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July  9,  2015    To:    Mr.  Bill  Hocker  SodaCanyonRoad.org  P.O.  Box  5184  Napa,  CA  94581    Via  e-­‐mail  only:      bill.wmhocker.org  (2  pages)    Subject:  Peer  Review  for  Proposed  Mountain  Peak  Winery  TIA  in  Napa  County.    Dear  Bill:    This  memorandum  presents  the  results  of  the  peer  review  of  the  traffic  impact  analysis  (TIA)  dated  February  26,  2015  prepared  by  Crane  Transportation  Group.          

In  general,  a  typical  peer  review  analyzes  the  technical  content  of  the  subject  report  with  regards  to  the  impact  of  vehicular  trips  generated  by  the  proposed  at  the  study  area  and  the  surrounding  roadways  under  existing,  near-­‐term  and  future  conditions.  However,  this  peer  review  is  unique  in  nature  due  to  its  location  as  well  as  the  nature  of  the  proposed  Mountain  Peak  Winery  project.  The  peer  review  team  analyzed  the  report  from  a  technical  perspective  as  well  as  from  a  safety  perspective.    

Project  Background:  

Mountain  Peak  Winery  is  proposed  to  be  located  at  3265  Soda  Canyon  Road  about  6.5  miles  northeast  of  the  intersection  of  Silverado  Trail  and  Soda  Canyon  Road  in  Napa,  California.  Based  on  the  TIA  report,  the  proposed  winery  would  be  built  on  a  41.67  acres  of  land  and  would  produce  100,000  gallons  of  wine  per  year  with  a  total  of  37  full-­‐time  and  part-­‐time  employees.  The  winery  expects  to  attract  around  18,500  Winery  visitors  per  year1.    The  proposed  marketing  plan  for  the  winery  is  as  follows:  

1. Tours/  Tastings  –  Maximum  of  80  persons  per  day  and  maximum  of  320  persons  per  week.  2. Food  &  Wine  Pairings  –  Maximum  of  6  per  month,  with  12  people  for  3  of  them  and  24  for  

the  other  3.    3. Wine  Club/  Release  Events  –  Maximum  of  four  per  year  with  up  to  75  persons  each.    4. Larger  Auction-­‐related  Events  –  Maximum  of  two  per  year  with  up  to  125  persons  each.  

(Shuttle  bus  and/  or  valet  parking  service  will  be  provided  for  these  events.)    

Facts  about  Soda  Canyon  Road:  

Soda  Canyon  Road  is  a  two-­‐lane  rural  road  with  varying  lane  widths  between  9  feet  and  11  feet    that  winds  its  way  up  Soda  Creek,  over  a  steep  grade  and  ends  on  a  high  plateau  at  the  edge  of  Rector  Creek  Canyon.  The  road  has  only  one  ingress  and  egress  point,  which  is  located  at  the  intersection  of  Silverado  Trail  and  Soda  Canyon  Road.  The  posted  speed  limit  on  Soda  Canyon  road  near  the  Silverado  Trail  is  45  mph  and  near  the  proposed  winery  is  25  mph.  This  road  also  provides  access  to  the  Loma  Vista  Area  and  the  Rector  Plateau.  

1 http://sodacanyonroad.org/docs/wineryEPSON002.pdf, February 18, 2014

July 9, 2015 Page 2

 

The  winding  nature  of  the  roadway  paired  with  several  horizontal  and  vertical  curves  possess  threat  to  the  commuters  traveling  along  Soda  Canyon  Road.  In  addition,  the  road  lacks  paved  shoulders,  and  the  pavement  is  in  a  dilapidated  condition,  which  would  not  be  suitable  for  high  volume  of  traffic  particularly  during  the  bad  weather  days.    

Technical  Assessment  of  the  TIA  

The  Mountain  Peak  Winery  TIA  along  Soda  Canon  Road  provides  comprehensive  traffic  analysis  of  the  proposed  project  in  accordance  with  the  guidelines  established  by  the  Napa  County  and  Caltrans.  The  report  was  analyzed  thoroughly  except  for  a  few  minor  comments.  

