Agenda - Council - 09/13/2005 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Assistant Public Works Director Olson replied staff did not check that. Councihnember Elvig indicated he would be concerned about requiring a permit for ali retaining walls, l fe would support drainage walls not being allowed in water or drainage easements. A property owner could request a variance if they can show a benefit to the City with the wall they arc trying to construct. Chairperson ZJmmerman concurred. Assistant Public Works Director Olson indicated in most cases the drainage and utility easement is therc to try to protect the adjacent property owners, and in most cases that will alleviate the problcms. There are right-of-way issues, and they may want to, reword the policy to state "... within a drainage easement, utility easement, and fight-of-way easement." Motion by Councilmember Elvig, seconded bY Councilmember Cook, to recommend to the City Council that it adopt the following policy prohibiting retaining walls in drainage and utility and right-~f'-way easements. A Policy Prohibiting Retaining Walls Within Drainage and Utility easements Thc location of rctaining walls within drainage and utility easements has the potential to cause ~lamage to thc wall from flooding events. In addition, the construction of retaining walls results in decreasing the volume of the designed pond volume which consequently reduces the protcction to property from flooding. For the above reasons it shall be the policy of the City of Ramscy to prohibit the c°nstruction of any retaining wall within a drainage easement, utility casement, and right-of-way easement. Motion carried. Voting Yes: Chairperson Zimmerman, Councilmembers Elvig and Cook. Voting No: None. Case #4: Consider Feasibility Study on St. Francis Boulevard Frontage Road City [!ngi neet Jankowski explained within the past week the City received a petition signed by all thrce o f' the fronting property owners along the frontage road paralleling TH 47 south of 160th t~ane. One item within the petition requests consideration of City assistance in pursuing the improvement of the road. Recently the City Council discussed constructing a trail along this samc I?ontage road to complete a bituminous trail system north to Elmcrest Park. There may be an opportunity to address the citizen concerns with the street improvement and the City's desire to install a trail in a single project. He suggested the Committee may wish to share with staff some alternatives which might be considered in a feasibility stddy addressing street and trail mprovements along this frontage road. Public Works Committee/July 20, 2004 Page 6 of 8