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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-14-1996 Council MinutesORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FOR OCTOBER 14, 1996 • ROLL The Council met on the above mentioned date in the Orono High School Cafeteria with the following members present: Mayor Edward J. Callahan, Jr., Council Members J. Diann Goetten, Gabriel Jabbour, Charles Kelley, and JoEllen Hurr. Representing Staff were City Administrator Ron Moorse, Building and Zoning Administrator Jeanne Mabusth, Assistant Planning and Zoning Administrator Michael Gaffron, City Engineer Glenn Cook, and Recorder Sherry Frost. Mayor Callahan called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. ( * #1) CONSENT AGENDA Item 48 was eliminated from the Consent Agenda. Item #6 was added with the appointment of Sandra Smith as Vice Chair of the Planning Commission. Jabbour moved, Hurr seconded, to approve the Consent Agenda as amended. Vote: Ayes 5, Nays 0. PUBLIC HEARING - CORRIDOR SELECTION FOR HIGHWAY 12 UPGRADE - 7:00 -10:10 P.M. - RESOLUTION #3780 • The Affidavit of Publication and Certificate of Mailing were noted. Mayor Callahan informed those in attendance that the proposal submitted by Mn/DOT to Orono, Long Lake and Wayzata for the Highway 12 Corridor would be reviewed by Tom O'Keefe of Mn/DOT. The meeting would then be open for questions directed to O'Keefe. Callahan noted that the State Statutes stipulate how this information is to be presented to the cities involved as well as set times for procedural action. Callahan informed the public that the questions to O'Keefe were intended to assist in clarifying the Mn/DOT proposal. The information would then be discussed by Council, and the meeting would be opened to the public for their comments. O'Keefe said it was his intent to make two points: 1) to discuss the process of the Hwy 12 Corridor selection starting with the spring of 1996, and 2) to discuss the details of the Alternative 6 proposal. O'Keefe reported that the environmental impact process was terminated along with consideration of the 4 -lane corridor proposals, which were placed with the new 2 lane corridor proposal, which will be located along the Burlington Northern tracks between Wayzata Boulevard and CoRd 6. Advantages of the 2 -lane proposal are limiting the number of accesses, the ability to reduce the number of accidents, and the ability to handle higher speeds, and higher volumes of traffic. • MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 14, 1996 (Corridor Selection for Hwy 12 Upgrade - Continued) O'Keefe noted there were three proposals last spring, one with a 2 -lane bypass south of Long Lake and reconnection with the current Hwy 12 by Stubbs Bay Road. The second proposal was the three component TSM proposal, which would have new interchanges at Watertown and Ferndale. The third proposal was presented by neighborhood groups for a three lane section on the existing alignment with a reversible east -west lane to be used during rush hours and as a 2 -way left turn during off -peak times. These proposals were evaluated during the summer months along with changes made to Mn/DOT's own proposal. The interchange at Ferndale was eliminated as the benefit did not justify the cost. The Watertown Road connection was also eliminated as the traffic has not increased on that road as projected to show sufficent evidence to justify the cost. O'Keefe said it was most noteworthy that the cost of tunneling under the Luce Line and Burlington Northern Railroad would be very expensive and an engineering challenge. The alternative of looking at moving the railroad tracks to the south with the road located north of the tracks was reviewed. O'Keefe noted that Mn/DOT does not have eminent domain rights over railroad property and would require agreement from the Railroad. The Alternative 6 proposal provides the advantage of eliminating the Brown Road, CoRd 6, and Stubbs Bay Rd. at -grade crossings, as well as two bridge trestles at Watertown Road and May Street. O'Keefe said the railroad is in agreement to this point. • Mn/DOT is working with the railroad to move its current location 50 to 120' south of the • current location, with the new Highway 12 located north of the relocated railroad tracks. The advantages of this would be less expense than that of tunneling under the railroad, and it allows bridging over the railroad at Brown Road. The grade of the railroad could be lowered and would not impact the area south on Brown Road. There would be a Lake Street connection with the new Brown Road slightly east of Virginia Avenue. By lowering the grade, there would be less visual and noise impact especially to the west where the railroad is depressed. O'Keefe said Mn/DOT officials discussed this alternative with the Orono and Long Lake Councils informally. The proposal was presented on September 17 with Mn/DOT looking for the support of the Councils for the proposal as the identified preferred corridor. The cities indicated general support. A public meeting was held at St. George's on September 30 to review the Alternative 6 proposal. O'Keefe reviewed the features of the proposal and the decision and what is and is not part of the decision process made so far. The corridor selection sets the general alignment only. The design details will be determined in the preliminary design phase. The design phase will involve working with the cities with regard to details with decisions hopefully made by October, 1997. The corridor is in a conceptual stage, especially where interchanges, ramps and loops are concerned. MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 14, 1996 • (Corridor Selection for Hwy 12 Upgrade - Continued) In reviewing the Stubbs Bay to Old Crystal Bay Road portion, Mn/DOT plans to acquire 50' of additional right -of -way. The 50' additional would be south of the current railroad right -of -way. There would be an additional 18 -1/2' depression of the railroad at Old Crystal Bay Road. New Highway 12 will be 12 -13' lower than the railroad is currently today. An additional 30' of right -of -way will be