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HomeMy WebLinkAbout17-027 - Resolutions - THOROUGHBRED AND JENNET STREETS HOLIDAY LIGHT DISPLAYRESOLUTION NO. 17-027 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA, TEMPORARILY CLOSING PORTIONS OF THOROUGHBRED AND JENNET STREETS, WEST OF SAPPHIRE STREET AND EAST OF TURQUOISE AVENUE, AND A PORTION OF TURQUOISE AVENUE BETWEEN JENNET AND THOROUGHBRED STREETS, TO PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC DURING THE AREA'S HOLIDAY LIGHT DISPLAY AND MAKING FINDINGS IN SUPPORT THEREOF A. Recitals 1. The elaborate display of holiday lights and decorations by residents of Thoroughbred and Jennet Streets, west of Sapphire Street and east of Turquoise Avenue, and Turquoise Avenue between Thoroughbred and Jennet Streets, during the month of December (the "Holiday Light Display") is an example of the community's holiday spirit, hard work, and creativity, which has grown over the last thirty years into one of the largest holiday light displays in Southern California, drawing viewers from across the region. 2. In recent years, however, the popularity of the Holiday Light Display has led to a surge in vehicular and pedestrian traffic, particularly on and around portions of Thoroughbred and Jennet Streets and Turquoise Avenue, resulting in a variety of negative impacts that threaten the health, safety, and welfare of members of the public. 3. At the regularly scheduled City Council meeting on March 15, 2017, the City Council received evidence concerning the negative impacts and dangerous conditions created by the Holiday Light Display prior to the adoption of this Resolution. 4. All legal prerequisites to the adoption of this Resolution have occurred. B. Resolution NOW THEREFORE, the Rancho Cucamonga City Council does hereby find, determine, conclude, and resolve as follows: 1. Based on evidence presented to the City Council at the above -referenced meeting on March 15, 2017, the City Council finds as follows: a. All facts set forth in Part A, Recitals, of this Resolution are true and correct. b. Thoroughbred and Jennet Streets and Turquoise Avenue are narrow, two-lane, residential streets with no sidewalks, which are not intended to handle substantial amounts of vehicular or pedestrian traffic. c. An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 vehicles travel through these streets each day during the busiest periods of the Holiday Light Display, in addition to pedestrians who park in neighboring communities and walk into the area. d. Traffic during the Holiday Light Display has increased to where the average wait time to enter can reach approximately two hours, followed by an additional hour and a half to travel through the streets. On busy evenings, traffic can back up to the 210 Freeway, approximately one mile away. Resolution No. 17-027 — Page 1 of 4 e. Large trucks, hot rods, and tour buses, which are normally uncommon on Thoroughbred and Jennet Streets and Turquoise Avenue, have been increasingly common in the area during the Holiday Lights Display, which creates additional dangers for pedestrians because they tend to take up larger portions of the road and require additional skill and attention to safely maneuver. f. The exceedingly high number of vehicles and presence of larger -than normal vehicles in the area results in noise and air pollution to pedestrians and surrounding residents. g. Traffic and safety problems are exacerbated by the large volume of pedestrians in the street, causing vehicles to slow, stop, or idle to avoid collisions. At any one time, as many as 5,000 pedestrians are in the roadway. h. Due to the absence of sidewalks on Thoroughbred and Jennet Streets and Turquoise Avenue, pedestrians mainly travel in the roadway, which creates a danger both to pedestrians and those traveling in vehicles. i. Pedestrians have been routinely observed traversing back and forth across the street to view the holiday displays. At the same time, drivers are distracted by the holiday displays. With drivers and pedestrians both distracted the potential for an accident involving a pedestrian substantially increases. j. The Holiday Light Display attracts many families with young children to the area. In some instances, children have been observed wandering unsupervised. Children are therefore at increased risk of being hit by a vehicle while walking in the street. k. Pedestrians frequently visit the Holiday Light Display expecting to find public restrooms. As no public restrooms are located nearby, pedestrians have been identified using nearby horse trails and dark residential areas to urinate, defecate, and discard hazardous waste. I. The Chief of Police and Fire Chief have determined that, due to increased vehicle