Specific  comments  on  the  Transportation  Impact  Analysis  Report:  

General  Comment:  

The  organization  of  the  report  is  confusing  since  the  figures  and  tables  are  not  included  within  the  text  of  the  report.  Inclusion  of  tables  and  figures  along  with  the  report  text  would  avoid  confusion  to  the  readers.    

Project  Location  &  Description:  

The  report  mentions  that  92  percent  of  the  grapes  will  be  grown  on-­‐site  and  remaining  4  percent  will  be  transported  to  the  site  in  3  to  4  trucks  but  fails  to  mention  about  the  remaining  4  percent.    

Existing  Traffic  Counts:  

1. Though  the  report  mentions  that  wineries  attract  the  heaviest  trips  during  August  and  September  of  each  year,  the  traffic  counts  have  been  conducted  in  May,  July  and  January.  We  understand  that  the  July  and  May  traffic  volumes  are  factored  up  by  about  three  percent,  but,  there  is  no  reference  cited  for  the  same.  In  addition,  the  report  mentions  that  the  January  traffic  counts  were  factored  up  by  17  percent  along  the  peak  direction  and  10  percent  along  the  off  peak  direction.  Again,  there  is  no  reference  cited.  Please  include  reference  for  both  as  well  as  calculations  if  any.    

Site  Plan  

The  site  plan  provided  does  not  clearly  show  the  driveways  and  general  access  for  the  site.  

Roadway  Segment  Level  of  Service  

1. The  Soda  Canyon  Road’s  capacity  is  reduced  by  50  percent  (Page  10)  in  order  to  account  for  the  steeper  grade  and  horizontal/vertical  curves.  Please  provide  citation.  Please  provide  citation.  

Project  Traffic  Generation:  

1. The  assumption  behind  the  inbound/  outbound  distribution  for  visitors  is  not  mentioned  in  the  report.  

Appendix  

Please  divide  the  appendices  to  A,  B,  and  C  etc.    

July 9, 2015 Page 3

 Safety  Assessment  of  the  TIA  

Though  the  report  addresses  the  sight  line  adequacy  from  the  project  driveways,  the  report  fails  to  address  the  safety  concerns  along  Soda  Canyon  Road  and  how  the  additional  trips  expected  to  be  generated  by  the  proposed  winery  and  future  wineries  would  have  an  adverse  effect  on  Soda  Canyon  Road.    

Field  Observations  

The  peer  review  team  conducted  a  field  observation  on  July  7th,  2015.  Following  roadway  deficiencies  along  Soda  Canyon  Road  were  observed:    

1. Narrow  Pavements  -­‐  The  pavement  widths  range  anywhere  between  9  feet  and  11  feet  along  Soda  Canyon  Road.  As  per  CAMUTCD,  the  standard  pavement  width  for  rural  roads  is  between  10  feet  and  11  feet.  Though  sufficient  warning  signs  regarding  the  reduced  pavement  widths  are  provided  and  the  posted  speed  limit  along  the  reduced  pavement  width  section  is  around  25  mph,  narrow  pavements  cause  the  vehicle  to  not  pass  safely.    

2. No  Shoulders  –  In  addition  to  narrow  pavement  widths,  the  entire  segment  of  Soda  Canyon  Road  do  not  have  a  paved  shoulder.  The  shoulders  are  put  together  from  hand-­‐packed  dirt  that  is  less  compacted  and  might  be  treacherous  for  vehicles  pulling  off  the  road  specifically  on  bad  weather  days.  In  addition,  unpaved  shoulders  often  develop  deepruts  due  to  tire  wear  or  erosion.  This  can  cause  the  vehicle  to  become  stuck  or  it  could  damage  the  undercarriage  of  the  vehicle.  

