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1996-07-15 PEARLAND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BOARD PUBLIC HEARING MEETING MINUTES - 8:00PMMINUTES OF A PUBLIC HEARING OF THE PEARLAND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BOARD, OF THE CITY OF PEARLAND, TEXAS, HELD MONDAY, JULY 15, 1996 AT 8:00 P.M., IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, 3519 LIBERTY DRIVE, PEARLAND, TEXAS. The hearing was called to order at 8:50 p.m. with the following present: BOARD MEMBERS Chairman Dennis Frauenberger Vice President Tricia Holland Secretary Susan Lenamon Board Member Bill Berger Board Member Stella Roberts Board Member Bob Lewis Board Member Connie Beaumont EX -OFFICIO BOARD MEMBERS Mayor Tom Reid Chamber of Commerce Billye Everett Tritech Regional Council John Knox STAFF MEMBERS Asst. Executive Director John R Bowman Marketing & Events Coordinator Terrie Morgan Administrative Asst. Perla N. Lehman NUMBER SIGNING ATTENDANCE ROSTER: 29 1 PURPOSE OF HEARING: To consider a proposed PEDC project to extend McHard Road from State Highway 35 (Main Street) to Mykawa including feasibility studies and preliminary engineering and design plans in accordance with the Development Corporation Act of 1979, as amended. PRESENTATION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT - A presentation on the proposed project was given by City Manager Paul Grohman. Mr. Grohman stated that the proposed project is a portion to extend McHard Road to basically tie in State Highway 35 to Mykawa with an overpass. He stated that there were other areas being considered, but not without engineering problems. Mr. Grohman said that in the last 34 years, some 43 people have died at this crossing and in spite of the crossing arms installed two years ago, people are still dying. He presented a list of benefits including reduction in toll booth traffic on Knapp Rd., Mykawa, and Highway 35; elimination of our dependence on Knapp Road with safety being a major issue; will provide a mechanism for fire, police and ambulance; will improve traffic circulation in our rapidly developing industrial area in the north half of the city, etc. Mr. Grohman stated that in the last four years of looking at hundreds of projects, he can't find one that would be more beneficial to economic development and industrial development as well as the community as a whole. The specific proposal would be to do a feasibility study which starts at about $68,500.00 and up depending on what is requested. Assistant City Manager Richard Burdine informed the board he had attended a meeting with various representatives from a railroad company, representatives from the state, from Tex Dot in Boston, Houston and the Brazoria County Engineers office, also, Chief Hogg and Glenn Moreau, president of the school board regarding Knapp Road and what a hazard that crossing is. The information put together over the 35 year period really made an impact on them The state started thinking creatively about ways they may be able to partner with the city and the railroad. The state representative tried to think of ways to get rid of the Knapp Road crossing. He said in order for the state and the railroad to participate at all, the Knapp crossing is going to have to go and there will have to be an alternative. Mr. Burdine stated he was optimistic that these people were looking at money the city is not aware of. The state has some funds for railroad improvements and Mr. Burdine said he would be looking into that. Mr. Burdine stated a partnership is expected PERSONS WISHING TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT 1. Mayor Tom Reid - 2716 Stratford St. - Distance and height are very important in overpasses. To be able to accommodate 18 wheelers, you have to have a 6% grade. This particular location is open land, has enough clearance for 18 wheelers, and has no development so there are no house buy outs or businesses that need to be considered. He stated that this is the most useful location of all. 2 2. David Miller - 2706 Shady Creek - expressed total support for the program. Mr. Miller stated that he liked the idea of the partnership program and feels it should be stressed with the state of Texas to see what we can get out of the state, dollar wise, support wise, whatever. Other things he asked the board to look into were: A follow on study on Mykawa from Orange where it narrows from 518 (4 lanes) up to Orange then it narrows to a two lane very much like the county road from Orange all the way to the bridge and on to the Beltway. He stated that in his opinion, that road should be a 4 to 5 lane road (between Orange and Beltway 8) to carry the increased traffic that it's going to have to carry and it would be a great reliever for Highway 35. Mr. Miller stressed that highway plans and design should begin now if we plan to have one in place within the next five years. The new infrastructure will bring more traffic east/west along the belt so it's going to increase traffic north/south. He stated that we can look for traffic counts of 20 - 22,000 currently on Highway 35 North. He stated that a reliever would be needed, and said it would have to be Mykawa. Regarding the bridge, he felt the best emphasis one could put on the need for this bridge would be that it's a way to access the belt. He said he could not emphasize enough the fact that if you go north on Mykawa and get on the Belt, you can only go to the west. So it means you have to get back on Highway 35 to go to the east. This would solve that problem. It would give us another reliever for 518 once it joins McHard and we'll need another east/west reliever in the future. 3. C.J. Knudson - 5007 Groveton Lane stated he was in favor of the project and said he thought we were about 10 years late. Mr. Knudson suggested the Rice Dryer Road contaminated site be buried with an overpass. He suggested this area be seriously looked at as another location option. 4. Tom Alexander -3208 Nottingham - said that as property owner in the proposed area, he was very much in favor of the project. He stated that another entrance into Pearland from the Beltway was very much needed and pointed out that this project tied into the Monroe/Clear Creek Drive and the park facility that was bought over at Clear Creek. 5. Bobby Stevener -1905 Sleepy Hollow -stated he owned a business on 1601 North Main and was not too happy to see a major intersection here because he could see many headaches. He stated that the cost of living and running a business in this area may at times be a little hectic, but agreed a north access was needed and the overpass was 10 years behind. He also stated that his commuter time had gone from 5 minutes to 20 minutes. He would like to see this project in force as soon as possible. PERSONS WISHING TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION - No one came forward at this time. Chairman Dennis Frauenberger opened the floor for any comments from members of the board. COMMENTS BY THE PEDC BOARD 1. Board member Bob Lewis said he supported the project because it's regarding building infrastructure for the city. 2. Board member Connie Beaumont stated that she didn't think that there was any question regarding the need for this type of facility, but wished the name could be changed from McHard Road to something else because it doesn't come anywhere near McHard. 3. Vice President Tricia Holland pointed out that another east/west corridor is needed and felt this was something that has to be studied very carefully to make sure this is the right place to put it and the right thing to do. She stated she felt, as Ms. Beaumont did regarding McHard Road and also mentioned she was concerned on the impact this would have on friends and neighbors out in Country Place. 4. Chairman Dennis Frauenberger pointed out that the state may have a paranoia about railroad tracks. He stated that when you go down Highway 3, you cannot turn to the right and you can't get on the Beltway. They didn't just single us out, they didn't cross Highway 3 with that dual direction. He said if you want to go east on that Beltway, you have to come back to I45 and make a U-turn and go all the way back, so it's possible that they may really have paranoia and they may want to help us close this Knapp Road situation. 5. Board member Stella Roberts - stated that if we were going to name this McHard Road, then we needed to plan to get someone to make it connect to McHard. She stated that she was willing to have FM2234 going east if the highway department will help us with that connection. 6. Board member Bill Berger - Reminded the board members that this particular area had been presented by John and the rest of the staff at one time as a good industrial site with frontage access to Highway 35, so it makes a lot of sense to have an overpass right on that site. It would just add to it. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS After all board member questions and concerns were addressed satisfactorily, Chairman Dennis Frauenberger opened the floor to move for an adjournment. 4 ADJOURNMENT Adjourned: 10:07 p.m. z�` Minutes approved as submitted and/or corrected this __ `S day of A.D., 1996. ATTEST: Perla N. Lehman, Administrative Assistant