4.0 Coordination and Consultation 4.0 Coordination and Consultation

Transcription

1 4.0 Coordination and Consultation 4.0 Coordination and Consultation DART RAIL TO ROWLETT Connecting Communities

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3 4.0 COORDINATION AND CONSULTATION This Chapter provides an overview of the public involvement and agency coordination efforts that have been carried out as a part of the proposed project development process. It is anticipated that agency coordination will continue through final design. In addition, DART will work closely with the affected property owners as well as the appropriate agencies to finalize mitigation treatments and resolve any outstanding issues. 4.1 Public Involvement The public involvement program for the proposed has been designed to utilize a variety of methods to reach a range of affected parties and stakeholders, from city officials to project area residents. These methods have included a series of newsletters, many formal meetings with community and agency groups and several special meetings. A series of three four-page newsletters, each were produced throughout the duration of the study to communicate with the general public about the progress of the project. These newsletters included text and graphics, and provided information in both English and Spanish. The newsletters were distributed to the corridor mailing list, which included adjacent property owners, meeting attendees, and work group participants. Anyone requesting project information was added to the mailing list. Newsletters were distributed on the following dates: Volume 1 June 2005 Volume 2 August 2005 Volume 3 July 2006 The DART Community Affairs Department has maintained the corridor mailing list. The list has been used to send notifications regarding public and work group meetings, as well as project progress. Meetings were held to obtain input, communicate information, or obtain approval of the study alternatives and conclusions. These meetings included general public meetings, meetings with the formal CWG and TWG, a series of meetings to address specific issues related to the proposed project such as crossing the KCS, briefings to elected and appointed officials, and individual meetings with the appropriate City of Garland and City of Rowlett staff. Table 4-1 provides a chronologically ordered summary of the public and agency coordination efforts to date. 4-1

4 Table 4-1: Public and Agency Meetings Event Date Location Alternatives Analysis Meeting 04/27/2005 DART Public Meeting #1 05/12/2005 Rowlett City Hall Alternatives Analysis Meeting 05/25/2005 DART TWG Meeting #1 06/16/2005 Granville Arts Center CWG Meeting #1 07/14/2005 Rowlett City Hall Alternatives Analysis Meeting 08/16/2005 DART Alternatives Analysis Meeting 08/30/2005 DART DART Planning Committee 09/20/2005 DART Public Meeting #2 09/22/2005 Station Design Meeting #1 10/03/2005 DART Station Design Meeting #2 10/18/2005 DART Station Design Meeting #3 11/08/2005 DART TWG Meeting #2 11/17/2005 Austin Academy for Excellence Rowlett Community Centre DGNO Meeting #1 01/10/2006 DART CWG Meeting #2 01/25/2006 Granville Arts Center Station Design Meeting #4 02/13/2006 DART Station Design Meeting #5 02/20/2006 Rowlett City Hall Station Design Meeting #6 02/20/2006 City of Garland TWG Meeting #3 06/14/2006 Rowlett City Hall TWG Meeting #3 06/15/2006 Garland City Hall Event Date Location GP&L Meeting 06/21/2006 Garland City Hall Public Meeting #3 06/29/2006 Rowlett City Hall Public Meeting #4 12/14/06 Rowlett City Hall Source: LOPEZGARCIA GROUP, 2007 A series of four public meetings were held over the course of the study to involve the community in project design, EA alternatives, and station area planning. An informational brochure was distributed prior to each public meeting which provided project progress, meeting date, and location. These brochures were placed on DART bus and rail lines, as well as in public facilities within the project area. The first public meeting, held on May 12, 2005, was attended by over 50 members of the community. An introduction to the study and several key issues were presented, including: Crossing KCS tracks east of downtown Garland Rowlett Creek and floodplain issues Noise and vibration issues Historical issues 4-2

