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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2A - Public Forum - CR 12 Prj. ! Concerns on CR 12 project I am here to ask the council to reconsider some aspects of the CR12 upgrade project. Phase one is under way in the Regional Park area, Phase two is slated for next year with the beginning of work on the Highway 13 intersection at 170 Street to Sunset Trail. Phase, three of the project is not slated for construction until around 2010, and I'm not sure we even have a date for Phase 4 of the project, (west of the parkland to CR17). This allows us time to reconsider some phases of project and to make them better for the local neighborhood and the broader Prior Lake community. Considering the nature of the projects and that the implementation of parts of this project won't be for several years. We feel it is reasonable to request that the design not be fmalized until the most current data and methods are considered, and to require further public hearing at that time, this may be 5 years or more? History For almost 20 years, the residents of the area from Howard Lake Road west to the park property had been told that the plans for CR12 were to roll it back away from the houses when the time came to develop the Park. I have tried to remain current on the project, but was surprised to find that a new park development plan had changed the plans for the road. The new plan had CR 12 continuing to run along its existing route through the homes on Spring Lake and only rolling it back through the Park. When I questioned the Three Rivers Parks people on this, they said the County has the lead on the project, the Three Rivers Park District wanted only one entrance to the park, and open land by the lake. They said the County felt they could not tamper with the Class 3 wet land in the park. So the current routing was chosen. The County told me this was the route the county chose, other possible routes through the Park have been considered but they would be too expensive. When I tried to question the county on this routing I was told this was the recommendation as of now and they were not considering changes, but there would be other input Sometime later I then found that the Project Design Committee had been formed consisting of City Staff, County Staff, Three Rivers Park District Staff and Watershed Staff (no area residents). I should note the Three Rivers Park District no longer has anything to do with the park. I made some inquiries to the county and was told they were not ready for public input, when they had the plan fully organized, they would have some public meetings. No resident ofthe area had been consulted at this point. I am aware that the committee reviewed 3 or 4 plans. At the information meetings we were shown a matrix that showed why the other routes were not chosen. I was told point blank the committee had made up its mind and did not plan to reconsider those other routes. We had three public informational meetings and the City's Public hearing, which included a continuation. The Project Committee, which as I mentioned did not included any residents of the area, did take down our suggestions and questions. To their credit, they did incorporate a few suggestions. One was that the way they had the road laid out would give me a 4-foot long driveway with about a 5 or 6-foot rise. They did make some changes here (I think)? They agreed having 14 driveways coming directly onto CR 12 on the north west shore of Spring Lake, from the west edge of the park to Sunset Avenue, 1... was not safe and redesigned that section incorporating a frontage road. However they could not justify moving the road back through park where we had (29) driveways in a roughly equal distance, from Howard Lake Road to the east edge of the park. When I brought up this unsafe condition, I was told they would not consider rerouting the road at this point. The explanation I was given was they have considered all options and agreed this was the best, and they did not want to open that to public discussion. As I, recall the official explanation was that the DNR would not allow the road through the wet land. In my direct contact with the DNR, I was told there are ways a road can be built through a wet land. If the county felt the suggested route was unsafe, the DNR will always work with local jurisdictions. When I brought this to the Project Committee, again I was told, "We have made our decision and do not intend to change it". (I should note the City Engineer, the Director of Public Works, and I believe at least one of the County Engineers, Three River Park staff, and 3 former Council Members are no longer involved. I do not like beating my head against a wall, so I backed off on trying to get the road moved, and then began to work on trying to make the design details safer. However, I should note 6 or 8 years ago, the County was going to turn the road over to the city. The City declined because of the poor condition of the road. Now it's intended to be a major carrier, what has changed. In 5 more years will this still be a major road are there alternatives? . As for the design details, the residents of the area know better than most the condition of the road and the