HomeMy WebLinkAboutOakdale Letter Re SewerVTW
CITY OF
OAKDA E
1584 Hadley Avenue N I Oakdale, MN 55128
651-739-5086 1 www.ci.oakdale.mn.us
April 20, 2020
Kristina Handt
City Administrator
City of Lake Elmo
3880 Laverne Avenue North
Suite 100
Lake Elmo, Minnesota 55042
RE: Sewer Service Extension to Lake Elmo
Dear Ms. Handt,
This letter is to respond to your inquiries about the possibility of properties in Lake Elmo
northeast of the Ideal Avenue (CSAH 13)/Stillwater Boulevard (CSAH 14) intersection to be
provided sanitary sewer service from the City or Oakdale. Oakdale staff presented the concept to
the City Council at its April 14, 2020, work session (see the enclosed staff report). The Oakdale
City Council indicated its willingness to pursue this opportunity for our communities to work
together on providing this vital infrastructure to the properties in Lake Elmo.
In its discussion, the Council identified several issues of concern and conditions for approval for
the planning and eventual construction of the needed sanitary sewer facilities.
• Lake Elmo would pay for the cost of a specific study to confirm the impacts and capacity
of the Oakdale sewer system.
• Lake Elmo would pay for the cost of a rate study to determine a utility rate that covers the
cost of operations, depreciation, and a rate of return on investment. The Council was also
interested in identifying terms that would be in effect should Lake Elmo decide to
abandon service from Oakdale.
• The cities would agree to pro -rated participation in the cost to reconstruct/relocate the lift
station based on projected flow.
• Lake Elmo would provide information on the timing of expected residential development
of the area to be served, as well as the schedule for the eventual build -out of all the
properties. There is an uneasiness with the traffic, noise, and visual impacts of business
park/industrial development so near the imminent 200+-acre WillowBrooke residential
development on the west side of Ideal Avenue. Should the land use concepts for the
properties in Lake Elmo become reality, Oakdale would expect extensive landscape
screening and buffering for those developments along Ideal Avenue.
Ms. Kristina Handt
April 20, 2020
Page Two
• For any of the matters identified above to be initiated, the City of Lake Elmo must give its
municipal consent for Washington County's proposed improvements along Ideal Avenue
(CSAH 13).
As the Ideal Avenue/Stillwater Avenue intersection is scheduled for improvements in 2021,
having the timing of work related to the sewer extension would be ideal as well. The City of
Oakdale looks forward to the response from the City of Lake Elmo to make this project happen.
Sincerely,
Craig W
c: Brian Bachmeier, Public Works Director/City Engineer
Oakdale Mayor and City Council