Agenda - Public Works Committee - 11/16/2004

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CASE #:A CONSIDER HIGHWAY 10 MEDIAN CLOSURES By: Steven J Jankowski, City Engineer Background: MnDOT has released plans for the 2005 overlay projects. As a part of this work M~DOT would like to remove several of the more problematic median openings. Below are the medians which have been proposed for closure along with the number of traffic accidents (in parenthesis) which have taken placed within a three year period between january 1, 2000 and December 31,2002: Tungsten Street (4) · Feldspar Street (7) · Llama Street (2) · Midway between Traprock Street and Am~strong Boulevard (1) · The crossing west of Beatty Street (0) · The crossing at the west end of the weigh station (0) MnDOT has requested City support for these median closures and the issue was presented to the Public Works Committee at the June 15, 2004 meeting. The Conmxittee and Comacil directed that an open house on the proposed median closures be held to solicit public input. An open house was held on Thursday, September 23, 2004 at Fire Station No 1 to address this directive. Two representatives from MnDOT were in ttttendance along with the City Engineer and the Assistant Director of Public Works. Twenty four citizens attended the open house and two have submitted written comments expressing opposition to the closure of two of the six n-tedians, Feldspar Street and the median on the west end of the weigh station. In addition a phone call was received from Mr. Chad Lundquist who recently purchased the property on the southwest comer of I-Iighway 1 0 and Llama Street. Mr. Lundquist has expressed verbally his opposition to the closing of this median. Attached to this case are the handouts presented at the meeting and copies of the written citizen comments. Reco m me ndation: Staf'f recommends that the City send a letter reconnnending support of the closure of four ot" the six medians proposed for closure. Staffwould further recommend that 'the median crossings at Feldspar and at RP 218.272 (the west end of the weigh station) be retained until such time that their closures would have a lesser impact upon access to commercial properti es.