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Minutes for the Master Street Plan Committee meeting on March 19, 2014
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Members present: Marvin Day, Ann Garner, Bill Smith, Paul Hoelscher and Mike Cameron
Members absent: Josh Brown, Ben Owens, John Street
Dr. Marsha Guffey, MPO Director, gave the background of the committee and discussed what has taken place at past meetings. She explained the Master Street Plan is a right-of-way document that will help the City reserve right-of-way for future use. The intent is to use the right-of-way in the future to build roads.
She presented a PowerPoint presentation discussing master street plans and considerations for those plans (see attached). She noted master street plans should accommodate future and present uses for everyone, but should not be tailored to any one use. She encouraged the committee to take into consideration all of the issues that are listed in her PowerPoint presentation. She also discussed how other cities plan their roadways to accommodate city’s uses.
Mayor Perrin questioned whether some of these issues were looked at when they devised the newly proposed master street plan. Dr. Guffey answered yes. She added that when she looked back at older master street plans, she noticed that some of the same recommendations they are making with the proposed plan are the same recommendations that were made with plans from the 1950s and 1960s. She encouraged the committee to look at spreading out patterns better in the future to help with traffic issues. Mayor Perrin agreed, noting Rains Street was supposed to be three-lanes to help connect Nettleton to Matthews, but nothing has really been done.
Dr. Guffey presented slides from Paul Knight’s presentation “The Master Street Plan: A Forgotten but Critical City Planning Tool.” (see attached)
Mayor Perrin discussed the eastern bypass. He explained they are looking at using either Commerce Drive or Nestle Road for the bypass. He asked the committee members to think about those two roads and let him know which one they would prefer to be used. He further explained they have a list of six major projects they have submitted to the Highway Department. He will provide that list to the committee members so they can factor those projects into the Master Street Plan. They are also working with the railroad companies to come up with a master plan for the railroads in the city, including future overpasses. They will be meeting with the railroad companies again on April 3rd to discuss their design plan. Dr. Guffey noted the Highway Department has asked the MPO to forward them a list of projects to consider for the next funding cycle, so some of those projects Mayor Perrin referred to may be submitted to the Highway Department.
Mr. Cameron questioned how the proposed Master Street Plan differs from the Master Street Plan that was adopted in 2009. Dr. Guffey explained there are a lot of similarities. They just took a fresh look at the plan in order to update it and apply some new models. City Engineer Craig Light added they also took out some parts of the 2009 plan that were outside of the city limits, except in areas where they anticipate a lot of growth, such as going towards Brookland. He explained the city does not have the staff to be able to keep up with things outside of the city limits. But, inside the city limits the proposed plan stayed largely similar to the 2009 plan.
Mr. Cameron expressed concern about discarding the plan since it was approved by Council and presented at several public hearings. Dr. Guffey stated they were asked by Mayor Perrin to look at the 2009 Master Street Plan and update it due to the numerous changes over the years. They were also told they would be looking at the plan every other year, with a review of the Land Use Plan during the alternate years, in order to keep both plans current and in sync. Mr. Light added one problem they have encountered with the adopted plan is they think it asks for too much roadway in some areas of town that will not be developed as major roadways anytime in the near future. Those areas could be developed in other ways as opposed to being major roadways. Dr. Guffey pointed out that the city should still consider getting enough right of way in order to plan for the future because right of way is cheaper now than it will be in later years.
Mr. Light also explained that they are getting backlash from developers who think the city is asking for too much in terms of right of way without compensation. Those developers can go to the MAPC and ask that the city’s requirements be waived and the MAPC has in the past voted against the city. He stressed that they need to determine proper right of ways and stick to it. He asked the committee to consider a process that details how right of way will be retained or purchased.
Dr. Guffey stated the proposed Master Street Plan is not drastically different from the 2009 plan. But, they need to update the plan to be more in line with the functional classification map that is sent to the Federal Highway Administration. She explained the FHA asks that the maps that are sent to them be a current view of how roads are used, so they do not send the 2009 Master Street Plan; rather, they send an updated map. She also noted the map needs to have a timeline on it whether it’s 20 or 30 years and that timeline should match the Land Use Map.
Discussion was then held regarding bicycle plans. Mr. Day stated that bicyclists should be involved in making the bicycle plan for the city. Dr. Guffey said the bicyclists are already working on a plan that will be presented to the Master Street Plan Committee for consideration.
Mr. Harold Carter, a Jonesboro resident, expressed concern about bicyclists being on sidewalks with pedestrians. Mr. Smith explained it is state law that bicyclists are to use the roadways, not sidewalks. But, they typically use the sidewalks due to fear of being in the roads with motorists. Mr. Carter stated he doesn’t like walking on sidewalks with bicyclists around because it’s a dangerous situation. He added the Police Department allows bicyclists to be on the sidewalks and don’t force them to use the roadways.
Dr. Guffey asked the committee members to review all of the materials she handed out before the next meeting (see attached). She explained cities have to pass a comprehensive plan first, followed by a zoning ordinance, a Master Street Plan and subdivision regulations. Each plan helps the other out, but the comprehensive plan is the basis for the others.
Mr. Day asked that copies of the current Master Street Plan be distributed to the committee members. It was noted that the plan is too big to print, so it will be given out on disk. Mr. Light noted that the map is also on the city’s website. He informed the committee that the 2009 Master Street Plan documentation by Associated Engineering (see attached) was not approved by Council, but it goes along with the Master Street Plan that was approved by Council.
Mr. Cameron asked that all of the documents that were approved by Council in 2009 concerning the Master Street Plan be distributed to the committee members, so they can all be aware of what they used to make the 2009 map before the committee changes it.
Dr. Guffey stated the Master Street Plan Committee will be meeting every second and fourth Thursday of the month, except for next week due to spring break.
With no further business, the committee adjourned at 5:09 p.m.