MyValleySprings.Com: Calaveras Council of Governments (CCOG)

 

Executive Director: Timothy McSorley, P.E

 

 

Questions:

 

  1. Is the RTP on-line?

 

No, currently the RTP is in the process of being updated and is not on-line.  We are anticipating the completion of this effort to be in July 2007.  Once the RTP has been finalized and adopted by the Council of Governments it will be posted on-line in pdf format.  The web address for our agency is www.calacog.org, (once posted) move your mouse over the “resources” option near the top of the page and a drop-down box will appear, scroll down and select RTP.  ** Please check back to the Calaveras Council of Governments site on a regular basis as we will be posting draft plans for public review as soon as we have them, to be followed by the finalized and adopted versions.

 

  1. Is UPLAN (GIS urban growth model) available on-line?

 

No, UPLAN is a GIS-based tool that is being developed collaboratively by the CCOG, UC Davis, Caltrans and local partners (Alpine and Amador Counties) as an urban growth model that quantifies impacts to local resources.  The tool has a specific function and that is to assist in the update of a county or city general plan and help coordinate on a regional basis.  We are offering this program to Calaveras County and the City of Angels to help explore alternative growth possibilities through illustration (maps) and anlaysis (reports generated by software) of the impacts of land use planning on Transportation and visa versa.

 

  1. Can you use the internet and the media to disseminate the Bike and Pedestrian Survey?

 

Yes, the Bike and Pedestrian survey is currently posted on the CCOG website (www.calacog.org).  Simply download the pdf, fill it out, and either- email, fax or mail it back to the CCOG office (PO Box 280, San Andreas, Ca, 95249).  The survey can also be downloaded from the MyValleySprings.com website or thepinetree.net website.

 

  1. Does the Calaveras Council of Governments visit communities?

 

We certainly do!  I’m sorry that you may have missed us; we were recently in your community, by invite of MyValleySprings.Com organizers.  The Calaveras Council of Governments has also visited the communities of Copperopolis, Mountain Ranch and the City of Angels Camp recently as part of the Unmet Transit Needs process.  We also speak at community functions.  Recently the executive director spoke to the Lions Club of Mokelumne Hill.  Please feel free to invite our agency to your community or function, we are always happy to speak on our behalf about the role we play in Calaveras County and the goals we hope to achieve.

 

  1. Is it accurate to say that one major thing that makes long term planning almost futile is for supervisors to allow land use density to increase beyond what is called for by the general plan?

 

Not really.  Land use and transportation planning are very closely related.  They have a chicken and egg relationship to some degree, with questions about which one actually drives (no pun intended) the other.  It is safe to say that the role of each on the other is very significant when planning for the future.  Long term planning of both land use and transportation are important because they attempt to look into the future and honestly describe what types of changes may take place and then either make accommodations for what is forecasted, or take action to correct the picture.  An emerging trend in land use planning is acknowledgement of the importance that transportation plays in the “big picture” of community and regional planning.  As a result of challenges that are increasingly being associated with low density development (long commutes, increased emissions, insufficient infrastructure {roads, water, sewer}, housing equity, etc) there is a new breeze blowing in favor of a more “comprehensive” approach that fully recognizes the interrelationship of land use and transportation, in-fill and transit-oriented development, redevelopment, higher densities and mixed-use .  The decades old tradition of Euclidian zoning (separating land uses) is being assuaged to incorporate land uses that don’t require as much dependency on the personal automobile.

 

Additionally, General Plans can be amended up to four times per year and aren’t meant to be static documents that are completely inflexible and unable to accommodate new direction or development that capitalizes on existing facilities.   

 

  1. Where are Bike and Pedestrian facilities in Calaveras County?

 

The CCOG is currently updating the Bike and Pedestrian Plan.  This document will not only outline the existing facilities (the few that exist), but it will also display all of the proposed improvements for the County and individual communities.  CCOG encourages you to visit our website (www.calacog.org) when this project is completed for a review of Countywide Bike and Pedestrian facilities.  ** Please check back to the Calaveras Council of Governments site on a regular basis as we will be posting draft plans for public review as soon as we have them, to be followed by the finalized and adopted versions.

