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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-11-10-WS ,-Mq2EN HILLS Approved: November 15, 2010 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MEETING OCTOBER 11,2010 7:30 P.M. -ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor Stan Harpstead called to order the City _ Council Work Session meeting at 7:30 p.m. Present: Mayor Stan Harpstead; Council Members David Grant, Brenda Holden, Fran Holmes, and David McClung. Absent: None. Also present: City Administrator, Patrick Klaers; and Public Works Director, Terry Maurer. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Councilmember Holden seconded a motion to approve the meeting agenda as presented. The motion carried unanimously(5-0). 1. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND REQUESTS There were no comments. 2. AGENDA ITEMS A. Mn/DOT I-694 Improvement Project—Municipal Consent Discussion Public Works Director Maurer presented the City Council with information on the Mn/DOT I- 694 improvement project. He recapped the history of this project stating the Council has until November 7 to pass a resolution for Municipal Consent that either approves or disapproves the layout of the I-694 interchange. Councilmember Holden questioned if the traffic modeling was based on future street changes as well. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION--OCTOBER 11, 2010 2 2.A Mn/DOT I-694 Improvement Project—Municipal Consent Discussion (continued) Public Works Director Maurer indicated the model includes proposed changes for Highway 10 and Highway 96. He explained he has stated clearly that the City wants to know the proposed changes for all surrounding streets as well. Councilmember Holden stated a model would greatly benefit the Council to see the far-reaching impacts of the proposed changes planned for the interchange. This would assist with predicting new traffic patterns. Public Works Director Maurer stated a model could be requested and reviewed by the City's consultant. Councilmember Holden asked how the City would proceed if, after reviewing the model, the response from Council was not favorable. Public Works Director Maurer explained the Municipal Consent process calls for the denial with conditions. Once those conditions are met by Mn/DOT approval would be deemed to be granted and Mn/DOT could proceed with the project. Mayor Harpstead requested staff review the eight proposed conditions. Public Works Director Maurer summarized the conditions with the Council. Councilmember McClung felt this list was a good starting point. He would like to see pedestrian access along Highway 51 addressed further, as well as local access improvements to make up for the lost access at Hamlin and County Road F. He suggested a condition be added and funding provided within the plan for additional improvements at these locations. Sound mitigation should be further addressed for this project as well. Councilmember Holmes requested staff to review which of the local accesses would be lost through the proposed plans. Public Works Director Maurer stated the ability to go east on 1-694 from Hamline Avenue would be lost, along with the exit westbound I-694 onto Hamline Avenue. Mayor Harpstead added that traffic would no longer be able to go from northbound TH 10 to Highway 96,west or east. Councilmember Grant indicated the project as proposed cuts off access northbound Hamline Avenue to I-694. With this plan completed as proposed, if there were a bottleneck on Lexington Avenue, the only way to get back to Colleen would be to go down to 35W, up to Highway 96 and across Highway 96. This was a burden on Lexington Avenue and could become a choke point. He felt Mn/DOT needed to review the new traffic patterns further and how the plans would affect traffic through the City. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—OCTOBER 11, 2010 3 2.A Mn1DOT I-694 Improvement Project—Municipal Consent Discussion (continued) Mayor Harpstead stated it would be important for the City to look into the regional connections. He noted the modeling would benefit the Council to review as the impacts of this plan would be far-reaching. In addition, the City should request that no costs for this project be associated with County Road E, County Road F or Hamlin Avenue. He felt it was possible that the intersection of County Road F and Lexington Avenue would need to be restructured to provide two turn lanes northbound to westbound County Road F. It was also possible that County Road F will need to be repositioned to better align with the lanes on the Shoreview side and allow for turn lanes. Mayor Harpstead continued that spacing/barriers for the bituminous 10 foot trail underneath I- 694 should be a safe separation for pedestrians from cars. He requested staff delete the last phrase on Condition 5 as the Arden Village development would not affect