Presubmission Meeting. After the submission of a zoning Application or a Preliminary Plat but prior to the commencement of a TIA, a presubmission meeting with the City Staff is required to establish a base of communication between the City and the Applicant. This meeting will define the requirements and scope relative to conducting a TIA and ensure that any questions by the Applicant are addressed.
Requirements for TIA Updates. A TIA shall be updated when time or circumstances of the original study fall within the parameters presented in Table 37. Criteria for Determining Study Update Requirements. The Applicant is responsible for preparation and submittal of appropriate documentation in order for City Staff to process the zoning or development Application. A TIA for site development requests must be updated if two years have passed since the original submittal, or if existing or assumed conditions have changed within the defined study area. The City Engineer shall make the final determination as to the extent of a TIA update.
Responsibility of TIA Preparation and Review.
1. Preparation.
a. A TIA must be prepared in accordance with all the guidelines of this ordinance and submitted in accordance with the City's development review schedule.
b. The responsibility for TIA preparation shall rest with the Applicant, and must be performed by a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in the State of Texas with experience in traffic and transportation engineering.
c. The final TIA report must be signed and sealed by the P.E. responsible for the analysis to be considered for review by the City.
d. Application and review fees are due at the time of each submittal.
e. City staff shall serve primarily in a review and advisory capacity, and will only provide data to the Applicant when available.
2. Submittal.
a. It shall be the responsibility of the Applicant to submit four (4) draft TIA reports, final reports, and executive summaries with the zoning or development submission.
b. The proper number of reports, the timing for submission, and the review of these reports shall be based on standard City development review procedures.
c. Incomplete TIAs or failure to submit a TIA with the submission shall delay consideration of zoning and development requests.
d. Should it be determined during the review of the zoning or development plans that a TIA is required, consideration shall be deferred until the Applicant submits a completed TIA and the City has reviewed the assessment.
3. Review.
a. An initial review of the TIA by the City shall be available to the Applicant nine (9) business days from the submittal date.
b. Should additional analysis be required of the Applicant, re-submission shall be within four (4) business days from when the initial review is available.
c. Incomplete TIAs or failure to submit a TIA with the submission shall delay consideration of zoning and development requests.
d. Longer review periods may be needed if TxDOT is involved in the review process.
Deferred TIA. On developing corridors where multiple separate ownership of small tracts exists, the City may defer the TIA in favor of a more comprehensive corridor analysis.
1. The Applicant will submit a proportionate cost contribution based on the ultimate development intensity of individual tracts relative to the corridor defined for analysis or as determined by the City's Fee Schedule for a traffic assessment fund for such larger study.
2. Mitigation of traffic impacts may still be required but as determined from the larger TIA.
3. Affected individual property owners will commit to contribution of proportionate costs for required improvements, as determined through study, for area-wide improvements.
Mitigation. Mitigation of impacts shall be required if the proposed development would cause a facility or traffic movement to exceed LOS D, or where it already exceeds LOS D and the development would contribute 5% or more of the total traffic during any projected horizon year. (Note: The minimum acceptable level of service (LOS) within the City shall be defined as LOS "D" in the peak hour for all critical movements and links). If mitigation is required, the Applicant must only mitigate the impact of the proposed development, and would not be responsible for alleviating any deficiencies in the thoroughfare system that may occur without the proposed development. Acceptable mitigation measures shall include:
1. Staging of development in order to relate site development to the construction of the required thoroughfare system;
2. Off-site improvements, including the provision of Right-of-Way or the participation in funding for needed thoroughfare and intersection improvement projects; and
3. On-site improvements, including access controls and site circulation adjustments.
Administration. The City Engineer shall be responsible for reviewing the TIA. Based on the City Engineer's recommendation, the Planning and Zoning Commission, or the City Council, as appropriate based on the type of Application, shall take one or more of the following actions:
1. Approve the zoning or development request, if the project has been determined to have no significant impact or where the impacts can be adequately mitigated;
2. Approve the development request, subject to a phasing plan;
3. Recommend study of the Transportation Master Plan to determine amendments required to increase capacity;
4. Recommend amendment of the City's CIP to expedite construction of needed improvements; and
5. Deny the zoning request, where the impacts cannot be adequately mitigated.
