02-14-2001 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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MAYOR Michael I. Fahey COUNCIL, Beverly Scalze Jim LaValle Matt Anderson Rick Montour 515 Little Canada Road, Little Canada, MN 55117-1600 ADMINISTRATOR (651) 766 -4029 / FAX: (651) 766 -4048 Joel R. Hanson Email: cityhall @ci.little- canada.mn.us MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Fahey & Members of the City Council FROM: Joel Hanson, City Administrator DATE: February 8, 2001 RE: 694 Projects As you know, the "Unweave the Weave" project slated for the 35E & 694 Commons area has been on the drawing board for quiet a while now. I was at a meeting this past week where a MnDot representative stated that all work associated with that project will likely get pushed back to the 2004 construction season. (MnDot feels this will give them more time for planning and will result in a better bid package.) This same individual also said money is programmed for 2002 and he does not want to see it slip which could impact overall project funding. When asked what could be done to prevent those dollars from slipping, he mentioned the possibility of addressing the two "local" bridges (Edgerton & LaBore). He also said sound barriers could be constructed, subject to their need being documented by the upcoming noise study. (Keep in mind they also have the 694 lane expansion from Rice Street west on the drawing board for 2008.) These projects create some possibilities to address issues of local concern. I feel we should be aggressive in pushing for the earlier completion of the local bridges and the sound barriers. While the reasoning for the sound barriers is obvious, I am also concerned that Little Canada will see a dramatic increase in local traffic during construction of the commons area project. Therefore, having the bridges done sooner rather than later may help alleviate that. (Another argument could be that if the bridges were done at the same time as the commons area, traffic might avoid local streets because those two routes would not be available.) Another complicating factor to keep in mind is the Rice Street Bridge over 694 is also planned to be reconstructed in 2004. (More information on a joint planning project between Ramsey County, MnDot, Metro Transit, Shoreview, and Vadnais Heights will be forthcoming in a few weeks.) We need to make sure construction is properly coordinated among all these projects to minimize disruption to our community. If the Council agrees with an aggressive approach, I would recommend we prepare a resolution for consideration at our next meeting. I would also recommend a letter from the Mayor be sent with the resolution to all appropriate officials to make them aware of our strong interest in the completion of these projects. Page 54