The new plans raise a couple of questions in my mind re traffic as follows:
1. In the application process is the planning board allowed to take into consideration negative traffic impacts outside the borders of RT? It's clear that if exiting traffic leaves 140 GPR and proceeds down meriden road, makes a right on diamond spring road, and goes through denville in order to access rt 80 it will create a very ugly traffic situation at the intersection with broadway. Under this scenario, assuming that people actually take this route rather than finding a place to make a U turn, the traffic problem will be in denville and not RT. Does this mean that it is outside the scope of the PB's area of responsibility and therefore should not be considered in the PB approval process?
2. What about the U turn issue? Like electricity, traffic usually takes the path of least resistance. Since going through denville will be a hassle after driving several miles, why wouldn't some or all of the traffic find a place to make a U turn and go down GPR anyway? How would this situation be dealt with in the traffic studies and in the PB meetings?
I, too, would like to know how that would be addressed. Of course, they would try going North up GPR to make a U-Turn and that in itself could be very dangerous and also backing up traffic as there aren't too many places to make U-Turns. The same problem will happen on Meridan. I would think the PB would have to definitely address these issues. Can you imagine 1000 cars trying to make U-Turns on both of these roads?
I can't imagine they put too much thought into this one ... I once heard a pastor (from a mega church that dwarfs cc) say that it was next to impossible to use RLUIPA if the church posed a threat to "public safety".... certainly dumping over 1000 cars into a residential neighborhood on a day when kids are home from school is not safe ... perhaps they know they can be beat on the traffic plan & they are grasping at straws
Speaking of public safety, what about clogging the roads around St Clares Hospital? Between that and the obvious strong incentive to be making U turns anywhere and everywhere, this is clearly not a safe plan.
