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Item 8 Staff Report Accept Report on Highway Signs for Los Gatos3� COUNCIL AGENDA DATE: 3/1/93 ITEM NO. r TOWN OF LOS GATOS COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT DATE: February 22, 1993 TO: MAYOR AND TOWIILCOUNCI FROM: TOWN MANAGER SUBJECT: ACCEPT REPORT ON HIGHWAY SIGNS FOR LOS GATOS RECOMMENDATION: Direct staff to prepare a letter to Caltrans incorporating the issues contained in this report and any other issues the Council deems appropriate. BACKGROUND: On December 10, 1991, Councilmember Brent Ventura and Town staff met with Caltrans representatives to discuss several issues relating to Town requested changes to freeway signs for Los Gatos: 1. Install new freeway signs directing motorists to Downtown Los Gatos. 2. Change signs identifying "East Los Gatos" to "Los Gatos Boulevard". 3. Review and develop new sign program in anticipation of Route 85. Subsequent to the meeting, Mayor Eric Carlson sent a letter to Caltrans requesting a study evaluating signs in the vicinity of the interchange at Highway 9 and a study evaluating freeway signs in the south bay. DISCUSSION: On October 7, 1992, Caltrans responded indicating that the study of south bay signs is a major task and their findings would be provided when the study is complete. Caltrans rejected the Town's request for "Downtown" signs indicating that many cities have requested "Downtown" signs and if they complied with all those requests the proliferation of signs for Los Gatos could cause motorists not to absorb the most essential messages. Caltrans indicated they no longer provide signing to districts and communities. Caltrans also rejected the Town's request to replace "East Los Gatos' with "Los Gatos Boulevard" because it is their policy not to make reference to parallel streets, only cross streets. However, Caltrans did agree that the message "East Los Gatos" can be confusing and offered to revise the message to read "Saratoga Avenue - East". (Continued on Page 2) PREPARED BY: LEE E. BOWMAt�._� Planning Director LEB:BL:cs 2/22/93 3:19 pm C29\CNCLRPTS\CALTRANS File N Attachments: See Page 3 for list of attachments Distribution: See Page 3 for distribution list Reviewed by: Attorney Clerk Finance Treasurer COUNCIL ACTION/ACTION DIRECTED TO: PAGE 2 MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL SUBJECT: ACCEPT REPORT ON HIGHWAY SIGNS FOR LOS GATOS February 22, 1993 Caltrans provided plans that show the location and message of all freeway signs on sections of 101, 17 and 280. Staff reviewed these plans and identified the following existing signs that direct motorists to popular destinations: Fairgrounds 5 Winchester Mystery House 10 Various Parks 13 Universities/Colleges 29 (incl. Spartan Stadium) Mission Santa Clara 3 Convention/Civic Center 8 Roberto Adobe 2 Flint Center 1 "Downtown" (San Jose) 19 TOTAL 90 There is a strong argument that signs directing motorists to popular destinations are extremely helpful to the general public providing these signs do not conflict with public safety. Downtown Los Gatos generates considerable visitor traffic and the Town has received numerous complaints that "Downtown" directional signs are needed on Highway 17. These signs are of critical importance because a motorist traveling southbound on Highway 17 who fails to exit at Highway 9 must turn around and the first opportunity to do so is at the Cat's Restaurant which is a dangerous turning movement. Caltrans should reconsider the Town's request for "Downtown" directional signs for safety reasons. Caltrans recognition that "East Los Gatos" is a confusing message indicates their willingness to evaluate existing signs, but the suggested change to "Saratoga Avenue - East" simply does not address the fact that Highway 9 and Los Gatos Boulevard are the primary streets motorists are seeking when exiting at this interchange. Again, Caltrans should reconsider the Town's request and, if necessary, examine their sign policy when a cross street is very short and merely serves as access to the major arterial the motorist is seeking. There are numerous examples where Caltrans provides freeway signs directing motorists to the nearest major arterial street when the closest exit terminates