6.2. SR 04-06-2009REQUEST FOR ACTION
ver
To Item Number
Ci Council 6.2.
Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by
Public Works A ri16, 2009 Ter Maurer, Public Works Director
Item Description Reviewed by
Discussion of (3) Street Improvement projects contained in Lori ohnson, Ci Administrator
2009 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) Reviewed by
Action Requested
Staff requests direction from the City Council on whether or not to proceed to an informational
meeting for the three street improvement projects contained in the 2009 CIP.
Background/Discussion
As was discussed with the City Council briefly last month, there are three street improvement
projects contained in the 2009 CIP. The projects consist of (1) the Norfolk, Morton, Lowell and
King Avenue neighborhood south of Main Street; (2) Railroad Drive, Freeport, Evans Avenue
neighborhood south of Main Street: (3) a mill and overlay of Main Street from Lowell Avenue to
Orono Road. These areas are shown on the attached three exhibits.
As requested by the City Council, we have done further analysis of the three areas relative to the
improvements needed, the estimated project costs, potential assessable properties, and the
remaining city contribution. Based on this information, the following is a brief description of our
findings:
A. Norfolk, Morton, Lowell and King Avenue Neighborhood
In this neighborhood, the concrete curb and gutter is generally in good shape, although there
are some needed spot repairs. The bituminous surfacing is deteriorated to the point that it
needs to be replaced. The concrete sidewalk throughout the neighborhood is also in
disrepair. The proposed improvements would leave the existing concrete curb and gutter,
mill the existing bituminous surfacing completely leaving as much as possible for additional
aggregate base and repave two layers of bituminous surfacing. All of the concrete sidewalk
is anticipated to be replaced with the addition of new pedestrian ramps at the appropriate
locations. There are minor storm sewer repairs also anticipated with this project. There are
no anticipated sanitary sewer improvements and only the replacement of old style hydrants
for watermain improvements.
The anticipated construction cost including overhead and a small contingency is
approximately $500,000. We estimate that there are approximately 55 - 60 assessable units
in this area. Since this is a new approach to street rehabilitation being much more than an
overlay, but less than a total reconstruction, there is no past history of assessment level.
Staff feels that with an assessment between $4,000-$5,000 per single family home, the result
2009 Projects Page 2
Apri12, 2009
would be an assessment of approximately half of the project cost. That would leave
approximately $250,000 of city contribution.
B. Railroad Drive, Freeport, Evans Avenue Neighborhood
This area needs more extensive improvements. The streets are relatively narrow; there is no
concrete curb and gutter; and the area is lacking an underground drainage system. The other
issue we uncovered in this area is that it appears a portion of Evans Avenue as it crosses the
Vernon Cemetery property was vacated sometime in the past. It would be necessary to work
with the property owners and the cemetery association to re-establish a public right-of--way
in this area.
The proposed improvements in this area would be a general widening of the roads to a
minimum of 26 feet. Freeport and Evans, for the first block south of Main Street, would
need to be wider to accommodate the on-street parking that often overflows from the
commercial buildings located on Main Street. A storm sewer piping system would be
extended into the area from the intersection of Main Street and Evans Avenue to pickup
runoff that in the past has caused isolated flooding problems. There are no anticipated
sanitary sewer improvements necessary and only minor hydrant replacement and relocations
anticipated on the water system. The estimated cost of the improvements in this area
including overhead and a small contingency are just under $1 million. A review of the
properties estimates that there are approximately 50 assessable units throughout the area,
ranging from multi-family, townhome, single-family and some commercial. It is anticipated
that because of the density of the neighborhood, that the assessment rate used in 2007 for
street reconstruction of $6,500 per single-family resident would appropriate to use in 2009.
This is a relatively expensive project with a significant assessment against the properties in
the area. One other option that could be explored and presented at an informational
meeting would be to extend storm sewer into the area, widen Freeport and Evans Avenues
for the first block south of Main Street, including concrete curb and gutter, to accommodate
the on-street parking, and then look at an overlay or other rehabilitation of the bituminous
surfaces throughout the remainder of the area in an effort to reduce the project costs and
therefore, reduce the potential assessments to the benefitted properties.
C. Main Street Mill and Overlay between Lowell Avenue and Orono Road
This project would consist of simply milling the existing bituminous surface, removing the
milled material, and repaving between the existing concrete curb and gutter. This is a project
that the city submitted for stimulus funding but was unsuccessful in the first tier of local
projects in our MnDOT district. MnDOT has indicated that there may be another tier of
local projects, but there has been no specific information provided on when or how this
second tier of projects may be chosen. If stimulus funding is not forthcoming for this
project, there is $500,000 earmarked in the city's 2009 CIP. One other funding option for
this construction would be use of Municipal State Aid dollars. However, State Aid dollars
for the next 2 - 3 years have been committed to the 193`d Avenue project. In order to use
State Aid dollars on Main Street, the city would have to fund the construction in the short
term and then get reimbursed when Municipal State Aid dollars become available after
payment for the 193`d Avenue project.
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2009 Projects Page 3
April 2, 2009
One of the questions that needs to be discussed when this project moves forward is should
the abutting properties be assessed for the equivalent of an overlay to the street? If so, at
what level? The anticipated construction cost for this project including overhead and a small
contingency is approximately $665,000. It is estimated that there are approximately 70
assessable units along the route. The 2008 Overlay Improvement project assessed each
single family home $1,400. An assessment at that level would generate approximately
$100,000 towards the Main Street project cost. If the City Council wanted to assess a lesser
amount using the argument that the road may have needed an overlay earlier because of the
amount of traffic carried by Main Street, an assessment of $1,000 per unit would generate
$70,000, and an assessment of $700, or half of the 2008 overlay rate, would generate just
under $50,000.
I would not recommend committing entirely to this project until we have exhausted all
opportunities for stimulus funding, which I would hope we would know about within 30 -
60 days. However, if the City Council feels an assessment to the benefitting property
owners for this repaving would be appropriate, we could begin the feasibility study and hold
an informational meeting.
Financial Impact
Each of these three projects has a financial impact to the city for participation in the cost. Based
on the assessment rates discussed above, the city's total participation in all three of these projects
could range as high as $1.5 million.
Attachments
• Three area location maps
Action Motion by Second by Vote
Follow Up
C:\Documents and Settings\jjohnson\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLK49\04 06 09 cc memo projects.doc
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