January 3, 2006 CCP - Laserfiche WebLink

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site. Such a purchase by Metro Transit will remove both the land and the resulting land development from the "Tax Capacity" of Lake Elmo — a significant financial loss to a City that will extend forever. 2. If the facility is located at the proposed interchange — and in Lake Elmo — Hudson Blvd. (the north service road to 1-94) will see an immediate and significant increase in traffic volume. Since Hudson Blvd. was "turned back" by MnDOT to the City recently, all of the accelerated road maintenance expense that result from park and ride customers will fall to the City, either as a drain to the City's MSA maintenance allocation, or directly to City taxpayers. 3. Once a park and ride is operational at this location in Lake Elmo (and maybe even if it is relocated to Woodbury), the intersection of Hudson Blvd. and Keats Avenue will experience a huge increase in week -day peak hour traffic. There is little question that this intersection will approach warrants for signalization rapidly — if not by traffic count, then certainly by accident incidence. Two "legs" of that signalization would become City financial responsibility (and the other two legs would be Washington County) — a certain 6 figure financial issue for the City (and County). 4. The Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan (never mentioned in the CMAQ application — but Woodbury's Plan surely is) does not contemplate a high concentration of high density residential or commercial use in this area of the City. The park and ride proposed would certainly act as a magnet for such use, and result in pressure to modify the Lake Elmo Plan — perhaps that is the entire strategy for this site at Metropolitan Council. The City of Lake Elmo respectfully requests the TAB to disqualify the I-94 East Park and Ride application from this round of CMAQ funding, based not only on the objections of the City; but also based on the irregularities we have pointed out in both the representations of the Metro Transit application, and the flawed local affected community coordination process by Metro Transit. Lake Elmo most certainly is not opposed to the park and ride concept — particularly with the alternative fuel buses here contemplated. We do, however, object to the siting of the facility in Lake Elmo for the reasons here stated. Since Woodbury appears from the application to be the primary benefactor of this facility, the facility should be located in that community. Sincerely yours, City of Lake Elmo Charles E. Dillerud Acting City Administrator/City Planner CC: Mayor & Council Rick Arnebeck Mark Matuska Representative Eric Lipman Senator Brian LeClaire