09-12-2018 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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1 of 2 10062 Flanders Court NE – Blaine, MN 55449 – Ph: (763) 780-0450 Fax (763) 780-0452 Memo TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Lee Elfering, City Engineer DATE: September 11, 2018 RE: AFSA School Traffic Study As the City Council is aware the Academy for Sciences & Agriculture (AFSA) is proposing to utilize 2925 Country Drive as a Pre-K thru 8 grade school. It was recommended by City staff that a traffic study be completed to document the expected traffic impacts in the area and general functionality of the site. The traffic study was submitted by Biko Associates and was included in the Council Packet with the City Planner’s report. Based upon our review of the initial report we asked for some clarifications and additional information. The attached Technical Memorandum received includes both our questions and their responses. Our comments on the report and the follow-up memo are as follows: Parking Lot Layout The drive and parking stall dimensions were provided in exhibits A1 (existing) and A2 (proposed) in the technical memo. While the parking lot drive aisle does not meet the current 24 foot requirement, the 22 foot width is an existing condition and the conversion of the drive aisles to one-way will not negatively affect traffic flow through the site. The applicant did provide photo documentation of a vehicle passing a parked bus to document circulation will not be impeded by staging buses. There may be minor delays for staff leaving parking spaces if staged buses are reducing the driveway aisle widths when staff are leaving adjacent parking stalls. However based on the narrative all buses should leave the site by 3:20 p.m. and the staff work day is over at 3:30 p.m. so conflicts should not occur. The applicant is proposing to convert the perpendicular stalls on the north curb line to diagonal parking. We would recommend against this as it is showing an increase in the traffic lane width which would result in diagonal parking stalls only 16 feet deep which would not meet City standards. The applicant has provided an additional exhibit that shows the same number of parking stalls utilizing perpendicular parking in all areas and that exhibit is attached to this memo. The staging diagram within the additional technical memo has been modified to account for the turning movement of the buses as requested. This documents 4 buses can stage to the north of the play area and subsequent buses shall stage west of the building. Traffic at Little Canada Road/Country Drive/Interstate 35E Intersection Ramsey County and Mn/DOT are currently working with the developer of the proposed Caribou site on the signal modifications that will be required as part of the development of the Caribou site. Biko & Associates’ review of the intersection incorporated data they