need to improve the safety on it. I raised my child and pets next to this road and taught them they did not belong near it. Weare advocates for the improvements. We would like nothing better then to see traffic mediation methods built into this road to slow traffic down. To this point, I have seen nothing in the design that will help slow traffic, nor have we seen any documentation that two sidewalks are safer then one. I must note that in what has been presented, as something needed for the greater good of the Community, the good of our little neighborhood seems to have been forgotten and lost. The Issues Ifwe can't move the road, we would at least like an explanation as to why the Project Committee felt it was advisable to compromise the safety of our neighborhood by upgrading a highway through it rather then moving it. Several alternative routes were considered. We would like a better explanation as to why the alternative routes were disallowed. Outside of that, the main issue we are concerned about is the inclusion of the two sidewalks. This Council seems concerned with communication. Well 98% of the residents between Sunset Trail and the Park property signed an open letter stating our support for a sidewalk (one) on either side of the street, or our opposition to two sidewalks one on each side. We agreed on the need for a sidewalk for safety reasons. This input was ignored. Some members (now former members) of the council said they had talked to residents that supported two sidewalks. Therefore, this Petition method of open communication apparently does not work. It seems it's better for a few people to have personal conversations with the right people. In spite of the overwhelming support for one sidewalk, the design is for two. To my knowledge there were 3 possibly 4 of my 3 neighbors that supported two sidewalks. One of those announced he changed his mind at the Public Hearing. All you needed to do was drive down CR 12 during the election and see how many campaign signs were posted supporting City Council incumbents in the area of this project. We did our best to let the council know how we felt and were ignored. So we did our part to help change the make up of the council, now we would like to see if we can get listened too. Our support for a sidewalk on one side of the road is based on the following 1) How well the concept has worked on Northwood Road 2) How well one sidewalk works in many other areas of the City, and works safely and well? 3) The constricted road right of way on CR 12 that makes it difficult to fit the two sidewalks 4) The projected appearance of the increased road area and two sidewalks that will separate us from our neighbors by a ribbons of concert and pavement. 5) The concern that two sidewalks will create unsafe conditions with children playing close to a major county road crossing at uncontrolled points in midblock. (Remember the many substandard lots mean kids don't have large yards) 6) That increased cost that will be added to our assessment or to our city taxes for the un- needed 2nd sidewalk (The County has not agreed to pay for one sidewalk and from my contacts probably will not.) 7) Less pavement in the road right of way will reduce run off and be better for the lake. (Yes, the engineered design takes into account the run off, but the run off would be better managed if there were less and it was slower). 8) We are concerned that installing two sidewalks will not leave room to bury utilities; an issue I'm not sure has been taken into account. 9) We still need to address a Parks Trail system through our area. We suggested a Trail through the Park to Northwood Park. (Which would reduce the need for sidewalks next to the road)? Prom there following Center Street to the Creek, a footbridge crossing the creek away from CR 12 following the streets through the Willows to the Willows Park and from there on to the Five Hawks Nature Center. I think it would be cheaper to build a footbridge rather then a pedestrian way on the Road Bridge over the creek. This would be a much nicer walk and (Nobody ever replied to this suggestion) 10) What is the overall city policy for sidewalks who gets one, who gets two, who get two and a trail? The major reason given for two sidewalks has been stated as "they are safer". I have requested information supporting this several times, from City and County Staff and have gotten nothing. I have spent hours on the internet trying find this information, and have found nothing supporting the idea that two sidewalks are safer the one. As a matter of fact, I found policies form several communities stating sidewalks on one side of the street is the fiscally responsible thing to do and less obtrusive to the neighborhood. In plain language two sidewalks being safer than one seems to be bull. Today Professional Lf Planners seem to feel the less concert in a development the better, they recommend internal trail and sidewalks, concepts put forward on several recent City developments. Many of the cities recently approved developments have included sidewalks on one side of the street or none in lue of trails. I noticed the streets in the Mayors area were rebuilt last summer no sidewalks, so most walk on the street to get lakeside. If it' s good