Minutes 10-04-06Richfield Transportation Commission
Wednesday, October 4, 2006
7:00 p.m.
Richfield City Hall, Council Chambers
DRAFT Minutes
Commission members in attendance: Barbara Kritzman (Chair); Bob Elliott (Vice-Chair); Bob Shotwell; Sara Nutter; Pat Sorensen; Council members Suzanne Sandahl and Bill Kilian; Steve
Lindgren; Maureen Scaglia; and, Gary Ness. Others in attendance: William Svoboda; Larry Wozniczka; Scott Pedersen of Mn/DOT; Tony Heppelmann of WSB & Associates; and, City Staff: Tom
Foley and Kristin Asher.
B. Kritzman called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Motion to approve the agenda made by S. Lindgren, seconded by P. Sorensen. Motion passed unanimously.
Motion to approve minutes of August 2, 2006 meeting, made by S. Lindgren, seconded by P. Sorensen. Motion passed unanimously.
Neighborhood Stop Sign Demonstration
Chair Kritzman reported that the City Council approved the Commission’s recommendation for a stop sign demonstration project in the neighborhood bounded by 11th Avenue and 17th Avenue,
and by 62nd Street and 66th Street. No date has been set to implement the test.
Lyndale Avenue Bridge
T. Foley reviewed the written public comments received at the September 21, 2006 Public Open House jointly sponsored by Bloomington and Richfield. The major concerns included: access
to and from 35W to and from Lyndale Avenue; local access to businesses; traffic on 77th St.. and 76th St.; and, design of the Lyndale Avenue Bridge.
B. Elliot asked that City staff respond in writing to the people who provided written comments.
Tony Heppelmann of WSB & Associates reviewed the proposed layout with the Commission. He discussed the local access issues affecting certain businesses on both sides of I-494. Closure
or modification of the existing frontage roads will alter access for some businesses.
T. Heppelmann also discussed the design options that would provide access to and from Lyndale Avenue to and from I-35W. The proposed Lyndale Bridge layout would allow for several options
to provide access to 35W.
S. Lindgren asked that the project be referred to as the Lyndale Avenue Bridge over I-494 with Interim Connections to the Freeway System Project, instead of the Interim Lyndale Avenue
Bridge Project. He also wanted to thank WSB staff and Mn/DOT staff for producing a good plan.
Motion by S. Lindgren, second by Gary N. to recommend the proposed layout for the Lyndale Avenue Bridge over I-494 with Interim Connections to the Freeway System Project to the Richfield
City Council for approval with two conditions:
that the staffs of Mn/DOT and the cities of Richfield and Bloomington are urged to discuss the local access concerns of local businesses affected by the bridge project; and,
that City Council approval is conditioned on the access to and from Lyndale Avenue to and from 35W will be provided by Mn/DOT unless it can be shown that a compelling technical reason
prevents this access.
Motion passed unanimously.
City Street Maintenance and Financing
In response to a request by S. Lindgren, K. Asher gave a presentation on the city’s preventive maintenance program for residential streets. The program involves sealcoating of streets
in good condition, and mill and overlay of streets in poor condition. If roads are not maintained, then the City would have to completely reconstruct them, which is very expensive to
do.
K. Asher also reviewed possible funding alternatives for street maintenance and the city’s preferred approach that uses funds derived from franchise fees.
Comprehensive Plan Update
T. Foley explained that the city is proposing to use consultants to assist in preparing the updated comprehensive plan. SRF Consulting is proposed to prepare the transportation element
of the comprehensive plan. The city intends to fold the County Roads Study into the comprehensive planning effort.
City staff has received seven alternative cross-sections for the 17th Avenue parkway. After staff reviews them, the cross sections with merit will be made available to the city commissions.
Renaming of 17th Avenue Parkway
T. Foley reported that the City Council chose Richfield Parkway as the new name for 17th Avenue Parkway out of four candidate names considered. S. Lindgren expressed his opposition to
renaming 77th Street as a serious cost to existing businesses.
Roundabout Communications Plan
K. Asher showed two videos on roundabouts to make commissioners aware of the resources available to residents and to help commissioners answer resident questions. She also noted that
there would be an open house on roundabouts on November 15.
Other Business
Staff was asked to check with Hennepin County on why no advanced notice was given to businesses on Penn Avenue before that road received a mill and overlay. Advanced notice was given
to businesses along Nicollet Avenue when similar repair work was done.
Randy Matheus submitted his resignation from the Transportation Commission. City staff was asked to check city policy on commissioner attendance.
K. Asher reported that the State Attorney General has advised city staff not to spend time on promoting the Constitutional Amendment regarding the use of Motor Vehicle Sales Tax (MVST)
for transportation purposes.
Topics for Next Meeting
County Road Study
Bikeway Workshop and Plan
Adjournment
Meeting was adjourned at 8:27 p.m.