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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP March 16, 2000 CITY of ANDOVER Special City Council Meeting - Thursday, March 16,2000 2:00 p.m. Location Anoka County Highway Department Building 1440 Bunker Lake Boulevard NW Andover, MN 55304 Discussion Items 1. School Transportation Issues 2. Approve State Aid StreetlRevocations and Designations 3. Other Adjournment CITY of ANDOVER Special City Council Meeting - March 16, 2000 Minutes A Special Meeting of the Andover City Council was called to order by Mayor Jack McKelvey at 2:08 p.m., Thursday, March 16,2000 at the Anoka County Highway Department, 1440 Bunker Lake Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Councilmembers Present: Don Jacobson, Julie Johnson, Mike Knight, Ken Ortlel Councilmembers Absent: None Also Present: Dennis Berg, County Commissioner Dave McCauley, County Commissioner Natalie Steffen, Metropolitan,Council Tom Durand, School District Representative Dick Nybeck, School District Representative Jon Olson, Anoka County Highway Department Jane Pemble, Anoka County Highway Department Scott Erickson, City Engineer Todd Haas, Assistant City Engineer Richard Fursman, City Administrator David Carlberg, Community Development Director Jim Dickinson, Finance Director Others School Transportation Issues Councilmember Jacobson asked what the county's plans are for Crosstown Boulevard if the city doesn't do anything with it. Jon Olson, Anoka County Highway Department, explained that six years ago Crosstown Boulevard was overlaid and there was a plan to upgrade it at one time; however the money was spent elsewhere and now the county's five year plan does not include doing anything to Crosstown through 2006. Councilmember Orttel noted that if the east/west state aid road is constructed, signals would need to be installed on Round Lake Boulevard because it is a dangerous road. He also stated that once the data is received in regard to the number of students and buses that will be at the school, the city could determine what type of roads will be needed. Jon Olson explained that they normally ask the developer to provide a traffic study. Signals are possible at Crosstown and Andover Boulevards and Round Lake Boulevard. The county's policy, however, is not to pay for signals unless they are Special City Council Meeting Minutes - March 16, 2000 Page 2 warranted, The county does not install signals based on projected traffic. If the city and school district want signals, he would authorize them but the county would not pay for them. Councilmember Orttel asked if warrants have been met for the intersection of Hanson and Crosstown. Jane Pemble, Anoka County Highway Department, stated they have been met and signals are slated for 2001. Nothing however is proposed for Andover Boulevard at this time. Councilmember Jacobson noted that one of the options was for the county to turn over to the city the section of Crosstown Boulevard from Andover Boulevard to Hanson Boulevard and cul-d-sac it south of Andover Boulevard. Jon Olson stated that Crosstown serves about 4500 cars a day south of Andover Boulevard, There is not the capacity on the other roads that would take that traffic. The county cannot afford to not have Crosstown as part of their system. Councilmember Knight asked if the traffic went out to Hanson would the numbers on Crosstown change. Mr. Olson stated that they would not. He would anticipate that traffic would increase by 60% in the next 20 years. Crosstown is a critical route for the county. It was noted that the traffic counts are 6000 south of Andover Boulevard on Crosstown and 4000 north of Andover Boulevard. Mr. Olson also noted that widening Hanson Boulevard would take a lot of traffic off of Crosstown. Councilmember Jacobson asked how many buses and vehicles would be entering the school property. Mr. Nybeck, School District 11, stated that there will be 24-30 buses and no one knows at this point the number of vehicles. Mr. Jacobson asked how permits are issued for parking at the schools. Tom Durand explained that the faculty and the seniors are given first choice, then the juniors and whatever is left goes into a lottery, Council member Orttel noted that one of the issues in our Comprehensive Plan is transportation, Only 10% of our development in the next 10 years will be outside the Metropolitan Urban Service Area, Dave Carlberg stated that the 10% figure is not from the Metropolitan Council. At the present time, 15% of our development is not in the MUSA. Mr. Olson noted that Round Lake Boulevard will be improved as far as 149th Avenue in 2003. Special City Council Meeting Minutes - March 16, 2000 Page 3 Councilmember Jacobson asked what the county would have to do in terms of putting in turn lanes if Crosstown is not upgraded. Mr. Olson stated they would have to do nothing. If the road were upgraded, they would probably put in right and left turn lanes, If the city puts in the east/west road, the traffic coming out to Crosstown would come out onto the new street and not directly onto Crosstown. The county has not found it desirable to put in a signal without left and right turn lanes. Discussion continued on the possibility of the county turning Crosstown over to the city. Commissioner Berg noted it would create a dead-end county road if this happened and the city put a cul-de-sac south of Andover Boulevard, Mayor