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HomeMy WebLinkAbout81-084 /' (c' J ' '~J..( , , t>' to.!,,:; ~~i )lM<-~'H I." I_.t / .-;../ ~., ,.' , ~ f/b, 6'/-J't-J Extract of Minutes of Meeting of City Council . City of Arden Hills Ramsey County, Minnesota . November 30, 1981 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Arden Hills, Minnesota, was held in the City Hall in said City on Monday, November 30, 1981, at 7:30 o'clock p.m. The following members were present: Mayor Woodburn and Councilmen Johnson, McAllister and Hollenhorst; and the fol- lowing was absent: Councilman wingert. Also present were Donald Lamb, City Treasurer; Donald Christoffersen of Short-Elliott-Hendrickson, Inc., City Engi- neers; Dorothy Zehm, Deputy Clerk; and Peter S. Popovich of Peterson, Popovich, Knutson & Flynn, City Bond Consultant. MAYOR WOODBURN:" We'll move now to the 7:30 hearing - the public hearing on the Ramsey County Lexington Avenue project. I believe we have the honorable engineer from Ramsey County with us tonight. Would you like to explain this? .... MR. WAYNE LEONARD,. Ramsey County Public Works Department, Coordinating Engineer: We have put together a proposal for the improvement of Lexington Avenue, essentially from Grey Fox, or Island Lake Road, north across 694, up through "F" to the south entrance of Control Data's main entrance, the south entrance. The proposal basically is for a 68 foot wide roadway, face to face, concrete curb and gutter, which is exactly the same road- way that is immediately south of Island Lake Road, across the railroad tracks and down to ."E". That is, one that provides for two lanes north bound and south bound, with a center left turn lane without any medians in it. That is t~e proposal - to extend that section on up to the Control Data driveway. The project would involve some minor storm sewer appur- tenances to the present storm sewer under construction, filling some ditches with boulevards, planting some trees on the boule- vards. It would also involve a detached bitumirious path on the east side, connecting with the path now that ends at the south of the YMCA, and continuing on to the north end of the project. . , . The project is essentially anticipated to be financed with County, State and highway gas tax receipts and. funds appor- tioned to Ramsey County. We estimate the cost of the project to be $1,213,760.60. That's our engineer's estimate. We'll take bids and prices will change. Of the total cost of the project, the County anticipates that $18,556.85 will come out of County road bridge funds for the construction of the detached bituminous path. We have asked the City of Shoreview for $23,619.75, on the basis of our estimate, for essentially some $19,000 worth of curb and gutter - participation for the con- crete curb and gutter - and $4200.00 worth of utility improve- ments which they have asked to have included in the plans. The plans have been presented to Shoreview, they have reviewed them, I believe they're looking into some financial aspects as to how they're going to fund their share of this project. We anticipate they may approve it at their next Council meeting next week. The Arden Hills participation in the project that we're asking for is estimated at $18,896.06, based on 75% of the cost of the curb and gutter adjacent to the Arden Hills properties. We have also asked that the City participate in the acquisition of any right-of-ways that may be necessary or easements required as part of the construction project. . I believe, if I could just quickly review it, I think what we're proposing here is to continue the section south of Grey Fox, down around the railroad tracks and "E" there, on across 694 and up through "F", and up as far as the Control Data entrance. A companion to that is a project .that will provide new traffic signals at "F" that are traffic actuated. That's a separate project, to be constructed simultaneously with this. There is essentially, to my knowledge, no real controversial i.ssues with the project. I think the only place that there is some concern is that the existing bridge presently is 52 feet wide and it makes provision for two lanes across 694 - two lanes in each direction. It would be preferable to have two lanes in each direction, plus a left turn lane for those two ramps there. I think the biggest problem is the fact that we're pro- posing this eight foot bituminous path and it comes to the bridge without what we consider adequate provision to get pedestrians across. With that concern in mind, we have been working with the highway department to provide a separate ten foot wide pedestrian facility on the east side of the widened bridge, along with widening the bridge enough to provide for a left turn lane. This project has not developed to the point where we have scheduled the construction. It cannot be scheduled, I don't believe, to coordinate with this construction, but we are working towards what we see as a bottleneck in here - that is, the bridge over 694 - and the numerous left furns that are made, either onto the ramp to go west or onto the ramp to 694 to go east. If the project meets with the City