Photos we presented to the Design Review Board, and more alley traffic congestion

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At the January 10, 2019 Design Review Board meeting we presented a packet of traffic photos taken in the alleyway, most taken where the hotel project Applicant intends to place an entrance to underground parking.  We are posting the same photographs in the order they were compiled for the DRB to review.  Captions describing the photos have been added.

A Waste Management vehicle stops to empty the dumpsters via the alleyway at the Chevron Extra Mile.  The first image shows the doors to the trash containment area open and the dumpster being rolled out.  The truck’s cab and dumpster lift sit opposite of the proposed hotel’s underground parking entrance.  Sanitation service is present at this location multiple times per week, including Saturdays.  (The structure seen in the bottom left corner of the second image is a never emptied toxic waste containment area.  Admittedly, not an alley traffic issue.)

The first image above shows a municipal sanitation vehicle that has broken down while collecting trash in the alley.  The vehicle behind the truck is another municipal vehicle sent to transport a mechanic with supplies to repair the large collection vehicle.  In the following photo, a passenger vehicle navigates between the repair vehicle and guard poles protecting the base of a telephone pole tension cable.  The passenger vehicle achieves its clearance at the point of proposed hotel’s underground parking entrance which is also the active point of both its incoming and outgoing traffic.

A Coca-Cola transport vehicle makes a routine delivery to the Chevron Extra Mile store via the public alleyway.  To reach this position the truck made its approach traveling the entire length of the alley.  To insure a safe delivery, the vehicle parks as close as possible to the proposed project’s property line.  Yellow caution cones are used by the driver to warn oncoming vehicles of a potential hazard.  The next photo shows a passenger vehicle navigating the alley for passage between the truck and the gas station.  Note that Chevron never occupies two lanes of traffic in the alleyway, in part or in whole, that would prevent or hinder safe passage of vehicles.

A very large Gatorade delivery truck is parked on the Chevron side of the alleyway on a rainy day.  This truck required a large turning radius to exit the alleyway onto Victory Blvd.

Above two scenarios where a single traffic lane is available for public traffic.  First, a utility truck is parked mid-alley as a worker tends to one of the services the alley’s many telephone poles provide (telephone, cable, electrical).  These workers are frequently lifted by on-vehicle equipment to reach their repair site.  Next, a United tow truck is parked on the Chevron side of the alley directly across from the proposed hotel site.  The hotel’s two-way traffic would present congestion when incoming cars line up to approach the parking entrance.  Cars exiting the hotel would have to wait for an opportunity to reach Victory Blvd.

Another soft drink vendor occupies the alleyway while making a delivery, leaving only a single lane for all entering and exiting traffic.

[end of photos presented to Design Review Board]

It is our position that the Applicant’s single private business should NOT be allowed the potential to occupy both alley lanes of traffic at any point in time, in whole or in part, creating a potential for congestion, property damage, personal injury, or fatality accident.  We want City Council to understand that this is not a mere selection of ‘lucky shot’ photos, but rather an easily obtained compilation that represents traffic at this mouth of the public alleyway on any given day.

Our request to the Design Review Board to require the Applicant to keep his traffic upon his own property to accommodate congestion on high-traffic days was dismissed.  Instead the Applicant was left to his own discretion whether or not to provide more alley width by eliminating planter areas along their building (if their current design for storm water runoff could be altered).  When addressing the issue of the alley width and storm water runoff conflict, Board member Art Simonian said: “I would also say as a consideration, consider the other three feet if you’re able to route that water to the northern side of it.”

The Applicant should not be the party to decide on matters that affect public safety such as alley width.  It is our sincere hope that City Council will recognize this for the public safety issue it is and require the Applicant to redesign the approach to the hotel’s underground parking garage, so that it fully accommodates vehicles awaiting entry and those dropping off passengers at the surface level.  Such an entry (as seen at many hotels) will allow for the hotel’s incoming traffic to await entry without blocking alleyway traffic when other vehicles are serving the gas station that shares the alleyway.  This same solution also avoids any scenario where delivery vehicles would be prevented from performing their duties.  Additionally, it serves both the Applicant and the City of Glendale by avoiding any potential liability claims due to property damage, personal injury, or fatality caused by approval of the currently poor and short-sighted design.

This is the first of our posts addressing the issue of alleyway traffic.  As the date for our appeal hearing approaches, we will be posting further examples of these conditions in a series called “Alley traffic photo of the day.”  Below is our first example.

A Sun Chips truck makes a delivery to the Chevron Extra Mile on February 6, 2019.  A portion of the vehicle hangs in the alleyway, allowing gas station patrons to enter safely behind the Sun Chips truck and the driver unloading it.   In the background a tow truck approaches the mouth of the alley.

After entering the alleyway, the tow truck parks adjacent to the Chevron Extra Mile leaving one lane for all alley traffic.  In this case these vehicles represent multiple blockage points where there would be no room for public use if there were vehicles utilizing the remaining lane, in whole or in part, awaiting to enter the hotel.  Traffic exiting the hotel to Victory Blvd. would face blockage or be forced to navigate through spaces not wide enough for safe passage.  Alternatively, drivers may choose to use the alleyway as a street and travel the full alley distance to Lake St., passing both residential garages and multi-residential carports.

A task that is not always as easy as it sounds as we see below:

February 11, 2019:  An oncoming delivery truck travels the distance of the alleyway on its approach to the Chevron gas station.  Driving in the opposite direction, toward the truck, is a passenger vehicle.  To the left, a parked car extends into the alley (allowing its driver enough room to exit between the wall and the car).

Above:  Anticipating the inability to pass the truck, the passenger vehicle driver stops in a residential setback and waits for the truck to pass.  As a safety precaution while navigating passage, the truck now has its headlights illuminated.

Below:  After the truck has passed, the passenger vehicle maneuvers back into the alleyway and continues onward to Lake St.

Below:  The truck continues to its destination, moving to its left as it passes the parked car.  Upon reaching the gas station, it stops in the right lane of the alley leaving a single lane for all incoming and outgoing traffic.

Again, it is our position that the Applicant’s single private business should NOT be allowed the potential to occupy both alley lanes of traffic at any point in time, in whole or in part, creating a potential for congestion, property damage, personal injury, or fatality accident.

Cars only partially hanging into the alley, as they await entrance into an underground parking, present potential hazards.  For example, the opening of car doors into oncoming traffic, even into slow traffic, presents a very real danger of property damage, personal injury, or fatality.  The following video demonstrates this scenario at various speeds (note the damage caused between to initially motionless vehicles at the 1:30 minute mark in the video).