TC 03-01-05 Meeting AgendaCOUNTY of FREDERICK
Department of Planning and Development
540/665-5651
FAX: 540/665-6395
MEMORANDUM
TO: Frederick County Transportation Committee
FROM: David M. Beniamino, Planner I 6�')
RE: March Transportation Committee Meeting
DATE: February 18, 2005
The Frederick County Transportation Committee will hold a meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday,
March 1, 2005 in the Board Room of the Frederick County Administration Building, 107 North
Kent Street, Winchester, Virginia. The agenda for this meeting is as follows:
AGENDA
1) Review of an update to the Frederick County Eastern Road Plan
Please contact our department if you are unable to attend this meeting.
DMB/dlw
Attachments
Access is limited during the evening hours. Therefore, it will be necessary to enter the
building through the back double doors of the Board of Supervisors Room, located in the rear
of the new addition of the county building. I would encourage committee members and
interested citizens to park in the County parking lot located in the rear of the building, or in
the joint Judicial Center parking lot and follow the sidewalk to the back double doors of the
Board Room.
107 North Kent Street, Suite 202 • Winchester, Virginia 22601-5000
1) Review of Transportation Plans
The purpose for meeting in March will be to familiarize Transportation Committee members
with current transportation improvements designated for areas in the Frederick County Eastern
Road Plan. In addition, the Committee will review potential modifications to the Eastern Road
Plan as they relate to a new spine road connection between Senseny Road and Route 7. An
endorsement from the Committee regarding any changes to the Eastern Road Plan would then be
forwarded to the Planning Commission. The following transportation issues will be reviewed:
A) The Collector Road connection of a spine road from Route 657, Senseny Road, to Route
7, Berryville Pike. A significant section of this connection was recently proffered with the
Haggerty rezoning application approved by the Board of Supervisors on February 9,
2005. This connection should be recognized further in the Eastern Road Plan.
B) Potential modifications to the classification and location of several adjacent existing and
proposed roads. This would include Valley Mill Road in the vicinity of Route 7 and the
one -lane bridge and may also include Morning Glory Drive extended.
Staff has enclosed copies pertaining to the section of the Frederick County Eastern Road Plan,
which relates to the aforementioned discussion items.
Also, the following comments are related excerpts from the review of the Haggerty rezoning
application and are provided for your information.
Transportation
The Frederick County Eastern Road Plan provides the guidance regarding future arterial and collector road
connections in the eastern portion of the County by identifying needed connections and locations. Plans for
new development should provide for the right-of-ways necessary to implement planned road improvements
and new roads shown on the road plan should be constructed by the developer when warranted by the scale,
intensity, or impacts of the development. Existing roads should be improved as necessary by adjacent
development to implement the intentions of the plan (Comprehensive Plan 7-6).
In an effort to provide a safe and efficient road system, the County's transportation policy also seeks to
identify new collector and arterial roads that are needed in the general road plan and develop a means to
reserve rights-of-way for these roads. This policy is applicable when considering solutions to the
transportation needs of this particular section of the County.
The Haggerty rezoning application addresses the Route 37 major arterial road improvement project
identified in the County's Eastern Road Plan for Frederick County by proffering to fully dedicate the right-
of-way needed to accommodate this important road project through the subject property. The 12.48 acres
proffered to be dedicated is consistent with the location and detail identified in the Route 37 Corridor Study
Plans and would enable the ultimate construction of Route 37 through the subject property.
Transportation approach.
The transportation needs in this area of Frederick County are recognized as are the traffic impacts
generated by this proposal. Of particular importance is the need for a north -south collector road that would
provide safe and convenient access between Senseny Road, Route 657, and Route 7. This may be
considered a short term solution when compared to the completion of Route 37. However, a collector road
making a direct connection to Route 7 is an important short term solution to Eastern Frederick County's
transportation needs.
The original concept evaluated with this project proposed utilizing Eddys Lane, Route 820, and Valley Mill
Road east, Route 659, as the principal means of ingress and egress for the project from Route 7. It was
evident that the impacts associated with such an approach were problematic without substantial
improvements to Eddys Lane, Route 659, and Route 7. The feasibility of this option as a means of
addressing the access to the project was deemed to be unacceptable. Further, the feasibility of this route as
a viable collector road connection from Route 7 to Route 657 was questionable. The applicant then pursued
a thorough evaluation of the transportation needs of this area and developed a responsive transportation
program which is described as follows.
The concept of a major collector road parallel to the Route 37 right-of-way with a direct extension north to
Route 7 and provisions for a continuation of the road to the southern property line of the Haggerty property
was developed and identified as a desirable solution to the transportation needs of the project and the area.
This approach was recognized as the preferred transportation concept of the County provided there are no
additional impacts to the present and future function of the Opequon Water Reclamation Facility and that
the ultimate construction of Route 37 is not negatively impacted.
The described collector road connection has merit both as a solution to the projects transportation needs
before and after the construction of Route 37, and the broader transportation needs of the County. The
roadway connection linking the west and east sides of the development has been located to recognize the
ultimate construction of Route 37 and consideration has been given to minimizing future construction costs
associated with Route 37 and inconvenience to the future residents of the project. South of the Haggerty
project, the opportunity exists to continue this collector road concept to Route 657 in conjunction with
future plans for the adjoining property to the south of the Haggerty property.
The transportation approach also provides for the reservation of a right-of-way to the adjoining properties
to the west which would facilitate inter-parcel connectivity, access to the collector road, and accommodate
future trips from the properties to the west in a coordinated way. The proposed reservation of this right-of-
way should be reduced to fifty feet to ensure that a local street connection could be accommodated as
opposed to a collector road. The intent of the connection is to provide access to the Haggerty collector
road from adjacent Adams property.
The transportation approach of the Haggerty project appears to address the general needs of the project and
would provide the framework for an acceptable solution to the immediate transportation needs of the area.
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