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Home My WebLink AboutAPP D Trip Generation Letter 20231025 37-009755.01 tld phase 3.0 prelim trip generation letter 20231025 October 25, 2023 Mr. John T. Greenwood, LEED AP Principal PVG Architects 44530 San Pablo Ave. Suite 200 Palm Desert, CA 92260 Re: The Living Desert Phase 3 Project – Preliminary Trip and Parking Generation Analysis Palm Desert, CA Dear Mr. Greenwood: Walker Consultants is pleased to submit this preliminary trip and parking generation analysis for the Living Desert’s Phase 3 project (the “Project”) at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens (“TLD”) which is located at 47900 Portola Avenue in Palm Desert, California. This analysis has been prepared pursuant to City comments on the Project’s July 17, 2023, submittal, dated July 21, 2023. The specific comments addressed by this analysis include: Comment 14: Scoping and Project-specific traffic study: The applicant shall schedule a traffic study scoping meeting with the City Transportation Manager. In anticipation of the meeting, the applicant shall prepare a Traffic Operations and Trip Generation letter and submit to the City prior to the scheduled scoping meeting. The letter shall include, at minimum, the following: a. A site operations description inclusive of peak operation hours, average anticipated stay per customer per type of event/activity, identify loading areas for delivery/supply trucks servicing the existing and proposed facilities. b. A preliminary trip distribution exhibit. In addition to comment 14, the City letter references analysis of parking impacts. This letter includes a preliminary discussion of the projected parking generation of the Phase 3.0 project relative to TLD’s future parking supply. TLD PHASE 3.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Phase 3.0 Master Plan project consists of the construction of the Connie and Bob Lurie Event Center and Lion Habitat. Table 1 summarizes the proposed components of the Phase 3.0 project and each components size. The table also notes which components are primary trip generators, and which are ancillary uses, either to another component of the Project or the existing zoo and not anticipated to generate trips to/from the site on their own . 707 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 3650 Los Angeles, CA 90017 213.488.4911 walkerconsultants.com TLD Phase 3 Trip and Parking Generation Analysis - DRAFT October 25, 2023 Page 2 Table 1: The Living Desert Phase 3.0 Land Use Program The applicant has specified that a maximum capacity event at the proposed Event Center would be a 500-guest event. As shown in Table 1, the primary trip generators associated with the Project are the event space itself, the 2nd Floor administrative offices and the lion care center. • The Kitchen/Back if house space and entry pavilion are ancillary to the event space itself, with the trip generation for the event space, discussed in the next section, including event employee trips. • The administrative space on the 2nd floor is treated as office space for the purposes of this analysis under the assumption that this area will have event planning employees working a typical daytime schedule, and also generating visitor trips, much like an office, as prospective event hosts visit the site. • The lion care center is treated as office space for the purposes of this analysis under the assumption that, while not a traditional office, it will have space for the additional employees associated with the new lion habitat. • The lion habitat area is ancillary to the zoo itself and does not represent an expansion of the zoo’s acreage, but a repurposing of existing acreage. TLD PHASE 3.0 SITE OPERATIONS DESCRIPTION The largest events at the proposed events center are expected to be weddings. In its initial entitlement submission, the Project applicant offered several conditions on the operation of the event center including the following: • The Bob and Connie Lurie Center will not schedule major programs during peak attendance at the Living Desert Gardens and Zoo (the Gardens and Zoo are open from 7:00 AM – 1:30 PM June through September, and from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM the rest of the year). • The Bob and Connie Lurie Center will not schedule major programs during the same hours for special programs such as Wild Lights and Glow