08-27-2003 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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of tittle Can:9 COMMUNITY PRIDE 1953 - 2003 515 Little Canada Road, Little Canada, MN 551174600 (65l) 766A029 / FAX: (651) 766 -4048 www.cidittle-canada.mn.us MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Fahey & Members of the City Council FROM: Joel Hanson, City Administrator DATE: August 22, 2003 RE: Unweave the Weave Issues 611YOR :Michael I. Fahey COUNCIL Jim LaValle Matt Anderson Rick Montour Bill Blesener /1 DMINI 5'1 RATO R Joel R. Hanson There are three major issues we need to address with MnDot relative to the Unweave the Weave project. They are as follows: • Noise Walls — Attached is a memo from our Public Works Director that discusses this issue. MnDot has added some walls to their initial proposal, but staff does not feel they have gone far enough. • Traffic Mitigation — Another concern is the impact this project will have on traffic flow through our community. We have just learned that the Rice Street Bridge over 694 will not be done in 2004 (prior to work on the freeway for Unweave the Weave) as had been planned. This means we won't benefit from improved traffic flow on Rice Street during work on the freeway. It is also possible that bridge could be reconstructed when work on the freeway is taking place thus negating that route as an alternate for motorists. Staff believes that if the Rice Street bridge is not reconstructed in 2004, it is better to wait until Unweave the Weave is completed before undertaking that project in order to minimize traffic impacts to Little Canada. We also need to work with Ramsey County and MnDot on traffic flow concerns through Little Canada when Unweave the Weave is underway. Some topics for consideration are turn lanes at Little Canada Road and Edgerton, the possibility of signalizing that intersection, re- setting the signals along Little Canada Road by 35 -E to improve traffic flow for alternate routes onto Little Canada Road, and measures we can take to minimize unnecessary traffic through residential neighborhoods (motorists looking for shortcuts off of LaBore, Edgerton, etc. when those streets become congested). Ramsey County Public Works has been very accommodating in our preliminary discussions on this topic. Staff's primary concern is that MnDot won't focus on this important issue until too late in the process to adequately protect our interests. • Cooperative drainage improvements is the last of the three major issues we are concerned about at this time. Attached is a letter from Dan Soler of Ramsey County Public Works that proposes a cooperative approach between the County and City in addressing this issue with MnDot. Staff believes this is the appropriate way to handle this matter as it will enable us to provide drainage outlets for future road reconstruction projects and development (Heinel's). The only concern we have is the final dollar impact to the City. It is not possible to measure that number at this time. -3-