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Utilization (ICU) which does not take into account as many factors. He noted that the table uses HCM average-controlled delay information and that the ICU is more on how well each lane is being utilized and not as much of a clear function of how an intersection operates. Commissioner Fox noted that Santa Rita Road and Valley Avenue now have HCM LOS E on page 1 of the Existing Plus Approved Plus Project PM peak. She questioned why the boxes in the Mitigated Negative Declaration are not checked when it conflicts with the General Plan, since HCM LOS D is accepted in the Downtown. Mr. Tassano replies that the mitigation has been established and the fees pay for the mitigation. He added that staff would not require this project to construct this mitigation as it is a very small-scale improvement; staff holds larger-scale projects to doing full construction. Commissioner Fox questioned what the difference was between small- and large-scale construction. Mr. Tassano replied that small-scale adds 25 trips orone-second of delay to an intersection. He noted that the City Council has in the past moved forward with approving projects of this nature as there is future mitigation planned for this intersection. Commissioner Fox questioned the status of the Valley Avenue and Stanley Boulevard intersection, which had ICM LOS F. Mr. Tassano replied that this will not be improved as a result of what the ICM looks at, but the City does have improvements to be constructed by Ponderosa with a free westbound right-turn lane. He added that there will also be a third eastbound through lane at that intersection. Commissioner Narum referred to Table 2 on page 8, ID No. 5, Busch Road/Ironwood Drive, and noted that it looks like as with Currently Approved Projects plus this new project, traffic gets better, which she did not believe was obvious. Mr. Tassano replied that the entire table of existing conditions is not an optimized intersection. He noted that staff put the numbers in, and it could actually be a C if the lengths of time for a left turn are wrong. He stated that when considering traffic volumes, staff looks at the delay per vehicle. He explained that if a large volume of traffic is going to turn right and it is a free right-turn movement and there is no delay, once that right turn is made and the vehicle goes through the intersection, there would be zero delay for that vehicle. He added that if there are only 100 vehicles that have already gone through that intersection, and staff adds another 100 right-turn vehicles and they all get to turn for free, there would now be 200 vehicles and no delay has been added. He noted that in this sense, the overall average delay per vehicle has actually dropped. He stated that this is usually pretty minor and that A and B intersections usually operate so well that minor variations do not affect them. Commissioner Narum referred to page 9 of the report, stating the traffic engineering consultant recommends that stops signs as well as a warning sign be installed leading into Reimers Drive. She stated that she did not see this in the conditions. Mr. Tassano noted that this is done through the design review process when the developer submits the signing and striping plan. EXCERPTS: PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, July 9, 2008 Page 5 of 20