PUBLIC HEARING SUMMARY REPORT US 59 FROM SPUR 10 TO SH 99 FORT BEND COUNTY CSJ Nos: 0027-12-097, 0027-12-105, 0027-12-106, and 0027-12-114 Public Hearing May 16, 2024 5:30pm to 7:00pm B.F. Terry High School 5500 Avenue N Rosenberg, TX 77471 Presented by TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION May 16, 2013 Public Hearing Summary US 59 (from Spur 10 to SH 99) Table of Contents Public Hearing Date ......................................................................................................................... 1 Public Hearing Location ................................................................................................................... 1 Public Hearing Purpose ................................................................................................................... 1 Public Hearing Format ..................................................................................................................... 1 Attendance ....................................................................................................................................... 1 Publications and Notifications .......................................................................................................... 1 Public Hearing Summary ................................................................................................................. 2 Public Comments and Response ..................................................................................................... 2 List of Appendices Appendix A: Affidavits of Publication Appendix B: Public Notice Mailing Lists and Notifications Appendix C: Exhibits and Handouts from Hearing Appendix D: Sign-in Sheets Appendix E: Comment Letters, E-mails, Forms, and Speaker Cards Appendix F: Public Meeting Photographs Appendix G: Public Hearing Transcript CSJ: 0027-12-097, 0027-12-105, 0027-12-106, and 0027-12-114 Page i May 16, 2013 Public Hearing Summary US 59 (from Spur 10 to SH 99) US 59 (from Spur 10 to SH 99) Public Hearing Summary Public Hearing Date May 16, 2013 Public Hearing Location Terry High School 5500 Ave N Rosenberg, Texas 77471 Public Hearing Purpose To inform the public and stakeholders of the proposed roadway improvements and to obtain their comments and concerns. Public Hearing Format 5:30pm to 6:30pm: Open house format for public viewing and comment. Exhibits included an environmental constraints map detailing existing environmental conditions, preliminary design schematic with typical sections for the proposed alternative, exhibit boards, and two copies of the Environmental Assessment for public review. 6:30pm to 7:00pm: Formal slideshow presentation by James Koch and Manny Francisco of TxDOT Houston District and Amy Brook of Berg-Oliver Associates, Inc. Tamara Vinson of Vinson Reporting & Video Service transcribed the hearing. Three public comments were received orally by microphone. The hearing was then adjourned. Attendance Citizens: 65 Elected Officials: 2 Mayor, City of Rosenberg – Vincent Morales Fort Bend County Commissioner, Precinct 1 – Richard Morrison Media 1 Fort Bend Business Journal – Sharon Wallingford Publications and Notifications Notice of this public hearing was advertised in the (Appendix A): Houston Chronicle – Tuesday, April 16, 2013 and Monday, May 6, 2013 Fort Bend Herald – Tuesday, April 16, 2013 and Monday, May 6, 2013 Las Noticias de Fort Bend* – Wednesday, April 17, 2013 and Wednesday, May 8, 2013 * This publication is actually distributed late Tuesdays and is dated on Wednesdays. CSJs: 0027-12-097, 0027-12-105, 0027-12-106, and 0027-12-114 Page 1 May 16, 2013 Public Hearing Summary US 59 (from Spur 10 to SH 99) The public notice and a map identifying the public hearing location were mailed to elected officials on April 12, 2013 and to adjacent property owners on April 13, 2013. This information was also distributed in English and Spanish by the homeowners associations of RiverPark West, Canyon Gate at the Brazos, Canyon Lake at the Brazos, Cottonwood, and Lakes of Williams Ranch (see Appendix B). Public Hearing Summary The purpose of the public hearing was to solicit public comments and input, as well as to allow the opportunity for public dialogue and exchange with TxDOT regarding the proposed roadway improvements. Public Comments and Response Three citizens - Cynthia Barratt, Richard Fields, and Bill Tobin - spoke during the comment period at the Public Hearing. The transcript of these comments is included in Appendix G. A total of 79 comments on the project were received: two (2) letters, four (4) e-mails, and seventy- three (73) comment forms. Most of the public comments received during the hearing were favorable regarding the public hearing process and information dissemination process and format. In