PRESENTER: Presenter
Garry Ford, Transportation and Capital Improvements Director
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SUBJECT: Title
Public hearing and approval of a resolution to amend Seminole Drive as a Minor Collector between Alves Lane and FM 1101 in the City of New Braunfels Regional Transportation Plan.
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation & Capital Improvements, Planning and Development Services
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COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: 5
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The City of New Braunfels received an application for a Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) Amendment, requesting the removal of the proposed Minor Collector extending from existing Seminole Drive to FM 1101. The existing Seminole Drive is a minor collector between Alves Lane, and its dead end is 1,400 feet northwest of Alves Lane. The proposed segment continues the connection to FM 1101.
This request was concurrent with the SUP23-063 “Parc Haus” Special Use Permit (SUP) application for a multifamily complex with two phases at 1450 FM 1101. The SUP site plan submitted with the application assumes removing the Seminole Drive Minor Collector RTP requirement. It shows Seminole Drive terminating in a public cul-de-sac at the southern portion of the property. The SUP site plan also shows the connection of two existing public street stubouts, Apache Drive and Dunbar Drive, making a local public street connection between Alves Lane and FM 1101.
Removing Seminole Drive allows four and portions of other apartment buildings to be constructed in the right-of-way of the proposed thoroughfare. Emergency access for the proposed multifamily development is provided at Seminole Drive and Apache Drive/Dunbar Drive.
An application for a zoning change (PZ22-0429) from R-2A to R-3H for the subject property was submitted and ultimately withdrawn in late 2022. A traffic impact analysis (TIA) worksheet was also submitted in late 2022, and staff indicated that a full TIA report would be required before approval of a master plan, plat, or building permit. Residents on existing Seminole Drive and in the Northview subdivision have expressed opposition to the extension of Seminole Drive, citing the possibility of increased traffic through the neighborhood between FM 1101 and Alves Lane.
The RTP is the City's adopted plan for guiding thoroughfare system improvements, including the existing and planned extension of city streets and highways. The thoroughfare system comprises existing and planned interstates, expressways, parkways, arterials, and collectors, which require wider or new rights-of-way. The primary objective of the RTP is to ensure the dedication of adequate right-of-way on appropriate alignments and of enough width to serve existing and future transportation needs. The Texas Local Government Code allows the City to require development plans and subdivision plats to conform to the general plan for current and future roadways.
A Minor Collector is defined in the City of New Braunfels Code of Ordinances as “a street that primarily carries traffic from local or residential streets to major thoroughfares and highways, including the principal entrance streets for circulation to schools, parks, and other community facilities within such a development.” A Minor Collector has a minimum right-of-way of 60 feet and a pavement width of 40 feet. The proposed Minor Collector on Seminole Drive represents a connection between FM 1101 and Alves Lane that connects to State Highway 46, Barbarosa Road, and other collector and local streets. If extended, it would provide automobile and potential pedestrian and bicycle connections to Canyon High School, Canyon Middle School, and Freiheit Elementary School. Existing Seminole Drive runs adjacent to Alves Lane Park, which is being considered for park improvement planning. Similar Minor Collector thoroughfares include:
• Stone Gate Drive
• Dove Crossing Drive
• Orion Drive
• Sungate Drive
• Pahmeyer Road
It is important to note that the City’s development requirements allowed residential lots access on Minor Collector streets that require backing maneuvers onto the street. Despite opposition from the development community, the City Council amended the Code of Ordinances in 2018 to not allow access to collectors or major thoroughfare streets requiring backing maneuvers onto the street or providing other provisions.
Seminole Drive has been on the City’s Thoroughfare Plan since 1964 and has been included in various thoroughfare plans up to the adopted 2012 RTP. The Northview Subdivision Master Plan was approved in the 1980s and shows Northview Drive, renamed Seminole Drive at platting, as a thoroughfare road with a larger right-of-way. Northview Unit 2, which contains Seminole Drive from Alves Lane to Dakota Circle, was platted in 1986 and provided 60 feet of right-of-way for the Minor Collector. Northview Unit 3, which contains Seminole Drive from Dakota Circle to its current terminus, was platted in 1995 and provided 60 feet of right-of-way for the Minor Collector. The Planning Commission granted a sidewalk variance for the subdivision unit. The Seminole Drive extension, subject to removal, is also a project (6-AE) in Service Area 6 on the Roadway Impact Fee Capital Improvement Plan.
Existing Seminole Drive contains 60 feet of right-of-way, accommodating single-family driveway access and street parking on both sides. Sidewalks are absent on Seminole Drive and its cross streets, as the Planning Commission granted waivers to the sidewalk requirements. Two more stub-outs connect to the proposed development on Apache and Dunbar Drive. These were platted as part of separate subdivisions, also lacking sidewalks.
This RTP amendment request demonstrates a trade-off between the need for north-south connections between FM 1101 and Alves Lane, land use, development requirements, and the lack of thoroughfares and street connections in adjacent neighborhoods to support traffic in the area. Seminole Drive is the only designated street on the RTP connecting Alves Lane and FM 1101 between State Highway 46 and Barbarosa Road. The other local street connection is from Brook Avenue to Willowbrook Avenue through the August Fields Subdivision. The continuation of Brook Avenue as a Minor Collector from its current terminus to FM 1101 and, ultimately, IH 35 was recommended as an additional thoroughfare in the 2019 RTP update effort; however, the update was paused in 2020, and it planned to continue later in 2023.
