Loading...
#3 Authorize direct access permit onto Hwy J for Sara Investments (File Res. #2010-721) Community Development Department Memorandum Date: August 9, 2010 TO: Eric Levitt, City Manager FROM: Duane Cherek, Planning Services Manager SUBJECT: Action on a Proposed Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Janesville and Rock County (File Resolution No. 2010-721). _____________________________________________________________________ Summary SARA Investment Real Estate, LLC (SARA) is the owner of undeveloped property located at the southeast corner of STH 11 and County Highway J (S. Wright Road), directly to the east and across from the new regional medical facility being constructed by Dean/St. Mary’s. SARA Investment proposes to develop a portion of the subject property with an office related use. In order to provide access to the site from County Highway J, Rock County is requesting that the City enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU provides for the County to issue an access opening for the SARA project and also requires that certain traffic improvements be installed as recommended in a traffic study that was conducted for the subject property and the adjoining Dean/St. Mary’s project. A similar MOU was approved by the Council in the fall of 2009 for the Dean/St. Mary’s access permit on the west side of County J. Improvements costs to accommodate the necessary traffic improvements for the access opening will be assigned to SARA Investments as part of their proposed development. Department Recommendation The Community Development Department recommends that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 2010-721, which will authorize the City Manager to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding for access to County J (S. Wright Road) for the SARA Investments project. City Manager’s Recommendation The City Manager supports adoption of this resolution. Suggested Motion I move to approve Resolution No. 2010- 721 authorizing the City Manager to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Rock County regarding access to the SARA Investments project onto County J (S. Wright Road). Background In 2009, a traffic study was completed in order to facilitate construction of the new Dean/St. Mary’s hospital and clinic located east of I-39/90 and south of STH 11 (E. Racine Street). Part of that study included the review of a secondary access connection to the health care facility from County Highway J (S. Wright Road). The access onto County J is under the jurisdictional control Rock County and therefore securing an access permit from the County was necessary. The City and County entered into an MOU to establish the access point and ensure that certain traffic improvements as recommended by the traffic study were implemented. Development on the SARA property located directly to the east was not proposed at that time. The current proposal involves providing access to the SARA property in a manner similar to the Dean/St. Mary’s connection to S. Wright Road. The traffic study was modified to incorporate the number of trips generated from future development on the SARA property and its impact on the roadway and access drives. The traffic analysis recommends the installation of designated turn lanes on S. Wright Road to accommodate projected development from both the Dean/St. Mary’s and SARA Investment projects. Those improvements attributable to the SARA development proposal will be assessed to the developer prior to installation. In order to allow access onto County Highway J, Rock County is requiring that the City enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Rock County for this access point onto County J. The terms of the MOU include: ? allows for an access point onto County J. ? requires certain traffic improvements at the intersection of CTH J and the proposed development’s new access drive. ? gives Rock County the right to require the City to conduct additional traffic studies if future development on the SARA property results in increased traffic and turning movements at the access point occurs beyond the design capacity. ? requires the City to install additional traffic improvements to address increased traffic resulting from the SARA development and allows the City to assess those traffic improvements to others. The subject property adjoins STH 11 where direct access to that roadway is prohibited by the Wisconsin DOT. As a result, access along County Highway J is required in order for the site to be developed. Staff has prepared the attached MOU which has been approved the Rock County Board. The Community Development Department believes that this is an important access point and that the planned traffic improvements will adequately accommodate the estimated traffic. As additional development occurs on the SARA property, future traffic improvements may be necessary but are not expected at this access drive location. cc: Eric Levitt Jacob Winzenz RESOLUTION NO. 2010-721 A resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Rock County for a Direct Access Permit on County Highway J (S. Wright Road). SARA WHEREAS, SARA Real Estate LLC (hereinafter ) owns certain real property located at the southeast corner of STH 11(E. Racine Street) and County Highway J (S. Wright Subject Property Road), legally