TC 01-23-12 Meeting MinutesCOUNTY of FREDERICK
Department of Planning and Development
540/665-5651
MEMORANDUM FAX: 540/665-6395
TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: John A. Bishop, AICP, Deputy Director - Transportation
RE: Transportation Committee Report for Meeting of January 23, 2012
DATE: January 31, 2012
The Transportation Committee met on January 23, 2012 at 8:30 a.m.
Members Present
Chuck DeHaven (voting)
Gene Fisher (voting)
James Racey (voting)
Bryon Grigsby (voting)
Chris Collins (voting)
Gary Oates (liaison PC)
Members Absent
Mark Davis (liaison Middletown)
George Kriz (liaison PC)
Lewis Boyer (liaison Stephens City)
***Items Requiring Action***
1. Transportation Committee Charter
Staff has been requested to draft committee charters for all standing board committees. On
pages 2 and 3 of this report is the draft Transportation Committee Charter.
MOTION: Motion by Mr. Grigsby and seconded by Mr. Racey to recommend that the
Board adopt the draft charter. Motion passed unanimously.
107 North Kent Street, Suite 202 • Winchester, Virginia 22601-5000
Frederick County Board of Supervisor's
Transportation Committee Charter
I. Organization
There shall be a committee of the Board of Supervisors (`Board") of Frederick County,
Virginia ("County") known as the Transportation Committee ("Committee"). The Committee shall
be comprised of three (3) members of the Board of Supervisors who will be appointed by the
Chairman of the Board, with one appointed as Chair, and two (2) citizen members as appointed by
the Chairman of the Board. The Committee shall also offer non-voting liaison status to one (1)
member of the Planning Commission, one (1) representative from the Town of Stephens City, and
one (1) representative from the Town of Middletown. This Charter shall govern the Committee
with regard to its duties and responsibilities. The goal of the Committee shall be to promote
programs, policies, and practices that forward the Frederick County Transportation System.
II. Purpose
The primary function of the Committee is to assist the Board in managing the County
Transportation System by transportation planning, reviewing and evaluating policies, keeping
abreast of developments at the state and federal level, and rendering input where needed.
The Committee will primarily fulfill these responsibilities by carrying out the activities
enumerated in Section IV of this Charter.
III. Meetings
The Committee shall meet at least twelve (12) times annually or more or less frequently as
circumstances dictate. The Chairman of the Board, the Chair of the Committee, or a majority of the
Committee members may call or cancel meetings of the Committee. The Chair of the Committee
shall prepare or approve an agenda in advance of each meeting. The County Administrator and the
Director or Directors with the responsibilities for transportation shall be invited to all meetings.
Other management officials and counsel to the Board may be invited as necessary. With the
exception of Directors, the Chair may excuse any non -Committee members from attendance at any
meeting or portion of any meeting.
IV. Responsibilities
The Committee shall have the following duties and responsibilities:
A. Monitor State and Federal transportation planning initiatives (such as the VDOT six year
program) and recommend appropriate actions or input to the Board of Supervisors
B. Lead transportation planning initiatives related to the comprehensive plan or other
County Planning efforts. These include but are not limited to the following:
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a. Eastern Road Plan updates
b. Interstate, Primary, and Secondary Road Plan updates
c. Updates to Bicycle and/or Pedestrian plans
d. Project Prioritization
e. Transportation Section of the Capital Improvements Plan.
C. Review County policies and make recommendations on changes or improvements.
D. Make recommendations to the Board on requests such as VDOT studies that come from
citizens or officials.
E. Review funding programs and make recommendations on which projects to apply for
funding.
2. Prioritization of Potential Grant Applications
The MPO has requested a list of projects for which we (Frederick County) would like them
to be able to apply for funds as opportunities become available. The reason for this is that,
very often, federal grant announcements do not give a very long preparation time for
applications. Since the competition for these funds is very high, being prepared more in
advance would have some potential to aid in our competitiveness.