enough for a new development and it works on N orthwood Road, and the mayor's front yard, it's good enough for us. I would like to note since the two sidewalks along Spring Lake were approved I have conducted my own windshield surveys of the City and haven't found one incident of sidewalk congestion. However, I have seen several areas with footpaths where sidewalks or trails should be. Perhaps you could take the money for the extra Spring Lake sidewalk and apply that to other areas of the city with no sidewalks. Another issue on the road we wish to express our concern over is the plan to use a higher curb design that will be difficult for small game and turtles to scale. Although this issue was taken under advisement at the public hearing, I am not aware that it has been resolved. Yet, I would venture staff may already have developed plans with the higher curb. I have been told some City Staff have made ajoke of this concern. If you live on a road where your kids have come in with tears when they see a dead animal on the road, you would not think this is funny. The staff comment at the public hearing was that these (higher) curbs are safer; cars will not jump them as easily. With the number of driveways in this section of road, the chances of a car hitting the curb will be about 50%. I have lived in this neighborhood all my life and other then Councilmen Erickson's house I haven't seen a case where this higher curb would help. If it's safer why do I see the lower angled curb installed in our many of newer developments. Again if its good enough for other areas of the city it's good enough for us. Consider we are only requesting this between the Parkland to Northwood Road. (The roadway with Park next to inuid the one where there are more turtles, small waterfowl and game crossing it.) Street Parking after the project has not been addressed. The comment was made during the pubic hearing, "Once the road is improved you won't be able to park on it". This is an area of substandard lots, many of which do not have much parking. There will be times when residents will need to park on the road. I have more parking than most but at my daughter's graduation I believe even the Mayor parked on CRI2. I would like a commitment from the City that we will work out a policy allowing parking under some circumstances. This is the policy that we work with now. It might not be in writing but if one of us is having something that will take lots of parking, we check with the County Sherriff and also with the city police to let them know and to get the OK. Are you going to work with us or send out the Ticketers and Tow Trucks? Shouldn't our plans consider this? Not that we don't trust the city, but remember for years we were told the road would be moved. In summary, it's my understanding the 3rd section of the road is now slated for work about 2010. The public hearings have been held and the concept approved. But since the implementation of this project won't be for several years, we have time to carefully look at it and correct the mistakes made by the original Project Committee and show that the what a neighborhood thinks dose count. We would like the Council to consider reforming a Project Committee, this time to include some residents of the area. We would like to see the routing of the road revisited. Weare the ones that will be living ()- next to an unsafe road and would like to be sure all options have been Fully considered. Where else in the county do we have ( 90 ) driveways going directly on to a County Road. We understand at this stage that may not be easy, but when safety is concerned let's error on the side of caution. Remember this is our neighborhood street, Spring Lake Road, that just happens to be have a C R on it. How would you feel if they wanted to make the street in front of your house a major highway? Also, remember that not too many years ago it was going to be turned over to the city, but now it seems to be a critical carrier? We would also like the concept of two sidewalks on our road right of way revisited as well as the curb design. As this project is only on paper and in the concept stage, it would be much cheaper to make any needed modifications now rather than to wait until more design work is done, or we need to issue a change order. Now it is just moving lines on paper and could really save money. We have an opportunity to listen and make this a better proj ect. One that respects the need and desire of the neighborhood, yet still addresses the broader needs of the community. Remember the quality of a city is the some total of the quality of its neighborhoods. We on Spring Lake played our part in the recent changes on the City Council. We have as clearly as we can, told the city we do not like the plans for this road as it is. This is a bad plan for us and for the city, will we be listened too or do we need to pursue our other options. We will not go away and we expect the city to take the lead in making the case to the county for safer better road. Questions Telephone poles - At the public hearing the council supported the idea of removing them. 1) Doesn't the decision taken at the last council weaken the possibility the the utility lines will be buried. 