in the Park. • The Bob and Connie Lurie Center may hold minor programs (less than 100 attendees) during peak attendance at the living desert gardens and zoo. • The Bob and Connie Lurie Center may hold minor programs (less than 100 attendees) during special programs such as Wild Lights and Glow in the Park. Land Use Quantity Primary Trip Generator Event Center - Event Space 13,130 square feet Yes - Kitchen/BOH 20,620 square feet No - Admin (2nd Floor)7,490 square feet Yes - Entry Pavilion (outdoors)1,250 square feet No Lion Habitat - Lion Care Center 3,810 square feet Yes - Lion Habitat Area 31,718 square feet No TLD Phase 3 Trip and Parking Generation Analysis - DRAFT October 25, 2023 Page 3 • The Bob and Connie Lurie Center will be allowed to have major programs and special programs during peak attendance only if the attendees are bussed in from remote locations such as hotels and remote parking lots. The event center is projected to host two events per week from November to March, and one event per week April through October. The typical event size is projected to range between 100-350 attendees. Weekdays are desirable for convention and business meetings, which are generally small to medium sized events. Is anticipated that large programs (<350 attendees), such as weddings, will generally occur on weekends in the evening (including Friday evenings) whereas medium programs (100-350 attendees) would occur on weekends or weekdays in the evening, and small programs (<100 attendees) could occur at any time throughout the day and week. Events such as weddings would last 4-6 hours, banquets 2-4 hours, and smaller events 1-3 hours. Typical events would start with loading/catering/rentals in the afternoon, with the event starting at 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM which dovetails nicely with TLD’s decrease in general admissions in the afternoon. Deliveries would be accommodated through the new service gate at the south Portola entrance or come directly to the event center loading dock which is situated off the main public throughfare. Truck turning templates are being or have been prepared by the Project’s Civil Engineer in a separate document. TRIP GENERATION ANALYSIS The City of Palm Desert has adopted the County of Riverside Transportation Analysis Guidelines for Level of Service & Vehicle Miles Traveled (County of Riverside Department of Transportation, December 2020) for transportation analysis. The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation publication is the preferred source for estimating trip generation. The current release of Trip Generation is the 11th Edition, which was released in September 2021. Other trip generations sources may be used with approval of the transportation department. For the primary trip generators of the project the following sources are recommended by Walker and used in this preliminary analysis. • Admin Space and Lion Care Center – Trip Generation 11th Edition rates for General Office Building (Land Use 710). Utilizing Trip Generation for estimating trip generation is the preferred methodology for land uses with robust datasets such as general office. • Event Space – Estimating Trip Generation and Distribution for a Wedding Venue (Spack, 2018). Trip Generation does not include trip generation rates for event venues, therefore this source, which has been widely used by traffic engineers, and generally re-states common knowledge and best practice of transportation planning professionals, has been selected for the proposed event center. Table 2 presents the trip generation rates and the resulting trip generation summary for the proposed non- event portions of the Project, which are typical weekday daytime uses and includes the 2nd Floor administrative areas and the Lion Care Center. TLD Phase 3 Trip and Parking Generation Analysis - DRAFT October 25, 2023 Page 4 Table 2: Trip Generation – TLD Phase 3.0 Weekday Daytime Uses As shown in Table 1, the project’s typical (non-event) weekday trip generation is projected to be 17 AM peak hour trips, 16 PM peak hour trips, and 122 daily trips. Trip generation development for the event venue utilized the following assumptions: ▪ The design event for trip generation ratio purposes is one that uses 75% of the venue’s capacity. Trip generation analysis looks at typical/average trip generation not maximum trip generation for land uses. ▪ 