City Council Workshop

Blaine City Hall City of Blaine 10801 Town Sq Dr NE Blaine, MN 55449 Anoka County, Minnesota Minutes - Final City Council Workshop Thursday, February 2, 2017 6:30 PM Cloverleaf Farm Room A NOTICE OF WORKSHOP MEETING 1 Call to Order The meeting was called to order by Mayor Ryan at 6:30 p.m. 2 Roll Call Quorum Present. ALSO PRESENT: City Manager Clark Arneson; Planning and Community Development Director Bryan Schafer; Finance Director Joe Huss; Police Chief/Safety Services Manager Chris Olson; Economic Development Coordinator Erik Thorvig; Public Services Manager Bob Therres; City Engineer Jean Keely; Communications Technician Roark Haver; Senior Engineering Technician Jason Sundeen; and City Clerk Catherine Sorensen. Present: 6 - Councilmember Hovland, Councilmember Clark, Councilmember King, Councilmember Jeppson, Mayor Ryan, and Councilmember Swanson Absent: 1 - Councilmember Garvais 3 New Business 3-1 WS 17-09 131ST AVENUE DEVELOPMENT Public Services Manager Therres stated in December of 2016, the City Council received a request from four property owners on the north side of 131st Avenue to be considered for transfer into Sanitary Sewer District 6 if there is extra capacity for their properties to develop. The capacity of District 6 was reviewed by a consulting engineer in 2005 and it was recommended at the time to leave district boundaries as they currently exist to preserve the available capacity for potential development and redevelopment downstream. Since the capacity study, the City knows that The Lakes of Radisson has not developed as intensely as originally thought and this issue is being asked to be revisited by the four property owners. Public Services Manager Therres explained the City currently has a request for proposals out to consulting engineers to update the City’s 2005 Comprehensive Sanitary Sewer Plan. One of the goals listed in the RFP is to City of Blaine Page 1 City Council Workshop Minutes - Final February 2, 2017 evaluate the existing system for possible district line shifts to utilize existing capacity. The plan update is to be complete by September 29, 2017. This information will then be incorporated into the City’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan update which is due to the Metropolitan Council by December of 2018. After the City receives Met Council approval of the City’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan, the sanitary sewer district line could be revised if the Sewer Plan update shows available capacity to do so. Councilmember Swanson questioned where the sewer lines were located at this time. Public Services Manager Therres reviewed the location of surrounding District 6 sewer lines. Councilmember King asked if the new development could be serviced by District 6. Public Services Manager Therres reported this information would be available after the study was complete. Councilmember Swanson inquired how fees would be collected if the line sizes had to be changed. City Engineer Keely explained these fees would be collected through sanitary sewer trunk connection charges. Council consensus was to review this item after the Sanitary Sewer Plan was updated this fall. 3-2 WS 17-10 129TH AVENUE DISCUSSION Public Services Manager Therres stated 129th Avenue from the East TH 65 Service Road to Radisson Road was constructed over a period of 39 years with three different developers. The western portion of 129th Avenue was constructed in 1976 and was built 44-foot wide with two drive lanes, parking permitted on both sides and no sidewalks. The eastern portion of 129th Avenue was constructed in 1996 and was built with a 31-foot median, 5-foot sidewalk in the median, a 16-foot lane in each direction, parking restricted on the north side and parking permitted on the south side. The center segment of 129th Avenue was constructed in 2015 and was built with a 5-foot median, 6 foot sidewalks on both sides, a 17-foot lane in each direction and parking permitted on both sides. Public Services Manager Therres explained the street design of 129th Avenue changed over these 39 years. In the 1970s, several streets in the City were built wide without sidewalks. In the 1990s, the City was trying to find a residential collector street design that would slow traffic. It was thought that the 31-foot treed median separating two narrower lanes of traffic might be a design that would slow traffic. There were other collector streets built at that the same time that had different median widths, lane widths, and sidewalk/trail configurations. When the center segment of 129th Avenue was being designed in 2007, the two Ward 3 Councilmembers met with the existing neighborhood from the east side of the proposed development and City of Blaine Page 2 City Council Workshop Minutes - Final February 2, 2017 discussed how the final segment of this street should be built. The neighborhood selected the design that was built in 2015 with the narrower median and sidewalks on both sides. Public Services Manager Therres reported the design of the west and east portions of 129th Avenue could match the center segment when those sections of street are scheduled for reconstruction in the City’s Pavement Management Program. The pavement at both ends of 129th Avenue between the TH 65 Service Road and Radisson Road are still in good condition. The neighborhoods could petition for reconstruction sooner than the PMP, but the assessments would be significantly more going earlier. There are many other streets in the City that have reconstruction needs in the PMP before the east and west portions of 129th Avenue would be scheduled. Public Services Manager Therres indicated during the last ten years, there has been one property owner that lives on the eastern portion of 129th Avenue that has expressed concern over the speed of traffic. The City has placed the speed trailer and traffic count tubes on the eastern portion of 129th Avenue and the 85th percentile has been 23 to 31 mph. The last traffic count taken in 2016 on the eastern portion of 129th Avenue was less than 550 vehicles per day. Public Services Manager Therres stated during the 2006 discussions of the design of the center portion of 129th Avenue, the City received a petition from the eastern portion of the street asking for speed bumps. The Council did not act on the petition because the City was in the process of establishing 129th Avenue as a Municipal State Aid route and speed bumps are not allowed on a MSA route. There were several other Council concerns in this area at the same time with the construction of the 129th Avenue overpass at TH 65, the County’s reconstruction of Radisson Road, and the City pursuing a signalized intersection on Radisson Road at 129th Avenue Avenue/Quail Creek Parkway. Mayor Ryan explained there were two families with children near