Traffic Commission Discusses Menards' Truck Traffic Plan
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
The Warsaw City Council approved at its Jan. 16 meeting a request by Menards Inc. to rezone approximately 21 acres from R-1 residential to C-3 along Husky Trail and Patterson Road. The rezoning will accommodate the development of a Menards store with additional commercial lots.[[In-content Ad]]Brandon Fulk, project manager for Schneider Corp., West Lafayette, and Matt Brown, of A&F Engineering, Indianapolis, attended Thursday's meeting and provided traffic plans for the development.
Brown previously shared a traffic impact analysis that was prepared at the request of the Indiana Department of Transportation and the city of Warsaw for Menards Inc. for the mixed-use commercial and residential development.
The commission reviewed the traffic impact analysis and approved a conceptual plan regarding traffic with stipulations. Fulk presented information that supported the conditions during the meeting.
"The most important thing to me is making sure Menards can get their trucks in and out safely," said City Planner Jeremy Skinner.
Fulk presented a Design Summary Traffic Plan that addressed the conditions set by the commission for the Menards project.
"We have analyzed the major intersection's right-in and right-outs and a 65-foot truck was analyzed along the route to the Menards northern entrance for large deliveries used by semis," Fulk said.
Fulk said a 50-foot and 40-foot truck was analyzed for tractors and trailers for all other routes and access points to the commercial lots.
"It is not anticipated that the same type of deliveries will be made to these commercial lot locations as will be made to the Menards store," he said.
He said the corporation looked at left-out, right-out and left-in entrance and exits on Mariner Drive and Husky Trail's northern intersection.
Skinner said semi-delivery trucks will not be allowed to go northbound on Husky Trail because it will not be a truck route.
He said signs could be posted stating no truck traffic on right-in or as they leave.
He said truck traffic should be going in a circle, and if the trucks are entering into the south outlot they should be going in on the right end and going left out and back down to U.S. 30 as a truck route.
On the north outlot, truck drivers will have to go up, go in, and go right out back onto U.S. 30.
"We want the drivers back out onto U.S. 30 and Highway 15 as quickly and safely as possible," said Police Chief Steve Foster.
Fulk said commercial access along Parker Street will be right-in/right-out only entrances with a concrete median along Parker Street as well. All other commercial traffic flow will be appropriate access points along Husky Trail and Patterson Road.
Adequate access has been provided by the developer to the commercial lots using other locations along Husky Trail and Patterson Road, Fulk said.
Three ingress/egress locations are provided to the residential components north/northeast of the Menards Store at Mariners Drive, Flora Lane and Robinhood Drive.
The vacation of the old right of way for Patterson and Husky Trail will be requested at a later date. The developer recently acquired additional properties north/northwest of Parker bound by Husky Trail and U.S. 30.
Fulk said the plans submitted identify the connection and access point for the new Patterson configuration versus the existing Normandy Drive and old Patterson.
Skinner said Schneider Corp. and A & F Engineering representatives will present their final traffic plans during the commission's April meeting when final approval will be sought. The commission will review the traffic design and provide comments on improvements needed or additional information needed before the next meeting.
The Plan Commission will have the opportunity to review the traffic movements as the lots develop, Skinner said.
The board will discuss plans to extend curb radius to allow delivery trucks access out of the development and an idea for projected traffic, plans for lane striping and grade changes and cross section information for curbs and gutters.
Fulk said the developer has committed to the funding of a traffic signal at Parker, Patterson and Husky Trail when warranted in the future.
The Warsaw City Council approved at its Jan. 16 meeting a request by Menards Inc. to rezone approximately 21 acres from R-1 residential to C-3 along Husky Trail and Patterson Road. The rezoning will accommodate the development of a Menards store with additional commercial lots.[[In-content Ad]]Brandon Fulk, project manager for Schneider Corp., West Lafayette, and Matt Brown, of A&F Engineering, Indianapolis, attended Thursday's meeting and provided traffic plans for the development.
Brown previously shared a traffic impact analysis that was prepared at the request of the Indiana Department of Transportation and the city of Warsaw for Menards Inc. for the mixed-use commercial and residential development.
The commission reviewed the traffic impact analysis and approved a conceptual plan regarding traffic with stipulations. Fulk presented information that supported the conditions during the meeting.
"The most important thing to me is making sure Menards can get their trucks in and out safely," said City Planner Jeremy Skinner.
Fulk presented a Design Summary Traffic Plan that addressed the conditions set by the commission for the Menards project.
"We have analyzed the major intersection's right-in and right-outs and a 65-foot truck was analyzed along the route to the Menards northern entrance for large deliveries used by semis," Fulk said.
Fulk said a 50-foot and 40-foot truck was analyzed for tractors and trailers for all other routes and access points to the commercial lots.
"It is not anticipated that the same type of deliveries will be made to these commercial lot locations as will be made to the Menards store," he said.
He said the corporation looked at left-out, right-out and left-in entrance and exits on Mariner Drive and Husky Trail's northern intersection.
Skinner said semi-delivery trucks will not be allowed to go northbound on Husky Trail because it will not be a truck route.
He said signs could be posted stating no truck traffic on right-in or as they leave.
He said truck traffic should be going in a circle, and if the trucks are entering into the south outlot they should be going in on the right end and going left out and back down to U.S. 30 as a truck route.
On the north outlot, truck drivers will have to go up, go in, and go right out back onto U.S. 30.
"We want the drivers back out onto U.S. 30 and Highway 15 as quickly and safely as possible," said Police Chief Steve Foster.
Fulk said commercial access along Parker Street will be right-in/right-out only entrances with a concrete median along Parker Street as well. All other commercial traffic flow will be appropriate access points along Husky Trail and Patterson Road.
Adequate access has been provided by the developer to the commercial lots using other locations along Husky Trail and Patterson Road, Fulk said.
Three ingress/egress locations are provided to the residential components north/northeast of the Menards Store at Mariners Drive, Flora Lane and Robinhood Drive.
The vacation of the old right of way for Patterson and Husky Trail will be requested at a later date. The developer recently acquired additional properties north/northwest of Parker bound by Husky Trail and U.S. 30.
Fulk said the plans submitted identify the connection and access point for the new Patterson configuration versus the existing Normandy Drive and old Patterson.
Skinner said Schneider Corp. and A & F Engineering representatives will present their final traffic plans during the commission's April meeting when final approval will be sought. The commission will review the traffic design and provide comments on improvements needed or additional information needed before the next meeting.
The Plan Commission will have the opportunity to review the traffic movements as the lots develop, Skinner said.
The board will discuss plans to extend curb radius to allow delivery trucks access out of the development and an idea for projected traffic, plans for lane striping and grade changes and cross section information for curbs and gutters.
Fulk said the developer has committed to the funding of a traffic signal at Parker, Patterson and Husky Trail when warranted in the future.
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