Currently, Staff is recommending consideration of the following projects:
1. Tevis Street Extension and Bridge over I-81
2. Route 37 from I-81 to Route 522
3. Realignment of Redbud Road and Ramp at Exit 317
4. Exit 307 Relocation
5. Alignment of Hopewell Road and Brucetown Road Intersections with Route 11.
MOTION: Motion by Mr. Grigsby and seconded by Mr. Racey to recommend that the
Board accept Staff's recommendation and forward the projects to the MPO. Motion Passed
unanimously.
3. Canter Estates Traffic Concerns
Some time ago, the Committee recommended the addition of stop signs as requested by the
homeowners association within Canter Estates. At that time, the recommendation was to
move forward with stop signs at the intersections of Clydesdale and Corral, Corral and
Caspian. The Committee recommended that the situation should continue to be monitored
at the intersection of Clydesdale and Lariat/Maverick Court.
Staff requested that the Committee reaffirm their position in the form of a recommendation
for the Board in order to give VDOT what they feel they need to move forward.
MOTION: Motion by Mr. Fisher and seconded by Mr. Collins to recommend that the
Board affirm their recommendation to VDOT. Motion passed unanimously.
4. Senseny Road
On page 5, please find the complaint received by Supervisor Fisher regarding speeds on
Senseny Road. Staff noted that while some of the issues (such as illegal right side passing)
would not be resolved by a speed reduction, it would be worthwhile to review the area,
particularly given growth and even a recent accident involving a cyclist and a vehicle.
MOTION: Motion by Mr. Collins and seconded by Mr. Racey to recommend that the
Board direct request a speed study be conducted by VDOT.
I am contacting you in behalf of the Saratoga Homeowners' Association requesting your
help on couple of issues that was discusses in our latest meeting:
a. Can you help in getting the Forty -Five (45) Miles an hour speed limited reduced
by continuing the existing Thirty -Five Miles an hour limit on Senseny Road thru the
Intersection at Greenwood Road and thru the Intersection at the next Red Light where the
entrances are to the CVS Pharmacy and the new Shopping Center. Traffic coming West
on Senseny Road where the Speed changes from 35 to 45 miles an hour makes it very
unsafe to enter Senseny Road from our Development because of speeding traffic and a
blind spot. In addition, there are School Buses pickup and drop off at our Intersection and
a Day Care in the Shopping Center, with Parents dropping and picking up their children
along with commercial establishments traffic. The existing speed limit creates a very
serious and unsafe conditions as vehicles are passing stop traffic on the right shoulders,
and in the intersections where no traffic lights exists. With all the new developments, the
long existing Forty -Five (45) Speed Limit is just to unsafe. Improving the safety of
everyone is at a critical point and needs immediate attention.
b. The other issue is the Road Front Footage, in front of Saratoga Meadows
Development, along Senseny Road. Is it true that the Association must maintain a Tree
Line and what is the definition of a Tree Line? If so, where does the Tree Line begin and
end on Senseny Road? Also, where does the Association entire property lines begin and
end? The Association is looking at ways to reducing increasing costs for our members.
Your help and suggestions will be very much appreciated on these two issues.
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***Items Not Requiring Action***
5. I-81 Corridor Coalition
Staff informed the Committee that the i-81
Coalition has requested that Frederick
County renew membership in the coalition. The Committee has asked staff to assemble the
pros and cons of membership as well as seek input from Frederick County's public safety
providers and return the item.
6. Other
Staff updated the Committee on a number of ongoing transportation projects including the
following:
a. Russell 150
b. Renaissance Drive
c. Valley Mill Road
d. Snowden Bridge Boulevard
e. Route 11 North.
Mr. Racey requested staff to work with VDOT to look into a signal programming issue at
the intersection of Tasker Road and Rainville Road.
Mr. Racey also noted that VDOT needs to provide better notification of the speed limit
change on Tasker Road.
Mr. Fisher noted that he had recently met with VDOT regarding concerns at the intersection
of Route 50 and Sulphur Springs road and that VDOT will be updating traffic sensors in that
location and replacing them with in -pavement sensors.
Mr. Fisher also has been communicating with VDOT regarding signalization of the future
entrance of the School Transportation Facility.
Mr. Oates noted that he continues to receive safety complaints about the Taco Bell entrance
on Welltown Road.
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