07-14-2009 CC RPT 01 - Laserfiche WebLink

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P09- 0205/P09 -0206 • Page 2 BACKGROUND The proposed project involves the closure of Dufferin Avenue, between McAllister Parkway and Stewart Street, to vehicular traffic. The project was initiated to eliminate cut - through traffic from motorists currently utilizing Dufferin Avenue, between McAllister Parkway and Stewart Street, as a short -cut through the Arlington Heights Greenbelt. The closure of the subject portion of Dufferin Avenue to vehicular traffic will implement a required condition of approval applied to two County approved Tract Maps (TM -30295 and TM- 30337) by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors in 2003. As conditioned by the County Board of Supervisors, the closure was required to occur prior to the recordation of these two maps and prior to the construction of any residences within these subdivisions. Since that time, the tract maps have been recorded and homes constructed within these subdivisions without this condition being implemented by the County. As outlined in the Planning Commission staff report (Attachment 2), the closure of Dufferin Avenue at McAllister Parkway to vehicular traffic is necessary based on the following facts: • The closure is necessary to protect the Arlington Heights Greenbelt from further increases in cut - through traffic that have been quantified by the City's Public Works Department. The subject portion of Dufferin Avenue is located at a key entry /exit point of the Arlington Heights Greenbelt, where motorists utilize this portion of Dufferin Avenue to access other greenbelt streets as short cuts to retail, medical, office and other institutional facilities within the City of Riverside. The cut - through traffic generated through the subject segment of Dufferin Avenue (4,279 trips per day) is inconsistent with Proposition R and Measure C, voter initiated ballot measures passed in 1979 and 1987, respectively, to protect the rural, agricultural nature of the greenbelt. Measure C requires the City to take appropriate actions to "promote and preserve agricultural uses and agricultural lands ", including to "Protect Greenbelt streets from heavy traffic ". Thus, to close Dufferin Avenue between McAllister Parkway and Stewart Street to vehicular traffic would eliminate an unnecessary entry /exit point to the Arlington Heights Greenbelt, thereby protecting the greenbelt from high volumes of cut - through traffic, consistent with Proposition R and Measure C. As discussed later in this report, there are plenty of alternate routes to access points north and east of the subject closure, with only insignificant delays; • Dufferin Avenue, as with all other greenbelt streets, has limited physical improvements in accordance with Proposition R and Measure C. These streets consist of relatively narrow pavement sections (typically 20 -25 feet in width) and typically have no curb or gutters; only unimproved shoulders typically exist on either side of the paved roadways. As such, these streets are not designed to accommodate a continually increasing number of vehicle trips; they are intentionally narrow to protect the greenbelt from heavy traffic, consistent with Proposition R and Measure C; • The closure of the segment of Dufferin Avenue in question is also consistent with the City of Riverside's General Plan, which includes objectives, goals and policies to preserve the agricultural character of the Arlington Heights Greenbelt and protect it from potential sources of cut- through traffic; 1 -2