03-25-1991 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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y t REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD MARCH 25, 1991 MAYOR /COUNCIL REPORT -OTHER CONTINUED should happen that more than two Councilmembers wish to attend any of these meetings, then perhaps we should post the meeting, which would be conducted as a work session. I want to see the comradeship of this group continue." CITY ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT: ( #12)HIGHWAY 12 CORRIDOR PROCESS - PLANNING COMMISSION Bernhardson informed Council that Planning Commission.Chair, Charlie Kelley, and Vice- Chair, Maureen Bellows, were here this evening to present to Council the Planning Commission's recommendation regarding the Highway.12 corridor." Charlie Kelley stated that he has been involved with this issue since the time the 1984/85 Corridor Study was done. He said, "Since that time, several of us have attended different meetings at the Orono Highschool, arid other locations. In January, 1991, the Planning Commission was formally asked by Council to become involved =n th-is issue. The Planning Commission scheduled three meetings during the month of February to address the issue. The February 6, 1991, workshop provided an opportunity for the Panning Commission to become better informed of the issue. The February 20th Public Hearing provided an opportunity for the residents to express their opinions. The Planning Commission made some comments, but did not make a recommendation. The purpose of the Planning Commission meeting, which took place on the 27=h of February, was to give us the opportunity to discuss the issue, consider the public testimony received from the Public: -Hearing, and core to a consensus recommendation to present to Council." Kelley referred Council the March 11, 1991, memo outlining the Planning Commission's recommendation, and the basis on which it was made. For the benefit of those members of the audience that had not seen the Planning Commission memo, Kelley read the polici: s and goals which were incorporated ini_o their recommendation. He also read the corridor location recommendation of not only the majority vote, but the minority opinion as well. With regard to the recommended design of the upgraded road, Kelley. explained, "The Planning Commission unanimously agreed : -hat we did not want a freeway. We took the two extremes and left the area J.n the middle gray. That may be a negotiating factor for Council to use with MNDOT. We considered a freeway to be the same as I -94 going to St. -Cloud. It has wide medians and ditches, and controlled accesses. However, we also realized that a two lane road will not sufficiently handle the amou:zt of traffic on this road. B-z,cause we did not have the traffic counts and engineering expertise, we could not determine when the number - 23 -