3. No  Guardrails  along  certain  segments  –  Guardrails  prevent  the  vehicles  from  driving  off  into  the  ditch.  There  are  certain  segments  of  the  Soda  Canyon  Road  that  does  not  have  a  guardrail.  This  can  cause  the  vehicle  to  slide  off  the  roadway  and  fall  into  the  ditch.  

4. Blind  curves  –  Soda  Canyon  Road  is  too  narrow  for  two  vehicles  to  pass  easily  and  has  many  sharp  curves  that  prevent  seeing  approaching  traffic.    Due  to  its  topography,  Soda  Canyon  Road  has  many  dips  and  rises  that  create  blind  spots  in  the  road  ahead.  Trying  to  pass  oncoming  vehicles  even  at  the  speed  limit  could  result  in  a  collision  or  one  vehicle  being  forced  off  the  road.  

5. Obstacles  –  Livestock  or  wildlife  may  be  encountered  along  Soda  Canyon  Road.  Fallen  trees  or  landslide  debris  may  be  an  obstacle  due  to  the  topography  of  Soda  Canyon  Road.      

6. Steep  Grades  –  At  certain  locations,  Soda  Canyon  Road  is  steep  which  puts  unusual  demands  on  vehicle  brakes.  There  is  also  a  possibility  of  skidding  during  the  bad  weather  days  while  descending  roads  with  steep  grades.    

7. Damaged  Road  Surface  –  From  the  field  visit,  it  was  observed  that  Soda  Canyon  Road  is  not  regularly  maintained.  There  were  multiple  locations  with  damaged  pavement,  potholes,  crocodile  cracking,  etc.    All  these  could  result  in  damaging  and/or  losing  control  of  the  vehicle.    

 

 

 

 

 

July 9, 2015 Page 4

Following  photographs  taken  during  the  field  visit  illustrates  the  existing  conditions  along  Soda  Canyon  Road.  

 

Photo   1   –   Vehicle   traveling   in   the  middle   of   the   roadway   due   to   lack   of   shoulders,   reduced   pavement  widths  and  a  sharp  curve.  This  was  a  frequent  scene  on  Soda  Canyon  Road.  

 Photo  2  –  Narrow  pavement  and  vegetation  on  both  sides  of  the  road  prohibits  vehicles  to  pass  easily.      

Lack  of  Shoulders  

Horizontal  Curve  with  Narrow  Pavement  Width    

July 9, 2015 Page 5

 

Photo  3  –  Dilapidated  condition  of  Soda  Canyon  Road.    

 

Photo  4  –  Windy  nature  of  Soda  Canyon  Road.    

Actual  width  of  the  pavement  

Reduced  width  of  the  pavement,  which  is  deficient  and  dangerous.  

Vertical  curves  with  insufficient  lane  widths.  

Ditch  with  no  guardrail  protection.  

July 9, 2015 Page 6

8.  

Information  on  Winery  along  Soda  Canyon  Road:  

There  are  eight  wineries  in  the  Soda  Canyon  area,  Loma  Vista  Area  and  the  Rector  Plateau,  for  which  the  ingress  and  egress  is  via  Soda  Canyon  Road.  The  following  map  displays  the  location  and  status  of  the  wineries  along  Soda  Canyon  Road.    

 

July 9, 2015 Page 7

 The  following  table  provides  the  information  on  visitors  per  winery  from  the  Napa  County  website.  