2) In Section 2 ofthe project most of the poles don't have electric service. There are only 4 or 5 houses with road frontage. It appears some of those are already underground. 3) For about the last 20 years any new construction in our area required underground servIces 4) Don't new developments require underground services? 5) If you send out a survey asking if the residents want to spend about $1,000.00 for underground service right about the time they going to be hit with a $20,000 road assessment what is the answer going to be? 6) Other communities leave the underground connection cost to take place at the next transfer of tile, Can't we? Long term plan to go underground? 7) The way I measure out the road project the poles and the underground phone lines will be under the sidewalk Street Lights - 1) Our street is too dark we need lights. 2) I pay for the one across the road from my house. 3) How can we get some that look decent? What is our Policy Plan for streetlights? As long as we are laying out a plan, shouldn't we include this? On another topic - The Spring Lake Town site was plotted in 1857. Since it is now within the city, in 2007 it makes the original plot of what is now in Prior Lake 150 years old. Shortly you will be planning for the '06 Lakefront Days. Perhaps we should be planning now for the 150 year celebration in 2007. Also, at that time the sign for what is now labeled as the Northwood Park should be changed to the historic name of that area as the Spring Lake Park. This the name of area that was on the original Plot maps for Spring Lake. t ::e o o c < - m :E en c: z en m -I :J: - r- r- en z o ::0 -I :J: ::e o o c C.) s;: ^ m /' / ~ .... o -I :I: ,// /1 i ! I ,/'- '---.."" "\ 2 )I - C ::t rr C": rr 2 - rr ::t ....- ~f ~{ .Page 1 ot 1 http://www.co.scott.mn.us/outputJpis_SCWEB27922700248.png 2/2312006 Page I ot 1 KENT OP. JJI~ Prier Lake ----------.. o 583 Feet .".1lI ,T, .'I'.J- http://www.co.scott.mn.us/output/pis _ SCWEB27922700236. png 2/23/2006 City 01 pnor Lake, MN - HIstory rag\;: 1 Ul .J History Covered by ancient seas, the area of what is now Minnesota emerged during a period of general uplifting nearly 100 million years ago. About 70 million years ago a deep valley started to be eroded into this emerged land. The valley gradually widened until it included the present upper and lower Prior Lake, Spring Lake, southwest to Lake Sutton and beyond. The sandstone was eroded to 350 feet beneath the present lake. During the Ice Age, the glaciers filled in this ancient valley. Compaction left a long depression where the present lakes were formed. Much of the topography of the Prior Lake area was created by the most recent of the ice sheets. As this glacier melted, vast amounts of melt water and glacial deposits left behind formed the land forms we now see around us - including Prior Lake. This glacial debris included many large rocks, called erratics, including the "Big "Rock" called Tun-Can by the Indians, in the northwest part of Prior Lake as well as" most of those decorative granite rocks that we see in many of our front yards. The first people to occupy the Prior Lake area were the Indians. Signs of the early Indian were in the form of five huge hawk effigies with a wing spread of 150 feet, low mounds of earth rising three or four feet in height. They dated back perhaps 1 ,200 years to the Effigy Mound Culture of the Late Woodland Period, but were eventually destroyed along with most other burial mounds scattered about MDE MA-YA-TON (Lake-of-the-Blue-Banks), now known as Prior Lake. The high bluffs of Manitou Road contained a number of them. Others were near the lake on the Vierling property and on the steep banks of Red Oaks. Martinson's Island was the site of arrowhead and spearpoint manufacture as attested to by thousands of discarded chippings. The huge glacial erratic mentioned earlier had great religious significance. This was the TUN- CAN, usually referred to as "Grandfather", the sacred stone, an object of veneration which they invoked to succeed in their enterprises. By it, they also made their oaths. It served as the great tribunal where an untruth of a pe~urer was punished by the power of the rock. "Grandfather, I tell the truth", were the words they pronounced as they touched the stone. There were no permanent village sites here, they were located in the Minnesota River Valley. However, two Dakota divisions, known as Santee, hunted and fished here during their summer. They were the WA-HPE-TON (Dwellers in the Leaves) with villages at Belle Plaine, Jordan, and the Little Rapids. The chief of the village was MA-ZA-O-MA-NI or Iron Walker. The other division was the MDE-WA-KANTON-WAN (People of the Spirit Lake) whose villages spread from Shakopee down river to Winona. This closet of these was Shakopee, interpreted as "The Six." Indian trails are difficult to trace, though early maps show one branching off the old Medota or Sioux Trail at the mouth of Credit River (HE-HA-KA HNA-KA WA-KPA-DAN, the-creek- where-they-buried-the-elk, a prominent medicine man) running southwestward to Prior Lake. This route later became Highway #44. Another trail began at Shakopee and ran through the woods with its terminus at Spring Lake. Fur trade with the Europeans was mutually profitable for over 100 