10-14-1996 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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«>v.REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION '‘N, DATE; October 11, 1996 ITEM NO: Department Approval : Name Ron Moorse Title City Administrator Item Description: Administrator Reviewed:Agenda Section: Administrator ’s Report Highway 12 Corridor Proposal and Public Hearing Background Since the Highway 12 corridcr issue resurfaced in the late 1980’s, with the discussion of four- lane freeway alternatives cutting through cither the northerly or southerly part of Orono; the city’s position regarding the corridor was that the corridor for an upgrade of Highway 12 should be developed as close to the present corridor as possible, and that residential impacts be limited and the natural environment be protected. This position has been translated into efforts in opposition to a south bypass and north bypass in favor of finding a solution that is as close to the current Highway 12 corridor as possible. The city’s position regi rding the corridor also included an effort to encourage communication at all levels between th«; cities of Long Lake and Orono to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and concerns for the purpose of developing a mutual plan/agreement between both cities. In keeping with the city’s position, a mediation process was initiated in 1993, between Mn/DOT and the city councils of Long Lake and Orono; in an effort to work toward a mutual plan/agreement between the cities regarding a corridor for the upgrade of Highway 12. Out of this process came the recognition that a four-lane alternative, whether on the current Highway 12 corridor or as a southern or northern bypass, would be very difficult to achieve for two reasons. One, it would be very difficult to gain agreement from the cities of Long Lake and Orono on a four-lane alternative. Two, the cost of a four lane alternative would be beyond the funding ability of Mn/DOT. A major obstacle to a highway upgrade solution on the current corridor was that current Highway 12 would potentially need to continue to serve both as an efficient east/west route for through traffic, and as the route serving local traffic circulation in Orono and Long Lake. These two conflicting purposes were very difficult to reconcile. The effort to reconcile the conflicting traffic movement purposes of Highway 12 led, in the spring of 1995, to the development of the concept of a two-lane limited access roadway along the Burlington Northern Railroad. This concept would reconcile the local traffic versus through traffic conflict by removing the through traffic from current Highway 12, leaving current Highway 12 to serve as the local circulation route. After review of this concept, the cities of Long Lake and Orono, agreed to consider finding a solution to the upgrade of Highway 12 within a corridor whose boundaries were the current Highway 12 corridor on the north, and just south of the Burlington Northern Railroad on the south.