Name   Status   Tour_Tasting   Visit_All   EmpNum  

Antica  Napa  Valley   PROD   PVT   5,200   20  

Astrale  E  Terra  Winery   PROD   TST  APPT   52   3  

La  Vallette  Winery   UNKNWN   TST  APPT   0   2  

White  Rock  Vineyards   PROD   TST  APPT   520   2  

Roy  Estates  Vineyards   APVD   APPT   2,710   2  

The  Caves  at  Soda  Canyon   PROD   APPT   4,960   4  

V-­‐12  Winery   APVD   APPT   2,172   3  

Relic  Winery   APVD   APPT   6,758   3  

TOTAL   22,372   40  

Notes:  Name  –  Winery  Name  Statuts  –  Status  of  the  winery     APVD  –  Approved  winery,  not  producing     PEND  –  Winery  pending  Approval     PROD  –  Active  Winery     UNKNWN  –  Status  unknown,  needs  follow-­‐up  Tour_Tasting  –  The  tours  and  tasting  arrangements:     APPT  –  By  Appointment  only     NO  –  No  tours,  no  tasting     PUB  –  Open  to  the  public,  no  appointment  necessary     PVT  –  Private     TST  APPT  –  Tasting  by  appointment  only  Visit_All  –  The  total  number  of  approved  (or  proposed  for  pending  wineries)  regular  winery  visitiors  plus  marketing  event  visitotrs  per  year.  EmpNum  –  The  total  number  of  approved  (or  proposed  for  pending  wineries)  employess  at  the  winery.    

 Currently,  around  22,372  visitors  per  year  travel  along  Soda  Canyon  Road.  The  proposed  Mountain  Peak  winery  is  expected  to  generate  around  18,500  visitors  per  year.  This  totals  to  approximately  40,000  visitors  per  year.  This  total  does  not  include  employees,  shift  workers,  and  residents  along  Soda  Canyon  Road.    An  increase  in  the  volume  of  traffic  on  Soda  Canyon  Road  would  worsen  the  current  deficient  conditions  of  Soda  Canyon  Road,  resulting  in  more  collisions  and  other  adverse  impacts.    

Crash  Analysis  According  to  FHWA,  “Though  only  19  percent  of  US  population  live  in  rural  areas,  54  percent  of  the  road  fatalities  are  from  rural  roads,  which  is  2.4  times  higher  than  the  fatality  rate  on  urban  areas”.  Rural  roads  are  prone  to  collisions  because  of  its  low-­‐maintenance,  high  speeds  and,  insufficient  roadway  signs.  Soda  Canyon  Road  due  to  its  topography  is  even  more  susceptible  to  collisions.    

There  were  57  incidents  between  1/21/13  and  3/27/14  listed  by  the  California  Highway  Patrol  (See  Attached)  along  the  Soda  Canyon  Road  Area.  Among  the  57  incidents,  there  were  12/51  DUI  related  incidents  in  the  year  2013  at  Silverado  Trail/  Soda  Canyon  location,  which  is  24  percent  of  the  total  incidents  for  the  year  2013.    According  to  the  California  Office  of  Traffic  Safety  for  Napa  

July 9, 2015 Page 8

County,  the  DUI  related  incidents  in  2012  was  11  percent.  Therefore,  the  Soda  Canyon/  Silverado  Trail  has  13  percent  more  DUI  related  incidents.    

Fire  The  entire  area  of  Loma  Vista/  Soda  Canyon  is  in  a  Wildland  Urban  Interface,  and  because  of  its  topography  and  access,  is  at  high  risk  for  fires.  The  Napa  Valley  has  a  recurring  history  of  large  fires  (over  10,000  acres  in  size),  which  typically  burns  for  several  days.  Like  much  of  California,  the  fires  is  Napa  County  are  almost  entirely  caused  by  human-­‐caused  accidental  ignitions.  Therefore,  the  increase  in  the  number  of  visitors  would  increase  the  probability  of  fire  in  the  Loma  Vista/  Soda  Canyon  Area.  

Conclusion  

Wineries  in  Napa  attract  tourists  from  all  around  the  world.  However,  based  on  the  above  discussion  and  the  existing  deficient  conditions  along  Soda  Canyon  Road,  caution  should  be  exercised  should  the  winery  decides  to  allow  visitors  for  touring  and  tasting  events.  

Thank  you  for  the  opportunity  to  provide  this  peer  review.    Please  call  us  with  your  questions  or  comments.  

 

Yours  Truly,  

Aswini  Rajagopalan  

TJKM  Transportation  Consultants.