acquired east of Old Crystal Bay Road. At Willow Drive, the proposed railroad grade will be lowered 15' with Highway 12 +/- 5' above the proposed railroad grade. The result is the proposed highway will be 10' below the current railroad grade. An additional 30 -50' of right -of -way will be acquired east of Willow Drive through the City of Long Lake. The highway will be forced to swing away from the railroad alignment at Watertown Road to avoid Green Glen Park located by the Linda Wood neighborhood. This southern movement of 150 -200' is the largest change anywhere on the proposed Alternative 6 plan. O'Keefe said the grades of the highway have some flexibility where it ties into the railroad grade to the east across the wetlands from the 7th green of Woodhill Golf Course to the Fleming Addition in Long Lake by the old sewer plant. He noted the maps were keyed to show the proposed right -of -way acquisition. The meeting was then opened to questions. • Wharton Sinkler, an Orono resident of French Lake Road, noted an earlier project had inadequate funding and did not meet the metro plan. He asked if this proposal meets the metro plan criteria. O'Keefe said the funding identified for the years 2001 -2003 is sufficient to build what is being proposed. He said the Met Council is most supportive of the plan. Mary Bashore, 2565 Woodhaven Drive, Orono, asked why the 3 -lane proposal would not work. O'Keefe said the reasons were 1) safety, 2) access, and 3)cost. He noted the two projects are similar as to section types, but the accident rate is 2 -1/2 to 10 times that of Alternative 6 equating to 70 accidents per year expectation. Of those 70 accidents, one third are generally injury accidents, which equates to 23 or 24 injury accidents per year. The access issue involved the road connections being only to higher designed roads as in the trunk highway rather than to driveways, local streets, residences or businesses. O'Keefe noted that accidents increase in direct correlation to the number of accesses on a road. The cost of the 3 -lane proposal is lower at $30 million. The 2 -lane being proposed is projected at $40 million. O'Keefe said the $30 million does not go far enough compared to what will be gotten for the larger amount. He also noted the design criteria as it relates to average peak hour speed should be 45 mph for a principle arterial road. The 3 -lane would be assigned 35 mph with an observed speed up to 25 mph, which would not allow it to work as designed. • MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 14, 1996 (Corridor Selection for Hwy 12 Upgrade - Continued) • Anand Gopinath, 705 Old Long Lake Road, Orono, asked O'Keefe to comment on the "no- build" option. O'Keefe said this option is still an alternative in the succeeding environmental study and still proposed as an alternative. John Winston, Orono, asked what the average speed was during rush hour on Interstate 394 between Hwy 100 and east into Minneapolis to Interstate 94. He noted speeds of 5- 10 mph instead of the 25 -35 mph expected. O'Keefe said he was probably right but did not know. Jonathan Thomhave, Orono Oaks resident, noted the rush hour timing from Wayzata Boulevard to CoRd 6 was about 9 minutes. The 4 -1 /2 miles of proposed corridor is expected tp take 6 minutes for a gain of 2 -3 minutes. O'Keefe was asked if this performance equates to a wise investment. O'Keefe noted this to be a tough issue. He said the commuters benefit from the 394 Interstate with 17 minute improvements attained. When asked if the proposal would result in such improvements, O'Keefe said the improvement per mile is similar to that of the 394 project and makes a strong intuitive case. It was noted that people in the western suburbs are able to commute to St. Paul, Bloomington, and Minneapolis, and there is the need to look at the system and economic health of the metro area to determine that it is worth it. Thomhave also commented with regard to the 3 -lane reversible proposal noting his • membership in the group that proposed the reversible lane concept. It was said that the Canadian firm who performed the feasibility study concluded that the alternative was feasible and safe. Mn/DOT was said to lack personnel experienced with reversible lane knowledge. Thomhave said the reversible lane should cure the traffic problem noting the proposal was made to Dean Johnson, Senate Minority Leader, on June 26. The optional CoRd 11 proposal has an extension of Hwy 12 at Delano, where it doglegs. At a meeting later that same day, which was also attended by O'Keefe, the commissioner of Mn/DOT said he was intrigued by the proposal at the meeting where it was presented. The resident asked if the study was done on this proposal. O'Keefe said it was as part of the process. The information has not yet been compiled into a study, but O'Keefe said it would be done. Debbie Lewis, Orono, commented on the reversible lane suggested. She said she does not see enough land available for this option_ Lewis said she has come to understand that the highway improvement is not to solve the length of travel time to Minneapolis but is a part of a larger picture to the west. She said the benefit of saving time was not the sole benefit of the improvement and did not believe the reversible lane was necessarily the best choice. She does not believe the City of Long Lake wants 24,000 cars to go through their town daily. She asked if depressing the railroad and the road was the right solution in the long run. She asked that the three lane alternative, or tunneling under Long Lake, not be chosen simply because it is used elsewhere, citing an example in Switzerland. • 4 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 14, 1996 • (Corridor Selection for Hwy 12 Upgrade - Continued) Tim Saliga, 1825 May Street, Long Lake, said he looked at the history of his home this past January and submitted information to the State and Mn/DOT. He was informed that there was historical interest in four areas already with the cemetery, the Pioneer Museum, and two railroad bridges. He asked what will happen to the bridges? O'Keefe said the possibilities were