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Transportation study to shape area's future
THELMA GRIMES
News-Sun
Cochise County officials plan to present the final draft of the Northwest Cochise County Transportation Planning Study to the Board of Supervisors sometime in February.
The Cochise County Highway and Floodplain Department is managing the study, a sub-regional assessment of existing roadway conditions and the long-term needs near Benson.
Patricia Morris, manager of the county highway and floodplain department, said the study area covers 36 square miles from State Route 90 west to the Pima/Cochise County line, near J-Six and Mescal, one mile north of Interstate 10, and south to the Arizona Forest Service Boundary.
Morris said county officials realized the need for the study after Tucson housing developer Diamond Ventures Inc., proposed a 6,000-home development four miles west of Benson, between State Route 90 and Skyline Road.
Diamond Ventures submitted a request to the Cochise County Planning and Zoning department to rezone the 1,983-acre Smith Ranch property for a master planned development.
The request has not yet been considered, as three public hearings have been postponed, because the county and the developer are still preparing information.
"When Diamond Ventures came in, we realized we really needed some plan for where transportation corridors should be," Morris said. "This study is the first step. With this information the county will be able to create a more detailed plan."
The Board of Supervisors approved the study in May, Morris said, but is not paying for it. She said Diamond Ventures officials agreed to pay for the study.
Diamond Ventures would not provide the cost of the study.
Linda Cohen, spokeswoman for Diamond Ventures said, the Tucson developer supports alternatives that will meet long-range transportation needs for Benson, Cochise County and Smith Ranch.
"The goal of the sub-regional study is to ensure that the Smith Ranch roadway improvement and construction program fits within the long-range regional context of transportation planning for the area," Cohen said.
Morris said it is important for the public to understand that while Diamond Ventures picked up the tab, they are not running the study.
The county retained the services of Curtis Lueck & Associates of Tucson, which specializes in transportation, floodplain, environmental, planning and engineering policies.
Morris said the county has also received input from the community, Benson city officials and the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), which is why there are four different alternatives.
Curtis Lueck, the principal partner of Curtis Lueck & Associates, explained the four alternatives during a public meeting held Nov. 23 in Benson. He said the key to this study is to "put roadways in a logical manner,"
"One of the main objectives for the study is to find a connection for Smith Ranch," Lueck said. "All the alternatives provide interconnectivity between the freeway interchanges either via frontage roads or east-west collector roadways, tying in to current and proposed north-south routes. This provides alternatives for travel on the freeway for short trips and would permit safer use of bicycles and walking for shorter trips."
In the first alternative of the study, officials focused on the construction of one-way frontage roads.
It proposed a pair of one-way frontage roads adjacent to Interstate 10 to serve east-west movements and two collector corridors connecting the Skyline interchange to State Route 90 at Jennella and Post roads, which will eventually connect to downtown Benson.
Jennella and Post roads are east-west frontage roads near State Route 90.
However, there are several issues to consider, Morris said. The frontage roads would have to be outside the jurisdiction of the Arizona Department of Transportation and put into local jurisdictions such as Benson or the county.
The Post Road connection would require state and private land, as well as modification to the Whetstone Ranch master plan in Benson, Morris said.
Whetstone Ranch is a 24,000-home development on State Route 90 that has already been approved. The infrastructure for the development is under way.
The report further states that the first alternative has "obscure" east-west connectivity and the one-way frontage roads are not "conducive" for use by alternates, due to the "circuitous travel."
Further, the report states the Skyline Road interchange at Interstate 10 would have to be reconstructed for "capacity and safety."
There is currently a one-way tunnel at the Skyline interchange, requiring drivers to honk as they pass through.
In the second alternative, the county focused on the east-west alignment of local roadways.
The report suggests two local collector roadways. One extending north of Interstate 10 and one extending south, and a north-south connection between them at the Skyline interchange.
The southern route is a two-lane collector roadway following the Joseph Road that connects the J-Six Ranch Road to a four-lane Post Road connection.
Joseph Road runs east-west from Skyline Road to J-Six Ranch Road.
The report said the alternative will utilize state land between Smith Ranch and the existing Joseph Road right-of-way, which would need to be upgraded to county standards.
In the third alternative, the study suggests additional east-west connections.
