07-11-2001 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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(X+ 25‘//4 ceemeeeher 515 Little Canada Road, Little Canada, MN 55117-1600 (651) 766 -4029 / FAX: (651) 766 -4048 Email: cityhall @ci.little- canada.mn.us MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Fahey & Members of the City Council FROM: Joel Hanson, City Administrator DATE: May 18, 2001 RE: City Maintenance of Private Streets MAYOR Michael 1. Fahey COUNCIL Beverly Scalze Jim LaValle Matt Anderson Rick Montour ADMINISTRATOR Joel R. Hanson Attached is a letter from the Board of Directors of the Pitrina Park Terrace Homeowners Association that requests the City to take over maintenance responsibilities for the five private cul -de -sacs within the development. Staff has reviewed this request (see memo from Lee Elfering attached) and has come to the following conclusions: • Private streets were proposed by the developer to give them greater flexibility in designing a layout that allowed an appropriately dense development while making use of existing facilities (water main and drainage system along Allen Avenue). • Private streets for the cul -de -sacs addressed staff's concerns about maintenance. Had they been proposed as public streets, it is likely an alternative layout would have been required as cul -de -sacs prove more difficult for snow removal. This is especially true in Pitrina due to the limited snow storage areas. • Private streets for this type of development are not uncommon in Little Canada or other communities. It is understood that the association absorbs on -going maintenance costs. Mr. Gordie Howe informed me that all purchasers of units within the Pitrina Development were made aware that the cul -de -sacs were private streets and would be maintained by the Association. (He is willing to attend Wednesday's meeting to reconfirm this fact if necessary.) • The units fronting on Allen Avenue are included in the same Association and therefore share in the maintenance costs of the cul -de -sacs even though they abut a public street. •:• Acceptance of these private streets by the City would create a number of non - conforming land uses issues in that front yard setbacks are 25 feet instead of the required 30 feet. • A number of private streets exist elsewhere in the City. (Cobblestone, Round Lake, Canabury, and Nature Way) If we make changes to the Pitrina situation, fairness and consistency would indicate similar action would be necessary in these other situations. Page 40