addition, most citizens agreed that something needs to be done about congestion in this corridor. Objections were primarily expressed by the employees of Ocusoft, located at the northeast corner of US 59 and Kroesche Road. Sixty-eight (68) comment forms were submitted by employees of the company (as expressly indicated on the comment forms) who do not support the project as proposed. Their primary concerns included increased noise levels and vibrations; “dead man’s curve” (the FM 529 intersection with US 59); safety of the employees (both from vehicles crashing into the building and personal safety from the increase access to the building provided by the proposed addition of a frontage road); and the desire to have ROW be acquired from the south side of US 59 rather than from the Ocusoft property. Other comments, primarily expressed by the Cities of Richmond and Rosenberg, and Fort Bend County, included concerns such as entrance/exit ramp locations, ROW requirements at the Brazos Towne Center, landscaping and aesthetic improvement requests, and a request to revise the design of the Reading Road intersection to have US 59 mainlanes and frontage lanes go over Reading Road and the adjacent railroad. CSJs: 0027-12-097, 0027-12-105, 0027-12-106, and 0027-12-114 Page 2 May 16, 2013 Public Hearing Summary US 59 (from Spur 10 to SH 99) COMMON COMMENTS EXPRESSED MULTIPLE TIMES These comments were expressed by the employees of Ocusoft. Responses made are referred to by number in the Comment/Response Table following this table. Other comments are responded to directly in the Comment/Response Table. Item General Comment TxDOT Response 1 Safety will be compromised due to traffic being closer to the The proposed frontage roads would meet current interstate design standards. The mainlanes building (i.e., increased risk of building being crashed into). would not move closer to the facility at this location. Traffic including 18-wheelers would be on the proposed frontage road; however, TxDOT proposes to reverse the ramp directions at Station 1080+00, just east of this location. Therefore, vehicles exiting US 59 and wishing to go to Kroesche Road would exit just east of Bamore Road and travel the frontage road to Kroesche Road. Traffic exiting for Cottonwood Church Road would exit at FM 529. It is anticipated that this would reduce the amount of traffic on the frontage roads in this area. Vehicle speed would also be reduced at this location, compared with the mainlanes. 2 Noise levels and vibrations will increase. A noise analysis was performed in accordance with TxDOT’s Guidelines for Analysis and Abatement of Roadway Traffic Noise (2011). Existing and predicted traffic noise levels were modeled at receiver locations that represent land use activity areas adjacent to the proposed project that might be impacted by traffic noise and potentially benefit from feasible and reasonable noise abatement. The noise analysis identified noise impacts at multiple locations. One preliminary barrier was evaluated as both reasonable and feasible: a 1,609-foot long by 14- foot high barrier adjacent to a portion of the New Territory neighborhood. This barrier would benefit an estimated 18 residences. 3 DPS and law enforcement are frequently stopping/pulling Comment noted. The DPS and local law enforcement pull vehicles over throughout the corridor vehicles over. and the region. 4 Safety of the employees will be compromised due to Access to and from the Ocusoft facility would not be changed by the US 59 roadway project. increased access to the company/building. Currently, the driveway to the facility is located on northwest side along Kroesche Road, approximately 1,000 feet from the proposed roadway. This would not change. Although the proposed westbound frontage road would be located closer to facility, it would not provide direct access. 5 Fix/remove dead man’s curve. Comment noted. TxDOT will further evaluate this intersection. 6 ROW should be taken from the south side of US 59 (east of Right-of-way (ROW) acquisition is split evenly in this location. In order to acquire the ROW solely Kroeschke) since that land is undeveloped. from the south side of US 59, TxDOT would have to shift the mainlanes and the Kroesche Road intersection, which would also affect the proposed alignment for several thousand feet. 7 Could use green area for expansion / The amount of land A 350’ ROW is appropriate only where there are no on/off ramps or intersections. Wider ROW is used is 350’ elsewhere - near Ocusoft 415’ will be used - needed where there are on/off ramps near intersections. This space is also necessary for safety suggestion - reduce green belt area. and drainage. 8 The turning lanes at Frontage Road are not supported by Comment noted. There are facilities north and