to either move them or mitigate. An agreement will be made between Mn/DOT and a historical officer. If demolished, a document would be produced to show the history. Paul Burlingame, Long Lake, thanked O'Keefe for answering questions in a public forum. He asked what the compensation would be for those whose yards are next to the highway, what the road length would be, and the time frame for building the highway. He also asked that information be publicized. O'Keefe said the land acquisitions are as shown on the map. As to how the property is acquired, a square footage value would be placed on the property, and damages would be paid to the remaining portion. If the total value of the house and property is exceeded, a buy out or moving of the home would take place. If not, the amount is negotiated. O'Keefe explained that if the property runs next to the highway but is not actually being touched by the project, or right -of -way taken, under the law, Mn/DOT cannot purchase the property without transportation use shown. There would be no compensation for those properties. • O'Keefe noted that the City of Long Lake asked that conditions be added; whereby, the State offer to purchase homes within 400' of the corridor. Given the understanding of the law, this would be difficult to do. The State will investigate this option as part of an agreement with the City. If not feasible, it would take legislation to change the law. O'Keefe said the department would find it difficult to support such legislation as this is only one project out of 400 being proposed. • Doug Hickey, 4301 Wayzata Boulevard, reported that his driveway now empties out into Hwy 12 and asked what will happen, whether his driveway would be extended or a service road provided. O'Keefe said it could be addressed in different ways. The cost of the home versus the frontage road would be taken into account. It would be reviewed during the design stage, which will begin next, working with the cities, the neighbors, etc., to minimize impacts such as stated. 5 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 14, 1996 (Corridor Selection for Hwy 12 Upgrade - Continued) • Gayle Harris, Orono, asked how close the 2 -lane alternative would be to the railroad bed and how the road would be crossed from south to north. O'Keefe said the distance between the center lane of the proposed Hwy 12 and the center lane of the railroad is 90'. He added that the Stubbs Bay Road access is proposed to be closed. A bridge would be built over the railroad and highway on Old Crystal Bay Road. A bridge would be built on Willow Drive and on Brown Road connecting south and north Willow and Brown Roads. The Watertown and May Street accesses would be closed. When asked how the 2 -lane highway would be accessed, O'Keefe said it would not change. The residents in the area would use old Hwy 12, with the difference being, it would be less congested with 1/3 to 1/2 the traffic. Clark Jenney, Orono, reported he has a problem with the 2 -lane proposal. He explained that he was originally informed that a 6 -lane extension was required to handle the traffic and then later told it was only 4 -lanes required to handle the traffic, and questioned how 2 lanes can handle the traffic. Jenney said he does not prefer 6 lanes or 4 lanes but also does not want 2 lanes if it cannot handle the traffic. O'Keefe said 6 lanes would be necessary on the existing alignment to carry 4 lanes of traffic because of the need for frontage roads to provide local access, but added that this 2 -lane proposal will carry more traffic. The recent turndown of a toll road on Hwy 212 was noted. O'Keefe said he would prefer 4 lanes but it would not be possible to fit 4 lanes into the proposed right -of- way width. • Denney also referred to the reversible lane proposal noting Rep. Gen Olson was informed by Mn/DOT that she would take part in the evaluation process. O`Keefe agreed that there had been an oversight in her inclusion but she has been involved since tat time by way of sharing the information available. Jenney referred to O'Keefe's comment that Mn/DOT cannot be involved }p increasing the operating cost to the railroad and asked if this alternative improves the operating cost to the railroad. Jenney said, as he understood it, there would be two tracj s'where one is currently and the curve in the rail taken out. O'Keefe said the flattened curyg would not reduce the operating cost to the railroad but is being considered to avojq een Glen Park. Jenney asked if Mn/DOT was obligated to avoid the park and waS} they were not obligated but were obligated to mitigate any loss of park land. Wh4p .s1pd about Holbrook Park, which will be affected, O'Keefe said it was not possille t ,ypid this area due to a cemetary located to the north. 6 1 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 14, 1996 • (Corridor Selection for Hwy 12 Upgrade - Continued) O'Keefe said the operating costs of the railroad cannot be increased by the change and noted the reduction in one curve horizontally. He said the advantage to the Railroad was the elimination of the at -grade crossings and overpass bridges. When asked about the two -track railroad option, O'Keefe said that option is now available and was requested to be kept available. No agreement has been reached but a consideration to reduce the overall right -of -way while still allowing Hwy 12 to be squeezed in with minimal impact is being pursued. O'Keefe said it was not a Mn/DOT requirement that Orono on the alternative prior to the election. Callahan clarified that it was the Council's request. The cities will have 120 days from November 21, the date of Mn/DOT's public hearing, to respond to the proposal with comments. John Harris, 2445 Woodhaven Drive, asked why the environmental study was discontinued. O'Keefe said there was a radical change in scope with the reduction from four lanes to two. He added that an environmental assessment will determine if an environmental study is required for the two lane proposal. Harris said the elevation changes would result in environmental concerns with 6 -9' changes in regard to dust, noise and