10% of those attending the wedding, such as the wedding party, arrive more than one hour before the ceremony. The remaining 90% arrive within the hour before the ceremony. ▪ Catering and back of house staff (cooks, servers, event manager) arrive more than one hour before the ceremony and depart after the reception is over. ▪ Guests at weddings and other events include a mix of couples, families, and singles. A typical assumption is 2.0 to 2.5 persons per vehicle for event attendance. For this analysis, Walker has assumed 2.0 persons per vehicle. ▪ Guests stay for various amounts of the reception, with 40% leaving during the peak hour of exiting. ▪ The Project’s event center will only hold large events such as wedding in the evening, with an event like a wedding occurring at 5:00 PM or later. Weddings are most likely to occur on weekends, although Friday evening weddings may occur as well. There would be fewer large nighttime events Monday-Thursday. ▪ Based on these assumptions the inbound peak hour would typically occur on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday in the hour before a wedding ceremony or similarly large event. The outbound peak hour would typically occur centered around the conclusion of the wedding or event. o The inbound rate is calculated as follows: (1.0 guest x 75% x 90% arrive in the hour before the ceremony) / 2.0 persons per vehicle = 0.34 per guest capacity. o The outbound rate is calculated as follows: (0.34 x 40% leave in exit peak hour) = 0.14 per guest capacity. o The daily rate is calculated as follows: 0.34 trips per guest capacity inbound + 0.34 trips per guest capacity outbound plus 10% increase (outside peak hours) for deliveries and employee trips = 0.75. In Out Total In Out Total Office 710 1.34 0.18 1.52 0.26 1.18 1.44 10.84 In Out Total In Out Total Office 11,300 square feet 15.00 2.00 17.00 3.00 13.00 16.00 122.00 Source: Institute of Transportation Engineers, Trip Generation, 11th Edition (ITE 2021) Note: Rates are per 1,000 square feet Trip Generation Results - The Living Desert Phase 3.0 Land Use Quantity Weekday AM Peak Hour Weekday PM Peak Hour Daily Trip Generation Rates Land Use ITE LU Code AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour Daily TLD Phase 3 Trip and Parking Generation Analysis - DRAFT October 25, 2023 Page 5 Table 3: Trip Generation – TLD Phase 3.0 Event Venue TLD’s proposed Event Center is projected to generate 170 inbound trips during the peak hour of vehicle ingress, and 68 outbound trips during the peak hour of vehicle egress during a design day event. With most large events projected to occur on weekends or Friday evenings, overlap with the peak hour of adjacent street traffic, in traditional terms the weekday AM and PM peak hours, is expected to be infrequent. Walker has prepared preliminary trip distribution and assignment exhibits for TLD. The distribution is based on the site’s location in relation to other developments, population centers, and lodging in the area. Figure 1 shows the projected trip distribution of project trips. In Out Total In Out Total Event Venue Guest 0.34 0.00 0.34 0.00 0.14 0.14 0.75 In Out Total In Out Total Event Venue 500 Guest Capacity 170.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 68.00 68.00 375.00 Trip Generation Results - The Living Desert Phase 3.0 Land Use Quantity Event Inbound Peak Hour Event Outbound Peak Hour Daily Trip Generation Rates Land Use Quantity Metric Inbound Peak Hour Outbound Peak Hour Daily TLD Phase 3 Trip and Parking Generation Analysis - DRAFT October 25, 2023 Page 6 Figure 2 shows the subsequent trip assignment of weekday AM/PM peak hour trips associated with the admin space and lion care center. Figure 3 shows the subsequent distribution of peak hour ingress/egress trips related to a large event. Larger versions of Figures 1-3 have been provided as an appendix to this analysis. Figure 1: TLD Phase 3.0 Trip Distribution TLD Phase 3 Trip and Parking Generation Analysis - DRAFT October 25, 2023 Page 7 Figure 2: TLD Phase 3.0 Weekday AM/PM Peak Hour Trip Assignment TLD Phase 3 Trip and Parking Generation Analysis - DRAFT October 25, 2023 Page 8 Figure 3: TLD Phase 3.0 Large Event Peak Hour Trip Assignment PRELIMINARY PARKING ANALYSIS The Phase 3.0 Master Plan project consists of the construction of the Connie and Bob Lurie Event Center and Lion Habitat. Previous analysis prepared by