Agenda - Council - 09/24/1996 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I CASE # / 171ST/BISON STREET CLOSURE By: Ryan R. Schroeder, City Administrator Background: At the meeting of August 13,1996, Council voted to close 171st Avenue at Bison Street for a three- month period. This was accomplished by placement of a barricade across the street. At the following meeting, the Council received a petition from area residents requesting that the barricades be removed. Atlthat meeting, Council requested that a neighborhood meeting be scheduled to discuss the issue further. This meeting was held on September 11, 1996. Residents from Bison Street, south oflC. R. #63, Dellwood Hills, Golden Eagle Estates and Trott Brook Ridge subdivisions were notified of the meeting. At this meeting, petitions from both sides of the primary issue (closure of 171st) were presented. Over the most recent history of this issue (since August 13) we ha~,e received petitions or written statements from 17 households wishing 171st to remain closed. We have received written communications from 46 households wishing 171st to be reopened. Of thelformer petitioners, all households are from the list of neighborhoods invited to the discussion. Ot~ the latter petitioners, 9 of the 46 households are from outside that district. Issues At the neighborhOod meeting several suggestions with merit were mentioned. The options for action that have been raised to date appear to be: 1. Permanently cl~ose 171st 2. Close 171st but allow for a bike path 3. Connect lower :Bison to Trott Brook Ridge 4. Open 171st 5. Place stop signs at either end of 171st 6. Place speed bumps on Zeolite 7. Increase police~,patrol 8. Post a lower speed limit I have been reminded again recently that the initial connection of 171st to Bison was a City/School district initiated adtion for the safety and convenience of the school buses. It has also been mentioned that th~site distances at Bison and C.R. #63 are not what they could be. Further, that that intersection tehds to drift over in the winter. Finally, a large eleclwical transmission line at the intersection poses knother (although slight) potential hazard for a street without a secondary access. It has been suggested that Bison should be extended into Trott Brook Ridge in favor of closure of 171st in order to provide a more acceptable secondary access. This action, however, would be trading one contentious action for another, would be an additional expense, and would denigrate an existing condition iof those residents. As mentioned at the neighborhood meeting, 171st has existed as a through street for a number of years. It seems, therefore, that closing 171st in exchange for openi~ng the connection of Bison with 168th would not be appropriate. Further, that 171st should continue to be open between Bison and Zeolite. We also heard, however, a concern for speed in the neighborhood. We also heard that this situation is worst, riot on 171st, but on Zeolite. We are also familiar with the level of success we have had with spe6d bumps on Dysprosium. While expensive, at $2,000/installation, it makes sense to consider tCvo or three of these on Zeolite (north of the curve at 169th, just south of 171st, and perhaps just north of 171st). We are concerned that we will have a rash of neighborhoods wishing for the same consideration but are willing to risk that given the tone of the discussion within this area.