years. By 1800, twenty years before the establishment of Fort Snelling, the big game and fur bearing animals were disappearing resulting in Indian poverty and demoralization. Forced land cessions and removal to reservations erupted into the Sioux uprising. Following that event, the Indian was removed from the state, but the Sioux would slowly migrate back to ancestral lands in southem Minnesota. Named after General Winfield Scott, Scott County was created in 1853. Some settlers had entered the county in the 1830's to trade with the Indians and to farm, however, the general settlement did not begin until the 1850's. Settlers came into the Prior Lake area following the Indian trails. From Fort Snelling they followed the Minnesota River trail through the Black Dog Indian Village to the trading post for Chief Eagle Head's village (called TE-WA-PA, Place of " the Lily) at Hamilton (Savage). Here they took a branch of the trail south along the Credit River then southwest to Prior Lake. This is the route early settlers followed to get to the Credit River and Spring Lake areas. Another route continued up the river, crossing at the Bloomington Ferry to Eagle Heads village and then to Shakopee. A little East of Shakopee a branch in trail went south about five miles where it forked. One trail lead southeast between Spring Lake and Long Lake (earlier called Credit Lake and later renamed Prior Lake). The other branch continue south to the west end of Spring Lake. William H. Calkins, a New York native, in 1852, made a claim between Spring and Long Lakes. There were prospects of a railroad being built through that section. John W. Tumer acquired some land from Calkins in 1853 and in 1859 built a grist mill at the outlet of Spring Lake with a man named Griggs. In 1856 Calkins sold a large part of his claim to a company that wished to layout a town in anticipation of that railroad. Spring Lake village was surveyed in 1857, however, the railroad never came through that area. Shortly after Griggs and Tumer's grist mill was built, James H. Skinner and John McColl built a saw and grist mill. Not until 1865 did Joseph Thornton build Spring Lake's first store. Growth was slow because there was no railroad. The railroad did build a line in the northeast http://www.cityofpriorlake.com/history .shtml 2/23/2006 quarter of Section 2 on land owned by Charles H. Prior and others. C.H. Prior worked for the railroad and had the line of the Hastings and Dakota division of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad completed in 1872. With the railroad in this new area between Upper and Lower Prior Lake (formerly Long Lake, renamed in Prior's honor), Neil and Malcom McColl in 1871 erected the first building to serve as a store. The Prior Lake Post Office was established in 1872 with Malcom McColl as the first postmaster. The village of Prior Lake was surveyed in 1875. In 1880 a flour and feed mill was built by Joseph Wankey. William B. Reed built a general store and wheat storehouse. Reed also was the publisher of Prior Lake's first newspaper The Prior Lake Times which lasted about three years. The town also had a blacksmith shop and two saloons. Maple Glen (formerly Spring Lake) and Mt. Pleasant (east of upper and lower lake narrows) were two attempts to establish neighboring towns. Alexander Lyons, one of the first settlers to live in what is presently Prior Lake, lived here for a year and then moved to Mankato, leaving behind the grave of his four year old son (buried on his father's farm), the first death in the area. It was during this period that one of the most interesting Prior Lake's early business developed, the Grainwood House, opened on May 15, 1879, with a grand ball given for distinguished guests from all over the state of Minnesota. Mr. WE Hull offered rides on the lake in his sixteen foot sailboat, the "Lulu", and maintained a fleet of fishing boats for the use of his guests. Music, dancing, and other entertainments were provided. It was, at first, a resort primarily for well to do Southerners who came by way of the Hastings l;lnd Dakota Railrol;ld. The Grainwood had its own station and water tower. In those early years only a few of the local people were employed there and some of the farmers sold dairy products and other farm produce to the establishment. The townspeople used the ferry which ran across the narrows, or walked the railroad tracks to get there. In 1883, the census revealed 237 Sioux Indians scattered around the state with one family living in Prior Lake. Within five years this number grew to 62 living in town. The Village of Prior Lake was incorporated in May of 1891. In order for the town to incorporate, it needed to meet certain evaluation requirements. To meet these requirements, three farms, including the Lyons and Nauck (presently the Kop farm), were brought into the town boundaries. In 1894 the Grainwood House burned down, but was immediately rebuilt, bigger and better than the first one. In 1897, the Presbyterian Church was built at the present northwest comer of Highway 13 and Dakota Street. It was Prior Lake's first church. Previously, church services were held in the homes of the people. The following year College Hill School was built to the east of the church, a red