effect on foundations, water tables, and wells. Harris said he realized the road was needed but voiced concern with what will happen to the homes in the future and believes • the community should demand a study be performed. O'Keefe responded that the purpose of the environmental assessment is to see if a study is needed to determine that. • Scott Goldsmith, 265 N. Old Crystal Bay Road, Orono, said he has owned his property for 15 years. He said he understands there was a problem with funding and the inability to identify the location resulting in the change from a four lane to two lane road. He sees the two -lane highway as a way to bring traffic through the area from the west, and not one of saving 3 -4 extra minutes in drive time. He felt it would increase the rate of traffic and speed and give an incentive to businesses and travelers to use the roadway. He is concerned that the road would be a stepping stone to building a freeway at some point and sees that proposal in the future with the addition of 20 -30' of right of way. He questioned if the funding was not obtained because Mn/DOT could not prove the road was consistent with that of an interstate. He asked O'Keefe to comment on the possibility of the alternative being a stepping stone. He also commented by virtue of the traffic, it would have a self regulating effect in that it would give incentive to use alternate routes and open greater development to the west. O'Keefe said the 80' width of the proposed right of way would make it practically impossible to have four lanes. O'Keefe said he would like to have four lanes, however, but there are no plans for that at this time. O Keefe cited a letter in the Sun Sailor from Mary Hill Smith, who sees the proposal as a viable alternative to a six lane road. 7 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL, MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 14, 1996 (Corridor Selection for Hwy 12 Upgrade - Continued) • Goldsmith asked if any study has been done comparing traffic west of 394 versus east of Long Lake to downtown with the number of accidents. It is his belief that accidents caused from the stacking up of traffic is greater than in Long Lake and Orono. O'Keefe said he believed the opposite based on accident reports. Accident tables were available to the public on the information table. Suzanne Plated, North Brown Road in Long Lake, said she was not convinced the new roadway was needed. She agreed that there is waiting but not compared to that on Interstate 494. Platen opined that the no build option might be a better solution. She did not feel the people of Long Lake and Orono would want the flashing arrows and the like which would be used in the reversible lane proposal. She cited an example of owning a home overlooking Hwy 169 and the difficulty in selling and the loss of value. Platen asked O'Keefe what the proposal would be to those properties not taken but affected by depressed values. O'Keefe noted that noise travels along the line of sight; and if the road is visible, it will have an impact. O'Keefe said Mn/DOT will mitigate and do what they can to eliminate noise and sight impact with berms and noise walls to capture and reduce the noise. As far as depressing values, O'Keefe said he did not know if this was true. Ms. Karlin, Orono, noted attending a meeting in Maple Plain where Mn/DOT was asked why the road was started. It was said it would be to carry 5,000 more cars expected in the next 20 years and for a truck route. 1100 homes were also reported planned to be • built in Watertown. She questioned why Hwy 7 was not being improved instead. O'Keefe said there was not the demand to use Hwy 7 as there is with 394/12, which is a direct route to downtown and Ridgedale. Hwy 12 is identified on the National Highway System and is of a higher classification due to the population it serves. Karlin was also informed, when asked, that the highway improvement would extend 300 -400' west of CoRd 6. Bruce McFadden, Orono, said he saw the improvement of Hwy 12 over Hwy 7 as satisfaction of political pressure adding that the highway would create traffic. He saw a long term effect beyond this project where more roadway will be requested. He asked O'Keefe if creation of traffic was taken into consideration and what measures are being taken in areas with changes to properties such as berms. O'Keefe said he disagreed that the highway would create traffic noting that people create traffic with households, employers, and shopping centers. O'Keefe said barriers are a committed portion of the design development and a key area to address. O'Keefe said there will be three dimensional designs used in working with neighborhoods for berms, bridges, and landscaping to show the results as realistically as possible. The hearing was closed for questions. 8 • MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 14, 1996 • (Corridor Selection for Hwy 12 Upgrade - Continued) Callahan informed those in attendance that the traffic problems on Highway 12 have existed for a long time, and the debate on what should be done with the roadway has heated up in the past ten years. Callahan said the highway department is restrained by the legislature and required to perform an environmental study. Once the decision was made to improve the roadway to the west, a number of steps were involved to determine acceptable alternatives. Callahan noted there were 27 alternatives at one time. Callahan said Orono did a study on its views of the highway and alternatives with a number of public hearings, work by the Planning Commission, and by the Council. Orono made the decision that they did not favor the "no build" option as it was believed that the road improvement was necessary and MnDOT would build it anyway. In the scheme of.the welfare of the State, it was determined that the highway should be brought to this area, though the Council was not necessarily for it. The Council did believe it should be built within the present corridor and widened but recognized it would have a substantial effect on the City of Long Lake. The differences between Orono and Long Lake were recognized, and Orono committed to do what was reasonable to alleviate the problems created for Long Lake as a result of the highway. Long Lake, Orono, NIn/DOT, and occasionally Wayzata, engaged in mediation but were diametrically opposed on their views regarding 4 -1ane alternatives for the corridor. As a result of the mediation, the alternatives became narrowed. • The current alternative proposed in April, 1996, for the north side of the Burlington Northern Railroad was favored by Mn/DOT. Callahan noted there were benefits to the alternative, though it is not entirely satisfactory. Mn/DOT has performed the major portion of an EIS study of the whole corridor from Wayzata to Wilmar. Callahan said if there were people who wanted to know the environmental effects on the area, Mn/DOT has studied it and knows its effect. Callahan said NIn/DOT studied the 3 -lane alternative proposed by the citizens of Long Lake and Orono. He noted, although the Canadian firm deemed the 3 -lane proposal feasible, most engineering proposals are found feasible. Callahan said a decision was necessary for the general location of the road. Once the location of the corridor is decided, additional studies relating to environment and design will take place to determine specifics as to exact location, the grade, and who will be affected. The corridor report listed the preferred Alternative 6, along with the no -build option, and why the last eight alternatives were abandoned. A public meeting will be held November 21; after which time, the City of Orono must make their determination. Callahan said, if the City was not to act at all, they would miss the chance to have any say. A no vote does not mean that Mn/DOT would not proceed, as they are not legally bound to any decision made by Orono. Callahan said Alternative 6 is as close as it can be to where the Council would like to see a road built. It is his opinion that the City of Long Lake will not approve an upgraded roadway in the current corridor. • Callahan opened the meeting up to comments. MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 14, 1996 (Corridor Selection for Hwy 12 Upgrade - Continued) • Clint Miller, 375 Silver Meadow Drive, Orono, has resided in Orono for 20 years. He said he is opposed to Alternative 6. Miller said it is his opinion that the mediation process involved an insufficient study. He reviewed the occurrences of the last 10 months and cites the vision as not being consistent with the comprehensive plan of the City. He said the corridor approval was being seen as a "least bad" situation and views Long Lake and Orono as having a "not in my backyard" attitude. Miller noted that the rural nature of the communities, the schools, lakes, and natural resources as being what draws the people together. He asked that a pro- active approach be taken and for the Council to get on board with their electorate. He said he is a current member of the corridor coalition of both cities and has looked at how each work with Mn/DOT. Miller said the Council would be failing to serve their community if they approve the Alternative 6 proposal Keenan Richardson, Orono, asked the Council's interpretation of the effect of the corridor on the school system, its physical building, on enrollment and stratification. When asked why, Richardson said there will be a number of households lost in Long Lake. Jabbour noted that this would alleviate the open enrollment problem currently being faced, and he was not considering the school district in his decision. Kelley said he does have two children in the school district. He noted the problems with buses currently crossing and turning off of Hwy 12. Kelley said the alternative improves the safety and ability to cross Hwy 12. He currently does not allow his children to cross over Hwy 12 • when using the bike trail. Richardson said there were other ways to satisfy the issue of safety. He asked what data was used regarding the effect of open enrollment and if the Council was willing to make a decision without this information. The Council members said they were not using any data and were willing to vote without any additional information regarding the school district. Callahan said the Council is to decide on whether to adopt the submitted proposal. He said he personally has a difficult time seeing a 2 lane road as having any effect on the school other than displacing children from those homes affected. • 10 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 14, 1996 • (Corridor Selection for Hwy 12 Upgrade - Continued) Debbie Lewis said data is available from Mayor Olson of Long Lake. From that information, Lewis said even if the inflated number of houses was used (45 homes), the school uses the number of 75, only 33 children are affected, some of which are currently pre - school age. In responding to a comment from Miller regarding the corridor as being a new selection, she thought the corridor was always being considered for either north or south of the railroad bed. Lewis said she thought the original corridor was good, and this alternative leaves the City of Long Lake intact allowing for more of a small town feel, with no trucks driving through and provides better safety. She questioned how the neighbors in the Linda Woods area would get in and out and saw possible destruction there. Lewis said both cities are making compromises. Lewis said more people will be living out to the west and saw the need in taking a civic responsibility. She did note that she does not live on or near any corridor alternative but people commute and Orono and Long Lake cannot bury their heads. Doug Coleman, 140 South Brown Road, said he has been involved in the highway matter for six years with a committee of citizens and has reviewed all of the alternatives. Coleman said homes have been held hostage, and the matter needs to be resolved. Coleman said he is in favor of the Council voting yes to Alternative 6 as it would solve the issue of no new corridor, it is a creative solution in using the railroad corridor to solve traffic problems, and it maintains the integrity of Long Lake. • Bruce Carlson, 591 North