Minutes - Council Work Session - 09/23/2008

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detailed geometric layout of the proposed layout and also prepared environmental assessment documents being reviewed by the City, County and MnDot. He noted that there are two subtle variances from the drawing they showed in April which shifted Ramsey Boulevard to cross Highway lOin a perpendicular fashion with shifts the road further away from Holiday station. Councilmember Dehen asked if this moved the road into the park. Mr. Demers stated that this does require acquisition of a small portion of the Mississippi West Regional Park. He stated that the second difference is the straightening of Riverdale at Sunfish Lake Boulevard to improve the site lines. Ms. Fricke noted that a comer of the park would still have needed to be acquired with the original plan, because of a frontage road extension. Councilmember Dehen stated that he understood that this property was deeded for a specific use of a park and wondered how it can legally be used for highway acquisition. Mayor Gamec stated that there was originally some commercial frontage along the front of the property, which is why he thinks that is okay. Public Works Director Olson stated that there have been meetings with the Anoka County Parks and they have indicated that this is an acceptable design, so they seem to support it the way it is shown. Ms. Fricke stated that they are also doing environmental assessments under federal rules, which will also fulfill the State requirements. She stated that in addition to environmental impacts they will also be looking at socioeconomic and cultural resources, physical impacts and also what mitigation is proposed. She stated that the review of the EA/EA W by federal and state agencies just takes time. She noted that City staff and the County are also reviewing this information. Councilmember Elvig stated that the City had a monstrous EA W done for the Town Center property, which should have a tremendous amount of overlap for this project. He asked if they were able to be used in this process. Ms. Fricke stated that they did use some of that information, which fulfilled the State requirements, but they needed to update it and because there is the expectation of federal funding it needed further review. She stated that they expect to have a public presentation preliminary information at a meeting later this year and a formal public hearing once that is documented. She reviewed some. of the preliminary findings of environmental impacts, such as contaminated sites and showed the map of the sites that had potential for contamination. She reiterated that the project will require that 8 acres of the Mississippi West Regional Park be acquired. She stated that it was found that a noise wall would not be cost effective, but an earthen noise berm would be. She noted that there will be 72 properties impacted by right-of-way, 10 will be partial takes and 62 total City Council Work Session/September 23, 2008 2of4