Meeting Notes:

Notes are not to be considered minutes.  Notes are not a transcript.

Notes

Meeting of the Falls Run Community Association Board of Directors

Date:  18 June 2008

Time:  10:00 AM

Members Present:  Toni Brown, Jake Bernard, Chuck Strub, Jack Mounts, Harriet Schrader, Don Horan, Don Webb

Members Absent:  None

Others Present:  Sylva Southwell, Armstrong Property Manager

I:  The meeting was called to order at 10:00AM by Toni Brown, FRCA Board President.

II:  Toni Brown discussed the purpose for calling the special meeting and defined it as working towards a “win-win” solution regarding the Middlebrook gate configuration.  She asked all who attended to be willing to wipe the slate clean and to put aside all previous agendas.  She stated that we should search for a fresh approach and to explore new ideas.

III:  Toni Brown introduced Allen Burden, a Villa resident, who offered his expertise to the community and the Board.  After discussing his background as a licensed engineer in both California and Florida and his experience dealing with traffic control requirements; he discussed Federal and State regulatory requirements.  He explained that The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices [MUTCD] is incorporated by reference into 23 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR], part 655, and shall be recognized as the national standard for all traffic control devices installed on any street open to public travel.  The Uniform Vehicle Code [UVC] is one of the publications referenced in the MUTCD.  The UVC contains a model set of motor vehicle codes and traffic laws for use throughout the United States.  Section 15-116 of the UVC states “ No person shall install or maintain in any area of private property used by the public any sign, signal, marking, or other device intended to regulate, warn, or guide traffic unless in conforms with the State manual and specifications adopted under Section 15-104, UVC”.  Mr. Burden then passed out a set of six pictures of the Middlebrook gate entrance which he had prepared using Photoshop to show our present and original configurations and some possible alternatives for the Board to consider. 

                a:  Picture 1 shows the entrance lane from Plantation Drive when approaching Middlebrook from Gladstone.   It shows how the right curb marking leads into the concrete curbing at the start of the curve into Middlebrook.

                b:  Picture 2 shows the entrance to the gate area from across Plantation Drive and he has highlighted the white concrete gutter guiding drivers at night as well as day and the unexpected objects in read [pots] that have no reflectivity at night.  In discussion of this picture, he noted that the pots have red reflectors and that the use of the color red has a different and specific meaning when used in traffic control.  Red is used to signify a stop or wrong way or something similar. 

                c:  Picture 3 shows the entrance before the pots were placed in the road.  There were no traffic markings or signs to guide residents or visitors.

                d:  Picture 4 shows the entrance using standard white road marking stripes to move the traffic to the left side of the road and adding a sign directing visitors to use the entry pad at the kiosk.

                e:  Picture 5 shows an alternative two lane entrance which adds a white center stripe to divide the entrance into the two lanes.  It also adds two signs to direct residents and visitors to their proper lanes.  Allen indicated that he has problems with using raised curbs to separate the two lanes of traffic due to the low road clearance of many smaller vehicles.

                f:  Picture 6 shows the entrance after moving the right curb outwards 8 – 10 feet and creating a 14 foot wide entrance lane.  He noted that permits would be needed from VDOT to do this and that additional signage would be necessary to control vehicle flow.

IV:  Board discussion and comment upon Allen Burden’s presentation:

                a:  Toni Brown first thanked Mr. Burden for his detailed presentation to the Board and then noted that the Board had never really addressed the issue in this situation.  She wanted to approach this from a viewpoint of “the pots must go” and try to work from there.

                b:  Harriet Schrader asked if the roadway is wide enough to set up two lanes as indicated in Picture 5.  We have 26 feet and that is enough to provide two traffic lanes.

                c:  Don Horan asked if the lane markings in Pictures 4-6 continued past the kiosk to the gate itself. It appears that they do continue all the way to the gate to allow people to pass disabled vehicles.  Only one gate would open at a time.

                d:  Harriet Schrader inquired as to our ability to change the gates to operate the left gate only from the kiosk and the right gate only from remotes.

                e:  Jake Bernard noted that the issue still came down to one or two gates/lanes and wanted the Board to decide that issue first.

                f:  At the Board’s request, Mr. Burden elaborated upon the possible alternatives in setting up one or two lanes.  Toni Brown then asked the Board to restrict discussion at this point solely to the issue of a one or two lane entrance.

