This hit the email/internet route about 4:30 PM yesterday, just a few hours before the Public Hearing for the Sage Lane project. When this came up during the Hearing, most council members looked puzzled as did the engineer handling the Ivy Ridge (the let's kill Sage Lane) project who had just reported that the Sage Lane Road had been eliminated from the proffers.
You have to wonder who initiated this investigation into whether or not the issue of putting Sage Lane as a thru road back on the menu. This causes a whole lot of questions to come up as to professional conduct and hidden agendas.
If this was an issue, it would have been included in the professional staff analysis provided by the Randy Wingfield. It would have been part of the public record and accessible to the public. It wasn't. It was a backdoor, last minute, last ditch attempt to manipulate outcome. It might be interesting to find out if the people quoted here as feeling a road at Sage Lane was needed were interviewed. Maybe they could shed more light as to why they feel that was necessary.
Here ya go:
From: Randy Wingfield
Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2010 1:44 PM
To: Ann Carter; Bradford Stipes; Earnest Wade;
Henry Showalter; Jim VanHoozier; Mike Barber;
Richard Ballengee; Lance Terpenny; Barry Helms
Cc: Ann Carter; Craig Moore; Kevin Conner;
Mike Byrd; Steve Huppert; wbooth; Nichole Hair
Subject: Ivy Ridge Connectivity Index/Sage Lane Connection
VDOT uses a connectivity index for approval of
subdivision with new streets as part of their
secondary street acceptance requirements.
This index uses street segments divided by
intersections (cul-de-sacs are included as intersections)
to come up with the index number. Christiansburg is
classified by VDOT as a Compact area which would require
a connectivity index of at least 1.6, however this
requirement does not apply within Christiansburg as we
maintain our own streets, I am just providing this for
your reference. To simplify it, the higher the
connectivity index, the better. The connectivity
index cannot mathematically be lower than 1.
I ran the same connectivity index for Ivy Ridge
and came up with the following numbers:
For the development as shown on the Ivy Ridge
Conceptual Plan dated 5-10-10 with a connection made
to Sage Lane = 13 segments / 7 intersections
(including cul-de-sacs) = 1.86 connectivity index
For the development as shown on the Ivy Ridge Conceptual
Plan dated 5-10-10 with no connection made to
Sage Lane = 10 segments / 6 intersections
(including cul-de-sacs) = 1.67 connectivity index
The Town Administration, Planning, and Engineering
staff feel as though the connection to Sage Lane
should be made because of general connectivity and
for emergency access reasons. Police Chief Mark Sisson,
Fire Chief Billy Hanks, and Rescue Squad Captain
Kelly Walters concur that the connections to Sage Lane
is desirable for these reasons.
There is an existing stub out at the end of
New Village Drive which could be utilized for access
through the Shaffer land via the stub out of Albert Lane
shown on the concept drawing. This connection would
provide an additional connection through New River Village
to the proposed development if it were constructed.
Town staff will require the connection if Town Council
desires it, but will not require the connection if that
is the desire of Town Council.
Randy Wingfield
Planning Director/Zoning Administrator
Town of Christiansburg
100 E. Main Street
Christiansburg, VA 24073
phone: (540) 382-6120 x 119
fax: (540) 381-7238
Since Mr. Wingfield has provided his phone number, feel free to let him know how you feel about this. Feel free to call all of those members of Council and ask who authorized this.