Laserfiche WebLink
SEH <br />October 7, 2004 <br />Mr. Timothy Benetti <br />Community Development Director <br />City Vadnais Heights <br />800 East County Road E <br />Vadnais Heights, MN 55127 -7044 <br />Dear Mr. Benetti: <br />RE: Vadnais Heights, Minnesota <br />Agriculture and Food Sciences Academy - <br />Preliminary Engineering Review <br />SEH No. A- VADNA0401.00 94056 <br />We have reviewed the preliminary plans for the construction of the Agriculture and Food Sciences <br />Academy. The site is located on Vadnais Boulevard, just east of Mayfair Road, which is a private road <br />into the 5 Star Mobile Estates. We have reviewed the site plan, grading and utility plan, and construction <br />details. These plans were submitted to the City and our office on September 28, 2004. We offer the <br />following comments as they relate to preliminary approval of these plans. <br />Site Plan <br />Tom Sohrweide of SEH has performed a traffic review of the site, including the traffic study performed <br />by the developer and submitted with these plans. Mr. Sohrweide's comments as they relate to traffic <br />issues, are attached to this letter. He generally found that the internal traffic flows onsite were acceptable. <br />We did, however, find that there were a number of issues relating to the driveway entrances onto Vadnais <br />Boulevard. Upon review of the traffic analysis submitted by the developer, we noted that according to the <br />traffic analysis, there was insufficient room for stacking of vehicles during the PM hours. Additionally, <br />we found that the sight distance for the west entrance does not appear to be adequate. Vadnais Road, <br />however, is a Ramsey County State Aid road and, therefore, ultimately, the decision for entrances onto <br />Vadnais Road would be a decision for Ramsey County. Our review of the traffic analysis indicates that <br />our recommendation would be to have one single entrance and that that entrance be located on the eastern <br />edge of the property. That entrance should also be connected to a dedicated roadway, essentially a ring <br />road, with entrances into the parking area for the site. This ring road around the parking lot could <br />terminate into a cul -de -sac or turnaround area near the school in the area that is currently labeled <br />"dropoff'. Of course, we will be happy to see any other suggestions the applicant may have regarding <br />this. We have spoken with both the developer and the engineer for this site regarding these issues and <br />they said they would look at possible solutions to this sight. We also have spoken with Dan Soler of <br />Ramsey County who has said that he will have a review completed prior to the Planning Commission <br />meeting. <br />Grading and Utility Plan <br />Review of the grading and utility plan indicates it is acceptable with the following exceptions: <br />1. In the eastern entrance and along the island near catch basin 3, it is noted that grades exceed 5 %. The <br />applicant should revise the grading for this site to provide for slopes less than 5% per City code. <br />-35- <br />short Elliott Hendrickson Inc., 3535`/adnais Center Drive, Sc. Paul, PIN i <br />SEH is an equal opportunity employer 1 www.sehinc.com 1 651.490.2000 1 800.325: <br />ATTACHMENT - E <br />