#13 - Stillwater School District Comp Plan Amendment & Rezoning

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Washington County Public Works The location of the proposed school is adjacent to the intersection of two busy county highways. There are some specific site development challenges and concerns that the county believes the city council should be made aware of as they consider this planning amendment. These comments were previously shared with Stillwater Area Public Schools on April 17, 2023, and the City of Lake Elmo on October 24, 2023. Washington County 2040 Comprehensive Plan – Chapter 5: Transportation a. Functional Classification - Per the Washington County 2040 Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 5 – Figure 3 shows the functional classification of both roadways. County 17 is a Collector. County 10 is an A-minor Arterial Reliever – serving east west regional trips. Both highways are on the County State Aid Highway System and serve as important commuter routes and are the designated truck routes in the area. b. Traffic Volume Forecast and Concerns - Washington County 2040 Comprehensive Plan Chapter 5: Figure 7 shows current traffic volumes on County 10 in this area range from 4,200 to 6,066 vehicles per day. On County 17 traffic volumes are in the range of 3,500 vehicles per day currently. Additionally, Figure 25 shows traffic volumes are forecasted to increase significantly, with or without the school development. Traffic on County 10 is expected to increase to 13,800 by 2040, and traffic on County 17 will increase to a range of 5,800 to 6,900 vehicles per day by 2040. These increases indicate a need, especially on County 10, for additional capacity improvements including the possibility of additional through lanes. This roadway expansion should be accounted for in proposed site plans to ensure the school site can accommodate the forecasted growth. Figure 26 shows the future volume to capacity ratio on county highways expected by 2040. This is a measure of congestion and an indication of where highway expansion will be needed in the future. Note that County 10 in this area shows traffic volume exceeding roadway capacity – further reinforcing the future need for expansion of this roadway. Given this analysis, it can be foreshadowed that not only will the roadway need an increase in capacity, but that the intersection of County 10 and County 17 will need significant upgrades, including intersection control such as a roundabout or stoplight. The roadway type, volume, speed and character of traffic on these highways will not change as a result of a school nearby. History tells us that the volume and conflicts related to school uses will likely increase over and above the existing county comprehensive plan forecasts. This is due to the nature of school traffic as well as the increased sensitivity of the community around school safety and traffic conflicts. This is especially important to note as schools tend to be traffic generators throughout the days and on weekends. c. Right of Way Dedication - Washington County 2040 Comprehensive Plan Chapter 5: Figure 27 indicates a need for 150 foot right of way on both County 10 and County 17. Thus, a minimum of 75 feet of right-of-