 

  1. Caltrans says that the status of the Valley Springs “Bypass” project is “inactive.”  Do you know when Caltrans or the County plan to begin construction on the bypass?

 

The Bypass or Connector project is not currently a programmed project, which means that there are no funds that are currently being directed towards building the new roadway.  The project is listed in the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and is also included in the Road Impact Mitigation (RIM) fee program, as such, funds are being saved for this effort.  Caltrans did commission a Project Study Report (PSR) in 2002-2003 to get a clear picture of traffic volumes, safety issues and to project potential new alignments of highways 12 and 26.  At this point, there is no clear construction future for this project.  Please keep in mind that ALL state highway improvement projects compete on a statewide basis, so what may seem like an immediate or pressing need in one of our communities may not be prioritized as critical when viewed from a state-wide perspective.

 

  1. When is the 4-way stop at 12/26 going to be improved with a stoplight?  Will the highways be widened at the intersection?

 

The intersection of highways 12 and 26 is certainly a priority for the County.  The Board of Supervisors identified this intersection as the highest priority for improvements.  Studies have been completed, with alternatives as to the best alignments for addressing the current and future issues.  Widening would take place as part of this endeavor, but the extent would depend on which alignment was determined to be most appropriate.  An important consideration in the delivery of this project is that 12 and 26 are both State highways and coordination with Caltrans is mandatory.  Recognizing this partnership, Calaveras County is taking the necessary steps to ensure that the identified congestion is mitigated as quickly as possible utilizing all available funding sources. 

 

  1. Walking on our roads is so dangerous-there are no bike or pedestrian paths to connect our subdivisions with each other or downtown.  How is this critical problem being addressed?  Can we connect Jenny Lind school with Valley Springs elementary?

 

The Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan is attempting to identify the mobility short-comings in Calaveras County.  This is a big job and opinions vary as to what types of improvements people would like to see.  The resulting plan identifies existing facilities in communities as well as proposed new facilities that will improve connectivity, assist children in getting to school safely and support improvements for bicycle riders.  Planning documents like this one combined with “new” road standards that accommodate non-motorized forms of travel (sidewalks, bike lanes, traffic calming techniques, crosswalks) will assist in rendering our streets more negotiable to alternative forms of transport.  Specific requests for projects can be suggested to the CCOG for inclusion in the current update.  Another function of the Plan is to tie funding opportunities to specific projects to assist in getting them built.  Project delivery of the projects falls on the County, City and Caltrans where State infrastructure is involved.   

 

  1.  Given the process used to allocate money for major transportation projects, is there any reasonable prospect that highways 12 or 26 will be improved in the next 10 years?  Has a study of continued development been done for either highway?

 

Please see the responses to questions number 7 and 8.

 

  1.   Can you put your documents in other languages?

 

Currently, the CCOG does not have the staff or resources to translate material into various languages. 

 

 

 

  1. Are there funds that come to the Calaveras Council of Governments that can also be used for local roads?

 

Yes, CCOG receives funding for the County and the City of Angels from a number of sources- federal, state and local, that can be used for repair, maintenance and reconstruction of local infrastructure.  However, the perennial issue with transportation is funding.  Investment in our transportation system although robust during the initial building of the highway system in the fifties and sixties, has not been adequate to maintain and preserve, let alone expand the system.  Every year the gap between transportation revenues (gas tax, license fee, sales tax, etc) and infrastructure needs grows wider.  As a result the competition for funding has become more intense and  larger shares of the transportation dollars find their way to larger and more congested areas of the state.        

 

  1. Which state highways (in Calaveras County) are the most heavily traveled?

 

According to Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT), defined as the total two-way traffic volume on a roadway over the year divided by 365 days.  The highest AADT volumes in Calaveras County in 2005 (the latest year for which data is currently available) is as follows:*

 

·       SR 49 @ Murphys Grade Rd (City of Angels) – 17,000

·       SR 49 @ South junction of SR 4 (City of Angels) – 15,900

·       SR 49 @ Main Street (San Andreas) – 13,000

·       SR 49 @ Mountain Ranch Rd (San Andreas)  – 12,200

·       SR 4 @  Blagen Rd (Arnold)  – 12,100

 

Traffic counting on State highways is performed by Caltrans using electronic counting instruments, moved to consistent locations throughout the County and the State in a program of continuous traffic count sampling.  The resulting counts are adjusted to reflect an estimate  of annual average daily traffic by compensating for seasonal fluctuation, weekly variation and other variables that may be present. 

