The City added signs directing drivers on Virginia Drive to turn on Haven Drive to access Mills Park. Additionally they added a no left turn sign at the Mill Park entrance on Virginia Drive [GMap].
The idea is to discourage drivers from waiting to turn left from Virginia Drive directly into the Mills Park entrance on Virginia Drive. When cars did this they would end up blocking the trail.
Members of the Lake Formosa Neighborhood Association have also expressed concerns about traffic coming from the other direction on Haven Drive (south) and turning left into Mills Park. The residents fear that people will cut through the Lake Formosa neighborhood to access Mills Park.
It is illegal, per the Mills Park development plan, to enter Mills Park by turning left off of Haven Drive and to exit by turning right out of Mills Park on Haven Drive. The developers were required by the City to place a no right turn sign at the exit in addition to a so-called pork-chop that attempts to restrict a right turn, but the city has not placed a no left turn sign on Haven Drive or done anything to notify or prevent drivers from cutting through Lake Formosa and turning left into Mills Park off of Haven Drive.
Additionally the developers were also required to not allow commercial vehicles to access Mills Park via Haven Drive. The developers did put a sign at the entrance to Mills Park on Haven Drive but the Neighborhood Association wants a sign that is visible on Virginia Drive before you turn on Haven Drive.
“We had about twenty residents at the meeting [Tuesday] night,” said Lake Formosa Neighborhood Association President Gordon Spears. “I likened our concerns with Mills Park to growing pains, and reminded everyone that as our neighborhood becomes more urbanized, we would have to deal with urban-style problems such as parking and traffic. It’s just part of growing up,” he added.
The residents and the City continue to meet to workout a permanent solution to the neighborhood’s concerns.
Per the original plan, the developer will be paying for a traffic study once the Mills Park development is at 80% occupancy. Those numbers will be compared to the original traffic studies before the Mills Park development to determine if any further changes to the traffic pattern or signage are needed.
“We look forward to putting this issue behind us. We have so many other things that we want to work on together with the city such as bicycle trails, and the expansion of the Lynx LYMMO system to our neighborhood,” said Spears.
First Watch is scheduled to open at Mills Park later this month.
The sign seems to point to the crosswalk area (@500 ft). It is confusing.
And yesterday when we were headed west on Virginia, there was a minivan sitting east bound just past the crosswalk attempting to turn left (with cars backing up behind), and another car attempting to turn left out of Mills Park onto Virginia heading east. But at least they had their turn signals on…
Having twenty neighbors show up is quite an increase compared to prior meetings. So the concerns are shared by many.
The growing pain comment was in regards to the increased vehicles parking on that street, not the issue of the traffic pattern which the developer and the city agreed to and are required to fix.
So please don’t take that comment as that these concerns are not legit and are not important.
The truck deliveries turning left off of Virginia into Mills Park are ridiculous. Hopefully, once construction is done, they’ll have a better system for deliveries.
yikes.
Yes…that was the issue the City is trying to fix with the signs. I know they are looking into a more permanent solution but it is better with the confusing sings. 🙂
They did 🙁 And it’s even called out by the City “The Property shall include up to four access points: one at Virginia Drive, two at Mills Avenue and one at Haven Drive.” And there were no restrictions in the plan in terms of being able to turn left out of the development.
Rafael stated the two issues we see as travellers along Virginia. Heading east and attempting to turn left into mills park causing backups. And people turning left out of mills park onto Virginia. My wife suggested perhaps some of those three foot high reflective plastic rods in the double lined area.
Ivanhoe Village-Manager
I’m pretty sure the approved plans didn’t have a Virginia access point in them… it’s to close to the urban trail crossing and a major intersection to make sense.
Hi Rafael, Do you mean a no right turn out of Mills Park? I think that will happen based on me sitting there for an hour yesterday and seeing the problems that causes. There already a a no left turn in from Virginia (the sign is ignored by some but it is much better since they added that in. I think they could also extend the median that is there for the Urban Trail. That would prevent folks from turn right. Thanks for reading and commenting!
Wow someone really messed up on that sign. Distance always means ahead.
More changes are needed. Signs help but need to more clear. Also, would add a no turn on left into entrance from Virginia and no left turn into Virginia when you exit from the parking. Too many cars are driving over double yellow street lines to get in and out from the parking close to the trail crossing area.
Just take the “500ft” off.
Jon, I thought the same thing. I think it needs the word “Then” on the sign so “Left then 500 feet”. Or something like that…
I know what the intent is, but it is a very confusing sign. “The entrance is 500 feet ahead on the left” (where there is an entrance visible) or “Turn here for the entrance which is 500 feet down” ?