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Home My WebLink AboutTC Digest 2014-03-07TOWN COUNCIL WEEKLY DIGEST Week of March 3 — 712014 Tiburon 1. Letter - Scott Anderson - Easton Point (Martha Company) Environmental Impact Report: Comments on February 13, 2014 Memorandum Providing Additional Analysis 2. Letter - League of Women Voters of Marin County - Plastic, Single Use, Carryout Bag Regulations 3. Letter - TAM - Oversight Committee - Annual Report July 2012 - June 2013 4. Email - Harvey Rogers - Progress Report for Harvey Rogers Garden at Blackie s Pasture for February 2014 Agendas & Minutes 5. Agenda- Planning Commission- March 12, 2014 Regional a) Western City Magazine — March 2014 * b) News from Marin Conservation League — March/April 2014 Agendas & Minutes c) None * Council Only MEET Town oFTiburon • 1505 Tiburon Boulevard •Tiburon, CA 94920 • E 415.435.7373 F. 415.435.2438 • wivw.ci.uburon.ca.us Community Development Department Honorable Kathrin Sears, President Members of the Board of Supervisors County of Marin 3501 Civic Center Drive San Rafael, CA 94903 February 27, 2014 RE: EASTON POINT (MARTHA COMPANY) ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT: COMMENTS ON FEBRUARY 13, 2014 MEMORANDUM PROVIDING ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS Dear President Sears and Members of the Board: The Town of Tiburon has reviewed the Memorandum dated February 13, 2014, which was prepared in response to your request for additional impact analysis made at the October 23, 2013 Board meeting. The Town greatly appreciates your efforts to secure additional analysis and clarification of particular impacts, and the efforts of the EIR preparers to respond to the request. After review of the Memorandum, we provide the following comments. Peak Hour Traffic Impacts 93 +� qP � nRN1A -INe � 1 Alice Fredericks Mayor Frank Doyle Vice Mayor Jim Fraser Councilmembcr Emmett O'Donnell Councilmembcr Erin Tollini Councilmembcr Margaret A. Curran Town Manager The Memorandum is disappointing in that it makes little apparent effort to address Supervisor Sears' specific requests to "look outside the box" regarding traffic congestion issues; to provide a "reality check" with respect to the individual experience of traveling Tiburon Boulevard during peak hours; and to use a "different metric" in lieu of standard traffic volumes and intersection levels of service. The analysis continues to downplay the severity of current peak hour congestion while dismissing the potential project impacts as insignificant. First, the Memorandum misses the "bigger picture" of what happens along Tiburon Boulevard during school peak times, when traffic can back up to stop -and -go conditions for the entire two and one -half mile distance between Lyford Drive and Cecilia Way. While localized congestion around individual school intersections was described in some detail in the Memorandum, the totality of what happens to a major segment of Tiburon Boulevard during school drop -off and pick -up times was reduced to an admission that congestion "....results in intermittent slowing and lengthy delays for through traffic on Tiburon Boulevard ". This is understatement at its finest. Second, the analysis notes that the February 2013 peak hour intersection counts were generally lower than the May 2009 counts used for the DEIR analysis. This clearly fails to account for the fact that when intersections are badly congested during peak hours, fewer vehicles are able to pass through them during any given signal phase, thereby reducing the machine - counted volumes. This is especially true at the San Rafael Avenue, Rock Hill Drive, Avenida Miraflores, and Trestle Glen Boulevard intersections. According to a local transportation engineer, use of intersection volume counts and thei derivative "level of service" standards are inappropriate during severely congested conditions, and can be a false indicator of actual traffic movement and intersection operation. The Memorandum notes that the intersections that "bookend" the worst school - related congestion on Tiburon Boulevard, namely Trestle Glen Boulevard and San Rafael Avenue, experienced higher volumes during the 2013 counts. But it fails to document the miserably slow movement of traffic between those two intersections along Tiburon Boulevard, potentially misleading readers into believing that the lower volumes at the intersections in between must mean that traffic movement is better now than it was in 2009, when the reality is quite the opposite. Several "Point A to Point B" travel time measurements would provide a more meaningful indicator of the individual experience of drivers using Tiburon Boulevard during peak periods. Third, the Memorandum inexplicably describes the un- signalized Ned's Way /Tiburon Boulevard intersection as "signalized ", and further states that "eastbound left - turning vehicles may wait for several signal cycles (as many as four cycles) during the morning and after - school traffic peak periods.... ". Finally, the morning and after- school peak periods are described as "approximately 20 minutes duration ". This may be technically true depending on how one defines the "peak ", but the aftermath of the peak is often traffic back -ups and congestion that can persist for hours, especially in the westbound direction. Again, reliance on machine counts of intersection volumes can be misleading during periods of severe congestion and can provide a false indication of actual intersection operation. Construction- Related