Walker as part of Phase 2.75 projected that design day (95th percentile day) parking demand at TLD would be approximately 632 parking spaces (The Living Desert Phase 2.75 Trip Generation and Parking, Walker Consultants March 31, 2023). With the parking lot expansion that is expected to be completed soon, TLD would have 937 parking spaces. The Phase 3.0 project would remove one (1) parking space, for a final parking supply of 936 parking spaces. Table 4 shows the design day parking projection from the Phase 2.75 trip generation and parking memorandum. TLD Phase 3 Trip and Parking Generation Analysis - DRAFT October 25, 2023 Page 9 Table 4: Design Day (95th Percentile) Visitor Admissions, Accumulation and Projected Parking Demand Source: The Living Desert Phase 2.75 Trip Generation and Parking, Walker Consultants March 31, 2023 Based on this, Walker has prepared a matrix showing preliminary projected parking demand for several scenarios with Phase 3.0, based on the conditions the Project has recommended be placed on the Event Center. The following assumptions have informed the parking matrix: • Max Event Parking Demand calculated as follows: o 500 guests at 2.0 guests per vehicle (to match the trip generation analysis the more conservative 2.0 guests per vehicle was used versus 2.5 guests/vehicle) = 250 vehicles o 10% increase to account for event related employees (matches trip generation assumption) = 25 vehicles o Total max event parking demand = 275 vehicles. Table 5: Project Parking Adequacy by Scenario As shown in Table 5, based on the conditions the Project applicant has volunteered, TLD’s parking supply would be adequate to accommodate planned events, assuming no events during special events such as Wild Lights and Glow in the Park, and no events during the Park’s peak, which occurs at 11:00 AM, on the 10-15 busiest days of the year. Since parking demand, even on busy days, begins to drop-off after 12:00 PM, minor and medium events (up to 250 guests) could be allowed at/after 1:00 PM. 7:00 AM 8:00 AM 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM 12:00 PM 1:00 PM 2:00 PM 3:00 PM 4:00 PM 5:00 PM Visitor Admissions 0 338 562 655 717 423 281 209 173 7 0 Visitor Accumulation 0 338 900 1386 1653 1468 1063 702 523 285 94 Projected Visitor Parking Demand 0 135 300 462 551 489 354 234 174 95 31 Projected Employee Parking Demand 82 82 82 82 82 82 82 82 82 82 82 Total Existing Design Day Parking Demand 82 217 382 544 633 571 436 316 256 177 113 Existing Parking Supply 709 709 709 709 709 709 709 709 709 709 709 Proposed Retail Café Employee Parking 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 Design Day Parking Demand With Project 91 226 391 553 642 580 445 325 265 186 122 Proposed Parking Supply 937 937 937 937 937 937 937 937 937 937 937 Design Day Visitor Admissions and Accumulation (Saturday April 2, 2022) Parking Zoo/Gardens Phase 3.0 Admin/ Lion Care Event Total Supply Typical Day at the Zoo with Phase 3.0, 11:00 AM no event 642 10 0 652 936 Typical Day a the Zoo with Phase 3.0, Max Event at 11 AM 642 10 275 927 936 Typical Day a the Zoo with Phase 3.0, 4:30 PM Max Event 186 10 275 471 936 Busy Day at the Zoo with Phase 3.0, 11:00 AM no event 895 10 0 905 936 Busy Day at the Zoo with Phase 3.0, 1:00 PM medium event 691 10 138 839 936 Busy Day at the Zoo with Phase 3.0, 4:30 PM Wedding 400 10 275 685 936 Parking Demand Scenario TLD Phase 3 Trip and Parking Generation Analysis - DRAFT October 25, 2023 Page 10 If you have any questions, please contact Jeff Weckstein at 213.335.5845. Sincerely, WALKER CONSULTANTS Jeffrey Weckstein Senior Consultant TLD Phase 3 Trip and Parking Generation Analysis - DRAFT October 25, 2023 Page 11 Appendix: Trip Distribution and Assignment Exhibits HAYSTACK RD GRAPEVINE ST EL PASEO VISTA DEL SOL MESA VIEW DR HIGHWAY 111 100% 90% 35% 10%30% 25%20% 10% 10% 10% 20% 20% 70% 70% 5%5% 5% 20% TLD Phase 3.0 Preliminary Trip Distribution HAYSTACK RD GRAPEVINE ST EL PASEO VISTA DEL SOL MESA VIEW DR HIGHWAY 111 0/1 3/1 5/1 1/0 1/3 0/2 4/1 0/3 0/0 1/0 2/1 Legend: Weekday AM/PM Peak Hour Trip Assignment XX/XX TLD Phase 3.0 Weekday AM/PM Peak Hour Trip Assignment HAYSTACK RD GRAPEVINE ST EL PASEO VISTA DEL SOL MESA VIEW DR HIGHWAY 111 0/7 34/0 59/0 9/0 0/7 0/17 42/0 0/14 0/3 9/0 25/0 Legend: Event Ingress/ Egress Peak Hour Trip Assignment XX/XX TLD Phase 3.0 Event Ingress/Egress Peak Hour Trip Assignment