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Residents urge caution on Miller two-way cycle track; council amends tree ordinance to protect sight lines
Summary
A resident warned a proposed two-way cycle track on Miller Avenue will create dangerous sight-line problems; council moved to amend Chapter 40 (trees and vegetation), adopting AASHTO-based sight-triangle language and a 30-inch height limit in sight triangles and returning the ordinance to first reading for additional review.
Public commenters and council members used Nov. 17 testimony to press concerns about sight lines and street safety, and the council moved to amend a proposed update to the city’s tree and vegetation code.
Kathy Griswold told the council she welcomed decades of pedestrian-safety improvements but said a proposed two-way cycle track on Miller Avenue was ‘‘a tipping point’’ and predicted a serious injury or death if the design is implemented without adequate sight lines. She described sight lines as an ‘‘engineering standard’’ and urged officials to reconsider the plan.
Council member Ackman moved an amendment to the Chapter 40 ordinance that (1) confines the current changes to private property up to the sidewalk (not lawn extensions or easements), (2) allows staff to use an AASHTO sight-triangle standard instead of a universal 40-by-40 measurement so sight triangles can scale with prevailing roadway speed, and (3) sets a specific vegetation height limit of 30 inches within sight triangles. Assistant City Attorney John Reiser said the amendment would render the item a first reading and place it back on the council’s calendar for further consideration.
Why it matters: the changes are designed to preserve pedestrian and motorist sight lines where trees and vegetation are near intersections or crosswalks and to give staff clearer engineering standards to apply during review. The amendment shifts the ordinance back to first reading so more technical details and public input can be incorporated.
