City Council Planning Sessions

MEMORANDUM TO: Record FROM: Susan Bishel, Public Relations Coordinator SUBJECT: July 23, 2018 City Council Planning Session Minutes DATE: July 24, 2018 CC: Mayor and City Council, City Manager, City Clerk, Department Heads The Planning Session took place in the Council Chambers, Wheaton City Hall, 303 W. Wesley St., Wheaton, Illinois. Those attending the Planning Session included: Councilman Barbier, Councilwoman Fitch, Mayor Gresk, Councilman Prendiville, Councilman Rutledge, Councilman Scalzo and Councilman Suess. Also in attendance were City Manager Dzugan, Assistant City Manager Duguay, Director of Engineering Redman, Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik, Public Information Officer Thrower and Public Relations Coordinator Bishel. The session began at 7:29 p.m. following the conclusion of public hearings and concluded at 8:32 p.m. The following items were discussed: I. Call to Order The Wheaton City Council Planning Session was called to order at 7:29 p.m. by Mayor Gresk. II. Approval of June 25, 2018 Planning Session Minutes The Council approved the June 25, 2018 Planning Session Minutes. III. Downtown Streetscape Phase 2 – Design Development Update Jon Brooke of Design Workshop provided an update for the City Council regarding the changes made to the Downtown Streetscape Phase 2 plans, based on the Council’s feedback from the preliminary schematic design presentation in April. Mr. Brooke stated in response to concerns for drivers’ visibility turning out of the parking garage alley onto Wesley Street, the designers added bump-outs to allow cars to pull forward and will allow for greater visibility. The second change related to the geometry of the Wheaton Avenue/Wesley Street intersection. Based on the Council’s feedback, the designers bumped out the intersection and added striping to make traffic flow clear for drivers. In response to Council questions about whether reducing the width of the intersection would negatively affect traffic, project engineer Rob Deming stated many people do not make a full stop at this intersection, and this design will help with channeling traffic. In response to a Council concern about the proposed design, City Manager Dzugan stated the new design is to protect pedestrians by reducing the length of the crosswalk. He stated the current configuration creates a very long crosswalk, which can be a concern for pedestrian safety. Mr. Deming added that while the crosswalk distance is shorter, it still remains approximately 24-feet wide, just south of Wesley Street, which is appropriate for this traffic area. In response to Council questions on striping through this intersection, Mr. Deming stated placing a solid line to show through traffic where to go through the intersection would not comply with traffic marking standards. Director of Engineering Redman added that cars should and typically do enter this intersection one at a time, and the primary reason for this design change is to address pedestrian safety. The majority of the Council expressed support for the revised design as presented. Mr. Brooke stated the Willow and Hale intersection design was revised to stripe it as two lanes with a clear left turn lane and a right turn/straight ahead lane to clarify traffic movement. The existing bump-out will stay. The designers also looked at the Hale configuration at the Wheaton Grand Theater. Mr. Brooke stated the concern was with the potential clash with the existing canopy of the theater and an adjacent parking stall. The proposed design maintains space between the two and eliminates the zip-zag on Hale, which increases the amount of available parking and the sidewalk width. Mr. Lane Allen, an architect representing the Wheaton Grand Theater, stated he has concerns with the design as presented. The owner plans to renovate the theater in a way that would need as much space as possible to allow for 550 seats and a lobby on the first floor. He requested the design be changed by eliminating one of the parking stalls to the north of the theater to allow an area for ticket sales and a theater lobby which is currently City right-of-way. Some Council members expressed concern that the theater is seeking to build into the public right-of-way and questioned whether the project will move forward. Mr. Allen stated while the sale of the theater fell through, he is working on having schematic designs done in 30 days. Other Council members stated giving up one parking space to allow the theater to have a place for ticket sales would be a reasonable accommodation for the City to make. Mr. Brooke stated the Council would need to decide on the design at this stage because the drainage and other factors would need to be considered. The majority of the Council expressed support for changing the proposed design presented to eliminate one parking space on the east side of the street just north of the Wheaton Grand Theater marquee. 7-23-18 Planning Session 2 Assistant City Manager Duguay stated the work on the corner of Hale and Liberty will be moved to Phase 4 to better coordinate with the work scheduled during that phase along Liberty Drive and the two parking lots; Lot #3 and Lot #4. Mr. Brooke asked the theater’s property owner, Mr. Jim Atten, about the underground vault. Mr. Atten stated it is his understanding that the theater receives electricity through the vault, so they would want to put a new vault there in its place, as the current vault is not safe for entry. In response to Council questions regarding the trees on Wesley Street, Mr. Brooke stated based on a study of the trees’ condition and current location, Design Workshop concluded they can’t preserve any of the trees that are in the right-of-way. He stated that if the trees were not removed, they would be located in the middle of the sidewalk for the new streetscape footprint, not in the amenity zone. He added that many are honey locust trees, which are approaching their expected lifespan, and he does not expect that they would fare well through construction. Mr. Brooke stated it would be better for the City to replace them with structural soil that would provide better growing conditions. In response to Council questions about when Phase 1 will be complete, Assistant City Manager Duguay stated the target date of completion was Aug. 31, but due to weather setbacks that delayed the start of the project, the target is delayed until mid-late September. IV. Public Comment There were no public comments. V. City Council/Staff Comments Councilman Rutledge stated he attended a Native American Veterans gathering at Cantigny and was very impressed with the event. Assistant City Manager Duguay stated as the City nears the start of the speed limit change for residential neighborhoods, there will be Drive 25 yard signs and car magnets available at City Hall for residents who would like to pick them up. VI. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 8:32 p.m. 7-23-18 Planning Session 3