The hearing on Orleans Homebuilders Inc.’s proposed 129-unit luxury townhouse project will continue at a special Planning Board meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m.
By: Carl Reader
LAMBERTVILLE With a heavy agenda backing up business, the Planning Board had time to listen to just one update Feb. 6 on Orleans Homebuilders Inc.’s proposed 129-unit luxury townhouse project on Lambert’s Hill.
That update was on traffic.
With a rosy picture presented by Orleans at the last meeting of just how little traffic would flow from the proposed site at rush hour, the board had confirmed that picture by Frank Tavani, project engineer for the applicant.
Still, the board was skeptical.
"I find it hard to believe that few cars would be coming out of there," said board member George Holmbach.
Mr. Tavani once again gave the formula for traffic coming out of a development of luxury townhouses. He said the standard was .48 cars times the number of townhouses, which worked out to .48 times 129, the number of units proposed for Lambert’s Hill, or 65 cars per hour at rush hours. Mr. Tavani also personally witnessed the traffic situation created by cars dropping off children at the Lambertville School on Main Street. He said "chronic queues" developed by 8:20 a.m. and lasted until 8:35 a.m. at the school. This was caused by parents dropping off children mostly from the south going north who then had to exit the school parking lot and make a left turn.
"This, of course, is not the most desirable of situations," Mr. Tavani said.
By 8:45, traffic was moving normally on Main Street, according to Mr. Tavani. He said in his opinion, traffic generated by Lambert’s Hill wouldn’t impact the situation.
"How many cars would come off of Phillips-Barber Road between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. (due to the proposed development)," asked board member Ron Pittore.
Mr. Tavani said approximately 33 vehicles would be making a left turn, and Mr. Pittore responded that seemed like a very low number. For every two homes, according to Mr. Tavani, the statistics say there is one car per hour at rush hour. Mr. Holmbach pointed out there also would be 32 behind those 33 making a left turn, probably making a right-hand turn.
Also at issue was the situation that could be created with the Lambertville-New Hope Ambulance and Rescue Squad on Alexander Road. Mr. Tavani suggested traffic at the intersection be stopped, and double yellow lines be painted to keep traffic to the right. He also said emergency vehicles would have their lights on, making them more visible to other traffic and helping the situation.
"I don’t think the emergency response people are going to like it," Public Works Director Paul Cronce said.
Mr. Cronce pointed out emergency vehicles are required to observe all traffic signs. He said it might be possible to put up a flashing light to warn people of emergency vehicles, and the driver of the emergency vehicle could control the light with a push button.
Meryl Gonchar, attorney for Orleans, responded she didn’t know who would be responsible for putting up such a flashing light, and it would add a human element to the equation since people would have to respond to the light, and the emergency vehicles would have to control it.
The board indicated it would have to look into the situation.
Mr. Tavani admitted the low numbers of cars coming out of the development did seem "counterintuitive," but he would not risk his career by standing up in front of a board and giving wrong information.
Ms. Gonchar said she had many examples of other developments supporting the numbers given out.
"I guess three years from now we’ll know what impact it had," board member Steven Stegman said.
The board next looks at the environmental impact of the proposed development at a special meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 20 at City Hall.