04-14-1997 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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13. with a three-fold increase in traffic on County Road 6. Under 'Alternate 6 North', Highway 12 traffic will decrease to 14,600 at Brown Road by 2015. However, an ADT of 14,600 is still significant traffic volume, and generally a daily traffic volume above 10,000 warrants a limited access 4-lane roadway, with service roads for access to adjacent properties. b. The medians and turn lanes established with the 1995-96 Highway 12 safety improvements define specific entry locations that preclude direct access to applicant's parcel by eastbound traffic, unless that traffic accesses through the easterly curb cut of the Orono Shopping Center, and then cuts through the shopping center parking lot near the gas pumps. It is not appropriate to allow Outlot E's traffic to cut across the already limited Orono Shopping Center site. c. The 1995-96 Mn/DOT safety improvement plans anticipate a future curb cut for Outlot E, which due to median locations would have to be a right- in/right-out access. It is not appropriate to force eastbound traffic to and from Outlot E to have to make U-tums on Highway 12 to gain access to the property. Establishment of a new use that would force the use of U-tums on Highway 12 at this location would lead to an unsafe condition and would not be furthering the health, safety and welfare of the public. d. The limitations on Outlot E's access due to the 1995-96 safety improvements suggest that a rear frontage road access will be of benefit to Outlot E. Since a semaphore currently exists at Willow Drive, it is appropriate from a traffic flow standpoint to develop the frontage road westward from Outlot E to Willow Drive prior to development on Outlot E. Any business development within Outlot E will tend to be oriented toward the primary access to the propert>'. Based on the City's Comprehensive Plan, direct access to current Highway 12 is intended to be eliminated and all access directed to the frontage road. A developer of Outlot E will likely orient any new building towards the primary access road, hence that access should be defined prior to development occurring. 14. Outlot D, Sugar Woods, is intended to serve as a trail corridor as well as a Page 4 of 8