5 Coordination efforts with downtown Garland planning initiatives and the City of Rowlett Main Street Improvement project In addition to the key issues noted, residents in the Study Area requested information regarding ROW acquisition along the corridor, which had not been determined at the time. Meeting attendees also asked about plans to expand the corridor beyond the City of Rowlett. Since noise impacts were a main concern for residents, noise and vibration issues were closely examined during the LEA process. A second public meeting was held in the City of Garland on September 22, Issues presented were associated with data collection efforts and station development. Residents in attendance were mainly concerned with noise and vibration impacts to residential areas. Members of the community also provided input regarding bridge aesthetics and double track construction. The third public meeting was held on June 29, 2006 in the City of Rowlett and was attended by 26 members of the community. The presentation included the preliminary results from the DART Rail to Rowlett LEA, proposed DART Downtown Rowlett LRT Station concept design, and an update on key issues. Following the presentation, residents in attendance were able to provide questions or comments regarding the project, the majority of which were concerned with real estate acquisitions and visual aesthetics within the downtown Rowlett area. The final public meeting was conducted on December 14, 2006, following the completion of the Draft LEA. The meeting, held at Rowlett City Hall, reported the results included in the draft document. Several presentation boards with the proposed DART Downtown Rowlett LRT Station concepts and the general corridor overview were on display prior to the meeting. Questions asked following the presentation included noise impacts to Dexham Estates, future extension to Lake Ray Hubbard, parking expansion at the DART Downtown Garland LRT Station and current and future train capacity. DART also worked closely with community leaders and city officials and employees to identify issues of concern and solicit recommendations. A CWG was formed and briefed periodically on study progress prior to public meetings and asked to present their ideas to community members and associations. A TWG including representatives from affected agencies, local cities and utility companies was formed and members were divided into break-out sessions according to city affiliation. The organization of the TWG allowed the project team to focus on specific issues of concern for each city. On July 14, 2005, the first CWG meeting was held in the City of Rowlett. The group was comprised of representatives from organized interest groups, politicians, and other stakeholders in the corridor. The project background was provided and key project issues were presented, including the DART Downtown Garland LRT Station alternatives, potential wetlands/floodplain issues, potential historic structures, and noise/vibration sensitive areas. Members of the community in attendance expressed concern with regard to noise and safety, suggesting noise walls and fencing along the ROW. Many questions were related to the future of the DART System Plan, including new member cities and possible expansion. 4-3

6 The second CWG meeting was held on January 25, 2006 in Garland. The issues presented in this meeting included: The crossing of the light rail over the KCS alignment, just east of the DART Downtown Garland LRT Station Bridge structure appearance for the new line Design and development of the proposed DART Downtown Rowlett LRT Station Environmental issues including noise and vibration Attendees requested information regarding the effects of construction on current service, as well as noise and vibration impacts to the community college. The first TWG meeting was held on June 16, The TWG was composed of staff from local, state and federal implementation agencies and authorities, local jurisdictions, utility companies, affected resource agencies, and other interested agencies. A presentation of the study and evaluation of alternatives was given, followed by discussions within break-out groups composed of individuals concerned with either the DART Downtown Garland LRT Station or proposed DART Downtown Rowlett LRT Stations. The break-out sessions provided an opportunity for TWG members to share comments and suggestions regarding the study. Some of the issues introduced included: The DART Downtown Garland LRT Station s role in downtown redevelopment GP&L transmission line and substation Concern with the look of possible aerial structures Proposed DART Downtown Rowlett LRT Station design with regard to downtown plan During this meeting, the City of Garland expressed the importance of redeveloping the downtown area with regard to the placement of the new Dallas County Community College District education center, referred to as the Richland College Northeast Campus, scheduled to open in The college would be located at 5th Street, Walnut Street and Glenbrook Drive, to the west of the current DART bus transfer facility and north of the DART Downtown Garland LRT Station. GP&L representatives in attendance noted issues related to the substation and transmission lines located adjacent to the proposed alignment. Members of the Rowlett breakout group discussed plans for the new station in accordance with the City of Rowlett Downtown Revitalization Plan. The second TWG meeting was held on November 17, 2005 in the City of Rowlett and addressed data collection efforts, KCS crossing alternatives, and proposed DART Downtown Rowlett LRT Station design. Members of the TWG discussed KCS crossing efforts with regard to the transmission line limitations and possible relocations. Obstacles include uninterrupted electric service and the project budget constraints. During the proposed DART Downtown Rowlett LRT Station discussions, parking concerns were expressed. Suggestions included building a parking structure to accommodate increased ridership. The importance of maintaining the theme of downtown Rowlett was discussed. 4-4

7 The final TWG meeting was divided into separate meetings for each city. The first meeting was held in the City of Rowlett on June 14, 2006 in order to discuss station design and ROW issues. Members in attendance commented on ROW acquisition through residential developments. Potential ROW acquisitions, to accommodate the station, and the historical significance of the cotton gin were also concerns. The TWG meeting held in the City of Garland included key issues relating to the preliminary LEA results, ROW acquisition, drainage design, noise impacts, the Texas Municipal Power Agency (TMPA) interface, and GP&L substation and transmission lines. City of Garland representatives commented on the need for bridge aesthetic efforts. This meeting was predominantly attended by GP&L employees and a follow-up meeting was scheduled in order to address the concerns related to the substation and transmission line issues. In addition to these formal group meetings, a series of meetings was held to address specific issues relating to the proposed DART Downtown Rowlett LRT Station design and the KCS crossing alternatives. During the proposed DART Downtown Rowlett LRT Station design meetings, the conceptual layout was discussed, including TOD and parking. Automobile, bus, and pedestrian circulation were analyzed, along with the proposed extension of Martin Street. These meetings focused on incorporating the new station into the City of Rowlett Downtown Master Plan. During the KCS crossing alternatives analysis meetings, options for crossing the KCS freight tracks immediately east of the Garland Station were analyzed. These meetings included detailed analysis of the GP&L transmission lines and clearance requirements for the KCS railroad. Options involving the relocation of the existing DART Downtown Garland LRT Station were eliminated. 4-5