Division Corridor Strategy Final Report Division-Corridor-Strategy-Final-Report

As with the sidewalk improvements, each of the access management improvement approaches listed above should be considered in conjunc on with the adjacent re-development ini a ves on a block by block basis or as a group of blocks, as appropriate for the treatment. U lity Assessment Bury the u lity lines and removal of the u lity poles along Division Street is recommended as a long-term eﬀ ort with the understanding that there are signifi cant costs and right-of-way challenges. This ac on had overwhelming support during this planning process by the public, land owners, and the DCAC. The planning team observed approximately 80 u lity poles along Division Street. The poles are visually distrac ng, hinder redevelopment oppor- tuni es, force pedestrians to enter the roadway to maneuver around them, and are located in areas desired for future sidewalks and ramps. All these issues were iden fi ed during this process and are well documented as challenges in previous reports and studies. However, no ac ons have been imple- mented to date. This is most likely due to challenges associated with cost and right-of-way acquisi ons. sion and provided three op ons for considera on: 1) burial, 2) consolida on, and 3) reloca on. It should be noted that Oncor owns most u lity poles within the Corridor and other franchise providers use the poles and would likely follow Oncor’s direc on. Op on 1- Burial: This is the most desired and best long-term solu on to address public and stakeholder desires. However, this is a signifi cant cost and, by nature, would require an approximate 10 foot easement along the fronts of proper es adjacent to Division Street. This scenario is illustrated in The City of Arlington’s Downtown Master Plan. The easement will pose very diﬃ cult site design situa- ons for many businesses and in some cases, require structure removal or loss of sales space. This op on would also involve upgraded u lity systems to meet code requirements, a cost some property owners commented would be too much of a fi nancial burden. Burial may be the best op on to consider as redevelopment projects materialize. Op on 2- Consolida on: This op on recognizes many poles could be removed that are not necessary. In addi on, overhead lines could be consolidated and moved to the south side of Division Street. This would aid in reducing the amount of visual clu er and pedestrian obstacles. Consolida- opera on and safety. • Parking access directly oﬀ of Division Street should be gradually eliminated as redevelop- ment takes place along the Corridor. • Parking management for the Division Street Corridor should encourage collec ve parking for each block, with access to the parking from the side streets to replace numerous ineﬃ cient small parking areas along the street frontage and to make its use more eﬀ ec ve. • Raised medians should be provided, in concert with the managed property access and parking to enhance the safety and opera on of Division Street. Findings and Op ons During this p rocess, the planning team met with the u lity companies as part of the stakeholder meet- ings. The planning team outlined past plans and desires and discussed current project goals. The u lity company representa ves were open to discus- Utility poles and overhead powerlines within the study area. Division Street Corridor Strategy City of Arlington 69

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