Traffic Generation Impacts Worst case construction - related trips associated with the Martha Company project still appear to be underestimated, although the Memorandum doubles the assumed number of trips for soil off -haul to 728 from the 364 trips estimated in the Draft EIR. The analysis concludes that the impact is still less than significant with mitigation, both in terms of traffic safety and noise. The Town believes that the substantial increase in overall construction- related trips makes it less likely that mitigation measures identified for safety impacts on narrow portions of Paradise Drive, and potentially on numerous Hill Haven/Old Tiburon streets, will be sufficient or effective even if implementation proves feasible. Fire Flow & Water Pressure Impacts The additional fire flow and water pressure analysis did not resolve or shed any additional light on key questions regarding the likelihood of the EIR - identified mitigation measures being accepted by the relevant agencies and successfully implemented, which is a critical element that affects the basic layout and design of the project. The EIR seems content to postpone this determination until the merits phase of project review or later, which may technically comply with CEQA but is not necessarily the optimal approach. Conclusion After review of the Memorandum, Tiburon Town staff concludes that the additional analysis provided has not adequately addressed the Town's previously- stated concerns set forth in letters dated April 26, 2011, July 29, 2013 and October 15, 2013. The EIR continues to underestimate numerous project impacts and provide mitigation measures of dubious efficacy and uncertain implementation. If after careful consideration the Board votes to certify the EIR, the Town of Tiburon respectfully requests that these outstanding issues be seriously considered and satisfactorily addressed during the merits phase of project review. Thank you again for the opportunity to comment. Very truly yours, Scott Anderson Director of Community Development Cc: Digest DIGEST A 0 6kLeague of Women Voters of Marin County March 6, 2014 Tiburon Town Council 1505 Tiburon Boulevard Tiburon, CA 94920 Dear Mayor Fredericks and Members of the Town Council: Subject: Plastic, Single Use, Carryout Bag Regulations I am writing on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Marin County (LW VMC) to urge that the Town of Tiburon adopt legislation regulating the provision of plastic, single use, carryout bags within town limits. We understand that the Marin County Hazardous and Solid Waste Authority Joint Powers Authority (JPA) has certified the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on a proposed model ordinance for Marin County Cities and Towns. Furthermore, The State Supreme Court on October 3, 2013, declined to review the appeal of the First District Court of Appeals decision upholding the Marin Superior Court finding that the County Ordinance No. 3553, affective in unincorporated areas of Marin would have no environmental impact. It is now timely for cities and towns in Marin County to consider legislation affecting the areas within their jurisdictions. Since Fairfax and Mill Valley ordinances are in effect and San Rafael has adopted an ordinance that will go into effect September 15, 2014, it is possible there could be a county-wide approach. Members of the Marin League have been studying the issue of plastic, single use, carryout bags and have agreed that the use of these bags should be discouraged for the following reasons: Our members are concerned about the volume of plastic bags that is not disposed of properly, or escapes from proper disposal, and ends up as litter along the roadsides, paths, and beaches or in streams, rivers and oceans. Plastic bags strangle, choke, and kill animals both on land and in water. Plastic bags do not biodegrade. They photo - degrade into microscopic particles that accumulate toxins and can enter the ocean food chain and, consequently, the human food supply. We are concerned about the greenhouse gases created in the manufacturing process of most plastic bags and the use in that process of petroleum and natural gases, non - renewable resources. Additionally, we are concerned about the high cost of taking care of improperly discarded plastic bags. Regulating the provision of single use, carryout plastic bags within the Town of Tiburon will contribute to the beneficial impact being made on the natural environment by similar legislation in other local jurisdictions. We suggest that the more consistent each ordinance is with other ordinances enacted in the county, the more convenient it will be for shoppers and retailers. Consistency will also facilitate implementation and educational efforts. The LW VMC urges the adoption of the model ordinance prepared by the JPA Sincerely, Ann Batman First Vice President 4340 Redwood Hwy., Suite F -108, San Rafael, CA 94903 Phone: 415- 507 -0824 Website: marinlwv.org Email: lwvmc@marinlwv.org /�-�F>Z\ M Transportation Authority of Marin February 27, 2014 RECEIVED, MAR - 5 2014 TOWN PMWGERS OFFICE TOWN OF TIBURON �n Lincoln Avenue Suite County te 160 y TO: Marin Ct Residents Sui San Rafael California 94901 FROM: Citizens' Oversight Committee of the Transportation Authority of Marin Phone: 415/226-0815 816 SUBJECT: Ninth Annual Report: Fiscal Year 2012 -13 Ending June 30, 2013 Fax: 415 /226 -0816 p 9 www.tam.ca.gov The Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) is a joint powers authority comprised of Belvedere