at a collector or secondary street. Similar situations exist along 280 near Downtown San Jose and along 280 at Steven Creek Boulevard. The premise that a standard policy can override unique local conditions, in this case, does not serve the public. Caltrans should reconsider the Town's request based on unique local conditions. Finally, Caltrans uses the term "control city" to aide in providing general directions to motorists. Caltrans has determined that Santa Cruz is the southerly control; city for directing traffic in the south Bay Area. However, the plans provided show 47 signs directing motorists to Santa Cruz and 20 directing motorists to Los Gatos. Los Gatos is truly the southerly destination in the south Bay Area. Santa Cruz is the northerly destination for the Monterey Bay Area. Even the traffic reports on radio and television use Los Gatos for describing traffic incidents in the south Bay Area. Caltrans should reconsider using Los Gatos as the control city for the south Bay Area. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT: Caltrans would be the lead agency on this project, therefore, the Town is not required to conduct an environmental assessment. FISCAL IMPACT: None PAGE 3 MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL SUBJECT: ACCEPT REPORT ON HIGHWAY SIGNS FOR LOS GATOS February 22, 1993 ATTACHMENTS: 1. Letter to Eric Carlson, Mayor from Preston Kelley, Caltrans District Director, dated October 7, 1992. 2. Letter to Harry Yahata, Caltrans, Deputy District Director from Eric Carlson, Mayor dated December 17, 1991. 3. Letter to Harry Yahata, Caltrans, Deputy District Director from Brent Ventura, Mayor dated November 6, 1991. DISTRIBUTION: Chamber of Commerce Business Improvement District Brent Ventura OCT 19 '92 15:39 TRAFFIC BRANCH DIS04 STAtt OF CAL ORNIA—BusweSS, TRANSPOR ON AND HOUSING AGENCY P.2/J PETE WILSON, DEPARTMENT OF % TRANSPOR?TATION BOX 23& f OAKLAND CA i 94423-5660 (510) 2B- ... f TOD (S70) 26sj4 54 October 7, 1992 Fwy Directional Sign lion. Eric D. Carlson Mayor, Town of Lo`s Gatos Civic Center p.0. Box 949 Ios Gatos, CA 95031. Dear Mayor Carlson: This is in response to your letter dated December 17, 1991. You requested Ca]!trans td'review the signing on the highways sur- lrounding the Town of Los Gatos. Please let me apologize for taking so long to respond to your letter. We were not aware of the existence of the letter until Mr. Bud Lortz of your office contacted Mr. Roland Au-Yeung of my office regarding the status of our response to the letter. '1It was then discovered that we had never received the letter. Your letterjrequested that we review the existing signing on ;Routes 85, 17, and 280. I It is expected that the travel patterns in the corridor will :be changed after the completion of the new Route 85. The signing should be revised according to the new travel patterns. Review rof the signing will be a major task and we will respond to you on ;our findings as soon as we complete our review. Your letterlalso requested that Downtown Los Gatos be in- cluded on the signing on Route 17. In addition, your letter In- dicated that the message "East Los Gatos" on the overhead signs is confusing and; requested that the message be revised to "Los (Gatos Boulevard." • Caltrans receives many requests for signing to be placed along State highways. Recently, we have noticed that "Downtown" is one of the most frequently requested signing messages_ We can (only provide a Limited number of signing messages along any given; segment of highway. It has been found that providing too many rsigning messagesjtends to overload some motorists with too much information. Because there are many destinations to which we cannot provide signing, eligible_ destinations must compete for placement on basis of traffic service. 6,T3 r'LIP,fie c g 6b.di:Sld�ia1l�1' OCT 19 '92 15:39 TRAFFIC BRANCH DIS04 F. 3/3 Ion. Eric D. Carlson qctober 7, 1992 Page 2 Our current signing policy is to use the street name as the Signing 'message inguiding traffic to off -ramps. We are no longer providing signing to districts and communities. 