To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
From: Carl Armijo, Public Works Engineering Manager
Title
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 2018 Pavement Maintenance Program, 2018 Bridge Maintenance Program, 2018 Town Facility Parking Lot Improvement Project, and 2018 Capital Improvement Program Projects
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, 2018 to December, 2018.
The current Pavement Maintenance Program (PMP), Bridge Maintenance Program, Town Facility Parking Lot Improvement Project, and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) contracts, pending Public Works Commission and Town Council approval, allow for night time work to occur. 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 by 5:00 a.m., prior to peak morning traffic.
The PMP’s night work includes the Wilcox Concrete Pavement Restoration Project, which is tentatively scheduled for April and May, 2018. The night time concrete construction work is expected to be consistent throughout the duration of the project. The Prairie Hawk Drive overlay is tentatively scheduled for May, 2018 (depending on weather). Citizens should experience approximately two weeks of asphalt work along Prairie Hawk Drive between Low Meadow Boulevard and Wolfensberger Road.
The Front Street Flyover Bridge asphalt mill and overlay is tentatively scheduled for September, 2018 on the bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad. The night time construction activity is expected to be consistent throughout the duration of the project.
The Fourth Street and Perry Street Parking Lot Project, located adjacent to the Castle Rock Fire and Rescue Department parking lot, is tentatively scheduled for mid-August to September, 2018. The night time construction activity is expected to be consistent throughout the duration of the project, and is expected to take five to six nights.
The CIP’s night work includes four projects. The Meadows Parkway Reconstruction is scheduled for late May to early August, 2018 on Meadows Parkway between Prairie Hawk Drive and the Meadows Parkway bridges over Plum Creek. The night time construction activity is expected to be consistent throughout the duration of the project.
The Founders Parkway/Allen Way Intersection Improvement Project is in the right-of-way acquisition phase. If the acquisitions go well, construction is expected to begin in September, 2018 and run through the end of December, 2018. The night time construction activity is expected to be consistent throughout the duration of the project.
The Founders Parkway/Crowfoot Valley Road Intersection Improvement and Crowfoot Valley Road Widening Project is also in the right-of-way acquisition phase. If the acquisitions continue on their current schedule, construction could begin as early as late April, 2018 and would run through October, 2018. The schedule will also be coordinated with the Founders Parkway/Allen Way Project. Much of the project can be constructed without lane restrictions during the day, however, there will be periodic night work required throughout the duration of the project.
The Wolfensberger Road/Coachline Road/Plum Creek Parkway Intersection Improvement Project is in the bidding phase. Construction is expected to occur from July to October, 2018. Most of the work will take place during the day without lane restrictions; however there may be periodic night work throughout the duration of the project.
Once contractors are selected for the projects, the schedules will be finalized and communicated to the public. All schedules are weather dependent.
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 employed 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 equipment and the night 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 is recommending approval of the variance to the Town’s noise ordinance in order to minimize disruption to the traveling public and normal business activities.
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.
The attached location maps (Attachment B) illustrate the location of residential zoned properties in relation to the construction limits of each project. The maps indicate there are residential zoned properties within a block of the Wilcox Concrete Pavement Restoration Project, Front Street Flyover Bridge, Fourth Street and Perry Street Parking Lot Project, Prairie Hawk Drive near Wolfensberger Road, the Wolfensberger Road/Coachline Road/Plum Creek Parkway Intersection, and the Founders Parkway/Crowfoot Valley Road Intersection Project. It is anticipated that construction work may create a noise disturbance. 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. There were no requests from residents last year for these accommodations.
Night Work construction activities will be limited to Sunday evening through Friday morning during specific time periods in April and May for the Wilcox Concrete Pavement Restoration Project and in July for Prairie Hawk Drive maintenance. The Meadows Parkway Reconstruction, Wolfensberger Road/Coachline Road/Plum Creek Parkway Intersection, Founders Parkway/Crowfoot Valley Road Intersection, Founders Parkway/Allen Way Intersection, Front Street Flyover Bridge, and the Fourth Street and Perry Street Parking Lot projects are anticipated to perform night time construction activities Sunday through Saturday, 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.
The Public Works Commission recommended the Town Council to approve the Resolution at their February 5th meeting.
Budget Impact
The financial 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 the Town Council approval of the Resolution as introduced by title.
Proposed Motion
“I move to approve the Resolution as introduced by title.”
Attachments
Attachment A: Resolution
Attachment B: Location Maps