12-17-91 CCM - Laserfiche WebLink

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JOINT WORKSHOP MINUTES BETWEEN LAKE ELMO AND OAKDALE 2 DECEMBER 17, 1991 Todd Williams: I agree with everything that has been said about the landscaping. I have not seen the justification for this expansion. To the east of Helmo Ave, the figures we have seen from the traffic counts are no way near the numbers the County has claimed are needed to justify a 4-lane divided highway at County Road 13. There's no basis for the projections. Why does every agency from the State to the County overestimate traffic counts and growth. Until you can show that you are not doing that again, and those facts and figures for justification come about, I cannot support going with a 4-lane divided highway all the way across. Wisnewski: This is an important minor arterial route on the county highway system. It is also a very important route for the two cities. We are building this for the future, possibly 50 years. We are close enough now to the threshold that it would not be prudent for us to come with a 2-lane roadway, anticipating there will be continuing growth. Williams: Frankly, putting that stretch as you have proposed 4- lane divided into Lake Elmo is one more step toward extending that as 4-lane divided across Lake Elmo and I don't want to have anything to do with that. You have had it in your plans for 20 years to have that 4-lane divided all across Lake Elmo. What is the traffic count on Highway 5 at County Road 17 and on Manning Avenue. Wisnewski: As we started going east 9800 vehicles per day at 17 and 8400 vehicles per day at Manning Avenue on Highway 5, Williams: Why aren't you proposing upgrading that highway to 4- lane divided. There is a lot more traffic there than we have here. Wisnewski: The state of MN looks at this as a very low priority highway. What they would probably like to see is Washington County take that over. Dick Johnson: What would it cost if we only did a portion now 2- lane and then when required develop it into a 4-lane at some later date. Herold: A normal 2-lane roadway, rural type construction, would be $160,000 to $400,000. A 4-lane would be $900,000. Mottaz: I want to see a divided 4-lane, a parkway, something attractive with landscaping, but concern with cutting this body of water in half. How much extra does it cost to put in a bridge in as opposed to buying land and expanding the wetlands, plus what it would cost to construct a road across this lake. Herold: You are talking about somewhere in the neighborhood of $300,000 versus a bridge for 3 million.