of Shoreview's 2 , . . and the City of Arden Hills' approval and agreements are exe- cuted, we anticipate that we will be able to get the Minnesota Department of Transportion and County Board approval in time to start construction first thing next spring. Our time schedule right now would be to submit to the Department of Transportation in the middle of December and the County Board in February, take bids in March and award a contract in April and anticipate construction in early spring. We would esti- mate that by Labor Day the project would be sufficiently com- pleted that bituminous surface would be restored for driving and that by Thanksgiving, the sod, trees and everything else would be planted and the road fully operational a year from today. If there are any questions, your Honor, I'd be happy ,to answer them. MAYOR WOODBURN: I'm sure there will be. You said the width - I don't know (inaudible) on the number of lanes. MR. WAYNE LEONARD: It's 68 feet. That's provided for two lanes going north, two lanes going south, and that 14 feet down the middle for left turns. The only medians would be the ones right at the 694 ramps. On either end of the ramps there is a piece of median - this brown thing here. Other than that, there are no medians proposed except - well, there is a little tiny piece right at - controlling left turns right at uF" and another one right at the end of the Control Data driveway. If you're familiar with the short piece that you have in there now, it's a continuation of the exact same (inaudible) . MAYOR WOODBURN: That's your initial explanation, ,at least, of the project. Thank you. We'll probably have a few more questions coming up. First I'd like to ask the Clerk Administrator - has this project, as described, been published? . DEPUTY CLERK ZEHM: Yes, it has, Bulletin on November 19 'and 26, 1981. Certificate of Mailing on file. MR. POPOVICH: Mayor and Members of the Council, the pro- cedural aspects relating to publication and mailing have been properly handled. So far as my part is concerned, out of the total cost that the Ramsey County people have indicated it would be, the Arden Hills' portion amounts to $18,900 roughly, to which we've added $5,000 as a total cost, and it was pub- lished at a total cost of $23,900.00. The extra $5,000 was added as a judgmental cost that the engineer, the clerk's office and ourselves added to it because that's how much Ramsey County wants to get, and there are some additional costs that the City has to bear. While they expect you to pay 75% of the cost of the curb and gutter in Arden Hills, they also expect the easement cost as well. Those costs, at this, time, we do not know what they are. The engineer's report indicates that they should be nominal on the affected property owners because in the New Brighton We also have the 3 . of the benefit that would be received. Assuming then a total cost of $23,900, there are 3600 feet of assess.able abutting property and if you were to assess that cost 100%, it would run to $6.65 for the assessable footage on the property within Arden Hills. Obviously, the purpose of the hearing tonight is to determine the feasibility if we're going to assess and if we're going to assess 100%. If the Council decides not to go the assessment route and pay for it out of general funds or some other thing, then obviously we wouldn't include it in any financing. If it's going to go the assessment route, then obviously we want a maximum situation presented at the public hearing tonight. As you know, we're planning a bond issue sometime in February, assuming all of these projects that are .presently under consideration finally materialize, so that we know what the total bond issue'would be. If we have to finance it, that's the amount that we would finance over a 15 year period, assessable at the maximum assessment rate per- mitted by law, which would be 1% more than what we receive on the bonds, but not exceeding 12%. Obviously, an assessment hearing would be held probably next fall, after the project is in or substantially completed. So there would be no assessments commencing until the year 1983. At this particular point, assuming it's an assessment approach, that's the pur- pose of the hearing tonight. If the Council decides to waive all assessments and pick it up with some other funds, that's a judgment dec is ion you can make' at a later date. MAYOR WOODBURN: We can decide to go through the assess- ment procedure and later on still decide not to assess it at all, or in part, or up to $6.65. MR. POPOVICH: That's right. MAYOR WOODBURN: Mrs. Zehm, are there any written ques- tions? DEPUTY CLERK ZEHM:. I do not have any. MAYOR WOODBURN: I will open the meeting now to public comments. They may be either for or against. . MR. MAX STOUTENBURG, 1435 West County Road E: I would like to know if and when they do plan on widening that bridge. You're saying right now that the bridge isn't actually part of that proposed plan at the present. So it will go through just like the County Road E plan did, where they left a two lane bridge and a four lane on either side. When do .they plan on putting the bridge in if they don't