Laserfiche WebLink
<br />. <br />. <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />topography and natural features. However, streets must be <br />reasonably continuous and without excessive dead-ends. There <br />was a lot of conversation about cul-de-sacs at that time - <br />from the standpoint of safety. They had many meetings with the <br />fire chief. That's one of the reasons that cul-de-sacs were <br />enlarged. We got new fire equipment and the tankers could not <br />turn around in the conditions that we were planning so we had <br />to enlarge them. After that, we also considered the ordinance <br />that we just read to you. The ordinance tells us that we shall <br />not exceed 500 feet, and yet we're being asked to grant vari- <br />ances and approve planning. It turns right around and defeats <br />what we set up in the ordinance. It doesn't make much sense. <br />We've also visited with our public works people. I asked Bud <br />to come tonight. It's probably a good thing he didn't. He <br />wasn't very happy with the work that they've had to do in the <br />last couple of weeks. We have 46 cul-de-sacs in our City, with- <br />out counting the additional cul-de-sacs now planned in the <br />Royal Hills development. <br /> <br />On a cost basis, he will plow approximately one-half to <br />one mile of straight roads for every cul-de-sac he has to plow. <br />Right now he says that if we get another big snow, there are <br />cul-de-sacs where he doesn't even know where he'll put the snow. <br />Nor does he have any assurance that some of these bigger emer- <br />gency vehicles, once they're in, can turn around and get back <br />out., To follow that up, I have met with the Ramsey County <br />Sheriff's Department, since I'm working directly in the public <br />safety area, and have patrolled those streets during these <br />storms during the last two weeks on about three or four nights. <br />We know how they're filling up. I've simply asked the police <br />for their feelings on where we would (inaudible) or what we <br />would do. One answers - you'd probably panic. They definitely <br />- and they can't reinforce it strongly enough - request that we <br />seriously consider through streets for the purposes of ease of <br />patrolling since cul-de-sacs, to them, both from snow and a <br />safety standpoint, are a problem. It's not uncommon to see <br />cul-de-sacs patrolled half the time that through streets are <br />patrolled. From the standpoint of fire, to be very honest, with <br />you, they were not as concerned about the turn-around aspects <br />during the fair weather and during the weather as it is right <br />now, unless it becomes somewhat worse than it is. They're <br />concerned about holding the pumpers at some distance so that <br />they could back up safely. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />These are some of the things that we've looked at, from <br />the standpoint of a through street. I've also looked very <br />closely at that intersection of Floral and Hamline., I'm in <br />100% agreement with those who are concerned about getting out <br />there. I've been out there at 7:00 in the morning, I've sat <br />in the driveway, backed up to Cardiac Pacemaker, and watched <br />those of you try to sneak out. There are some visibility prob- <br />lems. Hamline Avenue has been a headache for us for a long <br />time. As you know, we tried to do something about it some <br />time back, and failed. I think that if we were to proceed <br /> <br />30 <br />