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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Minutes 12-12-1994 Special 2MINUTES SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING DECEMBER 12, 1994 A special meeting of the Plymouth City Council was called to order by Mayor Tierney at 7:10 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the City Center, 3400 Plymouth Blvd., on December 12, 1994. PRESENT: Mayor Tierney; Councilmembers Anderson, Edson, Lymangood, and Helliwell. Tim Wold was also present. ABSENT: Councilmember Granath. STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Johnson, Assistant Manager Lueckert, Public Works Director Moore, Park Director Blank, Public Safety Director Gerdes, and City Clerk Ahrens. About 25 residents were in attendance. COUNTY ROAD 9 PROJECT Public Works Director Moore described the proposed plan for the County Road 9 project. The plan proposes a trail on both sides of the roadway, and there is an existing pedestrian underpass that connects to the west of Minnesota Lane. Pedestrian crossing of County Road 9 would be at signalized intersections at Fernbrook Lane and Annapolis, as well as the existing underpass. There is no proposal for signals at other intersections. He explained the proposed design for the Fernbrook Lane and County Road 9 intersection. He said that roadways are typically designed to serve a 20 year period. It is critical to get a large volume of traffic through the intersections of Annapolis Lane and Fernbrook Lane with a demand for separate phases for turning movements, and he doesn't believe the County has overdesigned the intersection. When the intersection improvements are completed and the roadway opens for traffic, Fernbrook Lane would immediately serve at no better than a Level C - a medium level of service. Within five years after the intersection improvements are completed, the intersection is projected to drop to a Level D - a lower level of service. At the end of the planning period, 2015, the intersection would operate at an even lower level of service - Level E. Councilmember Anderson asked about the trail width. Director Moore said the trails are proposed at a standard 8' width, similar to the County Road 6 and County Road 10 projects. Special Council Meeting December 12, 1994 Page 2 Councilmember Helliwell asked about acquisition of right-of-way at the Fernbrook Lane/County Road 9 intersection. Director Moore said right-of-way will have to be acquired from properties at that intersection, including the home at the northwest corner of the intersection. He said that the County will not begin with property acquisition until the plans are 80 percent complete. Acquisition will probably begin in about March. The County will also be required to do an environmental assessment for the project. Councilmember Lymangood asked if including a trail on both sides of the roadway increases the size of width/footprint of the project. Director Moore said the trail does not increase the width of the project because the trail is proposed immediately abutting the roadway. There will be a boulevard in that area, whether it contains a trail or a flat grass area. Councilmember Lymangood said that some residents are concerned with the safety of the trail immediately abutting the roadway due to the possibility of vehicles jumping the curb. Director Moore said there are many areas in the City where the trail immediately abuts the curb. Public Safety Director Gerdes said that he checked on pedestrian -involved accidents. There have been a total of 25 accidents in a 5 year period. Seventeen of those involved crossing movements. Nine occurred mid -block, and three occurred in parking lots. There were none that were the result of a vehicle jumping the curb. Councilmember Helliwell said that residents near Juneau Lane would like assurance that there will be landscaping and fencing abutting their property. Director Moore said the only way to guarantee that fencing will be installed is for the City Council to pay for the installation. He said the City will pay 30-40 percent of the project cost. He suggested that before guaranteeing installation, the Council should consider other minor arterials throughout the City. To date, the Council has only installed screening or fencing where a new roadway was installed that was not known prior to the development. He cited four or five lots along Northwest Blvd. where the City installed fencing/landscaping. He noted that it is unlikely that the County will consider installation of fencing. Councilmember Helliwell said that in retrospect, fencing should have been installed with the County Road 10 project at Zachary Lane. This is a similar situation Special Council Meeting December 12, 1994 Page 3 where the road will be widened quite dramatically and the roadway will be getting close to some existing homes. She believes there is a safety issue involved of vehicles leaving the roadway, and would like to see the issue of fencing addressed by the County. Director Moore stated that the type of fencing suggested by residents would not stop a vehicle if it left the roadway. He also noted that the right-of-way location was established before the developments abutting this section of County Road 9 were constructed. He said the County's policy is that the maximum amount that can go into landscaping improvements is 1 percent of the total project cost. It is unlikely that the County will share in the total cost of fencing. Councilmember Anderson said the focus of this meeting is to consider two aspects of the proposed County Road 9 project: 1) Should a trail be included on the north side of County Road 9, in addition to the south? and 2) How many lanes should be constructed at the Fernbrook Lane/County Road 9 intersection. He asked residents in attendance for their comments. A resident said there is no concern with trails on both sides as long as the right-of- way is not made wider. There is a concern with safety since the trail would be separated from the roadway only by a curb. A resident asked about the accuracy of the traffic projections? During a recent discussion on Schmidt Lake Road, the projections changed. There is a concern that fencing needs to be included because of the grade of the roadway and the much lower properties. It would be very unsafe if a vehicle left the roadway. Director Moore explained that the traffic projections on Schmidt Lake Road changed as the result of including projections for the development of the