plan on doing it now? MR. WAYNE LEONARD: The present bridge, the way the thing is being utilized, it's basically a two lane bridge - one in each direction. As part of this project,. we would widen the roadway off the end of the bridge so that we would have four lanes - that is, two lanes'in each direction. The remaining problem, as I see it - that probably will be adequate 4 . to carry the traffic, if it wasn't for the people blocking up the center lanes for left turns to ramps, and if it wasn't for the lack of an adequate facility for the path across the bridge. We are working with the Highway Department - we're going to have a four lane bridge, which is going to be better. I think it's going to operate a lot more efficiently than the system that we have out there right now. As far as the project with the Department of Transportation - it's a cooperative project to widen the bridge, to accommodate the left turn people, and the bike facility. We're working on that. They have given us some indication that they want to see it as part of this project, that is, incorporate it with it. We said fine, we think it's a great project, but the timing isn't the best, and that we're going to have to proceed with this project. If the other one could catch up - fine. If it can't, it could certainly come the following year. I cannot really give you an answer on the timing on that. It's part of the interstate system funding in there, and where federal funds are available, the whole thing gets a little bit hard to tie down until you get some answers here (inaudible). MR. STOUTENBURG: What do they plan on doing with the traffic flow when they're doing the work? MR. WAYNE LEONARD: I think we will attempt to carry traffic as much as possible through the construction. I believe that we will ask for stage construction - that is, we will do this work down here on the south end and then this work on the north end and not tear up the whole thing at once. The contractor will be asked to provide for some type of traffic handling in the area. We do think that it may be advisable to consider shutting down part of the interchange for a period of time - a couple of weeks at some point, or three weeks - to really get in there and do the work. In the long run, that may be the least cumbersome to the people. The proposal is basically to have the contractor handle it, with limitations as to what he can do. ,I I . MR. STOUTENBURG: The only reason I'm concerned is that I work for Control Data and I have to travel that way every day. My main concern up there is the traffic jam we have now with Land O'Lakes up there and all the other (inaudible). Especially County Road F and Lexington - that's really a mess. MR. LEONARD: That's a great part of what has precipitated this project - the need there because of all the people in the area. You can say it anyway you want, but we're' going to have to suffer through one construction season to get an improvement tha t' s going to work for a good many years to come. MAYOR WOODBURN: will close the public back to the Council. Mr. Christoffersen? Any further comments or questions? We hearing then at 7:55 p.m. and turn it Does the Council have any questions? 5 COUNCILMAN JOHNSON: Let's assume that eventually we could do something with that bridge over 694. Is it'your intention then to widen it sufficiently enough to provide five lanes, plus pedestrian? . MR. LEONARD: That's correct. COUNCILMAN JOHNSON: So if you ever do something with it, it will ultimately match the rest of the profile on Lexington? MR. LEONARD: That's the proposal at this point. yes. In fact. it will be 72 feet instead of 68 (inaudible). MAYOR WOODBURN: County Road E is apparently not going to have its bridge changed. We've asked for it before. and it's not (inaudible) enough to have a priority, not even a low priority. Anything further from the Council? COUNCILMAN McALLISTER: I've asked you before - eventually, where the plans (inaudible) north on Lexington - you're taking it up to the driveway at Control Data. Then what? MR. LEONARD: Our original proposal here, a few years back, was to improve it all the way to Trunk Highway 96. First of all, this improvement, the width of this improvement. was anticipated to narrow down as soon as we got on top of the hill there by the next entrance to Control Data, to a 52 f,oot road- way, more nearly similar to Lexington Avenue to the south. Because the gas tax receipts have held rather constant on a cents-per-gallon income and construction costs have gone up considerably, we have cut this project back this far. We do not presently have scheduled when we will be able to fund the next piece on up to 96. But it's still in our program. it's something we would like to do, but the money just isn't there. (Inaudible) maybe this will bring in some additional funds. Construction costs have gone up faster than the receipts, and we just cut the project'down. Someday maybe. This isn't for- gotten. MAYOR WOODBURN: What are your traffic projections on Lexington? Do you think they'll change with this? If so, where would they subtract from, if anyplace? . MR. LEONARD: We don't anticipate that this project