Agenda - Council - 05/27/2003 - Laserfiche WebLink

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-182- Minnesota Department of Transportation Metropolitan Division Waters Edge 1500 West County Road B2 Roseville, MN 55113 May 13, 2003 2O03 Irk. Patrick Trudgeon Principal Planner City of Ramsey 15153 Northen Blvd., NW Ramsey, ~ 55303 SUBJECT: Ramsey Town Center AUAR- Mn/DOT Review #AUAR03-004 North (northeast) side of TH 10 between Ramsey Blvd.(CSA.H Sd), and Armstrong Blvd. City of Ramsey, Anoka County - Control Section 0202 Dear Mr. Trudgeon: The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) has reviewed the above referenced Alternative Urban Area~vide Review (AUAR). Before any further development, please address the following issues: The proposed Ramsey Town Center development proposes a mix of housing and commercial development, on a massive scale, with 2,400 "attached" residential units, and 1,651,000 square feet of commercial, industrial, and institutional area. The Town Center development appears highly likely to significantly increase demand on already-congested roadways at the Trunk Highway (TH) i0 - Ramsey Boulevard intersection, and the TH 10 - Sunfish Lake Boulevard Northwest (CSAH 57) intersection -both of which will provide access to the development. Trunk Highway 10 is an Interregional Corridor (]RC). Mn/DOT plans in 2004 to rebuild the Ramsey Boulevard traffic signals, and extend turn lanes. We do not believe that this modest improvemenewill solve the deterioration in level of service that is likely to occur at this intersection once the Town'Center development is complete. Further, in 2005, Mn/DOT plans to upgrade traffic signals, and extend TH 10 turn lanes serving the Sunfish Lake Blvd. N~V intersection. Again, we do not believe that these improvements, even through they are clearly needed, will provide a complete solution for the existing, and likely future traffic congestion at this intersection. Since there are no intrninent plans for major improvements to these intersections, such as the construction of interchanges, we need to work together with the City and County to find ways of providing additional roadway transportation infrastructure that will add capacity to these intersections in advance of further development. We would like to work with the City of Ramsey to explore additional funding for local and regional roadway improvements as well as initiatives that restrict the size and intensity of developments to ensure that a certain minimum level of service is maintained, Such initiatives might include binding agreements with developers where additional or increased intensity of development will only be allowed with necessary roadway improvements that maintain an acceptable level of service. For questions on planned Mn/DOT traffic improvement projects, please contact Cassandra Isackson, Mn/DOT Metro Traffic Section, at (651) 634-2145. An equal opportunity employer I I I I I I I I I I I I I I i I I I I