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HomeMy WebLinkAbout5B Role of EDA in CR 21 Reconstruction ProjectPrig Lake. MN 55372 � rtvmEso_o_ ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AGENDA REPORT MEETING DATE: June 13, 2011 AGENDA #: 5B PREPARED BY: Frank Boyles, Executive Direct PRESENTED BY: Frank Boyles AGENDA ITEM: ROLE OF EDA IN COUNTY ROAD - 21 RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT DISCUSSION: County Road 21 is Prior Lake's "Main Street." It allows residents, business per- sons and supplies to get to and from Prior Lake. It gives us access to the rest of the Metropolitan area. It is the main throughway allowing our emergency ve- hicles to get to and from incident locations. In short it is the most important roadway we have in the City. County Road 21 is being connected to TH 169 this fall which will result in the eventual doubling and almost tripling of traffic on this roadway. For County Road 21 to continue to function effectively for our community it must be reconstructed. There are two primary alternatives that are being discussed. One of them must be implemented or the road simply will not work. The base case option uses the existing road right of way. Arcadia becomes the signaled access to the downtown. The flashing stop lights are removed at Main and CR 21. A concrete median is erected preventing cars from travelling north and south on Main in the downtown. A pedestrian walkway will be built which provides for a crossing of two lanes and then a lateral move along the median to cross the remaining two lanes of traffic. The base case option costs about $9 million dollars. The problems with the base case option are many: 1) The pede- strian crossing is dangerous and unlikely to be honored by walkers, 2) The north downtown and the south downtown are forever severed, 3) Access to either downtown is greatly reduced, and 4) Maxfield has projected that our economic development with this option is stunted compared to the other reconstruction option. In short the future potential of our downtown is severely constrained. The other option is realignment. This option realigns CR 21 from west to east bending it southerly at about Duluth to the Pleasant Avenue alignment until it hits TH 13 where it proceeds northeasterly and reconnects with CR 21. The rea- lignment creates a unified downtown Prior Lake. It moderates traffic speed. It provides for access and egress to and from downtown. It is safer from a vehicle operator and pedestrian perspective. And most important in the long run accord- ing to Maxfield it provides the greatest likelihood that our downtown will grow in a more robust and healthy manner. On the other hand the realignment option requires the City to buy all or a portion of 34 residential properties. The realignment option is considerably more expen- sive than the base case at $23 -$25 million. The County's support is unclear except to say that they have already told us they fund roadways not for economic development but for transportation. So it ap- pears that their participation would be limited to about $6 million based upon what we are told. The County money is not programmed yet and so there is no assurance of the dollar amount or of the timing. So best case, we are left with a shortfall of about $18 million. As EDA members can see from the above description, the CR 21 issue is fun- damentally an economic development matter. The City Council will receive a financial impact report within the next 30 days. I believe that report will provide some numbers to support the value of the realignment option. The staff and City Council are not always seen as objective despite the fact we are doing our best to be just that. Some residents believe that it is not appropriate for a transportation improve- ment project to have positive economic development consequences as well. So the question is what role should the EDA and even the EDAC play, if any? Some alternatives for discussion include: • Become familiar with the pros and cons and develop a blog on the topic. • Speak to community groups. • Write letters to the editor. • Man a booth on the subject at community events like Lakefront Days, Prior Lake Rotary Jazz Fest, Farmers Market, Roll -in or other such events. • Speak at one or more Council forums on the subject. • Prepare a newsletter for community businesses. • Conduct town meetings to discuss the subject. • All of the above. • Do nothing at all. It would be helpful to receive the EDA input on this topic; both for itself and for the EDAC.