It calls for an additional connection to the J-Six Ranch Road and State Route 90. The southern connection will continue to Empirita Ranch, which borders the Pima/Cochise County line.
Empirita Ranch is part of the transportation study because Pima County has recently approved a 3,700-home development, which includes the Red Hawk development near J-Six.
As in alternative two, alternative three provides an interconnection between east and west interchanges that tie into the existing north-south routes, such as J-Six Ranch and State Route 90.
The fourth Alternative, known as the hybrid alternative, calls for major reconstruction projects.
Lueck said this alternative takes a little bit from each of the first three.
Reconstruction projects include the interchange at Interstate 10 and State Route 90 and the J-Six/Mescal interchange. The plan also calls for the reconstruction or completely relocating the Skyline interchange.
It also calls for the construction of a connector road north of Interstate 10 and a new connector road along the Whetstone Ranch and Jennella alignment.
This does not provide access to Titan or Joseph roads, like alternative two. Titan Road is a two-lane frontage road south of Interstate 10, which has one outlet at State Route 90.
Many area residents have expressed concern over using both Titan and Joseph roads for Smith Ranch traffic.
Sylvia Simard, a Titan Road resident, said the increased traffic will be too much for the frontage roads.
Mark Apel, senior planner for Cochise County planning and zoning, said the study is important, but the public should remember it is only a study.
"This is not a plan that is going to be adopted," Apel said. "This is being done to provide ideas and a guide for the future."
Ron Casper, district engineer for the Arizona Department of Transportation, said regardless of what the public thinks of Smith Ranch, the study and future improvements are needed.
"The improvements of the Skyline interchange have nothing to do with Smith Ranch," Casper said. "With the other transportation concerns, within the next 10 years either myself or my successor is going to have to address these problems."
Following the presentation, Morris said Lueck and the county will be working on a second and final draft of the transportation study to submit to the county supervisors for approval some time in February.
With the study going before the supervisors, Mary McCool, of the J-Six/Mescal Community Development Organization, asked if residents will have the opportunity to comment on the final draft.
Morris said before the final draft is approved, another public hearing will be held. The hearing has not yet been scheduled.
News-Sun
Cochise County officials plan to present the final draft of the Northwest Cochise County Transportation Planning Study to the Board of Supervisors sometime in February.
The Cochise County Highway and Floodplain Department is managing the study, a sub-regional assessment of existing roadway conditions and the long-term needs near Benson.
Patricia Morris, manager of the county highway and floodplain department, said the study area covers 36 square miles from State Route 90 west to the Pima/Cochise County line, near J-Six and Mescal, one mile north of Interstate 10, and south to the Arizona Forest Service Boundary.
Morris said county officials realized the need for the study after Tucson housing developer Diamond Ventures Inc., proposed a 6,000-home development four miles west of Benson, between State Route 90 and Skyline Road.
Diamond Ventures submitted a request to the Cochise County Planning and Zoning department to rezone the 1,983-acre Smith Ranch property for a master planned development.
The request has not yet been considered, as three public hearings have been postponed, because the county and the developer are still preparing information.
"When Diamond Ventures came in, we realized we really needed some plan for where transportation corridors should be," Morris said. "This study is the first step. With this information the county will be able to create a more detailed plan."
The Board of Supervisors approved the study in May, Morris said, but is not paying for it. She said Diamond Ventures officials agreed to pay for the study.
Diamond Ventures would not provide the cost of the study.
Linda Cohen, spokeswoman for Diamond Ventures said, the Tucson developer supports alternatives that will meet long-range transportation needs for Benson, Cochise County and Smith Ranch.
"The goal of the sub-regional study is to ensure that the Smith Ranch roadway improvement and construction program fits within the long-range regional context of transportation planning for the area," Cohen said.
Morris said it is important for the public to understand that while Diamond Ventures picked up the tab, they are not running the study.
The county retained the services of Curtis Lueck & Associates of Tucson, which specializes in transportation, floodplain, environmental, planning and engineering policies.
Morris said the county has also received input from the community, Benson city officials and the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), which is why there are four different alternatives.