McKelvey asked if the school district had made a decision on whether to purchase 80 acres or 137 acres. Tom Durand noted they are still looking at it. If they only purchase 80 acres it would be hard for the city to put in the east/west road. He stated that bus access would be from Crosstown Boulevard and the students would come in from Andover Boulevard. Councilmember Knight noted that it's very possible that we will run into 10-12 feet of peat along the route of the east/west road. Scott Erickson stated that peat depths of 10-12 feet are really not a problem; however it would be very costly, Cornmissioner Berg asked what the purpose of the cul-de-sac is. Councilmember Johnson noted that it is so the city would not have to construct an overpass or underpass to cross over to Sunshine Park. Mr. Olson explained that if you put in an overpass or underpass, you need to fence along Crosstown as far as possible and on the Sunshine Park side, fencing would be needed up to Crosstown. Dick Nybeck noted that soil borings were done 200 feet south of Woodland Estates and they hit water at 20 feet. Mayor McKelvey felt that if the school district only buys the 80 acres, there is a different concept on how the road will go into the school. He also understood that the county was talking to the school district. Mr. Olson explained that the county has not done anything on this particular site. All they have told the school district is their concern with turn lanes and the impact on the intersections involved. He felt that it is safe to assume that if 240 houses were built on the 80 acres, the traffic impact would be very similar. Mr. Fursman noted that a footprint of the school needs to be provided, a traffic study needs to be done, and an outline of where the students will be coming from needs to be provided. Councilmember OrUel stated that if this property were developed as a single family plat, a traffic study would not be required. Scott Erickson noted that we haven't asked for traffic studies for housing developments and he felt that traffic for a school versus a residential development would be about the same, Special City Council Meeting Minutes - March 16,2000 Page 4 Mr. Olson explained the reason for a traffic study is the city's request regarding where the traffic will be coming from. He felt that the east/west connection would draw a lot of traffic that is not school related. Councilmember Ortlel asked when the school board would make a decision on the elementary school site. Tom Durand stated that on March 23rd they will have the sites selected and a decision will be made in April. Natalie Steffen stated that there was a disagreement about whether the Comprehensive Plan amendment would be granted without a traffic study. This is a local problem with the Metropolitan Council. She stated that Andover will have to have a traffic plan in their Comprehensive Plan. Councilmember Jacobson asked what the next step is - do we wait for the school board to make decisions regarding the purchase of property, etc. and do we do a traffic study? Councilmember Orttel noted that the city has already authorized a feasibility study for the east/west street and we are going to have to start buying property if we construct an underpass or overpass. The group discussed the traffic study, with Mr. Olson noting that if the city closes Crosstown, the study will tell them where the cars will go and whether or not turn lanes would be needed. Carol Christopherson, 1703 Andover Boulevard, felt that now is a bad time to do a traffic study because of the bridge closing on Main Street. The consensus of the Council was to wait for at least a month to see where the students are coming from and whether or not both schools would be on the same site. State Aid Road Revocations and Designations Scott Erickson explained that the city has 6.06 miles available for revocation and designation. Jon Olson noted that the county does not have funds available for the extension of Andover Boulevard between Round Lake Boulevard and Crosstown Boulevard. MOTION by Ortlel, seconded by Knight to approve the designations including the alternates, Discussion: Councilmember Jacobson asked why the Bunker Lake Boulevard Special City Council Meeting Minutes - March 16, 2000 Page 5 Service Road between Rose Street and Crooked Lake Boulevard is designated. Mr. Erickson explained that it acts as a collector which is one of the requirements for state aid designation, He also noted that 20% of our roads have be designated as MSA streets or we lose our funding. The consensus of the council was to remove Grey Oaks between Nightingale Street and Hanson Boulevard, remove Narcissus/134th Avenue between Bunker Lake Boulevard and Round Lake Boulevard and add Unity Street between Crosstown Boulevard and 161s1 Avenue. Motion amended by Ortlel, seconded by Knight to approve the designations and revocations with the suggested changes, Mary Harold, 149th Avenue, asked where the funds for an east/west road would come from if it's not a state aid road. Councilmember Ortlel stated that you don't have to build the roads if they're designated; they only need to be on the plan. Councilmember Jacobson called the question. Motion carried unanimously. Motion by Knight, seconded by Jacobson to adjourn. Motion carried unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 4:22 pm. Respectfully submitted, fL¿. tUb Vicki Volk City Clerk