 

* Per Calaveras County 2007 Regional Transportation Plan

 

  1. Are there plans for a stoplight at Vista Del Lago?

 

Construction of a stoplight at Vista Del Lago is anticipated to be completed by December 2009.

 

  1. The Road Impact Mitigation (RIM) fee nexus study adopted in 2004 found “a significant portion of the identified projects will require funding above and beyond that attributed to new development.”  Why isn’t new development being asked to pay more?

 

The figure that developers are required to pay is a function of  the “nexus” of the project, or more simply stated, the direct impact the development project is going to have on the surrounding roads and infrastructure.  This figure is determined using established formulas that relate to the type of development that is being promulgated and the existing condition of County facilities.

 

15b- What progress has been made toward identifying a second source of funds to pay for these new development projects?  What is a Benefit Basin fee program and how does it work with RIM fees?

 

Below I have cited language that has been adopted by the Board of Supervisors that will help clarify the role of RIM and Benefit Basin fees:

 

Substantial population and employment growth is expected in Calaveras County through 2025 and beyond.  This growth will cause impacts on the Regional Transportation Network (“Regional Transportation Network” or “RIM FEE Network”) including increased congestion, accident rates, and related impacts unless substantial improvements are completed. 

 

The Road Impact Mitigation Fee Program (“RIM FEE Program”) is intended to provide funding for transportation and transit improvements that mitigate these impacts.  All new development as shown on the Road Impact Mitigation Fee Schedule as adopted by the Board of Supervisors throughout the County will be subject to the fee which will be in proportion to the impact caused on the Regional Transportation Network by such new development as may be determined by the Board of Supervisors in accordance with this Chapter.  The funding derived from the RIM FEE Program shall be used in combination with other funding available to regional planning entities to complete the needed transportation and transit improvements.

 

The Board of Supervisors finds and determines that there is a reasonable and rational relationship between the use of the RIM FEE Program Fees and the type of development projects on which the fees are imposed because the fees will be used to construct the transportation improvements that are necessary for the safety, health and welfare of the users of the development projects on which the RIM FEE Program Fee will be levied, as shown on the Road Impact Mitigation Fee Schedule.

 

A benefit basin is an account that is set up by the County to collect fees for application towards specific capital improvement projects (ie bridges, roads) in designated communities.

 

The Board of Supervisors further finds:

 

  1. New development creates the need for construction, expansion or improvement of public roadways due to generation in additional traffic.
  2. Because funds are not available to pay for improvements made necessary by development, each new development must pay its fair share of these improvements.
  3. The formation of a benefit basin provides the means by which road improvements necessitated by development may be spread fairly on the basis of projected trips by each new development.

   

In conclusion, RIM fees and Benefit Basins are very similar and complementary programs developed to help pay for growth in the County and specific communities.  Developers who build in communities that have an established benefit basin are required to pay both RIM fees and Benefit Basin fees.  

 

  1. Please explain the UPLAN model to be used in integrated planning with neighboring counties?

 

UPLAN is a GIS-based tool that is being developed collaboratively by the CCOG, UC Davis, Caltrans and local partners (Alpine and Amador Counties) as an urban growth model that quantifies impacts to local resources.  The tool has a specific function and that is to assist in the update of general plans.  We are offering this program to Calaveras County and the City of Angels to help explore alternative growth possibilities and to illustrate the impacts of land use planning on Transportation and visa versa.  The regional benefit gleaned from this model is the communication that it fosters.  For the model to yield the maximum amount of benefit, adjacent counties must work together to ensure that they are using the same type of data.  With common model base layers serving all three counties they can clearly define impacts to regional resources (reservoirs, rivers, forests, floodplains, roads) that span arbitrary county boundaries, coordinate growing traffic volumes and  project future County changes that may impact neighboring counties.

 

If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to call our office at 209 754-2094 and we will be happy to go into further detail on the topic of your choice! 

 

Thank you MyValleySprings.Com for inviting us to your community, we enjoyed the opportunity to work with you.