City Manager’s Office 215 E. McKinney St., Denton, TX 76201 (940) 349-8307 MEMORANDUM DATE: November 2, 2018 TO: The Honorable Mayor Watts and Council Members FROM: Todd Hileman, City Manager SUBJECT: Friday Staff Report I. Council Schedule A. Meetings 1. City Council Luncheon Meeting on Monday, November 5, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. in the Airport Meeting Room at Denton Enterprise Airport, 5000 Airport Road, Denton, Texas. 2. Committee on the Environment Meeting on Monday, November 5, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. in the City Council Work Session Room. 3. Traffic Safety Commission Meeting on, Monday, November 5, 2018 at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Work Session Room. 4. Audit/Finance Committee Meeting on Tuesday, November 6, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. in the City Hall Conference Room. 5. Work Session of the City Council on Tuesday, November 6, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. in the City Council Work Session Room followed by a Regular Meeting in the Council Chambers at 6:30 p.m. 6. No Agenda Committee Meeting on Wednesday, November 7, 2018. 7. Development Code Review Committee Meeting on Friday, November 9, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. in the City Council Work Session Room. B. Upcoming Events 1. NLC City Summit, November 7-10, 2018 in Los Angeles, CA. 2. Denton County Days, February 18-20, 2019 in Austin, TX. OUR CORE VALUES Integrity Fiscal Responsibility Transparency Outstanding Customer Service II. General Information & Status Update A. Zero Energy Housing - At the Oct. 16 City Council meeting, Council Member Hudspeth requested information about the new zero energy housing development in Frisco that has recently been publicized through various media outlets. Staff contacted the City of Frisco as well as the developer, Symbiosis Homes, to obtain additional information about the project. The development broke ground in September of 2018 and, once finished, will include 22 single-family homes. The City of Frisco indicated that this project did not receive an incentive and had the same level of review as other, more traditional single-family developments. The development in Frisco offers a variety of floorplans ranging from a two-story 1,859 square foot home priced at $449,200 to a larger 4,380 square foot unit priced at $926,500. These energy efficient homes boast many sustainable design features including LED lighting, above standard amounts of foam insulation, steel roofs, efficient heating and cooling systems, and both solar panel and battery wall options. The homes also offer instant hot water heaters, non-volatile organic compound paint, and a ventilator to improve indoor air quality. The developer indicated an interest in building other zero energy/sustainable housing projects throughout the Metroplex and said that home prices are scalable based on factors such as the cost per lot and the style of house. Staff contact: Stuart Birdseye, Public Affairs B. Project Submission List – In an effort to provide greater transparency and information to the public, Development Services has revamped its weekly project submission list. The project submission list provides a weekly overview of all applications that have gone through a completeness check and subsequently sent on for review. Previous project submission lists were static tables. The new list is an interactive GIS map that will be updated each Friday with all applications that have been sent for review throughout the week. The Nov. 2 project submission list can be found online at: http://dentontxgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=d96d1227 948a4c2fa9d749cd110fbd09 Staff contact: Richard Cannone, Development Services C. Construction at the Dallas Drive/Teasley Lane Intersection - The City of Denton will begin making improvements to the intersection of Dallas Drive and Teasley Lane on Nov. 12. The project, which includes adding turn lane storage capacity, increasing turn lane maneuverability, improving sidewalks, and upgrading traffic signals in all directions, is needed to alleviate congestion and improve safety. The project is scheduled for completion in early spring 2019. During the project, lane closures will impact travel lanes. However, some of the work will be completed at night to lessen the impact. Specific improvements include: Eastbound Dallas Drive: One additional left turn lane will be added; left turn bays will be extended to provide 300 feet of storage; the right curb return will be modified to decrease the angle of entry; and the right turn bay will be extended to provide 300 feet of storage. Westbound Dallas Drive: The left turn bay will be extended to provide 300 feet of storage. Northbound Teasley Lane: The left turn bays will be extended to provide 300 feet of storage and the width will be increased; a left turn will be provided at Duncan Street. Sidewalks along Teasley Lane: Sidewalks will be improved and