creek Drive to facilitate movement across CLR
between residential neighborhoods and to the elementary school on the east side.
� 11. Add a sidewalk and pazkway i.mprovements to define and control access on the west side
of CLR�ust before its junction with IL Route 120. These features should be coordinated
with the improvements IDOT is implementing at the intersection.
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12. Reconfigure the parkway with landscaping on the east side of CLR just before its
� junction with IL Route 120 as shown on the detail. This enhancement should be
coordinated with the improvements IDOT is implementi.ng at the intersection.
13. Add pavement mazlcings and signage to alert drivers to the bike crossing close to the IL
� 120 intersection.
14. Add a bus loading lane off of the pavement for the pre-school site across from the high
�� school.
15. Irnplement the previously planned traffic signal at Darhnoor if Dartmoor is extended to
�, IL 31 in order to facilitate movement onto CLR and movement across CLR between
residential neighborhoods. A light would also create gaps with signal ti.ming which will
facilitate site access in the more intensely used segments of the corridor from the high
�: school north.
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� Crystal�.ake Road Corridor Plan Pa e 6
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� 16. Add s:.gns to alert through drivers,both north and south bound, to the hi h accident or
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conge,�ted area ahead with strict enforcement of speed limits.
� Lillian Street Alternative
� Descri�tion o f Altemative—The last of the four figures in this report is titled Lillian Street
Alternative Access Improvements. The figure shows the acquisition of a right-of-way aligning
from Oakwood Drive and extending north from Front Royal Drive along an acquired easement
� from the North Fox Condominiums. This proposal originated in 1998 and was intended to
reduce curb cuts and improve traffic flow on Crystal Lake Road, improve safe exiting from the
public and commercial land uses adjacent to the new road, and, foster development of the
� property behi.�d the First Midwest Bank. The new public street would extend along the rear of
(from south to north), the Post Office,Ace Hardware, and First Midwest Bank. The right-of-way
� would then curve east to align with Lillian Street and the traffic signal at its junction with Crystal
Lake Road. The extension of Lillian would pass between First Midwest Bank and Whispering
Oaks Office Complex.
� A cross easement would be created between the Post Office and Ace Hardware and the two
points of access for these businesses on Crystal Lake Road would be combined.
� � Im�act on Ace Hardware and Post Office
� 1. Access would still be provided to the Post Office from Front Royal Drive, which is not
currently signal controlled. The remaining Crystal Lake Road access to Ace would be
closer to Lillian Street. Access to the three properties would also be provided from the
new street proposed along the back or west perimeter of the properties.
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2. First Midwest Bank and the Whispering Oaks Office Complex would gain an additional
� point access off of the new street with signal controlled access to Crystal Lake Road at
Lillian Street.
3. Intemal circulation—cazs from in front of Post Office could cut through the front pazking
� lot for Ace to exit on Crystal Lake Road directly, conflicting with pazking movements at
Ace. This could be remedied by reconfiguration of the lot.
� Access to and from Hi School
1. High school traffic exiting from Oakwood Drive, assuming the new rear exit from the site
� is implemented,would cross Front Royal Drive traffic and mix with the commercial
traffic exiting the four properties with new access to the proposed street.
� 2. A more direct route to a signalized intersection would be available on Front Royal Drive
� as proposed in the previously noted comdor recommendations. However, the Lillian
� Street extension would reduce use of Front Royal Drive and likely make it infeasible to
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� Crystal Lake Road Corridor Plan
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meet:xaffic justification for a traffic signal at its junction with CLR.
� 3. Since the new street would likel eliminate
y the�ustification of a hght at Front Royal
Drive,traffic flowing into the school zone on CLR would, therefore, likely be going at a
� higher speed with shorter gaps for left hand tuming traffic.
Flow on Cxystal Lake Road— The elimination of two curb cuts would reduce the points of
� conflict along Crystal Lake Road but this could increase traffic speed without solving the key
problem associated with the high school traffic. The benefit of a new light at Front Royal Drive
� is that it interrupts the flow of traffic to create more gaps for access to and from properties
adj acent to CLR. This interruption,however, does have some negative effect on through traffic
movement.
� Traffic in Residential Nei�hborhoods—The Lillian Street alternative would have the following
anticipated consequences:
� • Conflict between parking and access for North Fox Condominiums and the through
movements on the new street.
� • Quantification of the projected number of trips and their distribution at the various
intersections due to light at Lillian rather than Royal Oak will require a traffic engineers
� input.
• How rnuch traffic from the east would take the new street to Front Royal and pass
through the neighborhoods to the north west to access Route 120? Lillian is the next
t� parallel east west route across the City.
� � Imnact on Existing Properties
• Land acquisition li.kely to require condemnation. An agenda supplement dated January
� 20, 1999 from City Administrator John Lobaito stated, "without the cooperation of North
Fox Condominiums,the proposed street alignment is impossible."
� The potential for effective screening for the apartments is enhanced because the end of
� the units rather than living rooms face the proposed roadway. However,there is a limited
amount of room for such landscaping.
� • The value of the undeveloped land behi.nd the First Midwest Bank would be increased
appreciably with the new access.
