TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Stephanie Katsouleas, Public Works Director
SUBJECT:Title
Consider Request by Councilmember Stern and Mayor Pro Tem Montgomery to Revisit the Issue of Re-Striping the Area Leading to Pacific Elementary School (Public Works Director Katsouleas).
PROVIDE DIRECTION
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council provide direction regarding the request by Councilmember Stern and Mayor Pro Tem Montgomery to revisit the issue of striping the area leading to Pacific Elementary School (Pacific).
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND:
As part of the Cycle 10 Safe Routes to School grant awarded to Manhattan Beach, a white striped edge line (white line) was installed this past March on Walnut Avenue between 17th Street and 27th Street, and on 17th Street between Walnut Avenue and Poinsettia, effectively creating a pedestrian walking path for students attending Pacific. The following month, the white strip was incorrectly removed by the City’s slurry seal contractor as part of the Annual Slurry Seal project. Following its removal, residents from 14 properties along Walnut Avenue submitted a petition to the City requesting that the white line not be reinstalled on their street. After receiving the petition, City Council requested that the item be agendized for further discussion at a future City Council meeting.
On June 18, 2019, staff presented the history and circumstances surrounding the installation and subsequent removal of the white line and asked City Council to provide direction on whether to have the slurry seal contractor reinstall it and perhaps provide additional signage, or alternatively, to omit it from the Cycle 10 scope of work. City Council directed staff to not reinstall the white line.
On July 16, 2019, representatives from Pacific requested that City Council reconsider the decision made on June 18, 2019, and instead consider installing the white line on Walnut Avenue. Councilmember Stern and Mayor Pro Tem Montgomery motioned that City Council revisit the issue of striping in the area of Pacific at a future City Council meeting.
DISCUSSION:
On July 29, staff reached out to Pacific representative Wysh Weinstein, seeking clarification on whether Pacific parents desired to have a white line installed in the same location on Walnut Avenue and 17th Street, or whether a different location was preferable. Ms. Weinstein indicated that Pacific representatives prefer to suspend any action on this issue until school is back in session this fall when they can engage a broader group of parents about their preferred walking programs and routes to and from school. She indicated that once they’ve had a chance to assess the greater desires of Pacific parents, they would reach out to the City seeking assistance and potential implementation of safe walking routes to school.
Therefore, staff recommends that City Council defer taking any action on installing a white line on Walnut Avenue until Pacific representatives contact the City with a new request for a Safe Routes to School project.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENT:
None.