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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Council Agenda 111300 SpecialCity of Palm Beach Gardens City Council Workshop Agenda November 13, 2000 Council Chambers 10500 N. Military Trail Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410 Mayor Russo Vice Mayor Jablin Council Member Clark Council Member Furtado Council Member Sabatello CITY OF PALM BEACH GARDENS CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING NOVEMBER 13, 2000 6:00 P.M. I. ROLL CALL 11. LINKAGE PLAN MITIGATION MEASURES III. PROCESS IV. PUBLIC COMMENTS V. ADJOURNMENT In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Florida Statute 86.26, persons with disabilities needing special accommodations to participate in this proceeding should contact the City Clerk's Department, no later than 5 days prior to the proceeding at telephone number (561) 799 -4120 for assistance, if hearing impaired, telephone the Florida Relay Service Numbers (800) 955 -8771 (TDD) or (800) 955 -8700 (VOICE), for assistance. If a person decides to appeal any decision made by the Council, with respect to any matter considered at such meeting or hearing, they will need a record of the proceedings, and for such purpose, they may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based. ti r TO JOSEPH R. RUSSO MAYOR OF PALM BEACH GARDENS Thank you for organizing this linkage meeting. We have heard the DOT experts. I would like to make a few comments. First, if there is a plain railroad crossing 500 Feet from our neighborhood, there is no doubt that the noise level will increase to about 100 decibels, and it will be from both Northbound as well as Southbound trains. Our quality of life would be greatly affected. Second, the proposed ban on train hom has already been in effect once from the 1984 to 1991 but it was called off because of 195% increase of night time accidents. Third, talks about an automated electronic horn system are very far off because the technology is very expensive. We now have about 10 Southbound trains and 10 Northbound trains. To this community, the Southbound trains are the noisy one. The Florida Department of Transportation does not have any proven study of noise. In this incertitude, it is assumed that automated horns at a crossing 500 Feet from our neighborhood would make about the same noise than the actual Southbound trains for the PGA crossing 1600 Feet away. But with the new railroad crossing 500 Feet away, we would have the automated horns blowing 20 times a day, or double the frequency of the actual 10 noisy Southbound trains. How much is the train traffic going to increase. In five years it will probably go from 20 trains to 25 trains a day and the frequency of blowing horns at the crossing would go to 50 times a day. Is F.D.O.T going to guaranteed no increase in noise for a railway crossing in parcel 5A. Four, our most unsafe railroad crossing in Palm Beach Gardens would probably be the proposed one east of parcel 5A. Why, because if you travel on Alt Al and want to enter that railroad crossing, you will be facing an obstacle to a clear view of the tracks, looking North or South. The SW ramp railroad crossing overpass, will have a wall on each side (north and south) and therefore makes that crossing very dangerous if the gate or the automated electronic horn system fails to work. As far as I know, the DOT has not been able to identify a similar ramp at another location. Will they guarantee the safety of that railroad crossing or are they just fulfilling the desire of the City and the property owner. Five, if the railroad crossing is built in parcel 5A, assuming there is a ban on the Florida East Coast railway horn trains, there is no guarantee that the railway crossing would qualify because of the safety I mentioned earlier. There is also no guarantee that an automated horns system would qualify for the same reason. Therefore the train engineer would be blowing his horn, at 100 decibels, each time he would go through that railway crossing. Six, does the City really need to replace the PGA railroad crossing, if so, a railroad crossing south of PGA Blvd in parcel 5B would qualify for automated horns because it would be considered a safe railroad crossing. D.O.T would save $ 500,000 in the construction of the SW ramp. Seven, if there is a four lane access at Military Trail, not only it will give more noise to the Winchester Courts residents leaving only 25 feet away, but the southbound Military Trail approach is very short (only for 2 cars). It will create an unsafe situation for the Military Trail northbound traffic. Eight, with no railroad crossing in parcel 5A, general impact fees monies would not have to be used to build a very expensive 300 foot bridge over a deep lake, and a 4 lane road through that private property. A saving of at least $ 500,000 to the City and County. Finally, the ban on horn train and the automated electronic hom system are both based on assumption. Nothing is certified. There is no study available from the F.D.O.T and State legislators would have to take into consideration a system that would not be safe to motorists at that crossing. If FDOT cannot guarantee the noise and the safety situation for the proposed railroad crossing east of parcel 5A, then the City should cancel Resolution 147, 1999. Thank you, Roger Blangy (principal representative of Garden Woods) 11658 Hemlock Street Palm Beach Gardens Fl 33410 cc: Rick, Chesser, D.O.T District Secretary. District -4 John D. McPherson, F.E.0 President and Chief Operating Officer Jolene Molitoris, Federal Railroad Administration Administrator Jeff Atwater, State Representative Karen T. Marcus, County Commissioner Randy Whitfield, Director Metropolitan Planning Organization Dominic Calabro, Director Florida TaxWatch Enclosure: Letter of John D. McPherson dated May 22, 2000 Nov 13, 2000 MFEC JOHN D. MCPHERSON President and Chief Operating Officer FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY COMPANY ONE MALAGA STREET, P.O. BOX 1048, ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA 32085 -1048 904 826 -2209 904 819 -2102 FAX Mr. Roger Blangy 11658 Hemlock Street Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410 Dear Mr. Blangy: May 22, 2000 File: MP 290 Thank you for the copy of your petition to stop the proposed crossing identified in Resolution 147. I hope you are successful in your efforts. Sincerely yours, ohn D. c o JDM /g