Agenda - Planning Commission - 02/02/1993

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I i I ! I I I I I I I I I I I I I CASE #7 STATUS OF TRANSPORTATION ISSUES By: Steven Jankowski, City Engineer Background: Within the past twelve months, the Planning and Zoning Commission has requested that staff take action on a number of transportation related issues. Specifically, issues have been raised regarding the designation of collectors and arterials in the vicinity of the future Mississippi River bridge crossing anc[ the 1988 Highway 10 Corridor Study. Staff concurs with the Planning and Zoning Commission that there are significant issues which need to be addressed. Upon reviewing the current transportation element of the Comprehensive Plan, a number of additional issues relating to the need foria comprehensive review of this portion of the plan have become apparent. These items have been enumerated below: 1) Metropolitan Council has insisted that capacity problems exist on segments of the City's regional transportation corridors. Additional expansions of Ramsey's MUSA boundary will not be granted until a study addressing those problems is completed. 2) The plan for the airport has been eliminated and highways serving this area need to be adjusted accordingly. 3) An agreement with the City of Anoka needs to occur to confirm the proposed alignment of McKinley Street, or an alternative alignment needs to be considered. 4) At least five non-existent collector alignments will have impacts on DNR protected and other wetlands. A consensus needs to be reached with organizations charged with protecting wetlands as to whether the "no-build" alternative to constructing these roadways is reasonable since "bridging" these wetlands with elevated roadways is not anticipated to be economically feasible. 5) The traffic generation analysis is currently based upon land use projections which have been suggested by various City Commissions for change. A change in land use will generate a change in traffic generation. 6) The transportation element of the City's Comprehensive Plan is based, in part, upon the Anoka County Plan which has been updated since the adoption of the City's plan. The Metropolitan Council is recommending yet another amendment of the Anoka County Plan. Additionally, the document does not specify which elements of the five year old Trunk Highway 10 Corridor Study remain viable. 7) The Planning and Zoning Commission has identified a lack of participation in developing the current transportation plan. The effort req~aired in preparing such an update will be considerable from the standpoint of cost, time and expertise. Attached is an excerpt from a proposal received from a planner which contains a proposed work plan and costs associated with preparing such an update. Commission input on this work plan:is welcomed.