04-24-1995 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON APRIL 24, 1995 ( #2 - Old Beach Road - Continued) • Lawrence Murray of 145 West Point Court in Tonka Bay presented a petition with 658 signatures for the reopening of Old Beach Road. These included 571 petitions from Tonka Bay, Shorewood, and Excelsior. Murray passed out information on a review conducted in'93 -'94 on safety and traffic counts. He noted the timeliness as this is when the neighbors moved in and initiated action on closing the road. The motor vehicle accident files show 5 accidents, with one personal injury, at CoRd 15 and Old Beach Road; 2 accidents, no personal injury, at CoRd 19 and Old Beach Road; and 61 accidents, 14 with personal injury, at the Navarre intersection of CoRds 15 and 19. He asked the Council whose safety they are concerned with: those that live there or those who need to go through the intersection of CoRds 15 and 19. Murray suggested upgrading Old Beach Road to alleviate the problems in Navarre saying this traffic is easier to divert. He also felt the counts noted regarding traffic volume were incorrect. Murray said he had spoken with the County office representative regarding the two counters used. One counter was reported as not working and one counter double counted. Murray said the study was not for a 24 -hour period but from 5 a.m. to midnight and projections were made. Murray said there is little traffic at night and less during the day and late afternoon than noted. He said if most traffic was occurring during the morning and evening times, compressing these figures would result in a car every 12 seconds, which he felt was not credible. • Hurr asked him who he spoke with from the County. Murray said the name was Lundberg, or Lundgren, but was the person in charge of traffic counts. • Murray also noted that maps from 1896 show Old Beach Road. Jabbour noted that the standards followed today are not those of 1896. Callahan said the cost to upgrade the road would be $400,000, and funds were not available. Murray said he pays by way of his taxes. Jabbour noted the need to deal with facts and reality and not emotions. Callahan said he agreed with the traffic peaks at the a.m. and p.m. hours. Hurr asked why Old Beach Road was not eligible for MSA funding. Minnetonka Beach is not on the state aid system, and part of Old Beach Road is in Minnetonka Beach. Ellsworth Peterson of 45 Fariboe Avenue in Tonka Bay, noted when making right hand turns, there are no problems. The only problem is when left turns are made. Peterson suggested building an overpass at each end to eliminate the problem. Peterson has lived in Tonka Bay for 25 years. 5