this plan. He suggested "non- motorized/pedestrian movements" be added to Condition 8. In addition, Condition 9 should be added and read as follows: The City requests that Mn/DOT construct a pedestrian/non-motorized _ bridge across TH 10 to connect to Snelling Avenue north of TH 10, to the trail connection across I-694. This would provide a pedestrian connection through the area. Public Works Director Maurer clarified that the trail under I-694 would be paid for by the City, but access would be provided by Mn/DOT. Councilmember Grant suggested the Council consider the underlying infrastructure on the bridges and request these be built with future pedestrian expansions in mind. This would allow the City to add pedestrian walk-ways without having to rebuild the entire bridge at the City's expense. Councilmember McClung indicated the City of Arden Hills has been cut into a bunch of pieces due to the I-694/TH51 interchange. He suggested the City pursue the trail connection as stated by the Mayor as this would be a great benefit to the residents. Mayor Harpstead explained there were a great number of students in Arden Hills that attended Mounds View High School and pedestrian/bicycle traffic should be further considered. City Administrator Klaers asked how the Council would like to proceed if Mn/DOT was not willing to meet the City's conditions. Public Works Director Maurer stated there was an appeal process Mn/DOT could pursue. Councilmember Holden indicated Mn/DOT would work with the City and negotiate on the provided conditions. She suggested the Council provide as much information in this document as possible and then review the conditions to further prioritize the City's concerns. Councilmember McClung explained he spoke with Mn/DOT regarding the appeal process and to date they have not proceeded without Municipal Consent. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—OCTOBER 11, 2010 4 2.A Mn/DOT I-694 Improvement Project—Municipal Consent Discussion (continued) Mayor Harpstcad reiterated that at the end of the day, the Council wanted what was best for the City of Arden Hills and its residents. This meant the Council had to provide comments with these interests in mind. Councilmember Holden indicated WDOT was aware of the Council's concerns and felt the City should hold to these concerns. Mayor Harpstead stated Mn/DOT was well aware there was an engineering design flaw for this region. Mn/DOT did not have a solution to meet the local and regional needs of this area. Councilmember Holden requested the Council talk through each of the Conditions further. Mayor Harpstead first reviewed Condition 10 with the Council regarding the completion of _ County Road E in conjunction with this project. The concern with this suggestion would be the loss of any east-west connection in the City. Councilmember Grant felt Condition 1 should be stated more strongly to assure that Mn/DOT was addressing the decibel level increases for the surrounding residents. Councilmember Holden suggested the City confirm with Mn/DOT the City's ability to contribute to the expense of sound walls to make up for the deficit in the allowance, as their rates have not been raised in over ten years. Councilmember McClung indicated the figures $3250 per decibel for the past ten years did need to be updated. In addition, the City should take the position that noise mitigation needs to be included in this project. Councilmember Holmes stated Man/DOT was willing to pay$1.5 million for noise mitigation. Public Works Director Maurer indicated the noise analysis completed by Mn/DOT determined reasonableness in the northwest quadrant of I-694 and Highway 10. This area would be protected with a 20 foot high noise wall. However, the $1.5 million set aside for the noise mitigation may not cover this expense. The City would need to discuss who would cover the difference. Councilmember McClung stated whether noise berms or sound walls, the City needed to protect the neighboring properties from the growing freeway noise. Mayor Harpstcad requested staff draft additional language stressing the importance of sound walls/mitigation noting that fill generated on site be used for a noise berm. Councilmember Holmes requested the noise berm location be officially located on the plans by Mn/DOT. Mayor Harpstead questioned how the Council would like to proceed with the traffic modeling. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION--OCTOBER 11, 2010 5 2.A Mn1DOT I--694 Improvement Project—Municipal Consent Discussion (continued) Public Works Director Maurer stated he understood the Council wanted to see modeling plans that prove there were no adverse affects spilling over to Highway 96 and County Road E. Councilmember Holden indicated this documentation would need to be presented by Mn/DOT and further reviewed by Council. Councilmember McClung suggested the City request plans and funding to make up for lost local access to the Interstate system at I-694/Hamline Avenue and Highway 96/TH 10. Improvements could be made at the intersection of County Road F/Hamline Avenue, Lexington/County Road F, or the bridge at I-694/Lexington Avenue. Public Works Director Maurer explained the City may want Mn/DOT to document that the improvements can be made. He expressed concern about asking Mn/DOT to prove changes could _ be made to a County Road. He did not want the Mn/DOT modeling to show the turn lanes that were unneeded. Councilmember McClung wanted to see Mn/DOT committed to making the necessary improvements for these projects. Public Works Director Maurer indicated the County would need to apply for funds as these improvements may not be scheduled. After the City finalizes their consent the next step would be for Shoreview and the County to review the plans. Councilmember Holmes questioned if Mn/DOT could require the County to comply with the conditions suggested by the City. She did not want to see the Council give Consent until the City was sure these intersections were going to be taken care of. Public Works Director Maurer stated the concerns of the City were correct, but the County would have to apply for a cooperative agreement project. The County was concerned with County Road F and the change in traffic patterns. He believed the County would move quickly to follow behind the State's plans. Councilmember Holden explained a memorandum of understanding could be drafted to bring about a clear understanding between the City and the County. Mayor Harpstead commented that if Lexington Avenue and County Road F did not work, TH 10/Highway 96 and Highway 96/3 5 W would not work either. Councilmember McClung agreed stating additional traffic would be directed to the new bridge and if it did not work now, it would be a huge concern when redone. Councilmember Holmes stated the designs from the County should be completed ahead of time with proof of funding before the Council can provide Consent to Mn/DOT. This would provide the necessary assurances to the City, while not ignoring the needs of the City. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—OCTOBER 11, 2010 6 2.A Mn1DOT I-04 Improvement Project—Municipal Consent Discussion (continued) Councilmember Holden indicated the City could always have Land O Lakes contact the governor complaining about access and traffic along I-694. Councilmember Holmes did not want to have the City wait until after the fact to take action. Councilmember McClung commented he did not want to see the traffic problems along the Interstate pushed onto the local and County streets. Mayor Harpstead felt the traffic engineering completed by Mn/DOT was disappointing as the plans need to be completed in a systemic manner. Councilmember Holmes suggested the Council require assurances from Mn/DOT that County Road F/Lexington Avenue and County Road F/I-694 will be able to handle the new traffic levels. Mayor Harpstead agreed these areas were a concern and stated Mn/DOT has acknowledged they would be working with the County to address these intersections. Councilmember Holmes stated this was not enough of an assurance and that Consent should not be granted until the County provided greater information to the City. Councilmember McClung agreed with these comments stating local access was extremely important. He did not want to see a portion of Arden Hills become landlocked through the Mn/DOT plans. Mayor Harpstead noted if Mn/DOT has traffic engineers that state the model works and our engineer makes the same claim, the City has no recourse. Councilmember Holmes indicated the Mn/DOT plan needs to be fully funded by the State and County in order for it to work correctly. This problem needs to be solved between the State and the County before the City can give Consent. This would assure that the Council was taking a stand for its residents and the businesses within the community. Councilmember Holden stated she wanted the plan to benefit the entire City, its residents and that all conditions are considered by Mn/DOT. Public Works Director Maurer suggested staff add a condition regarding Lexington Avenue and County Road F that Mn/DOT and Ramsey County traffic engineers work together to determine the correct improvements for this intersection, establish a budget for them, and have Mn/DOT commit to encumbering cooperative agreement fiords or suitable funding to the County on the County's schedule. This would assure that the Council's concerns for this intersection were addressed. Mayor Harpstead agreed with this additional language. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—OCTOBER 11, 2010 7 2.A Mn/DOT I-6941mprovement Project—Municipal Consent Discussion (continued) Councilmember McClung requested the Council be able to review Mn/DOT's model and provide comment before giving Consent. Public Works Director Maurer stated staff would make this request and tighten up the language in Condition 2, stating Mn/DOT shall provide the City with a working model showing no impact beyond the Interstate to the surrounding local streets. Mayor Harpstead suggested "no impact" be removed and replaced with other areas have improved or benefitted from the change. This would assure that Mn/DOT was building excess capacity into the interchange. The Council was in favor of Condition 4 and S as stated. Mayor Harpstead requested staff review the number of cars on Lexington Avenue as stated within the traffic study. He felt the number should be much higher. Councilmember Holmes asked that Condition 7 be required and not just proposed and that the bridge specifications be further clarified. The Council agreed. Mayor Harpstead suggested Condition 8 add the term"non-motorized". The Council agreed. Mayor Harpstead stated that Condition 9 was added to address a new pedestrian bridge that has been discussed at previous meetings. Councilmember Grant was in favor of this additional condition. The Council was in favor of Condition 10 as stated. Mayor Harpstead asked for any further comments. Councilmember Holdcn requested County Road E be discussed further. Mayor Harpstead questioned if the Council had considered the aesthetics of the new bridges. Councilmember Grant suggested staff find the document signed by the Council five years ago with Mn/DOT regarding the look and feel of the bridges. This information should be reviewed prior to Consent. Mayor Harpstead asked for comments from the audience. There were no comments at this time. City Administrator Klaers indicated staff would revise the document and the Council could 18t�'provide further comment at the October work session meeting. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—OCTOBER 11, 2010 8 B. 2011 Pavement Management Program Discussion Public Works Director Maurer presented the City Council with information on the 2011 Pavement Management Program. He asked for feedback on which projects the Council would like to see completed in 2011. Staff would need further comment on the assessment rate for the R-3 zoning district. Councilmember Holden asked how the R-3 zoning district road work would be assessed. Public Works Director Maurer recommended the City assess each unit individually and not the association. This would protect the City in case the association was to not pay. Mayor Harpstead suggested staff model the rates at the current policy, again at +10%, or -10% and provide this information to Council. Councilmember McClung indicated the density in the R-3 district was higher even if there were fewer trips per unit. Mayor Harpstead requested staff speak with the Financial Planning and Analysis Committee on this issue further, complete a pro forma of what the impact would be at different assessment rates and report back to the Council. Councilmember Holden disagreed with this suggestion. Councilmember Grant questioned if the townhomes were considered to be their own neighborhood. Mayor Harpstead indicated townhomes have been blended in with neighborhoods in the past. Public Works Director Maurer stated townhome units could end up paying 80-90% of the cost of the road in their neighborhood while single family units could pay 30%. The overall average would end up being 50%. Councilmember Holden explained the Council may then have to redefine each neighborhood. Mayor Harpstead commented that R-3 neighborhoods were different than R-2 or R-1 residential areas. He felt it made sense for the Council to establish a separate policy for R-3 and R-4. This would address future pavement programs. Councilmember Holmes questioned if R-3 were separated, if this would give them a benefit. Public Works Director Maurer explained he was proposing to use a ratio after reading through the assessment policy and reviewing past precedence. He indicated he would be bringing back a draft feasibility study on October 25th where the Council could discuss the numbers in more detail. Mayor Harpstead requested two analyses be completed, one using the 50% policy and the other being the blended bid schedule with the .60 residential equivalent unit for each townhouse unit. