Traffic Remains Major Issue For Pine Oaks Village IV

 ARWICH – Traffic issues continue to be the main focus for the appeals board as it weighs the impacts of the Pine Oaks Village IV 242-unit development off Queen Anne Road and Main Street in North Harwich.

The board’s fourth meeting on the project drew approximately 75 residents on Aug. 6. The majority of the three-hour session involved traffic issues. A stormwater and drainage presentation was also made. There was limited time for public comment.

 Vanasse and Associates Inc.’s managing partner Jeffrey Dirk provided a detailed update to the project’s traffic and safety study in response to the town’s review by consultant VHB, Inc. 

 Dirk said the study will be expanded to include impacts to the eastbound and westbound ramps to Route 6, and he identified proposed changes at the intersection of Pleasant Lake Avenue and Queen Anne Road to improve traffic flow. There were also recommendations for improvements to the Depot Street, Old Chatham Road and Factory Road intersection, where 11 vehicle accidents have occurred over a five-year period, causing two deaths. 

 Discussions also focused on whether there is enough space in the right of way along Queen Anne Road for a sidewalk and the need for geometric alterations at the intersection of Queen Anne Road and Main Street to enhance vehicle movement.

 Dirk said the proposed daycare center will be relocated from along Queen Anne Road and placed adjacent to the development’s community center. The day care facility will only be available to the development’s residents and not open to the general public. That decision will reduce peak hour traffic by 40 percent, he said. The project as now planned will generate 1,634 vehicle trips on an average weekday, according to Dirk.

 Several elements of the Pleasant Lake Avenue-Queen Anne Road intersection are over-capacity, according to Dirk. The eastbound approach to the intersection on Queen Anne Road, independent of the proposed development, operates at an “F” level, he said. 

 A retiming of the traffic signal at the intersection will reduce motorist delays and vehicle queuing and will reduce overall intersection delays, according to Dirk. However, he said the approach will continue to operate with extended delays.

 An enhancement proposed would widen the Queen Anne Road east and westbound approaches to provide a left-turn lane. Dirk said there is enough land in the right of way for the lanes, which would improve conditions along Queen Anne Road to a level “C.” Dirk said there is not enough right-of-way space to make lane adjustments along Pleasant Lake Avenue. 

That intersection is rated a high crash location, so improvements there could be eligible for Mass Works or Housing Works grants, Dirk said. He recommended the town initiate a road safety audit, bringing town departments, the Cape Cod Commission and MassDOT together to analyze contributing crash factors and identify infrastructure enhancements.

Dirk explained the project proponents will fund near-term improvements that would provide immediate benefits to the intersection, not to exceed $20,000. He added his company would work with the town to pursue the availability of state grants.  

Dirk also said the project proponents will make a “fair share” contribution for design and construction at the Depot Street-Old Chatham Road-Factory Road intersection. Recommendations include replacing existing stop signs with signs with red LED light along the border of the sign; replacing stop lines on Old Chatham and Factory roads with 12-inch wide, high visibility thermoplastic markings; installing “Stop Ahead” and other intersection warning signs; and trimming and removal of vegetation.

“The stop signs and stop line should be aligned and placed at a point where a stopped motorist can observe approaching traffic on Depot Street,” said Dirk. 

The police department has recommended installing radar speed signs east and west of the project along Queen Anne Road and the addition of more warning signs, including drawing attention to the town transfer station entrance, he said. 

A walking-bike path along one side of the road could be the subject of a grant from the state, Dirk said. Improving mobility and connecting to the Cape Cod Rail Trailed should be looked upon favorably by the state, he added.    

Appeals Board Chair Brian Sullivan questioned whether there is enough room within the right-of-way on Queen Anne Road to locate such a path, saying business structures and walls along the road don’t leave much room. 

Dirk said the town assessor’s information shows room for a sidewalk there. It was suggested that the town, working with its traffic consultants, should examine whether there is enough space in the right of way to allow for a sidewalk. 

Sullivan said it is his understanding that Chapter 40B does not allow the applicant to address infrastructure needs outside the limits of its property. Sullivan said the town hired VHB to conduct a major traffic study of North Harwich, and he suggested the select board establish priorities for addressing needs identified in the study.

The appeals board voted to have the planning board and conservation commission serve in an advisory capacity to the board in examining the civil design, stormwater and drainage plans presented to the board. The board will continue the traffic and public safety plan review and peer reports in the next meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the community center.