Agenda - Council - 05/26/2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Questions and Responses from Harvest Estates Public Hearing Will the existing access to Nowthen Boulevard remain open? The City Council had previously directed the Developer to proceed with the understanding that the Nowthen Boulevard access would be closed. After taking additional public input, the Planning Commission did recommend that the access remain open. At their May 12, 2015 Meeting, the City Council will consider a final decision on this access, taking into account public comment from the Public Hearing. Whv would the City consider closing the access to Nowthen Boulevard? Whv can't the existing Nowthen Boulevard access remain as is with no additional turn lanes on the County Road and no reconstruction of the local road? Primarily, the City's number one concern is safety of the Nowthen Boulevard corridor. Traffic levels continue to increase on Nowthen Boulevard as development along the corridor continues. The City has identified a number of individual areas that need attention along the corridor and desires to commence a Corridor Study to better analyze and prioritize individual improvements. This access point is off -set from the public road on the west side of Nowthen Boulevard, creating additional conflict points in turning movements. Additionally, an Anoka County Improvement Project is about to be completed that will signalize the intersection with Alpine Drive. Free flow traffic will now exist on Nowthen Boulevard that was previously a required stop condition, increasing speeds at the access point to the redevelopment area. Additionally, informal and preliminary cost estimates indicate required safety improvements and right of way acquisition for County and local road improvements could range from $500,000 to $750,000. If the Nowthen Boulevard access was not identified as a safety issue when the site operated as the Ramsey Municipal Center in the oast. why is this redevelopment a safety concern? Each land use type generates different traffic levels, especially `peak' traffic levels. Multiple private development projects have added traffic levels to the system. Public improvement projects have changed traffic patterns of the system. The City desires to better understand a better corridor -wide approach as opposed to individual projects. Will the closure of the Nowthen Boulevard Access create a safety issue on Helium Street or 152nd Avenue? The redevelopment of the site and the closure of the Nowthen Boulevard access will add traffic levels to existing streets. However, according to the City Engineer, generally accepted traffic standards state that local roads such as these roads can accommodate approximately 2,000 vehicle trips per day. It is anticipated that vehicle trips per day will remain under this number on all streets. Will the closure of the Nowthen Boulevard Access create a safety issue on Saint Francis Boulevard (Trunk Highway #471? The City acknowledges the need for safety and mobility improvements on TH 47. The City will continue to work with Mn/DOT, which owns this facility, to continue these discussions. It is anticipated that the existing intersections/nodes can accommodate the proposed traffic levels. How many accidents have occurred on Nowthen Boulevard in front of Ramsey Elementary School today?