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HomeMy WebLinkAbout9B Approval of Report on 2011 Street Reconstruction Project Sidewalk Design4646 Dakota Street SE Prior Lake, MN 55372 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT MEETING DATE: FEBRUARY 7, 2011 AGENDA #: 9B PREPARED BY: LARRY POPPLER, ASSISTANT CITY ENGINEER PRESENTER: LARRY POPPLER AGENDA ITEM: CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A REPORT ON THE 2011 STREET RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT SIDEWALK DESIGN DISCUSSION: Introduction The purpose of this agenda item is to get City Council direction related to sidewalk design issues on the 2011 Street Reconstruction Project. History At its June 21, 2010 meeting the City Council adopted Resolution 10 -059 authorizing staff to prepare a Feasibility Report for the 2011 and 2012 neighborhood Improvement Project. The roadways studied in the report include: Boudin Street, Denese Street, Lois Avenue, Natalie Road, Timothy Avenue, Grayling Circle, Rutgers Street, and Watersedge Trail. The reconstruction of these streets is scheduled over a two year period. It is recommended based on the constructability preference that Grayling Circle, Rutgers Street, and Watersedge Trail be constructed in 2011 and the balance of the streets be constructed in 2012. On August 19, 2010 the Parks Advisory Committee (PAC) reviewed the project. The PAC recommended sidewalk be installed on Rutgers Street and Boudins Street but not on Lois Avenue. The PAC also directed City Staff to discuss sidewalk options and impacts further with neighborhood residents. On October 4, 2010, Council adopted Resolution 10 -091 accepting the Feasibility Report and calling for a Public Hearing which was held on November 15, 2010 for the 2011 and 2012 Improvement Project. Current Circumstances At the Public Hearing one of the primary concerns was the installation of sidewalk on the project. Public concern included tree removal, impact to yard grades, and maintenance concerns. City Staff have completed the design along Rutgers Street which includes sidewalk from County Road 42 to the Boudin Neighborhood Park. In addition to the sidewalk, the design has revealed a few other issues related to the project. Conclusion Before proceeding with finalizing the design and bidding the project, City Staff would like direction from the City Council on the sidewalk issue. City Staff has proposed roadway and sidewalk design that fits the topography of the area. Prior to providing specific direction on the sidewalk issues the City Council should weigh the issues noted in the next section of this report. ISSUES: Rutgers Roadway Shift During the course of design, it was discovered that the existing Rutgers Street pavement is not centered within right of way. The existing pavement curves to the west and then back to the east with part of the existing pavement outside of City right of way. The proposed design has shifted the roadway to the east to keep the roadway within existing right of way. This shift moves the roadway edge as much as six feet to the east. Combining the shift in the roadway with the addition of the sidewalk means yards and driveways are changed up to 16 feet from the existing street edge. The entire roadway and sidewalk are still within right of way, but the sidewalk and road shift will be a change for those properties to the east. Existing driveways on the east side of Rutgers Street are generally longer than typical driveways in this neighborhood and are able to absorb the shift. Sidewalk City Staff has proposed a sidewalk design that will work with the existing grades. The proposed grades meet current driveway design standards. However, the driveway grades are slightly steeper than if no sidewalk were proposed. The sidewalk design requires the removal of 8 trees. One of which is a 36" Maple. Six of those trees are located on the County owned parcel at the intersection of County Road 42 and Rutgers Street. Four other trees are avoided, but the sidewalk would be constructed beneath the tree canopy and could be affected by the construction. Additional trees may be removed for utility construction along this corridor. At some addresses the existence of a sidewalk creates grade issues for driveways which are less than ideal. Rutgers Curve The roadway curve on Rutgers Street is currently quite abrupt. Generally on reconstruction projects, City Staff attempt to design the roadway to meet 30 mph design standards. Many times it is impossible to do that based on available right of way. In this case, City Staff is proposing a 20 mph curve. Since the existing curve is well under 20 mph, the change in street location is significant. The right of way was set up with the proposed curve in mind. The change does not require the removal of additional trees. The longer curve actually reduces the length of street by 25 feet which reduces street construction costs by approximately $3,600. The longer curve may mean an increase in vehicle speeds, but since the curve is still under a 30 mph design, the speed at this curve should stay under the 30 mph speed limit. Overall, City Staff believe the change in the curve length is a positive benefit for the neighborhood as a whole. 2 A Public Open House regarding the design elements of this project was held on February 2, 2011. City staff will share feedback from the property owners in this area regarding the sidewalk design at tonight's presentation. FINANCIAL Sidewalk construction is estimated at $45,000. Funding for the sidewalk IMPACT: construction comes from the tax levy and is not an assessable component of the project. ALTERNATIVES: The alternatives are as follows: 1. Direct staff to proceed with design which includes the sidewalk construction. 2. Direct staff to revise the design plans to eliminate the sidewalk on Rutgers Street. RECOMMENDED Alternative No. 1 or No. 2 MOTION: n Frank 46yles/ City Manager