To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
From: Aaron Monks, Project Manager
Title
Resolution Approving a Variance Pursuant to Chapter 9.16.070E of the Castle Rock Municipal Code for Night Time Construction Activities Related to the 2017 Pavement Maintenance Program, 2017 Bridge Maintenance Program, Meadows Parkway Reconstruction Project, and Perry Street and Third Street Roundabout Project
Body
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Executive Summary
The Public Works Department is requesting a variance to the Town’s noise ordinance to allow for various planned street maintenance and construction activities to occur at night within Town limits outside of the time periods currently permitted by the Municipal Code. The variance would be from April, 2017 to September, 2017.
The current Pavement Maintenance Program (PMP) contracts, pending Public Works Commission and Town Council approval, allow for night time work to occur. The purposed 2017 Bridge Maintenance Program, Meadows Parkway Reconstruction project, and the Perry Street and Third Street Roundabout project are being developed to allow for night time work to occur as well. However, the projects do not address the Town’s noise ordinance.
The present noise ordinance prohibits construction activities that create noise disturbances between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Monday through Friday, and between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. Saturday through Sunday including holidays.
By authorizing night work, impacts to the traveling public, and businesses will be minimized. The night work in general will start at approximately 7:00 p.m. and be completed for the night by 5:00 a.m., prior to peak morning traffic.
The PMP’s night work is tentatively scheduled for late May into June, 2017, dependent on weather. Citizens should experience approximately four to five nights of work along Meadows Parkway at the bridges over Plum Creek.
The Plum Creek Parkway Bridge maintenance is tentatively scheduled for June - July, 2017 on Plum Creek Parkway at the bridge over the Union Pacific Rail Road, dependent on weather. The night time construction activity is expected to be consistent throughout the duration of the project. Once a contractor is selected for this work, the schedule will be finalized.
The Meadows Parkway Reconstruction, and the Meadows Parkway Bridge maintenance projects are tentatively scheduled for June - August, 2017 on Meadows Parkway between Prairie Hawk Drive and Highway 85, dependent on weather. The night time construction activity is expected to be consistent throughout the duration of the projects. Once contractors are selected for this work, the schedule will be finalized.
The Perry Street and Third Street Roundabout is tentatively scheduled for May - August, 2017 dependent on weather. The night time construction activity is expected to be consistent throughout the duration of the project. Once a contractor is selected for this work, the schedule will be finalized.
The street maintenance, and construction activities performed under this variance will include:
§ Removal of existing pavement
§ Pavement Marking
§ Pavement Maintenance
§ Pavement repairs
§ Street Sweeping
§ Asphalt Mill and Overlay
§ Concrete repairs
Most of this work will be performed by contractors hired to perform work under the previously mentioned contracts, however some pavement marking and street sweeping will be performed by Public Works staff. The variance to the ordinance would allow maintenance activities to occur during the summer months while minimizing disruption to the traveling public, as well as normal business activities in the Downtown area. The resolution (Attachment A), if approved gives discretion to the Public Works Director to extend the variance time period by one month in order to complete any remaining work.
Staff and the Town’s contractors understand the importance of minimizing noise disturbances adjacent to residential areas during night time activities. The contractor will utilize spotters when backing and the work scheduled will be approved by the Town to minimize resident disruption. The project team will conduct public outreach to provide residents with advance notice of scheduled night time work. Staff presented the resolution approving a variance pursuant to Chapter 9.16.070E of the Castle Rock Municipal Code for night time construction activities related to the 2017 PMP, 2017 Bridge Maintenance Program, Meadows Parkway Reconstruction project, and the Perry Street and Third Street Roundabout project to the Public Works Commission at their March 6, 2017 meeting. Their recommendations will be presented to Council at the March 7, 2017 Council meeting.
Notification and Outreach Efforts
Staff will communicate these work activities to the public as appropriate. Public outreach will occur in numerous forms such as; 1) Public Outreach Open House, 2) Town newsletters, 3) Town social media, 4) Door notification,5) Press releases, 6) Town’s Web site and others. Residents and businesses will be notified of actual dates that work is to be completed adjacent to their properties, and traffic control plans will be developed and managed to ensure worker and public safety.
Discussion
The Town Municipal Code 9.16.070.E prohibits construction noise that will create a noise disturbance from occurring between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., Monday through Friday and, between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. Saturday through Sunday including holidays. A noise disturbance is defined in the Code as a 50 decibel level or higher at the residential real property boundary. Since there are no residential zoned properties adjacent to the construction limits of each project, it is anticipated that construction work outside of the hours listed will, in general, not create a noise disturbance by definition.
The attached map (Attachment B) illustrates there are no residential zoned properties adjacent to the construction limits of each project. The attached map does indicates there are residential zoned properties within a block of the Perry Street and Third Street Roundabout. With the proximity of these properties to the Perry Street and Third Street Roundabout, it is anticipated that on a few select nights when work is scheduled on the south side of the construction limits a noise disturbance will be created as defined by Code. In this circumstance, residents will be offered hotel accommodations on the few select nights when work is in close proximity of their residences. This is a continued practice of the Town to offer residents hotel accommodations during the night time construction activities in the Downtown area. Last year staff receive several calls inquiring about the offer, but had only one resident request hotel accommodations.
Maintenance activities will be limited to Sunday evening through Friday morning during specific time periods from late May through June for the PMP. The Meadows Parkway Reconstruction, Bridge Maintenance, and the Perry Street and Third Street Roundabout projects are anticipated to perform night time construction activities Sunday through Saturday, from May to September to help the contractors expedite the construction schedule.
Due to increasing traffic volumes and the desire to limit disruption to the traveling public and normal business activities adjacent to these projects, staff is seeking a variance to the existing noise ordinance to allow certain work activities outside of the restricted hours.
Staff has requested that the Public Works Commission recommend to Town Council the approval of a variance pursuant to Chapter 9.16.070.E of the Castle Rock Municipal Code for night time construction activities related to the 2017 PMP, 2017 Bridge Maintenance Program, Meadows Parkway Reconstruction Project, and the Perry Street and Third Street Roundabout Project. Their recommendation will be presented to Council at the March 7, 2017 Council meeting.
Budget Impact
The budget impact of this action will be limited to the cost of providing residents hotel accommodations on a few of the select nights when work is in close proximity to their residences. No additional project cost from the contractor will be incurred with these night time activities because the projects were bid with night work anticipated. No additional cost from consulting engineers will be incurred as their contracts will be set up to accommodate night work. No additional overtime will be incurred by the Town with these activities as staff will shift their work schedules to night hours for the necessary time periods.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends approval of the attached Resolution approving a variance pursuant to Chapter 9.16.070.E of the Castle Rock Municipal Code for Night time construction activities related to the 2017 PMP, 2017 Bridge Maintenance Program, Meadows Parkway Reconstruction Project, and the Perry Street and Third Street Roundabout Project.
Proposed Motion
“I move to approve a Resolution Approving a Variance Pursuant to Chapter 9.16.070.E of the Castle Rock Municipal Code for 2017 PMP, 2017 Bridge Maintenance Program, Meadows Parkway Reconstruction Project, and the Perry Street and Third Street Roundabout Project.”
Attachments
Attachment A: Resolution
Attachment B: Map