brick building housing grades 1-10. In that same year the state population count of Sioux was 920 with most of them concentrated in three places: Birch Coolie, Prairie Island and Prior Lake. It was also during this decade that baseball would become a favorite tQwn sport and it would continue to be for the next century. In 1900, the first telephone service came to Prior Lake. A single line connected Prior Lake with Jordan and another line with Grainwood. It was about this time also that the clientele of the Grainwood began to change. More patrons from the Minneapolis and St. Paul area began to arrive, as the Southerners gradually began to vacation farther north. More local people were employed and later they were welcomed at the dinners and other entertainment. In February, 1908, the white framed Catholic Church, St. Michael the Archangel, in Spring Lake, was brought across the lake ice and placed in Prior Lake to become the town's second church, St. Michael's. A high school was included in College Hill School about 1915 but it did not stay in operation very long. The following year, 1916, saw Prior Lake's first volunteer fire department organized. In 1917, electricity came to town. In 1921, St. Michael's burned down and was replaced by a brick building in time for Thanksgiving that same year. (This building was tom down in 1985). 1925 saw the establishment of St. Paul's Lutheran Church (original building in the present Methodist Church). In 1926, Mr. Rint who published a newspaper, The Prior Lake News obtained some books and established Prior Lake's first library in the newspaper office. The 1920's also saw Prior Lake's first woman mayor, Cora McQuestion. Outside of occasional visits by Twin City gangsters and some bootlegging, the Roaring 20's were relatively quiet for Prior Lake. On April 8, 1930 fire destroyed the second Grainwood Hotel, with little salvage and a loss of about $10,000 dollars. The Prior Lake Volunteer Fire Department was able to save the cottages. Before 1937, the people of Prior Lake obtained their water from wells on their property or from pumps strategically placed around the village. One such pump was on Fifth Street, another located along side the bank (Edina Realty Building) on Dakota Street and the other two were on Colorado and Pleasant Streets. On March 10, 1937, the Village Council, at a special session, decided to employ engineers for estimating the cost of a water works for the village. Cost of installation was estimated at $12,000 dollars. Watermains were to extend to Dakota Street north on Fifth Street to Minnesota Street, east on Minnesota to St. Paul Avenue to Twin City Road. The water tank was built a half block north. of Main and Dakota, a pump house was built beneath it. From then on the Village Council met in the pump house http://www.cityofpriorlake.comfhistory .shtml 2/23/2006 LUY or YflOr LaKe, 1V1N - HIstOry Yage j or j since it was cheaper to heat than the Village Hall. (Payments for water works were completed in 1957.) Earlier in the decade (1930's) the children of Prior Lake went to high school in Farmington. They were boarded there each week. Later in the decade they were taken to Shakopee until Prior Lake built its own school nearly twenty years later. It was during this time also that a gradual movement of Sioux away from the area left only six families living here. It seems there was a considerable fluctuation at Prior Lake though, so eventually their holdings were increased to 252 acres held in trust by the early thirties was Jim Graham, whose Indian name was WA-SIN-TEDU-TA (Scarlet Canoe Steam), one of the last of the traditional Sioux who observed the old custom. His meager livelihood of hunting and trapping was augmented by selling toy bows and arrows, moccasins and bead work to the townspeople of Prior Lake. It was during this period also that two different segments of the community of Prior Lake emerged - one was the summer cottage people around the lake, the other the permanent residents of the town. In 1941, Westwood grade school was built in Prior Lake (School District #49). The brick building is the original part of the present City Hall. In 1951, the Prior Lake School (District #719) was built and opened in 1952 for grades 1-12 (present Junior High). Prior Lake's library needs were met with the use of a bookmobile from the Dakota-Scott Library System in 1958.' In 1959, SI. Michael's opened its grade school. In 1963 Westwood Elementary was built, followed in 1966 by the Senior High School and later Five Hawks. Prior Lake's library opened in December 1968 in the City Hall. In summary, from 1870 to the 1920's there was little growth in Prior Lake. It was primarily a farming community that attracted summer residents along its shores and at the Grainwood Hotel. The 1920's to 1950's saw Prior Lake as a typical small American town experiencing the major events surrounding two World Wars. From World War II to 1960 Prior Lake experienced moderate growth with the lake being a major recreational facility. From 1960 to the present, Prior Lake experienced great growth, becoming a suburnan/bedroom community with the lake and Highway 13 development as the greatest catalyst for growth. http://www.cityofpriorlake.com/history .shtml 2/23/2006