1 We understand, with the current economic situation, why so many cities have requested signing on State highways directing to their downtowns. If we were to comply with all those requests, it would greatly increase the number of signs on State highways. The proliferation of signing messages could cause more motorists Pot to absorb the most essential messages that need to be con- Veyed to motorists. The addition of a multitude of "Downtown" messages on our signing could have the effect of getting motor- ists to pay less attention to:such guide sign messages. We agree the message "East Los Gatos" can be confusing. As ;indicated in thepecember 10 meeting, we would revise the message fto read "Saratoga Avenue - East_" However, it is not appropriate to replace "East Los Gatos" with "Los Gatos Boulevard" on the signs because it is our policy not to make reference to parallel 'streets. We expect motorists not familiar with the area would consult a map for direction. Cross streets along a freeway are clearlyidentified on maps. Please let us know if the Town concurs with the proposal Lo replace the message "East Los Gatos" with "Saratoga Avenue - East." We regret that we cannot comply with your request to in- c1ude "Downtown" or "Los Gatos Boulevard" on our signing. We will 'review the signing on Routes 85, 17, 280 and then inform you of our findings. If you have any questions, please call me at (510) 286--4560, or Mr. ,Roland Au-Yeung at (510) 286-4613_ Sincerely, PRESTON W. KELLEY District Director By H. MbRIMOTO, Chief Traffic Branch RAY:em/ELC cc: HMorimoto/BAHansen, ,Au-Yeung/RJNoda, GDucey-DDD P/D A, pLowden-HQ's Traffic, Traffic Files December 17, 1991 Mr. Harry Yahata, P.E. Deputy District Engineer State of California Department of Transportation P.O. Box 7310 San Francisco, CA 94120 TOWN of LOS GATOS Office of the Mayor Phone: (408) 354-6801 FAX: (408) 354-8341 SUBJECT: FREEWAY DIRECTIONAL SIGNS Dear Mr. Yahata: This letter is to follow-up a meeting between representatives of CalTrans and the Town of Los Gatos that was held on December 10, 1991. The meeting was attended by Town representatives Councilmember Brent Ventura and Bud Lortz and CalTrans representatives Gerry Ducey, Ken Berner and Roland Au-Yeung. The meeting was held to discuss freeway signage in light of our mutual desire to provide a comprehensive system of signs to assist in directing motorists in a safe and efficient manner. As a result of our meeting, it was concluded that two studies need to be undertaken. The first study involves the evaluation of freeway signs in the southbay area. This study needs to reflect changes necessary as a result of the construction of Route 85, changes in land use that have occurred over the last ten years and changes in CalTrans sign policy that have created inconsistencies in the nature of existing signs on Routes 17 and 280. The Town questions the determination by CalTrans that the Town is not a "control city.' The Town is recognized as the Bay Areas most southerly destination point since the Santa Cruz Mountains form a definitive barrier. Some existing freeway signs use Los Gatos to orient motorists while others use Santa Cruz to orient motorists. The second study involves the evaluation of freeway signs in the vicinity of the interchange at Highway 9. Many visitors to Los Gatos complain that there should be a freeway sign directing them to downtown Los Gatos. In addition, the existing signs direct motorist to East Los Gatos which is extremely confusing prompting some to ask if there is a city by that name. The Town would prefer that the motorist be directed to Los Gatos Boulevard. Thank you for directing your staff to meet with Town representatives to discuss this important issue. Please contact Bud Lortz, Senior Planner, at (408) 354-6867 if you have any questions. The Town Council is anxious to review these two studies. Sincerely, Eric D. Carlson Mayor EDC: LEB: BL: cher cc: Planning Department Town Council C16:LETTERS\FREENAY CIVIC CENTER • 110 EAST MAIN STREET • P.O. BOX 949 • LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA 95031 TOWN of LOS GATOS Office of the Mayor Phone: (408) 354-6801 FAX: (408) 354-8431 November 6, 1991 Harry Yahata, P.E. Deputy District Engineer State of California Department of Transportation PO Box 7310 San Francisco, California 94120 Subject: Directional Signs Highway 17 - Los Gatos Dear Mr. Yahata: �,-, 0 - 