V:  Board discussion and comment upon a one or two lane entrance:

                a:  Don Horan asked if we go to one lane are we able to restrict use of remotes to the other three gates.  It appears that this can be done through software by deleting the remote codes.

                b:  Don Webb wanted to know if we could set up white posts along the white stripe to help direct traffic to the left in a one lane configuration.  Mr. Burden indicated that the preferred method would be to fill the area to the right of the lane stripe with diagonal white lines.

                c:  Harriet Schrader mentioned that she had watched the Channel 96 main gate display for one hour on Saturday and counted 28 vehicles entering the community.  She also noted that some of our residents “flew” thru the entrance.  She also stated that she thought the gates operated well and was in favor on one lane with some added stripping and longer gate arms.  She thought that this would be a low cost solution to the problem.

                d:  Jack Mounts stated that he was in favor of a two lane solution and believed that residents in the community should have priority.

                e:  Don Horan noted that paint is not a real barrier to vehicle traffic.

                f:  Jake Bernard noted that moving the right hand curb outward as in picture 6 solved that problem and suggested taking the new curb line right up to the kiosk.

                g:  Toni Brown noted that we have a history on people’s behavior – people fly thru the gate.  She stated that returning to the original configuration at the gate will only bring back the problems that let to the current situation.

                h:  Don Webb also noted the possible liability issue if the Board returns to the original configuration at the Middlebrook gate with the known history of accidents and near misses at the gate.

                i:  Jake Bernard suggested that we could stripe the entrance way down to one lane, observe people’s behavior for a period of time and go to more permanent curbing later if it was necessary.

VI:  Toni Brown then asked the Board and it was determined that the consensus of the Board felt a one lane entrance was the preferred solution.  The Board then discussed possible ways of achieving a one lane entrance:

                a:  The entrance could be made keypad only and all vehicles would be required to enter a code at the kiosk.  Resident’s remotes would only work at the other three gates to the community.  Toni Brown noted that going to keypad only would have a significant learning curve for our residents.

                b:  Stripes and longer gate arms could be used to create the single lane.  Harriet Schrader asked Mr. Burden about the types of stripes required and he indicated that 4-8 inch wide white stripes were mandatory.  He noted that tape could be used instead of paint if the Board was not sure about the solution. He pointed out that the diagonals were optional but added emphasis to the single lane.  Jake Bernard noted  we would need proper signage at the entrance.  Toni Brown noted that the present gap between the gate arms is too large and Don Webb suggested extending the gate arm on the “non-lifting” gate.

VII:  Open Forum – Toni Brown asked for comments from the audience at this point.  They may be summarized in the following categories where various residents present indicated:

                a:  Kiosk:  Mistakes can “lock” the gate if access is restricted to kiosk only.  Traffic might increase at the other gates if we go to kiosk only at the front entrance.  A breakdown at the kiosk would block all entrance if remotes did not work. 

                b:  Extended curbing:  The cost of the curbing might be much higher than previous estimates indicate.  Also, Stafford County might not approve the extended curbs.  Paint and tape are easy to recover from if they do not work. 

                c:  Many residents noted that this is primarily a people problem and that education of our residents is necessary.  There is a need for everyone to slow down and to stop at signs throughout the community.

                d:  A resident stated that Stafford County is sending a letter to Falls Run requiring the removal of the pots within 30 days.

VIII:  Toni Brown made the following motion, seconded by Don Webb; Middlebrook Gate will be a one lane entrance, existing traffic control pots will be removed and returned to their previous locations at the same time that a contractor installs lane edge stripes to create a 14 foot wide entrance lane in compliance with applicable State and County standards from Plantation Drive to the kiosk and gate structure.  The area between the present curbing and the new lane edge stripe will be filled with diagonal paint or tape stripping based upon the contractor’s recommendation.  In addition, signage to guide visitors to the kiosk will be added and the right gate arm will be extended to close the gap to the new lane marking and remain closed at all times.  Residents will continue to be able to enter using either the kiosk or their remote controls.  The motion was approved 7-0.

IX:  The meeting was adjourned without a formal motion at 11.34 AM.

THOMAS J WHALEN

Recorder