will be subtracting any numbers of traffic, with the exception probably of Victoria, where people may be getting off Victoria and going around and coming through "F" from thai: direction. There may be some influence seen (inaudible). We anticipate increased traffic here, but what's happening is Control Data and Deluxe Check and Land O'Lakes - as the development in the area that is being served here at 694 and off of "E" - that is building up the traffic increase. We don't anticipate a great deal of traffic coming off of other roads that are being used (inaudible). We see the need is there now. The road is overloaded. There is every indication that additional 6 pressure will be put on the road as additional things are de- veloped in the area. Hopefully it will help Victoria a little bit for a while. As soon as that development spreads to the east, Victoria will have its own problems. . MAYOR WOODBURN: What's happened on Lexington south of there, with the traffic flow? MR. LEONARD: We haven't projected any significant change from before we reconstructed this. We haven't noticed any differences. People have become accustomed to the geometry and we haven't noticed any real complaints lately. In fact, it seems like when you drive it that there are fewer cars out . there. MAYOR WOODBURN: I don't drive it since it was improved. MR. LEONARD: are farther apart as many cars, but I think it's just a sensation - the lanes and you have the feeling that there aren't if you count them they are still there. MAYOR WOODBURN: There's a sensation of quite a few more stoplights on there too. MR. LEONARD: We added two more. MAYOR WOODBURN: Any further questions? We have then an authorization from the County to execute an agreement between the County and Arden Hills, authorizing the improvement and the fact that the County will pay - that we will pay 75% of the curbs. I think you probably have that agreement, or have seen it. We have our choice of several things. We can defer it - there's no immediate push on it. However, since we have considered it tonight, we might want to go ahead on it. We can go ahead on it if we do want to, with the attorney's approval. I don't think we have the formal approval on that yet. Or we can just go 'ahead and authorize the agreement. I have a copy of it here, and it's essentially just to go ahead and do the road and we'll pay for 75% of the curb and gutter. I don't think there's anything more than that. Plus the very small areas of easement that might be required. . COUNCILMAN HOLLENHORST: I move that we authorize and execute the Arden Hills-Ramsey County agreement, subject to the attorney's approval. Councilman Johnson seconded the motion, which carried unanimously. After further discussion, Councilman Johnson introduced the following resolution and moved its adoption: 7 . . Resolution No. 81-84 . RESOLUTION ORDERING THE CONSTRUCTION OF IMPROVEMENT NO. P-81-4. UNDER AND PURSUANT TO MINNESOTA STATUTES, CHAPTER 429 BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Arden Hills, Minnesota, that in accordance with the provisions of Minnesota Statutes 1961, Chapter 429, as amended, the Council held a public hearing on the proposed construction of Improvement No. P-81-4, consisting of the installation of concrete curb and gutter on all that property abutting and west of Lexington Avenue between County Road E and Victoria Street, being done in conjunction with Ramsey County's improvement of Lexington Avenue, as described in the Notice of Hearing at a cost presently estimated at $23,900.00, and substantially in accor- dance with the preliminary report as to the feasibility there- of which is now on file in the office of the City Clerk Admin- istrator; and having considered the views of all interested persons and being fully advised in the premises, the Council does hereby determine and order that said improvement shall be constructed and financed, and special assessments shall be levied therefor, pursuant,to said Chapter 429, and that the area proposed to be assessed therefor shall include the property as described in the Notice of Hearing. The City Consulting Engineer is directed to prepare and submit to the Council the final plans and specifications. The motion for the adoption of the foregoing resolution was duly seconded by Councilman Hollenhorst, and upon roll call vote being taken thereon, the following voted in favor thereof: All; and the ~ollowing voted against the same: None; whereupon said resolution was declared duly passed and adopted. . 8 L_______ .~ ' . . . . STATE OF MINNESOTA ) ) SS COUNTY OF RAMSEY ) I, the undersigned, being the duly qualified and acting Clerk Administrator of the City of Arden Hills, Ramsey County, Minnesota, hereby certify that I have carefully compared the attached and foregoing extract of minutes of a meeting of the City Council of said City held on the date therein indicated with the original of said minutes on file in my office and that said extract is a full, true and correct transcript of said minutes, insofar as they relate to the proposed construc- tion of Improvement No. P-8l-4 under and pursuant to Minnesota ~~~ ~ty er Aam~n~s rator (SEAL)