CCP 05-18-1993 - Laserfiche WebLink

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, . - B. B. CHAPMAN, AICP 365 Ea.t Kellogg Boulevard (612) 221-0401 Saint Paul, Minnesota 55101 Fax, (612) 297-6817 May 17, 1993 Arden Hills Mayor and City Council 1450 West Highway 96 Arden Hills, Minnesota 55112 RE: Snelling Avenue Turnback Vacation of Excess Right of Way Ladies and Gentlemen: The Tuesday, May 18, 1993 Council Workshop session will include a discussion of Ramsey County Turnback Issues with City Engineer Terry Maurer, P.E. I expect that changes in the purpose of Snelling Avenue from TH 51 to County Road E will reduce this street classification from a Minor Arterial to a Collector classification. It is not only reasonable for Arden Hills to receive Snelling A venue as a City street but it also can be a great benefit to - the City. Approximately 50 properties abut Snelling Avenue along this 0.86 mile of street. As a part of the trade action with the County it is important for the City to receive a right-of-way of a reasonable width consistent with the 1982 City Comprehensive Plan (page 58) which calls for "80 foot + as required". The 1980 County Comprehensive Plan (figure 6.5) showed "Desirable Right-of-Way, Total Width of 66 foot". There does not appear to be any public need for the City to receive the full 200 foot width to accommodate traffic. A public road existed along the present Snelling Avenue alignment in the 1930's or 1940's when the State of Minnesota made additional acquisition to produce the 200 foot right-of-way that exists today. As was common practice for the State to simply acquire the right to real estate for trunk highway purposes from the adjacent land owners. The state did not acquire fee title. In a change of State plans a new alignment was selected and basically a 230 foot right-of-way was acquired to the East and TH 51 was constructed at its present alignment in about 1950. After many years the State of Minnesota, by Quit Claim Deed filed May 9,1977, conveyed its interest to Ramsey County. I expect that the County will Quit Claim all of its interest in this highway including any conditions or restrictions or covenants that run with the land to the City of Arden Hills for highway purposes. Based on the width that the Council adopted in the Comprehensive Plan it is reasonable for the City to follow at this time with a single action to describe the north/south limits of vacation, - reduce a 60 foot width from each side of the right-of-way and allow the basic needed 80 foot width to remain. Attached is a suggested Vacation of Excess R/W, Snelling Avenue map to serve as a point of beginning for City consideration. In this regard: