04-08-1991 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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>!■ ri ^>•^;■.. . -. REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD MARCH 25. 1991 MAYOR/COONCIL REPORT-OTHER CONTINUED should happen that m.ire than two CounciImembers wish to attend any of these meetings, then perhaps \/e should post the meeting, which would be conducted as a work session. I want to see the comradeship cf this group continue." CITY ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT: (#12)HIGHWAY 12 CORRIDOR PROCESS-PLANNING COMMISSION Bernhardson informed Council that Planning Commission Chair, Charlie Kelley, and Vics-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 ha has been involved with this issue since the time the 1984/85 Corridor Study was done. He said, "Since t!iat time, several of us have attended different meetings at the Orono Highschool, and other locations. In January, 1991, the Planning Commission was formally asked by Council to become involved in this issue. The Planning Commission scheduled three meetings during the month of February to address the issue. The February 6, 1991, workshop provid«?d an opportunity for the Planning Commission to become better informed of the issue. The February 20th Public Hearing provided an opportunity for the residents to express their opinions. Tne Planning Commission made so.me comments, but did not make a recommendation. The purpose of the Planning Commission meeting, which took place on the 27th of February, was to give us the opportunity to discuss the issue, consider the public testimony received from the Public Hearing, and co.me 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 policies and goals which \tere incorporattjd into their recommendation. He also r^ad the corridor location recommendation of not only the majority vote, but the minority opinion as well. V^ith regard to the recommended design of the upgraded road, Kelley explained, "Thi: Planning Commission unanimously agreed that we did not want a freeway. We took the two extremes and left the area in the middle gray. That may be a negotiating factor for Council to use with MNDOT. We considered a freev/ay to be the same as 1-94 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 t.he amount of traffic on this road. Because we did not have the traffic counts and engineering expertise, we could not determine when the number - 23 -