and pedestrian traffic during the Holiday Light Display and limited street capacity, emergency personnel might not be able to safely and timely respond to potential emergencies in the surrounding community. m. The negative impacts and dangerous conditions created by the Holiday Light Display would be mitigated if the affected portions of Thoroughbred and Jennet Streets and Turquoise Avenue were temporarily closed to pedestrian traffic during the Holiday Light Display. In the absence of pedestrians, vehicular traffic flow would improve and emergency vehicles would have improved access because they could pass on either side of the one-way vehicular traffic. Furthermore, potential accidents involving vehicles and pedestrians would be reduced. n. Vehicle Code Section 21101(e) authorizes the City, to act by resolution, to temporarily close a portion of any street for celebrations, parades, local special events, and other purposes when, in the opinion of the City Council, the closing is necessary for the safety and protection of persons who are to use that portion of the street during the temporary closing. o. The Holiday Light Display, although not City sponsored, constitutes a local special event for the purposes of Vehicle Code Section 21101(e). 2. Based on the facts set forth in the preceding Section 1 of this Resolution and all available information, the City Council hereby finds that the temporary closure of portions of Thoroughbred and Jennet Streets and Turquoise Avenue to pedestrian traffic, except for residents of the homes within the affected area and their guests, during the Holiday Light Display is necessary for the safety and protection of persons who are to use the streets during the Holiday Light Display. Resolution No. 17-027 — Page 2 of 4 3. Based on the finding made in the preceding Section 2 of this Resolution and pursuant to California Vehicle Code Section 21101(e), the City Council hereby closes those portions of Thoroughbred and Jennet Streets west of Sapphire Street and east of Turquoise Avenue and Turquoise Avenue between Jennet and Thoroughbred Streets (as identified on Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference) to all pedestrian traffic except for residents of the homes on the affected streets and their guests from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. from December 15 to December 24, 2017. 4. The Chief of Police, in consultation with the City Engineer or designee, shall erect or cause to be erected and maintained sufficient temporary signs, barriers, and other temporary traffic control devices, to preclude pedestrians from traversing those portions of Thoroughbred and Jennet Streets as shown on Exhibit A, except to residents of the homes within the affected area and their guests, during the closure period. 5. This resolution is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(c), existing facilities. Thoroughbred and Jennet streets and Turquoise Avenue are existing streets and the proposed temporary closure of those streets during the Holiday Light Display constitutes a minor change in their operation. The temporary street closure will only affect a portion of Thoroughbred and Jennet streets between Sapphire Street and Turquoise Avenue and Turquoise Avenue between Jennet and Thoroughbred streets during a select number of days and for a limited period of time between 5:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. Residents of the affected portions of the streets will continue to have access to their homes at all times and the streets will continue to be accessible by car. Due to the significant vehicular and pedestrian traffic impacts during the Holiday Light Display, the temporary closure is anticipated to reduce an existing significant traffic and safety impact in a portion of the City. 6. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution. Resolution No. 17-027 — Page 3 of 4 PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 5th day of April 2017. ATTEST: nice C. Reynolds, Ci y Clerk STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO ) ss CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA ) L. Dennis Michael, Mayor I, JANICE C. REYNOLDS, CITY CLERK of the City of Rancho Cucamonga, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly passed, approved and adopted by the City Council of the City of Rancho Cucamonga, California, at a Regular Meeting of said City Council held on the 5th day of April 2017, by the following roll call vote, to wit: AYES: Alexander, Kennedy, Michael, Spagnolo, Williams NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAINED: None Executed this 6th day of April 2017, at Rancho Cucamonga, California. nice C. Reynolds, City Clerk Resolution No. 17-027 — Page 4 of 4