3.4. SR 08-10-1998~ity of
River
MEMORANDUM
Item #3.4.
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
Mayor & City Council
Pat Klaers, City Ad 'n~.tr~
August 10, 1998 ~'
Semi Tractor Issue
Victoria Lane Situation
The city has received a request from a resident on Victoria Lane for an
entrance from the county road onto his property. The city will process
this request to the county with a letter which supports this request for
the driveway entrance from County Road 32. However, we will ask
that the county issue this permit to the city and not to the individual
applicant. It is anticipated that the county will grant the city this
request and will supply the culvert that is necessary for part of the
driveway construction. The city will construct the driveway so that if
this driveway is required to be removed at some time in the future,
then the property owner could not have any claims against the city for
costs incurred. The cost to the city for this construction is relatively
minor since we have the equipment available, and the work essentially
amounts to a small amount of fill material and compaction for a gravel
connection from the county road to the property.
The city's approval to the property owner for this driveway entrance
will contain conditions imposed by the city regarding nuisance
activities. We cannot have it conditioned upon not receiving
complaints from the neighbors, because then ff the neighbors wanted
this activity out of their vicinity they would quickly learn that all they
had to do was complain to the city. The city really dislikes being
involved in neighborhood disputes and hopes the apphcant
can keep nuisance activities to a minimum. A draft letter regarding
the conditions for continuing to have the driveway access will be
offered to the City Council on Monday.
Additionally, Victoria Lane will be posted as a 5 Ton road with the
exception of the area from the property owner's driveway to the county
13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 490 · Elk River, MN 55330 · TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425
road. City Council approval of this posting is required. The overlay
project for this area is scheduled for later in the fall and there will be
an extra thick layer of blacktop provided on Victoria Lane from the
property owner's driveway to the county road.
2. Semi Tractor Ordinance
The current city ordinance does not allow the parking of semi tractors
or trailers on city streets in the residential zones, but does allow the
parking of semi tractors and trailers on private property in the A1 and
Rla zones. This information is in the public nuisance ordinance.
Staff has been directed to review and make recommendations on the
total revamping of the public nuisance ordinance. Since the Victoria
Lane situation has been brought to our attention, this section of the
ordinance needs to be reviewed. Any changes in this part of the city
ordinance will impact a number of local truckers and the proposal is
certain to generate some concern from these individuals. The proposed
ordinance will likely restrict semi tractor and trailer activities on any
platted property or residential metes and bounds subdivision or on any
parcel of five acres or less in all the residential zones and the A1 zone.
The restrictions may be in the form of a Council approved conditional
use permit. The intent is to have semi tractor and trailer activity not
disrupt neighborhoods even ff this equipment is parked on private
property. Restrictions on semi tractors and trailers in residential
zones is a fact of life in most metropolitan and midsize outstate
communities. The updated nuisance ordinance will be brought to the
City Council later in the year and this may be only one of the volatile
issues proposed in the revised ordinance.
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