07-28-14 Special WS - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—JULY 28, 2014 2 • The intersection at Lexington Avenue will be expanded to provide dual left turn lanes from eastbound County Road E to northbound Lexington. • The existing signal system at Pine Tree Drive will be modified to add new ADA pedestrian crossing facilities and repainted. • The signal system at Connelly/TH 51 will be newly constructed by the MnDOT Bridge project. • Deteriorated curb and gutter will be replaced (Ramsey County will help to identify these segments). • Deteriorated driveway aprons will be repaired. • Deteriorated sidewalk will be repaired. • Where no sidewalk exists on County Road E new sidewalk will be constructed. In front of Staples the existing sidewalk will be lowered to meet ADA standards for crossing County Road E. • A new sidewalk will be constructed on the west side of Pine Tree Drive from County Road E to approximately 900 feet south. • Boulevard trees will be added to County Road E. • The existing lighting system will be removed and replaced with an Xcel Energy lighting system (style of light poles and fixtures still to be determined). Public Works Director Maurer stated that there are a few issues that the Council should be aware of and/or comment on before the plans are completed. These issues are as follows: • The feasibility report included some work to define driveway access on Connelly Avenue to the Flaherty's parking lot and Pot-o-Gold. Mr. Flaherty has stated that only a striping of the curve is necessary and he did not feel the improvements discussed in the feasibility report should be constructed. That curve has now been striped and at this time staff has told the engineers to not proceed with the design of the curb and gutter and driveway improvements. • Discussion of the assessment method and amounts are detailed further in the City Administrator's memo. • The Carroll's Furniture property, relative to the inability to continue the sidewalk across the front of the property due to lack of appropriate easements. The City could pursue the necessary easements but, it would likely be viewed by a court as a substantial (large dollar amount) taking because it would take away parking, which is very limited on the site. Staff would recommend continuing the trees and lighting across the small green space within the existing right of way in front of Carroll's and wait on the sidewalk until a future date. • Staff has had a few discussions with the City Attorney's office regarding the assessment of this project. A couple of staff recommendations that came out of these discussions would be that first, the Public Hearing and the Assessment Hearing be held the same night. There has been a significant public involvement process with this project already. By the time the hearings are held the plans will be very close to 100% done and all of the adjacent properties will have had a chance to view them. Second, because of the nature of the assessment (street scaping vs. typical street reconstruction) it may be appropriate to have