Land use and development requirements are also important factors in this case. The traditional development of single-family and two-family zoning districts typically provided the projection of streets, or street stub-outs, to undeveloped areas to continue the public street network. This is apparent in the Northview Subdivision master plan and subsequent plats with stub-outs for Seminole Drive, Salado Drive, Apache Drive, and Caddell Lane. Street projections are also provided for the area's adjacent single- and two-family subdivisions. The transition to multifamily development through rezoning or in the areas outside the city limit that don’t have zoning is resulting in the properties being developed as private and the street connections providing emergency access only or becoming a dead-end street without the proper dead-end turnaround. This results in few thoroughfares and street connections. This is evident by the delays on State Highway 46 and Barbarosa Drive and the limited options for all transportation modes during peak periods.
Staff submitted the request to its third-party transportation planning professional, Freese & Nichols, to assist in the review. Keeping the Seminole Drive connection is recommended due to the projected traffic growth, lack of transportation connections and routes to schools in the area, and fire/EMS access. It is noted that traffic will not deviate to State Highway 46 if the connection is removed but may instead shift to the August Fields neighborhood via Willowbrook Avenue and Brook Avenue. Additionally, the Seminole extension is consistent with the need for regional connections highlighted in the 2021 Southeast Sector thoroughfare plan analysis and the Roadway Impact Fee Capital Improvement Plan.
Staff agrees with the third-party review recommendations and does not recommend the removal of the proposed Minor Collector identified in the RTP as the future extension of Seminole Drive. Staff contacted property owners within 200 feet and received responses supporting the removal. The staff understands increased traffic and safety concerns; however, continuing the thoroughfare meets the City’s development requirements, and additional roadway improvements to the existing Seminole Drive may be considered. These improvements may include sidewalks, pavement markings, and traffic calming measures. Roadway capacity improvements to State Highway 46 and Barbarosa Road are not anticipated to be completed until 2030 at the earliest, and the need for additional thoroughfare connections is high.
Another option instead of removal is to maintain a public shared-use path corridor to allow for pedestrian and bicycle mobility between Alves Lane and FM 1101, connecting recent pedestrian improvements on Alves Lane and FM 1101, area schools, and Alves Lane Park.
The City Council postponed the decision to remove Seminole Drive from the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) to August 14, 2023. Additional planning initiatives and improvements were requested to address the area's mobility needs and residents’ concerns.
With support from Freese & Nichols, staff developed thoroughfare connectivity, roadway, and intersection recommendations for existing Seminole Drive and the proposed Minor Collector extension to FM 1101. Roadway treatments for existing Seminole Drive include marking 10-foot travel lanes and 7-foot parking lanes with a 3-foot buffer, and a various options for sidewalks and a shared-use path. Intersection improvements for existing Seminole Drive include a mini traffic circle, enhanced crosswalks, raised intersections, and a potential all-way stop at Hueco Drive if warranted. Thoroughfare connectivity for the proposed extension includes roundabouts at two locations, a shared-use path, and reduced right-of-way and pavement width.
City staff held a meeting and presented the recommendation on October 12, 2023, to the existing Seminole Drive residents. The residents support the removal of the Seminole Drive extension. They indicated that the City failed to discuss and fund the North-South Collector, did not address the impact on Hueco Drive and surrounding streets, and needed to show anticipated traffic on Seminole Drive with the extension. Regarding the recommendations, the residents want no or minimal impact on existing access and on-street parking, do not support raised intersections and the mini traffic circle, and request construction of other thoroughfares and roadways before the extension.,
City staff met with the developer’s representative, INK Civil, on October 16, 2023. INK Civil indicated general support for the recommendations and that the developer can accommodate the thoroughfare extension recommendations.
The planning initiatives and improvements were presented and discussed with the City Council on October 16, 2023. Additional traffic data from the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization travel demand model and existing City traffic counts were also presented. The discussion included the need for mobility and connectivity, the timing of the thoroughfare plan, and for some members, that Seminole Drive is not designed similarly to other minor collectors. Other than sidewalks, the other minor collectors noted in the report are designed the same way, with 60 feet of right-of-way, 40 feet of pavement, and a 25-foot building setback.
ISSUE:
The Regional Transportation Plan designates existing Seminole Drive as a Minor Collector requiring 60 feet of right-of-way, and it further proposes the extension of the Minor Collector to FM 1101. The applicant has requested the removal of the proposed segment to accommodate a site plan and SUP for multifamily development at 1450 FM 1101.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The RTP amendment will remove the requirements and costs associated with a Minor Collector facility's right-of-way dedication and street construction. Though the exact costs and impact are unknown, the City will likely have to pick up the cost of area mobility improvements that will be lost with the removal.
Recommendation
RECOMMENDATION:
On May 2, 2023, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the request to remove the Seminole Drive Minor Collector.
Staff does not recommend the removal of the Seminole Drive Minor Collector. Staff recommends amending the alignment to the border adjacent to the northeast property, reducing the right-of-way to 50 feet, and including two roundabout intersections and connectivity (stub outs) to the northeast property.
If a special use permit is considered for the subject tract, city staff recommends an 8-foot sidewalk on the southwest side of existing Seminole Drive, marking 10-foot travel lanes, 7-foot parking lanes, a 3-foot buffer, and an enhanced intersection at Hueco Drive. Additionally, city staff intends to take the thoroughfare connectivity options forward, which include the extension of Brook Ave in the current thoroughfare plan update.