rural area of the City. Councilmember Anderson asked about the grade of the proposed roadway and guardrails. Director Moore said there may be some guardrails in the final design. The proposed elevation is needed to meet the elevation of Juneau Lane to connect the streets. Mayor Tierney asked what developers have done to accommodate for this elevation difference between the roadway and the adjacent properties. Director Moore stated that developers have not installed a lot of landscaping for this purpose. Special Council Meeting December 12, 1994 Page 4 Councilmember Lymangood said the options are to install no fencing, to install fencing which wouldn't stop a vehicle leaving the roadway, or to install a guardrail for safety. Director Moore explained that guardrails, if any, would be included as part of the final design. The County must meet state standards because it is a state -aid road. Speed limits and obstructions will determine where guardrails are needed. The safety standard considered is for the vehicles on the roadway; not for the homes or properties. Councilmember Anderson asked that staff discuss fencing now with the County and determine the cost sharing formula. A resident near 40th Avenue said that safety is important and they would like guardrails and fencing. They were informed that trees would not be removed when they purchase their property. Now they have learned that the roadway is moving closer to their property. A resident expressed concern with noise pollution, and said that a guardrail won't address that problem as well as fencing. A resident asked why developers were not required to install fencing or guardrails in this area. Councilmember Lymangood explained that some berming was installed by developers for properties abutting County Road 9; however, fencing and landscape improvements could not be installed until the roadway is completed. A resident asked why the curving is being removed from the roadway. Director Moore explained the roadway is being aligned only to reduce the steep grade of the Juneau Lane connection. A resident supported the proposed design of the Fernbrook Lane/County Road intersection and the plan for a trail on both sides of the road. The resident also supported the need for a pedestrian underpass just west of Juneau Lane and guardrails. A resident said that this segment of County Road 9 is different because there is no other area with residences as close to the roadway. He believes that trails are needed on both sides of the roadway, but is concerned with the high vehicle speeds and separation of the trail and road by only a curb. The speed limit should be reduced to 40 mph between Vicksburg Lane and I-494, and the number of lanes at the Fernbrook Lane intersection should be reduced. Special Council Meeting December 12, 1994 Page 5 Councilmember Lymangood said that two left turn lanes on County Road to Fernbrook Lane will provide stacking room. He asked how many left turn movements are currently made at that intersection. Director Moore said that twice as many vehicles will also get through each allocated green time. He said that 379 left turns in the a.m. peak hour are projected in 1995. Councilmember Helliwell said the intersection will need to handle traffic for businesses going in on Schmidt Lake Road. A resident recommended that the speed limit be reduced on County Road 9, and said the City needs to consider where County Road 9 fits in the overall Transportation Plan. The overhead electrical wires are an eyesore and should be placed underground as part of the project. Director Moore said that the power company has indicated they will not bury the lines unless it is paid. Also, homes must then upgrade their service. Staff will check with the County on that issue. A resident questioned the usefulness of the large intersection at Fernbrook Lane when the number of lanes on the I-494 bridge is limited. A resident whose rear yard abuts County Road 9 on the north side said it appears he will lose some of his property for the trail. He believes it would be better to spend more money to ensure a safe trail on only one side of the road. A resident said that there is additional traffic now that Schmidt lake Road has been opened from Northwest Blvd. A resident objected to the number of lanes proposed at the Fernbrook Lane intersection, and asked if fewer lanes could be constructed and the right-of-way retained for future construction. Director Moore said it is more cost effective to install all of the lanes now. In the future, landscaping will have to be removed and work would be done on abutting yards to widen the roadway. Director Moore said that the City has been requesting that the County do this project for 15 years and that is the reason the intersection is proposed to go from no left turn lanes to two left turn lanes to the south on Fernbrook Lane. Councilmember Lymangood asked about the functional level if only one left turn lane is installed. Special Council Meeting December 12, 1994 Page 6 Director Moore said the intersection would operate at a " F' level, which is far below satisfactory. A resident asked if the intersection will be able to accommodate the commercial area proposed to the north. Director Moore said that neighborhood commercial use is proposed, along with a 30 acre industrial site. Traffic from those uses will go in several directions, and that information was included in the traffic projections. Mayor Tierney said the proposed intersection at Fernbrook Lane is needed to serve the future development northerly on Fernbrook Lane. Councilmember Helliwell said it will be more costly and inconvenient to residents and drivers to amend the intersection later. A resident asked about the grade at Juneau Lane. Director Moore said that the Juneau Lane intersection will be moved southerly in order to lessen the grade. Councilmember Anderson summarized that the Council would like information on the location of fences along County Road 9 along with the cost sharing formula, the location of guardrails and cost sharing, the issue of reducing the speed limit from 45 mph to 40 mph, location of electrical lines, burying the electrical lines and cost, berming and landscaping, and consider trees/grass in the median as designed without enlarging the footprint. He said that a similar meeting will be held when the final plans are completed. Director Moore said the median is not wide enough to support trees and grass. The meeting was adjourned at 8:55 p.m. Laurie F. Ahrens City Clerk