Eldorado, which was a bus stop. He suggested a stop sign be considered at this intersection to improve safety and to assist in slowing traffic. Public Services Manager Therres indicated a consultant could be hired by the City to review the traffic situation. Councilmember Hovland stated he believed the median within the eastern portion of 129th Avenue could be shrunk down in order to allow for sidewalks. City Engineer Keely reported this was the case would require a total reconstruct of this segment of 129th Avenue. She reported this portion of 129th Avenue was still in very good condition. Councilmember King commented the newer construction was well done. He City of Blaine Page 3 City Council Workshop Minutes - Final February 2, 2017 asked why 129th Avenue was defined as a collector when it no longer serves Highway 65. City Engineer Keely explained why 129th Avenue was defined as a collector street. Councilmember King understood there were several homeowners living along this roadway that have voiced their concerns with the setbacks along 129th Avenue. He asked how the City would manage increased traffic along this street if new development occurred. He questioned how the City would handle a major accident along this roadway given the fact it does not meet the collector language. City Engineer Keely stated the Council had addressed this Ordinance and the Ordinance was amended. She read the Ordinance in full for the Council. Councilmember Jeppson questioned what the major issue was with the roadway. Mayor Ryan explained that the last five accidents along this roadway have been in the middle segment. He noted each of the accidents were minor, but if they had occurred near the bus stop this would have turned major. Councilmember Clark arrived at 6:50 p.m. Councilmember Hovland stated he knew this road was under traveled and was still in good condition. He commented if the residents were to bring forward a petition; the Council could reconsider the Pavement Management Plan without having to sacrifice other City projects. He indicated he would support consideration of a stop sign at Eldorado. Councilmember King supported Councilmember Hovland’s comments. He understood the roadway had light traffic at this time. It was his opinion that the green portion of the roadway did not meet the intent of the Ordinance. Councilmember Clark questioned what action Councilmember King was seeking. Councilmember King stated he would like to see the blue and green segments of 129th Avenue closed. Mayor Ryan said he believed this would lead to a huge concern from the adjacent neighborhoods. Councilmember Clark discussed the history of this roadway and asked how connectivity from Radisson to Highway 65 would be achieved if 129th Avenue were closed. Councilmember King stated his main concern was with the green portion of the roadway. City of Blaine Page 4 City Council Workshop Minutes - Final February 2, 2017 Councilmember Swanson asked how much it would cost to reengineer the green segment of 129th Avenue. City Engineer Keely stated that a cost estimate would have to be calculated. Councilmember Swanson supported this estimate being updated. Mayor Ryan agreed and believed a study should be completed. Councilmember Hovland recommended the Council pull together rough numbers and that a neighborhood meeting be scheduled. Councilmember Jeppson asked if the Traffic Commission should review this issue prior to a study being completed. Public Services Manager Therres discussed the roles and responsibilities of the Traffic Commission and recommended a study be completed first. Councilmember King questioned how much a traffic study would cost the City. City Manager Arneson estimated the traffic study would cost $6,000 and would cover the entire segment of 129th Avenue. Council consensus was to order a traffic study and then schedule a neighborhood meeting. Other Business Planning and Community Development Director Schafer addressed an access concern at the intersection of 105th Avenue/Radisson Road. He explained the City was working to acquire Parcel A in order to improve access to Nassau Street. He explained that the gas use being proposed at this intersection would only develop if they received a left turn going eastbound on 105th Avenue. He described the left turn bay the gas user was requesting and stated staff did not support this addition to 105th Avenue for safety reasons. Staff expressed concern that without this left turn bay it would be difficult to develop this corner lot and requested feedback from the City Council. Councilmember King questioned if the access point from Nassau Street would be sufficient. Planning and Community Development Director Schafer stated this was staff’s original understanding, however over the past two weeks the gas user has requested a left in off of 105th Avenue. Councilmember King commented he would not support the left in access off of 105th Avenue. Councilmember Clark asked if there were others users that could develop this corner that would not require the left turn from 105th Avenue. Planning and Community Development Director Schafer said he was uncertain but believed City of Blaine Page 5 City Council Workshop Minutes - Final February 2, 2017 other likely uses at such as gas or pharmacy-type uses would require similar access. Councilmember King questioned if the Council supported the left turn in, if the City’s state funding would be in jeopardy. City Manager Arneson indicated the state funding would not be jeopardy. Councilmember Hovland favored going forward with the left turn off of 105th Avenue and recommended the bay be increased to hold four or five vehicles. Councilmember Clark stated he was not ready to support the left turn. He indicated he wanted to better understand what would happen on the south side of the road prior to making this decision. Councilmember Swanson requested staff report back to the Council at the Thursday, February 16th workshop with further information on this item. City Clerk Sorensen reported the City received a request from the National Sports Center for a three-day concert event taking place June 29, June 30 and July 1. She explained three bands would play each night and the attendance was estimated to be 15,000 each night. She reported the event was proposing to have fireworks and asked for some Council direction before responding to the applicant. Councilmember Swanson expressed concern with the road construction that could be occurring on 105th Avenue this summer. Councilmember Clark stated he had great apprehension with the proposed event and stated he would like further information if the event would have alcohol. City Clerk Sorensen indicated she would place this item on the Council’s February 16th agenda for Council consideration. Discussed ADJOURN The Workshop was adjourned at 7:33 p.m. City of Blaine Page 6