described in Attachment A hereto (hereinafter the ); and SARA WHEREAS, desires to develop a portion of the subject property with an office related use and incrementally develop their remaining property with office and commercial Development uses in the future (herein after ) and further desire to obtain a direct access connection to County Highway J (S. Wright Road); and Subject WHEREAS, the County of Rock must grant and issue a permit before the PropertyDevelopment and could lawfully have direct access onto County Highway J; and Subject Property WHEREAS, the County of Rock has agreed to grant the and Development an access permit to County Highway J,subject to and contingent upon the City installation by the City of Janesville (hereinafter ) of certain traffic improvements at the intersection of County Highway J and the new access drive; and WHEREAS, Rock County is further requiring that in order to grant the access permit, the City and the County must enter into a certain Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), a true and correct photocopy of which is attached hereto and incorporated herein as if fully set forth verbatim, which sets forth and specifies certain binding terms and conditions associated with the improvement of the access point, as required by the County of Rock; and SARA WHEREAS, has agreed to pay for all of the necessary traffic improvements City including, but not limited to, those that will be installed by the , in order to address Development traffic impacts resulting from the and establishment of this access point; and WHEREAS, the terms and provisions of the MOU allow Rock County to require future traffic studies and improvements if demonstrated by an increase in traffic generated by Subject Property Development additional development on the and/or that warrants the installation of said access point improvements on County Highway J; and WHEREAS, the Common Council hereby find that facilitating and improving an access DevelopmentSubject Property point onto County Highway J for the SARA and is in the best interest of the public and benefit of the community. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF JANESVILLE that the City Manager, City Clerk, and his/her designee(s) are hereby RESOLUTION 2010-721 PAGE 2 authorized to negotiate, enter into, and execute, on behalf of the City of Janesville, the attached MOU; and to negotiate, draft, execute, record, and file such documents, papers, agreements, and forms, to take such other actions, and to make such minor amendments and changes to the MOU as the City Manager, from time to time and at any time, may decide to be necessary and/or desirable to effectuate the MOU and/or the intent of this resolution. ADOPTED: Motion by: Second by: APPROVED: Councilmember Aye Nay Pass Absent Brunner McDonald Eric J. Levitt, City Manager Perrotto Rashkin ATTEST: Steeber Truman Voskuil Jean Ann Wulf, City Clerk-Treasurer APPROVED AS TO FORM: _______ Wald Klimczyk, City Attorney Proposed by: Community Development Department Prepared by: Community Development Department and City Attorney 06/29/2010 MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) By and Between The City of Janesville (GRANTEE, CITY) And The County of Rock (GRANTOR, COUNTY) Permitting SARA Direct Access onto County Highway J in Janesville, Wisconsin SARA Investment Real Estate LLC (SARA) is developing a property located in the City of Janesville. SARA desires direct access to County Highway J (S. Wright Road) from this site and project. SARA WHEREAS, SARA Investment Real Estate LLC (hereinafter ) owns certain real property City located in the City of Janesville, County of Rock, State of Wisconsin (hereinafter ), constituting approximately seven (7) acres located at the southeast quadrant of the STH 11 (E. Racine Street) and County Highway J (S. Wright Road), legally described in Exhibit A hereto Subject Property (hereinafter the ) which description is reiterated and incorporated herein as if fully set forth verbatim; and SARA WHEREAS, desires to develop a one acre portion of their property now with an office related use and incrementally develop their remaining property with office and commercial uses Development in the future (herein after ); and further desire to obtain a direct access connection DevelopmentSubject Property for and from the and from and onto County Highway J (S. Wright Road) at a specific location as designated and set forth in Exhibit A hereto (hereinafter Access Point the ); and County) WHEREAS, the County of Rock (hereinafter owns and controls County Highway J (S. Access Point Wright Road) at the ; and CountySubject Property WHEREAS, the must grant and issue a permit before the and DevelopmentAccess can lawfully have direct access from and onto County Highway J at the Point ; and SARACounty WHEREAS, has requested from the permission for direct access from and onto Development Subject Property from and the andonto County Highway J (S. Wright Road) at Access Point the ; and CountyAccess Point WHEREAS, the , by granting, allowing, and issuing a permit for an Access PointCity requires certain traffic improvements to the be constructed by the ; and 06/029/10 Access Point WHEREAS, once the said permit is granted and issued, modifications must be Development made to County Highway J at the new