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—OCTOBER 11, 2010 9 2.B 2011 Pavement Management Program Discussion (continued) Councilmember Holden added she would like to see a schedule where everyone pays the same. Mayor Harpstead indicated the other proposed project was for Amble Drive. This roadway was _ used by 60% of the neighborhood with single family homes to reach Hamline Avenue. Given the age of the roadway, it would need full reconstruction, which was a higher expense. Public Works Director Maurer explained Council would need to decide if the full reconstruction was necessary. He noted the options were presented to the neighborhood describing the price differences between a complete reconstruction and a mill and overlay project. The City has proposed to complete new roadways with curb and gutter. Councilmcmbcr Holmes stated she did not feel this was a standard to add curb and gutter, but that the roadway could remain rural. Public Works Director Maurer felt the curb and gutter was not a requirement and was not guaranteed to improve the drainage along this roadway. He stated he would propose an urban street if the Council so desired. Councilmcmber McClung indicated curb and gutter was normally added to improve runoff issues, but if this was not needed, the Council should not pursue it further. Councilmember Holmes asked if curb and gutter was not required on any road, or just Amble Drive. Public Works Director Maurer clarified that he was only commenting on Amble Drive, given the location and drainage of this roadway. He was not making a statement regarding the entire City street program. Mayor Harpstead commented that if curb and gutter increases the integrity and longevity of a road then it should be included. However, if curb and gutter were not necessary, staff should state from an engineering standpoint,this was the case. Public Works Director Maurer stated soil borings have been completed on Amble Drive showing reclamation was a viable option. Councilmember Holden questioned if the City was responsible for the maintenance of the pond along this roadway. Public Works Director Maurer explained he would be reviewing the recommendations from Rice Creek Watershed with regard to this project to assure that proper drainage would continue. Mayor Harpstead requested staff bring the pavement management plan back to the Council at a future work session for modifications. Councilmember Holden indicated it would benefit the City to clarify this information. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—OCTOBER 11, 2010 10 2.B 2011 Pavement Management Program Discussion (continued) Mayor Harpstead suggested staff review the policy and make it more functional based on the comments given this evening. Councilmember Holmes expressed concern with the differing opinions on the need for curb and gutter with the new public works director. She questioned if staff had a PCI reading for Amble Drive. Public Works Director Maurer stated he would be presenting a feasibility report to the Council on Amble Drive keeping the roadway in its current condition. He explained the soil borings currently show that the roadway was a candidate for reclamation and did not require a complete reconstruct. Councilmember Grant suggested the Council review the PCI ratings on the City's streets to assist with further analyzing what streets were in need of repair. Mayor Harpstead indicated the City has a five year pavement management plan and each project within this plan had a cumulative PCI rating. The Council has given direction to staff to spread out completion of full-build projects based on PCI priority. This means that larger projects will be intertwined with mill and overlay projects. If the Council wanted to throw out the sequence of this five year plan and accelerate some of the significant full builds the Council would need to review this plan further. Councilmember Holden agreed with this comment stating the Council had completed and approved a five year plan. The every other year plan was working well thus far to assist with rebuilding City funds. Councilmember Grant indicated he was not implying the five year plan should be thrown out. However,the Council should further review the PCI ratings of the City's roadways. Mayor Harpstead questioned how staff should proceed and if staff should present Amble Drive without curb and gutter. The second question would be, should Amble Drive be a full reconstruction. Public Works Director Maurer stated the urban roadway could perhaps degrade the water quality of Karth Lake because run-off outflow would be concentrated in a pipe system. Councilmember Grant explained he did not want to see Karth Lake affected by the drainage of this roadway. Councilmember Holden was not in favor of adding curb and gutter. Mayor Harpstead was in favor of proceeding without the curb and gutter if the engineering of the roadway supported this recommendation. Councilmember Holmes questioned if the engineers agreed that a reclaim would be appropriate along Amble Drive. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—OCTOBER 11, 2010 11 2.B 2011 Pavement Management Program Discussion (continued) Public Works Director Maurer stated this was the case. Councilmember McClung was in favor of proceeding without curb and gutter as well. Staff would proceed with Amble Drive as directed and further information would be brought back to the Council regarding the assessments. ADJOURN Mayor Harpstead adjourned the City Council Work Session meetin S p.m. Patrick Klaers tan H tead City Administrator Mayor i