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WS — Item #7 WORK SESSION STAFF REPORT Work Session Item No. 7 Date: May 4, 2015 To: City Council From: Diane Hankee Re: Old Birch Street Overlay Project Background The Old Birch Street Overlay project is scheduled to be completed in 2016 in conjunction with the 2016 Mill and Overlay project. This schedule has been coordinated with Anoka County for the Birch Street cul du sac and by pass lane construction, and with the Saddle Club development construction. A neighborhood meeting was held on April 20, 2015 to update the adjacent property owners as the Saddle Club development construction commenced. Attached is the presentation from the meeting. The main topics discussed included the Saddle Club development and drainage, the extension of municipal utilities, and the access removal on to Birch Street at the north end. There were comments from the neighborhood that it is hard to access Birch Street today. They were concerned over the added traffic from the Saddle Club development. With the Saddle Club development a traffic study was completed to analyze the additional 55 new homes. The analysis considered the projected traffic volumes with respect to Birch Street access. The analysis did not warrant additional improvements. The development does provide an easterly outlet to the Preserve development and a south outlet to the Fox Borough development. The cul du sac at the north end of Old Birch Street and the bypass lane construction at the south entrance are in coordination with the Anoka County CSAH 34 (Birch Street) Corridor Plan, from April of 2011. The Plan addresses safety and deficiencies on Birch Street. Access control is an existing problem on Birch Street and the improvements will help addresses these. Staff reviewed the option of adding a left and right turn lane on Old Birch Street at Birch Street and determined that it was not warranted based on the projected traffic volumes. Attachments 1. Neighborhood Meeting Presentation