access drive for the to protect the safety of the traveling public; and CountySubject Property WHEREAS, the has agreed to grant and issue to the and Development an access permit onto County Highway J, subject to and contingent upon the City installation by the of certain traffic improvements at the intersection of County Highway J Development’s and the new access drive; and CountyCity WHEREAS, the is further requiring that in order to grant the access permit, the and County the must enter into this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which sets forth and specifies certain binding terms and conditions associated with the improvement and maintenance Access PointCounty of the , as required by the ; and SARA WHEREAS, has agreed to pay for a traffic study based upon an assumed level of development and associated trip generation and for all of the necessary traffic improvements City recommended by that study including, but not limited to, those that will be installed by the , Development in order to address traffic impacts resulting from the and establishment of this access point; and County WHEREAS, the terms and provisions of the MOU allow the to require future traffic Subject studies and improvements if the traffic generated by actual improvement of the PropertyDevelopment and/or exceeds that base level assumed in the initial traffic study; and th City, WHEREAS, the Common Council of the on Monday, the 9 day of August, 2010, found Development that facilitating and improving an access point onto County Highway J for the and Subject Property is in the best interest of the public and benefit of the community by approving File Resolution No. 2010-721A Resolution Authorizing the City and adopting Janesville , Manager to Enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Rock County for a Direct Access Permit for the SARA Investment Property; and Now, therefore, the County City and thehereby acknowledge and understand the following Access Point conditions for granting said permit, and for good and valuable consideration, the County City receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the and the hereby contract, promise and agree as follows: 1. Each of the above recitals is reiterated and incorporated herein as if fully set forth verbatim. Access Point 2. To ensure that the public safety is facilitated at the for the access drive into DevelopmentSubject PropertyCityCounty and from the and , the and the agree to and shall limit access to County Highway J as follows: County 3. Only one (1) access drive shall be permitted by the onto and from County Development Access Point Highway J along the frontage of the and only at the. 4. Said access drive shall be located approximately 300 feet south of the STH 11/County J (S. Wright Road) intersection as illustrated on the attached site plan, Exhibit B, which 06/29/10 Attachment is reiterated and incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth verbatim. 5. The design and construction of the intersection of this access drive onto County J shall be City the responsibility of the and constructed as approved by the Rock County Public Works Director. County City 6. The reserves the right to require the to conduct additional traffic studies by CityCity’s a qualified traffic engineering firm chosen by , at cost, for consideration of Subject Property access improvements in the event that development on the and/or Development results in trip generations in excess of the base amount assumed in the initial traffic study. City 7. The will be responsible for all expenses and costs associated with modifications Development and/or improvements for the access onto County Highway J. City 8. Nothing in this agreement referencing costs that could be or will be incurred by the City’s is intended to limit the ability to pass those costs on to land owners or developers through development agreements, land divisions improvements, zoning approvals, special assessment proceedings, and/or the imposition of impact fees. 9. Enforcement: The provisions of this MOU are intended to be enforceable between the parties hereto. In the event of a dispute between the parties, they shall meet and attempt to resolve the dispute informally. CountyCity 10. The MOU supersedes any other previous understanding between the and . 11. Rock County will continue to provide all other standard maintenance for County Access Point Highway J upon completion of said improvement for unless otherwise CountyCity negotiated and agreed to by the and the . CountyCity 12. The MOU is null and void if the and agree to a jurisdictional transfer and County theno longer has access right authority for County Highway J (S. Wright Road). 13. This MOU is effective on the date the document is duly executed by all signatories. This MOU will be null and void if not duly executed by all signatories by ____________, 2010. COUNTY OF ROCK CITY OF JANESVILLE By:______________________________ By:__________________________ Craig Knutson, County Administrator Eric J. Levitt, City Manager By:______________________________ By:__________________________ Lori Stottler, County Clerk Jean Ann Wulf, City Clerk-Treasurer Dated: ___________________________ Dated:_______________________ The City of Janesville by Resolution No. 2010-721 agrees to the obligation under this MOU