Stream Road, Wayzata, said he lives on the north side of Hwy 12, east of Long Lake. He sees the situation as unfortunate. Carlson has served as president of the North Long Lake Residents Association. Carlson said he recognizes the difficulty the Council is facing. He sees Orono's situation to reconcile differences in order to get to a rational decision almost impossible. He said their board recognizes that 100% satisfaction is unattainable. Carlson said he supports Alternative 6 as it will facilitate traffic, is good for Long Lake, will improve safety and access, has a relatively low impact on residences, and is consistent with the Orono comprehensive plan approved by the Met Council. Carlson said the alternative is an acceptable solution and sees the need to make a decision in order to gain some certainty in the lives of people affected. Carlson said he recognizes growth as a fact and sees the need to plan and make decisions. He personally believes it would be useful if the State law was modified to protect those near a road such as this. Carlson would like to see those impacted by noise get some compensation for what occurs noting those one inch away from the right -of -way have no current recourse. • Callahan said the City of Long Lake has concerns for impact of noise and the City Council agrees. The Council has asked to be part of getting legislation changed as Mn/DOT has their hands bound. He noted there will be interest in such legislation by Long Lake and others. 11 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 14, 1996 (Corridor Selection for Hwy 12 Upgrade - Continued) Jane Slaughter, 4545 Wayzata Boulevard, said she lives on Hwy 12, west of the corridor. She has similar concerns regarding Hwy 12 as expressed by Council Member Kelley. Her driveway will be on Hwy 12, and she has concern for bus safety for the children. She asked that this be a consideration. Callahan said the Council will consider her concerns and noted Mn/DOT also has those concerns. Slaughter asked if the Council would work with the City of Medina as her driveway is located in both communities. Callahan informed her that specific problems are not part of the debate at this time as the road design is currently unknown. Slaughter asked that she not be left out and forgotten noting that the only access onto Hwy 12 will be hers if the improvements are made. Callahan reported that Mn/DOT will bring back the designs to the cities to review problems and hardships. John Winston said the alternative is a vast improvement and recognized the work behind the proposal. Winston said he sees a problem during the two hours of rush period in the morning and two hours in the afternoon and in only those time periods. He said, in looking at the present corridor, there is room for improvement and expansion, but did note the bottleneck that occurs in Long Lake. If Alternative 6 goes forward, Winston asked that those who live nearby be given consideration regarding the noise issue. George Hutchins, 2550 Woodhaven Drive, Orono, said his property would not be taken but would be affected as it is located adjacent to the highway. He is concerned that there • are more questions unanswered than answered and is concerned with the urgency to vote. He asked the Council not to vote at this time. He said he is also concerned for Long Lake and questioned whether State funding for the City will be affected by the direction taken for or against. Callahan informed Hutchins that the vote will not affect funding as it is set up by other departments. He noted there have been other votes on Mn/DOT actions with no recourse. Callahan also said he does not share the concern regarding the urgency issue. He would like to see it move forward. Callahan noted that until ground is broken, there will be many answers unknown. Callahan commented that choosing an alternative eliminates concern over other areas, and he is of the opinion that the vote should have taken place sooner. Doug Coleman commented that the issue is of homes being held hostage with the unknown location of the corridor. With the corridor decided, the determination can be made for who will be affected. Because of that, Coleman asked if the Council is willing to support lowering taxes for those affected. Callahan responded that if the property values go down, the property taxes will automatically go down as the value does. When asked if he supported that, Callahan said he was not sure that the values will decrease but would if that occurred. Jabbour asked to consider values going up. Coleman said these homes are unable to be sold to anyone at this time. 12 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 14, 1996 • (Corridor Selection for Hwy 12 Upgrade - Continued) - Coleman said he has dealt with the Council and Mn/DOT only since last year and has found Mn/DOT to be dismissive and duplicative. He believes the Council is acting with a minimum of information and a maximum of haste. Coleman noted that if the behavior of governmental bodies is held in least favor, less people will want to be involved. Callahan responded if the citizens realized what they as a governmental body have gone through, they would not want to be involved. Jabbour responded to the aforementioned comments from Coleman noting the Council to possess a value for the way of life in the community. He reported that he has been involved with the process and mediation for many years and has at times been to as many as 14 meetings in a week's period. He noted the polling that has been conducted and the meetings held with other politicians. He also remembered that the citizens asked four years ago for a decision to be made. He said he is bewildered by the position that the Council is now acting in an urgent manner. Without the ability to move forward, nothing can be done or questions answered. He also noted that the Council has worked closely with Long Lake citing the issue of the MUSA line. Coleman said his experience with government has been only over a year's time period but has found the experience to be fruitless. Jabbour responded that he has personally met with Coleman three times in the last month. Keenan Richardson made the comment that if the Council has worked so closely with Mayor Tod Olson of Long Lake, why they were unaware of the school data. Bill McGran reported that he has been a member of the North Long Lake Association for the last six years. In response to an earlier speaker asking for a proactive solution, McGran said he knows the Council has taken a proactive approach with the government and legislative body. McGran said he understands the solution is not perfect considering the cost and damage to the environment, but on behalf of the North Long Lake Association, who has also worked with the South Long Lake Association, asked the Council to vote and support Alternative 6. Nancy Bordson, Orono Oaks Drive, noted the list of demands presented by Long Lake to Mn/DOT, and asked the Council if they had such a list. Callahan and Jabbour said the City does not. It was noted that the Council will work with Orono homeowners who are affected. Callahan said the concerns of Long Lake were presented to the citizens in a different manner. he cited the issues of relocation, damage payment, question of replacement of the City hall, and destruction of utilities. Callahan said, although he agrees with the problems, the approach is different. 13 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 14, 1996 (Corridor Selection for Hwy 12 Upgrade - Continued) 0 Jabbour said relocation will be a task to work through once the go ahead has been given for the project. He sees less impact but noted it was the job and obligation of the Council to see that solutions are found. Bordson asked, assuming the plan was voted in and assuming Long Lake voted against the proposal, whether Orono's vote would weaken Long Lake's position. Callahan responded that if Long Lake should vote no regarding Alternative 6, Mn/DOT would adopt some attitude but Orono would try to keep the corridor as close to the current corridor as possible. He noted the circumstances may be different if the vote is different. Callahan commented that it has taken years to make the decision and years for the project to go forward. Mn/DOT's intention at this time is to go ahead with Alternative 6. Chris O'Connor, 2525 Woodhaven Drive, Long Lake, urged the Council to vote no. He would like to keep the highway where it is now located, which he feels has the least impact on the most people. If the highway is lowered to where the railroad bed is located, O'Connor asked if the current highway could be lowered at Willow Drive and Old Crystal Bay Road. Callahan said he felt that could be done and could also be a workable solution. O'Connor asked the Council to work with the current corridor and make improvements there. Paul Roligate of Long Lake, an engineer, commented on a remark made earlier regarding • the feasibility of projects noting everything is not feasible. He encouraged the Councils and State Representative to ask the citizens what they want and to let the citizens know what can be done. He asked that the issue be placed on the election ballot. He asked for less governmental authority and more citizen input. He also asked that information be sent via mailings noting the issue affects the lives of people. Mr. Jenney informed the Council that he is a representative of the current corridor coalition and is directly impacted by the proposal. He is concerned that the Council is not listening to the people. He noted 34 homes were impacted and others within 400' of the corridor. He asked to meet individually with Council members to discuss the issues. Jenney asked for dialogue in order to explain their position. He asked that the Council delay their vote for now but to make it soon. Jenney said he met with Goetten and Jabbour. Although it was a good meeting, no conclusions were made. Jenney said both sides learned during the meeting with some adversarial points. He said he did not receive a return call from Callahan. Jenney said he did not feel he was fully heard. He reported that he felt his meeting with Kelley was ineffective and was informed by Kelley that he had enough information. Jenney said the number of homes affected according to Kelley was off 300 %. • 14 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 1 d; 199( • (Corridor Selection for Hwy 12 Upgrade - Continued) Jenney suggested no vote be taken for the following reasons: He questioned why the L. 1..r_ +_.1 L__r.. ..1_--_t. -.-_ L 1111eG lane VE1t1V11 WQJ 11VL i'Lljcepleu Jliggesting it was because it was developed by someone else. He said the facts relative to the number of homes was wrong. Jenney said he-, s told 13 homes were afT'erter1 and information nvinte to ,40 hr%meg Tenney Says it is not hard to do due diligence. He reported that Mn/DOT said they were unable to f.., + l: r F L. (x * . 7 ♦:1 T1,T 1. '7 7 C 1 •tL out 1,....ing +L... consLl Ucl a list Vl 11omes allfba .0 unill 1 \V V\,L11VC1 /. Jcnncy 1c1,1J wil11V UL having Lllc facts, the right decision cannot be made. Jenney said Jabbour and Goetten suggested r1tizens mAPtings, Te..nnAV s11ggP.$ts in(iiviriiial mPPtingc anri fP.P.ls the. r:1t17Ans have not been heard outside of the public forum. Jenney said he spoke with City Administrator Moorse on this date. He asked Moorse if +t 1.1 r�1 _ _. r ..� a 1a +1. 