Agenda - Planning Commission - 12/01/1992

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153RD AVENUE CROSSTOWN ARTERIAL By: Steven Jankowski, City Engineer CASE #2 Background: Recognizing t~e need to have a system of arterial streets to service collector and residential streets, the State of Minnesota allows communities with populations greater than 5,000 to designate 20% of the locally ~naintained streets as Minnesota State Aid Streets (MSAS). The State provides funds to the municipalities for the construction and maintenance of this MSAS system through revenues collected front fuol taxes and motor vehicle related fees° The first comP. rehensive City plan was initiated in 1973, adopted in 1977, revised in 1980 and again in 1990. One of the chief deficiencies in the City's transportation network is the lack of arterial streets traversing in an east/west direction. Existing County and City MSA roads service the north/soufla transportation needs of the entire City consistently at intervals of one mile or less. Conversely, ffafflc is facilitated in east/west direction only by Trunk Highway #10 on the south and less effec~tivety on the north half of the City by the disjointed combinations of County Road #63, County Road g27 and Trunk Highway #47. The eastern half of the City is also serviced by County Road gll.~i which parallels Trunk Highway #10 at a distance of approximately one mile to its north. In 1991, a 1.8 mile extension of 153rd Avenue from County Road #5 to Ramsey Boulevard was constructed leaving only a 0.6 mile segment from 155th Avenue and Variolite Street to 153rd Avenue and Armstrong Boulevard remaining to complete this roadway as a six mile continuous east/west arterial street. This arterial would service the middle-southern one-third of the City of Ramsey. It w~ts contemplated that 153rd Avenue be a major collector at the time Whispering Pines Estates plats were subdivided in 1974, as streets for that subdivision were designed such that no lots needed tO direCtly access onto 153rd Avenue. The designation of the routing for this roadway was included hsa part of the transportation element of the City's Comprehensive Plan in 1980. On September 24, 1991, separate meetings of the Budget Committee and the Road and Bridge Committee wl~re held to discuss the completion of 153rd Avenue as a crosstown arterial. At that meeting, citigen~ expressed opposition to the proposed alignment and suggested several alternatives b~ considered. The alternatives suggested by the citizens were reviewed and addressed at a subsequent meeting held December 10, 1991. At that meeting, additional comments by citizens were made and one additional alternative suggested. The remaind~ of this case will summarize the alternatives suggested at these two meetings. In addition, citi~ns ,made comments regarding the project at those two meetings and a summary of the staff respOnses to these comments are also included. Alternative 1: Connect as per Thoroughfare Plan. This alternative considers the alignment as proposed by the City's Comprehensive Plan and is illustrated in ~Alternate 1. Consideration of 153rd Avenue as an arterial has been contemplated since the ear!y 1970's. The design of the Whispering Pines Estates Subdivision which was recorded in 1972 is such that no lot needs to front on 153rd Avenue, and a minimum number of lots are confi,,guous to 153rd Avenue. Selection of this route would follow through on planning efforts formulated almost twenty years ago.