� Costs—The cost to implement this alternative would include right of way acquisition,roadway
and parkway�improvements and significant landscape screening plus the cost of drive
� `- consolidation along CLR.
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Crystal Lake Road Corridor Plan Page 8
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� Conclusions Relative to Lillian Street Alternative•
• The redisixibution of traffic created by the new access to the Crystal Lake Road and
�� Lillian Street signal will require numerical analysis by a traffic engineer.
� Evaluati.ng the optimum alignment, and estimating the amount and cost of new right of
, way, as well as evaluation of the ability to reconfigure parking and access for the North
Fox Condominiums,will require a more detailed study.
� • The Lillian Street alternative would eliminate the need for a traffic signal at Front Royal
Drive. This would create points of conflict between high school students exiting the
� school property via Oakwood Drive and increase traffic speed and decrease gaps in front
of the High School on CLR.
• The light at Lillian would possibly induce some traffic from the east and central parts of
� the City to take the Lillian Street extension through neighborhoods to the north and west
to connect with Route 120. This would be to avoid the Crystal Lake Road and Route 120
� intersection when it is congested. The west McHenry by-pass would greatly relieve the
,� problem of short cutting traffic regazdless of what improvements are seIected for the
Crystal Lake Corridor.
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Recommendation
�� 1. If the high school implements the access for exiting traffic onto Oakwood Drive, and a
new signal can be installed at Front Royal, then this is the recommended course of action
� because in our opinion it responds best to the most significant conflicts within the
corridor which aze related to the school access and traffic pattems.
� 2. If the connection of the school site to Oakwood Drive for exiting traffic only is not
implemented and a signal is not installed at Front Royal, then the Lillian Street
� alternative should be pursued to see if an agreement can be reached with the North Fox
Condoxninium Association and the other affected property owners. Access to the
signalized intersection at Lillian would improve safety and traffic flow between Lillian
� and the high school site.
N.J."Pete"Pointner ITE,AICP Keven L. Crraham, ASLA
� Architect and Planner Senior Landscape Architect
_ Independent Consultant Planning Resources Inc.
Corporate Services Inc.
� Phone 630-221-8225
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CRYSTAL LAKE ROAD STUDY
Recommended Imp�ovements
For Improvement Numbers, refer to attached graphic.
Shrart T�rrn: 3 years or less Est, Cost: Low: Less than $10,000
Long T�crn: Over 3 years Medium: Between $10,000 and $100,000
High: Over$100,000
Improve- Short Long Funding
ment Pluses Minuses Term Term Est. Cost Sources Feasible Priority
1 Provides additional access Impacts on nearby X Medium Dist. 156, City Yes. Can coordinate
from school;would give residences; increase in with HS addition. Ring
school traffic going south on traffic thru residential yd. on W side of school
CL Road access to signal at neighborhood? proposed.
Royal.
2 Discourage traffic from using Engineering costs seem to X Medium City Yes.
residential neighborhood; be a concern.
aesthetics; reduce amount
of pavement..
3 Facilitate safe traffic None. X High City Yes
movements at intersection;
create gaps for school tra�c
to exit.
4 Reduce turning conflicts. Business loss of access; X High Private Prop. Yes, if agreement with
coordination between Owners, City prop. owners can be
property owners; cost. reached.
5 Reduce iurning conflicts. Who pays? X Medium Dist. 156, City Yes. Can coordinate
with HS addition.
6 Completed by Dist. 156.
7 Provides area of safety for None. X Low City Yes. Further study
cars entering and leaving needed to determine
sites. best solutions.
8 Reduce/eliminate curb cuts; Numerous property owners; X High Private Not unless large-scale
coordination. developers annexation of these
properties occurs.
9 City gains control. X Low Private Yes if voluntary by
developers prop. owners. City
policy is not to forcibly
annex.
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10 Provides safe crossing for X High City Yes.
school children.
11,12 Aesthetics. Cost. X Medium IDOT, City, Yes. Need to
private coordinate with
developers Route 120 im-
provenieida, ur wait
until redevelopment
of property.
13 Increase safety for bike None. X Low City, DNR Yes. Can easily be
traffic. done once appropriate
measures identified.
14 Would allow CL Road traffic X Medium Property Yes. Need to
to keep moving while bus owner, City coordinate with prop.
unloading. owner to develop
design.
15 Create gaps for turning Increase thru traffic on X High City, Yes. Developer dollars
traffic; potential E-W route Dartmoor? developers available, but only if
through City; signal installed by
16 Increase safety. None X Low City Yes. Can easily be
done once
appropriate measures
and locations
identified.
17 Coordinate access points; Huge impact on North Fox X High City, property No. Impacts on
direct business owners and condos. Coordination owners residential too great.
HS tra�c to signal; provide between property owners; Signal at Royal with
additional means of access acquisition of R-O-W;City connection between
for businesses and Garden maintenance and upkeep. Ace and PO would
Quarter. solve significant
portion of problem.
Consider shorter west
extension of Lillian to
access vacant Ace
property,with access
to Whisp. Point offices
and secondary access
to Garden Quarter.
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