Marin's 11 cities /towns and the County of Marin. TAM is the administration agency for the Sandra Donnell half -cent Marin County Transportation Sales Tax funding, Measure A, approved by Marin Katie Rice voters in November 2004, and the $10 Vehicle Registration Fee funding, Measure B, Corte Madera approved by Marin voters in November 2010. TAM also serves as the Congestion Diane Furst Management Agency (CMA) for Marin and is responsible for coordinating funding and Fairfax providing management support for various transportation programs and projects in Marin John Reed County. The 16- member TAM Board includes elected officials from each city and town, plus the five members of the Marin County Board of Supervisors. Larkspur Dan Hillmer The Measure A Expenditure Plan mandates the formation of a Citizens' Oversight Mill Valley Committee (COC). The COC is charged with reviewing financial procedures and Stephanie Moulton- Peters expenditure of funds generated by both Measure A (a 20 -year, half -cent transportation sales Novato tax) and Measure B (a $10 vehicle registration fee). The COC reports its findings annually Madeline Kellner to the public. The Fiscal Year 2012 -13 Annual Report is presented to inform the public how their transportation tax dollars are at work. An electronic copy of the report is available on Ross P. Beach Kuhl the TAM website at www.tam.ca.gov. San Anselmo The COC would like to take this opportunity to thank all Marin residents for their support of Ford Greene transportation programs and projects in Marin County. The COC is also continuously San Rafael searching for dedicated Marin residents to serve on the committee. Please contact TAM Gary Phillips staff at (415) 226 -0815 if you would like to be part of this exciting transportation group. Sausalito Herb Weiner Sincerely, Tiburon Alice Fredericks County of Marin Susan L. Adams Katie Rice Kathrin Sears Allan Bortel Steve Kinsey Chairperson Judy Arnold Citizens' Oversight Committee Making the Most of Marin County Transportation Dollars 4�� aT l% Peggy Curran From: Harvey Rogers <harvnan2 @sprynet.com> Sent: Sunday, March 02, 2014 9:21 AM To: Mary Neilan; Peggy Curran; Claude Perasso; 'David Holscher' Subject: PROGRESS REPORT FOR HARVEY ROGERS GARDEN AT BLACICE'S PASTURE FOR FEBRUARY 2014 Hi Mary, Peggy, Claude & David, PROGRESS REPORT FOR HARVEY ROGERS GARDEN AT BLACKIE'S PASTURE FOR FEB. 2014 In February 2014 we had two major pruning sessions. We continued to weed & remove a few dead plants. Many of our plants look dead due to the 12 day below freezing temperatures we had in Dec. but are actually alive. We will do our (hopefully) final pruning session on March 10`h To determine if a plant is still alive we scrape the bark starting at the top of the plant. If it shows a light lime green /yellow color the plant is alive. If it looks dead the knife scraping shows straw or brown color. If not the alive color at the top we continue to scrape for the color test even down to the bottom until we get the lime green / yellow color. We then prune down to that level. We have about ten Cape Plumbago that in the summer are 5 feet X 5 feet in size. They are completely brown to the bottom this year. We will prune those to the bottom on March 10 & sure they will grow again & be full size by summer & then will bloom until the next frost I HARVEY ROGERS 1 DIGEST 34 TOWN OF TIBURON Agenda - Regular Meeting Tiburon Town Hall Tiburon Planning Commission 1505 Tiburon Boulevard March 12, 2014 — 7:30 PM Tiburon, CA 94920 AGENDA TIBURON PLANNING COMMISSION CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Chair Weller, Vice Chair Weiner, Commissioner Corcoran, Commissioner Kulik ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Persons wishing to address the Planning Commission on any subject not on the agenda may do so under this portion of the agenda. Please note that the Planning Commission is not able to undertake extended discussion, or take action on, items that do not appear on this agenda. Matters requiring action will be referred to Town Staff for consideration and/or placed on a future Planning Commission agenda. Please limit your comments to no more than three (3) minutes. Testimony regarding matters not on the agenda will not be considered part of the administrative record. COMMISSION AND STAFF BRIEFING Commission and Committee Reports Director's Report [all .30 [al 06 19 _1111 2[fly 1. 1 BLACKFIELD DRIVE, SUITE K: SIX -MONTH REVIEW OF A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT GRANTED TO OPERATE AND EXPAND A GROCERY STORE; FILE #11206; The Cove Shopping Center, Inc., Owner; Paradise Foods, Applicant; Assessor's Parcel .No. 034- 212 -18 [DW] 2. 2344/2346 MAR EAST STREET: TIME EXTENSION FOR AN APPROVED CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO CONVERT AN EXISTING DUPLEX INTO TWO CONDOMINIUM UNITS; FILE #11301; Bruce Thompson, Angelina Umanski, Lawrence Bradford, Owners; Assessor's Parcel Number 059- 195 -11 [DW] Tiburon Planning Commission Agenda March 12, 2014 Page 1 NEW BUSINESS 3. CONSIDER RECOMMENDATION TO TOWN COUNCIL TO ACCEPT THE ANNUAL GENERAL PLAN IMPLEMENTATION STATUS REPORT FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2013 [SA] MINUTES 4. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES —Regular Meeting of February 12, 2014 ADJOURNMENT Future Agenda Items Preliminary Housing Element Review (March 26) General Plan: Zoning Amendments Related to Housing Element Proerams (March 26) Tiburon Planning Commission Agenda March 12, 2014 Page 2 x031214