11 'a 1' L110 vole WAS reversible Or it the nexL t.VUllcll could reverse 1110 vole. He sal' a was informed that Moorse was unsure. Jenney said the decision made may or may not be hinrlina TPnnev fPPk therP Shnl„ d hP rhiP rliliaPnrP to find nijt the farts nntina there is no aa --- -- a . rush as the Council has 120 days past November 21. Jenney said the issue of a binding vote shoulu be deteri nirled prier tC the vote. John Offerman, 330 Silver Meadow Drive, Orono, noted that an issue of concern has not been auur e$$eu. He aslCeu the rvunPii 11 they' vote in u`vvr of thi$ prvpv$ui that a contract be drawn ensuring that the two lane highway would not be expanded to four or • six lanes in the. fianre. , Callahan resnnnded that there was no method to get four lanes into the proposed right -of -way. Callahan said Mn/DOT should consider four lanes now to see if there :vas the land available if that is theur intent. Callahan :vas of the opinion that Mn/DOT would come back with such a proposal in 20 years if the population does grow LV the "west. CQllahall Jaiu nv, UVCS llVL, llvvvcvcl, VG110VC gaining LVVV lallca 11VW is an effort to get four lanes in the future and lessens the possibility for the need for four lanes QfPPrman reitPratPri his rPrnlPSt fnr a rnntrart limiting the hiahwav to twn lanes The Council was also asked if any one of them was affected by the corridor in regards to their rPSir1Pnrec nr himine.gpQ Tt uuaS nntPrl that nn nnP nn the Cnlinnil is afT'Pr.terl Jim Murphy, 30 Orono Orchard Road, said he came away from the mediation meetings ,11rith the belief that Mn/r)()T has Come'Un �lrith an alternati�rP that all Pan adopt. He noted that how rational or irrational people are is directly dependent on how they will be +0A >, +L,0 1 Nau t, i 1, 7 ct, +L,e to k a allc�,wu Vy Llll, proposal. lvl rplly saiu 1e was prCuu vl IIVVV Llll, peoplc VJvr eu w jculcl on the three lade proposal. He feels that the alternative is a "done deal" and the vote should be. made. He.. asked that all of the neop1P pull together. HP. implored the. Mayor to pay attention to those affected noting they are angry and hurt. Callahan responded to the truth of Murphy's statement. He agreed that people affected :l'- +:. , .1 L.. ..._ +t. 'A . 1 .+ .,1 !` 11 L. :A +1. !, ... 11 •+ will Ve emo Lloual wllelevel Llle cV11iuV1 iJ locateu. -all allat, saiu Me %_Oul1c:j yAlili dV all IL can to lessen the problems. He noted that the general issues concerning mitigation of • imnartc hrnl laht forward bV T .nna T .nkp dPgPrvP ,prini m attentinn. 15 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 14, 1996 (Corridor Selection for Hwy 12 Upgrade - Continued) • P g The public hearing was closed, and the Council was asked for their comments. In response to a comment made by Bruce Carlson, Goetten said she has put 10 years into this project. She has seen many meetings and committees noting all have worked hard. Goetten said she was sorry that the issue was so painful for some. Goetten said the decision was made right from the beginning to support those whose homes will be taken or impacted. She said the decision must be made in order to move forward, and it is time for that decision to be made. Jabbour noted as a public servant, it is his duty to serve the total constituency. He reported that Orono was at one point outside the circle of the metropolitan area and has kept growth to a minimum. He reported that there are 900 lots remaining in Orono with development at 30 -40 lots per year. Jabbour commented that Orono cannot control what is done in other cities. He noted the serious east -west problem reporting 19,500 cars use CoRd 15 daily. There is also a proposal to improve CoRd 6. Jabbour noted that we do not leave our City without entering another. He said he is unhappy to make a decision that will take away someone's home but feels he has the information necessary to make a decision. He promised to monitor the situation and serve the City, adding that Orono is now inside the circle of the metropolitan area. He reiterated that the decision is not being made hastily. He would like the vote to be taken prior to the election so the people know where everyone stands. Hurr noted that she was unable to respond to the call made by Mr. Jenney. She reported that she has read all of the materials and has the facts, citing the history of improvements made to McCulley Road. Although she does not live near the corridor, she is in support of it and is not afraid of making a decision that affects her directly too, citing the new public boat access on Maxwell Bay where she resides. Hurr moved, Goetten seconded, to approve Resolution #3780, the Alternative 6 proposal for Trunk Highway 12. Vote: Ayes 5, Nays 0. APPROVAL OF MINUTES ( * #3) REGULAR MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 23, 1996 Jabbour moved, Hurr seconded, to approve the Minutes of the Regular City Council Meeting of September 23, 1996. Vote: Ayes 5, Nays 0. 16 r� LJ U • • MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 14, 1996 ( * #4) WORK SESSION OF OCTOBER 2, 1996 Jabbour moved, Hurr seconded, to approve the Minutes of the City Council Work Session of October 2, 1996. Vote: Ayes 5, Nays 0. CITY ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT ( * #5) APPOINT ELECTION JUDGES FOR GENERAL ELECTION - RESOLUTION #3781 Jabbour moved, Hurr seconded, to approve Resolution #3781 appointing election judges for the November 5, 1996, general election. Vote: Ayes 5, Nays 0. ( * #6) APPOINTMENT OF PLANNING COMMISSION VICE CHAIR Jabbour moved, Hurr seconded, to approve the appointment of Sandra Smith as Vice Chair of the Planning Commission. Vote: Ayes 5, Nays 0. ( 47) TAX FORFEIT LOT RELEASE TO ADJACENT LAND OWNER - 1290 SPRUCE PLACE - RESOLUTION #3782 Jabbour moved, Hun seconded, to adopt Resolution #3782 releasing the tax forfeit land located at 1290 Spruce Place for private sale to adjacent landowners. Vote: Ayes 5, Nays 0. ( #8) 500 HANLON AVENUE - SEWER ASSESSMENT Hurr moved, Goetten seconded, to table this agenda item. Vote: Ayes 5, Nays 0. ( * #9) LETTER OF INTENT TO PURCHASE DUMP TRUCK Jabbour moved, Hurr seconded, to approve providing a letter of intent to purchase one 1997 single axle dump truck for an amount of $65,972 to Boyer Ford. Vote: Ayes 5, Nays 0. ( 410) LICENSES Jabbour moved, Hurr seconded, to approve the following licenses with a vote of Ayes 5, Nays 0: Home Occupation License Charles Anderson Annual Review 1295 Loma Linda Avenue Maryanne Ebert 1680 North Farm Road 17 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 14, 1996 ( #10 Licenses - Continued) • Dale McCurdy 4041 North Shore Drive Russell Norum 3264 North Shore Drive Ginger Scott 2620 Kelly Avenue ( * #11) BILLS Jabbour moved, Hurr seconded, to approve payment of the All Funds Account. Vote: Ayes 5, Nays 0. ADJOURNMENT Callahan moved, Goetten seconded, to adjourn at 10:25 p.m. Vote: Ayes 5, Nays 0. ATTEST: �' Izz. I Dorothy M. KaTin, City Clerk Edward J. Call n, Jr., Aaijior 18 •