1; 1 At the direction of the Los Gatos Town Council and with the support of the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Business Association, I am requesting a meeting to review the exit signage in the downtown area of Los Gatos, Currently, the southbound signs are marked Los Gatos, Saratoga, Highway 9, and East Los Gatos. The northbound exits are marked Santa Cruz Avenue; East Los Gatos; and Los Gatos, Saratoga, Highway, respectively. The concern shared by the Council and the business community is that downtown Los Gatos, a regional destination, is not identified on any of the freeway signs. Also, Los Gatos Boulevard, a major commercial area with numerous auto dealerships is likewise not identified. Problems exist with the East Los Gatos signs in that they are confusing and vague, prompting some to ask if there is a city by that name. The Town of Los Gatos was devastated by the Loma Prieta earthquake. Our business community has suffered greatly as a result of that calamity, and still has not recovered to pre -quake sales activity. The Council, the Chamber, and the Downtown Association all believe improved signage would aid in our Town's recovery. Also, with the imminent construction and opening of Highway 85, the entire signage for the Los Gatos -Saratoga vicinity will necessarily be reviewed and changed. It seems to be an appropriate time to consider the changes proposed herein, as well as changes related to Highway 85. CIVIC CENTER • 110 EAST MAIN STREET • P.O. BOX 949 • LOS GATOS, CALIF R4A„9 3i Page 2 Harry Yahata, P.E., Deputy District Engineer State of California, Department of Transportation Subject: Directional Signs Highway 17 - Los Gatos November 6, 1991 Please call to set up a meeting, either here in Los Gatos or at your office at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your courteous attention to this matter. Sincerely, `2/ / BRENT N.VENTURA Mayor BNV:pm MGRO38 A:\letters\Yahata cc: Town Council David W. Knapp, Town Manager Larry Todd, Chief of Police Lee E. Bowman, Planning Director March 1, 1993 Los Gatos, California HEARINGS CONTINUED SIAM THAI CUISINE RESTAURANT CONT. That Council grant the appeal and revise the conditions to allow alcohol to be served inside the restaurant, with meals, during the hours of llam to lOpm, and that the three conditions relating to full meal service, review of conditional use compliance, and the need for private patrolling of the issue be added to the Conditional Use Permit. Carried by a vote of 4 ayes. Mrs. Lubeck voted no stating that consistency in treating all restaurants in Town should be observed. ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT/A-92-10/HEARING (17.46) Mayor Benjamin stated that this was the time and place duly noted for public hearing to consider an amendment to the Town Code to permit the reconstruction of nonconforming multiple - family dwelling units in zones where reconstruction is currently not permitted. Zoning Ordinance Amendment A-92-10. No one from the audience addressed this issue. Motion by Mr. Blanton, seconded by Mr. O'Laughlin, that Council continue this item to March 15, 1993. Carried unanimously. ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT/A-92-11/HEARING (18.46) Mayor Benjamin stated that this was the time and place duly noted for public hearing to consider an amendment to the Town Code changing the qualification date of an historic structure from prior to 1917 to prior to 1941. Zoning Ordinance Amendment A-92-11 Applicant: Town of Los Gatos. No one from the audience addressed this issue. Motion by Mr. Blanton, seconded by Mr. O'Laughlin, that Council continue this item to March 15, 1993. Carried unanimously. MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 16, 1993 (19.V) Motion by Mr. Blanton, seconded by Mrs. Lubeck, that Council approve the Minutes of February 16, 1993 as submitted. Carried unanimously. SIGNS/HIGHWAY 17 (08.38) Consensus motion that Council direct staff to prepare a letter to Caltrans incorporating the following issues: install new freeway signs directing motorists to Downtown Los Gatos; change signs identifying "East Los Gatos" to "Los Gatos Boulevard"; review and develop new sign program in anticipation of Route 85. Carried unanimously. 5