Agenda - Council - 11/12/2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

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MnDot has stated that the intersection of U.S. Highway #10 and Ramsey Blvd. must be upgraded to facilitate this development. Staff engaged the services of SRF to provide a cost estimate to upgrade U.S. Highway # I 0. It should be noted that MnDot is proposing to upgrade the intersection of U.S. Highway #I0 and Ramsey Blvd. in the year 2004 and the estimated cost to the City at that time will be $5,000. If the Developer chooses to move forward with the connection of Riverdale Drive to U.S. Highway #10 prior to 2004, MnDot has stated that the signal poles placed at the intersection o£U.S. Highway #10 and Ramsey Blvd. will need to be permanent type and must be placed at the location that complies with.the ultimate design when the intersection signal rebuild project goes through. The cost to-install permanent signals prior to the 2004 upgrade will be approximately $150,000 - $200,000. MnDot submitted a letter dated September 16, 2002 that states there should be at least a 500 foot separation between U.S. Highway #10 and where another intersection can occur (i.e. the entrance to Anoka County Park and the continuation of the frontage road to the West). In order for the developer to comply with this requirement, the developer will need to purchase additional land from Anoka County (south of the proposed Riverdale Drive alignment).' This presents a problem as Anoka County owns the land through a life estate contract. .Anoka County has contacted the landowner and has been unsuccessful in obtaining permission to construct a road through a portion of the property at this time. Anoka County is looking into their legal options as they agree with the City of Ramsey that Riverdale Drive should go through the future parkland to continue to serve as a frontage road. The legal matters may take awhile to resolve and therefore an interim option Staff discussed with the Planning Commission is to plat the portion of Riverdale Drive that runs from Lot 1, Block 2 to U.S. Highway #10 as an outlot for purposes of preliminary plat approval. The developer would then only final plat Lots 8, 9, and 10, of Block 2 at this time. This would allow the developer the ability to construct three 8 unit structures (24 units) and construct Riverdale Drive from Garnet Street to where 138th Avenue intersects Riverdale Drive. Recommendation: The Planning Commission is recommending that the City Council approve the preliminary plat contingent upon compliance with City Staff review letter dated September 27, 2002, revised November 8, 2002 and further subject to modifying the proposed plat to include Outlot A as proposed by Staff, and the Developer receiving a rezoning of that portion of the subject property which is zoned B-1 Business. The Planning Commission is recommending that the City Council accept the proposed landscape buffering along the southern boundary line of the plat as fulfilling density transitioning requirements. The Planning Commission also recommended that the developer final plat the proposed de~velopment in phases and the first phase consist of Lots 8, 9, and 10. Subsequent to the Planning Commission meeting, Staff and the Developer had further discussions regarding the option to plat a portion of Riverdale Drive as an Outlot. The Developer stated that he would prefer to plat and construct Riverdale Drive to connect to U.S. Highway #10 as proposed and at such time when Anoka County is ready to develop the park,' negotiate with Anoka County and the City the cost and design to realign Riverdale Drive to meet MnDot' second entrance standards. Connecting Riverdale Drive to U.S. Highway #10 at this time is a desirable option as it will provide two access points into the development. It is also desirable in that it will provide the development south of Trunk Highway 10 a second signalized outlet into the highway. If the City Council approves the preliminary plat as proposed with Riverdale Drive connecting to U.S. Highway #10 and permitting the developer to proceed with final plat approval for the whole development, Staff will draft language in the Development Agreement stipulating what improvements and costs will be at the developers expense and what itnprovements may be cost shared regarding the upgrade of U.S~ Highway #10/Ramsey Blvd. intersection and the realignment of Riverdale Drive. -169-