03-20-07 CCM - Laserfiche WebLink

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APPROV�" AS AMENDED APRIL 3, 2007 Council Member DeLapp said the County has not finished the landscaping project they began on the Keats Avenue Parkway. In 25 years, the Parkway landscaping has consisted of nothing more than a few dead or dying twigs in a reconstructed median, and nothing on the sides of the road other than filling in the east side of Goose Lake. He said that trees are needed in the median on both sides of the roadways and trail. He added that to increase the width of the trail from 8 feet to 10 feet may be consistent with a national political effort to increase engineering and construction costs and increase impervious surface coverage, but would not have any effect on safety considering that outside of him, very few people ever use the existing trail. Serious bicyclists use the road shoulders and very few casual bicyclists would want to go down a very ugly stretch of roadway, leading to a very dangerous conflict with freeway traffic. In addition, he said the Washington County Public Works Director had last stated that there is no justification for Keats to remain a 4 lane divided highway, based on traffic count. He also stated the only benefiting party is Woodbury and that the installation would impede Lake Elmo traffic, similar to the adversely timed signals on Ideal and Inwood. He said the City should not pay for correcting Woodbury's problems and that Woodbury should not promote development at the expense of Lake Elmo. Council Member Park said it is a safety issue, and it does not matter whose residents are responsible for the traffic. The cost is going to be about $250 per year for safety. Mayor Johnston said the City's role in maintenance will be the luminaries only. They will need to be cleaned annually, and they will need to be replaced as necessary every five to ten years. Council Member Smith asked if there was a study to support this request. She said this is a light to allow Woodbury residents to make a left turn. Until we have residents in that region, she thinks this request is premature and the expense should be Woodbury's. Mr. Schoenecker clarified that Manning Avenue and I Ot" Street was an area where alternatives were being considered. Keats Avenue was always going to be signalized. There are immediate benefits to Woodbury. Over the last three years, there have been about 40 crashes there and 75% happened to people coming from or going to Lake Elmo. He stated that it may not be perfectly fair but Lake Elmo people drive in other towns and enjoy the benefits of those signals. The location for lights is the north side of the bridge and the entire intersection is within the City of Lake Elmo. The City Engineer stated that trees cannot be permitted near the edges of high speed roads because drivers who steer their vehicles to the sides will be off the 34 feet of asphalt in each direction, and might hit one of the trees. Council Member DeLapp and Council Member Smith stated that anyone who allows their vehicle to become out of control should not be given the right to hit and kill people using the trail, at no danger to them. In addition, they said that trees on the side of a road serve as real demarcation lines. M/S Johnston/Park — to approve the Municipal Consent and Signal Maintenance Agreement as amended and include the bike trail path because the cost is small, and it could prevent some car accidents. Special Project Director Hoyt clarified that 8A is introduction, action items are 8B and 8C, and suggested the Council separate the two topics. (No vote) Lake Elmo City Council Minutes March 20, 2007 Page 4