directional pedestrian ramps will be provided. Traffic Signals: Traffic signals for all four directions will be upgraded and additional signage will be added. Residents are encouraged to visit www.improvingdenton.com for more information and to sign up for email updates about City of Denton construction projects. Additional information can be found in the attached press release. Staff contact: Jessica Rogers, Public Affairs D. Roundabout Education and Outreach – As a part of the Bonnie Brae Street Widening Project from I-35E to US 380, City Council approved the implementation of a roundabout at the intersection of Bonnie Brae and Scripture Streets. Roundabouts are an innovative intersection treatment, intended to improve traffic flow through the intersection in a safe manner. Given that the proposed roundabout at Bonnie Brae and Scripture is the first roundabout along a major corridor in Denton, it is imperative that the residents are educated about the overall operation and how to drive through the roundabout. For the first phase of outreach, Capital Projects staff held an information session with staff members from different City departments to discuss their concerns and learn how to safely navigate roundabouts. Additionally, Capital Projects staff has installed a temporary roundabout at the Service Center (901 Texas Street) for internal crews and vehicle operators, as well as members of the public, to drive through and experience this intersection treatment. Capital Projects staff will conduct several public outreach campaigns over the next few months to educate and inform residents on how to safely navigate roundabouts. Staff contact: Pritam Deshmukh, Capital Projects E. Railroad Quiet Zone Update – City staff have been working on implementing quiet zones along the Union Pacific (UP) Railroad right-of-way in the downtown area for the last 11 months. As a part of this project, the at-grade railroad crossing along four City streets (Sycamore, Prairie, Hickory, and McKinney) will be enhanced to allow trains to pass through this area without blowing their horn. City staff have coordinated closely with UP staff to develop the appropriate design for upgrading the railroad crossings. Based on the current plan, the implementation of the quiet zone was scheduled to be complete by July 2019. Earlier this week, City staff was informed that UP had undergone organizational changes that resulted in a reduction in work force which may considerably impact the current schedule for the quiet zone project. UP has not published any official announcement in this regard and staff is trying to gather more information to better understand the overall impact on City projects. As additional information becomes available, staff will provide updates to Council. Staff contact: Pritam Deshmukh, Capital Projects F. Wildflower Trail at North Lakes Park – Parks and Recreation staff inspected the Wildflower Trail at North Lakes Park last week following several days with extensive rainfall. Due to the amount of rain we experienced in October, the trail is very wet and there are currently a number of areas that have standing water. Standing water is a recurring issue on the trail because it is located in the flood plain with little grade and very flat topography. Staff previously installed drainage tile under the trail in a number of areas to help move water. During their inspection last week, Parks and Recreation staff marked specific segments that are in need of repair. Below is a picture showing some of the damage caused by water retention issues. Once the trail is dry, staff will begin to address to areas that can be repaired in-house. It is anticipated that some of the water retention issues can be addressed with additional crushed granite and drainage tile while other portions will need more extensive water remediation. Once the areas requiring outside engineering and/or contracting work have been identified, bids for the outside work will be collected. Parks and Recreation will try to absorb the cost to address water retention and flooding on the trail with its current year budget. Any expenses that cannot be addressed with the FY 2018-2019 Parks and Recreation budget will be included as a supplemental request with the FY 2019-2020 budget. Staff contact: Gary Packan, Parks and Recreation G. DCTA Stop at Buc-ee’s – During the Oct. 23 City Council meeting, Council Member Meltzer asked staff to contact the Denton Council Transit Authority (DCTA) about adding a bus stop at the new Denton Buc-ee’s. Michelle Bloomer, Vice President of DCTA Operations provided the following response: “DCTA currently serves this location on both the Denton Connect Route 1 and Route 4. Below is additional information on the location of these stops and distance to the main building: EB Wind River Lane @ IH-35 (Stop ID 770404): This stop is served by Route 4 and is approximately 2,750 feet (1/2 mile) to the main building. There is a section of the frontage road that does not currently have a sidewalk.