Curtis Lueck, the principal partner of Curtis Lueck & Associates, explained the four alternatives during a public meeting held Nov. 23 in Benson. He said the key to this study is to "put roadways in a logical manner,"
"One of the main objectives for the study is to find a connection for Smith Ranch," Lueck said. "All the alternatives provide interconnectivity between the freeway interchanges either via frontage roads or east-west collector roadways, tying in to current and proposed north-south routes. This provides alternatives for travel on the freeway for short trips and would permit safer use of bicycles and walking for shorter trips."
In the first alternative of the study, officials focused on the construction of one-way frontage roads.
It proposed a pair of one-way frontage roads adjacent to Interstate 10 to serve east-west movements and two collector corridors connecting the Skyline interchange to State Route 90 at Jennella and Post roads, which will eventually connect to downtown Benson.
Jennella and Post roads are east-west frontage roads near State Route 90.
However, there are several issues to consider, Morris said. The frontage roads would have to be outside the jurisdiction of the Arizona Department of Transportation and put into local jurisdictions such as Benson or the county.
The Post Road connection would require state and private land, as well as modification to the Whetstone Ranch master plan in Benson, Morris said.
Whetstone Ranch is a 24,000-home development on State Route 90 that has already been approved. The infrastructure for the development is under way.
The report further states that the first alternative has "obscure" east-west connectivity and the one-way frontage roads are not "conducive" for use by alternates, due to the "circuitous travel."
Further, the report states the Skyline Road interchange at Interstate 10 would have to be reconstructed for "capacity and safety."
There is currently a one-way tunnel at the Skyline interchange, requiring drivers to honk as they pass through.
In the second alternative, the county focused on the east-west alignment of local roadways.
The report suggests two local collector roadways. One extending north of Interstate 10 and one extending south, and a north-south connection between them at the Skyline interchange.
The southern route is a two-lane collector roadway following the Joseph Road that connects the J-Six Ranch Road to a four-lane Post Road connection.
Joseph Road runs east-west from Skyline Road to J-Six Ranch Road.
The report said the alternative will utilize state land between Smith Ranch and the existing Joseph Road right-of-way, which would need to be upgraded to county standards.
In the third alternative, the study suggests additional east-west connections.
It calls for an additional connection to the J-Six Ranch Road and State Route 90. The southern connection will continue to Empirita Ranch, which borders the Pima/Cochise County line.
Empirita Ranch is part of the transportation study because Pima County has recently approved a 3,700-home development, which includes the Red Hawk development near J-Six.
As in alternative two, alternative three provides an interconnection between east and west interchanges that tie into the existing north-south routes, such as J-Six Ranch and State Route 90.
The fourth Alternative, known as the hybrid alternative, calls for major reconstruction projects.
Lueck said this alternative takes a little bit from each of the first three.
Reconstruction projects include the interchange at Interstate 10 and State Route 90 and the J-Six/Mescal interchange. The plan also calls for the reconstruction or completely relocating the Skyline interchange.
It also calls for the construction of a connector road north of Interstate 10 and a new connector road along the Whetstone Ranch and Jennella alignment.
This does not provide access to Titan or Joseph roads, like alternative two. Titan Road is a two-lane frontage road south of Interstate 10, which has one outlet at State Route 90.
Many area residents have expressed concern over using both Titan and Joseph roads for Smith Ranch traffic.
Sylvia Simard, a Titan Road resident, said the increased traffic will be too much for the frontage roads.
Mark Apel, senior planner for Cochise County planning and zoning, said the study is important, but the public should remember it is only a study.
"This is not a plan that is going to be adopted," Apel said. "This is being done to provide ideas and a guide for the future."
Ron Casper, district engineer for the Arizona Department of Transportation, said regardless of what the public thinks of Smith Ranch, the study and future improvements are needed.
"The improvements of the Skyline interchange have nothing to do with Smith Ranch," Casper said. "With the other transportation concerns, within the next 10 years either myself or my successor is going to have to address these problems."
Following the presentation, Morris said Lueck and the county will be working on a second and final draft of the transportation study to submit to the county supervisors for approval some time in February.
With the study going before the supervisors, Mary McCool, of the J-Six/Mescal Community Development Organization, asked if residents will have the opportunity to comment on the final draft.
Morris said before the final draft is approved, another public hearing will be held. The hearing has not yet been scheduled.
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