5.4.A. SR 04-05-2010Item # 5.4.A.
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MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: John Anderson, P.E.
DATE: April 5, 2010
SUBJECT: 193'd Avenue Project Update
Project Update
Work was suspended on 193 Avenue last November and the roadway was opened to traffic.
Work is expected to resume in mid April. Some of the remaining work is dependent on when
seasonal road restrictions are removed, which is anticipated to occur in early May. The work that
remains to be completed includes:
• Permanent fence installation
• Restoration of the balance of the disturbed areas
• Completion of the bituminous trail
• Punch list items
The project completion date specified in the contract is June 10, 2010
Traffic Volumes
After construction is complete, traffic counts will be recorded in the areas of the intersections
with Tyler Street, Xavier Street, and Evans Street Additionally, turning movement data will be
recorded at the intersection with Evans Street The purpose of these counts will be to assess the
operation of the traffic control implemented at these intersection and address concerns raised by
residents. Questions raised by residents to date include:
• Should the intersection of Xavier Street and 193rd Avenue have a stop condition in all
four directions?
• Should the intersection of Tyler Street and 193` Avenue have a stop condition on 193
Avenue and not on Tyler Street?
• Does the three way stop at Evans Street allow sufficient gaps for the three stop
conditions to cross the intersection?
• Does a pedestrian crossing need to be striped and / or signed crossing 193 Avenue at
Xavier Street?
After the data has been collected and analyzed we will report back to you with the results.
Memorandum
Date: 2/22/10
60 Plato Boulevard East; Suite 140
St. Paul, MN 55107
To: Lori Johnson
763-786-4570, Fax 763-786-4574
From: John Anderson
RE: 193 Avenue Median Restoration
Overview
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193 Avenue was constructed in 2009 and some final restoration work will take place in 2010
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to complete construction. At the time the 193 Avenue Project was bid there was no
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consensus on how the median areas were to be landscaped. The plans for 193 Avenue called
for the median areas to be left without landscaping and after the City Council had determined
a policy on median landscaping the city would contract separately for the landscape work to
restore these areas. With the spring thaw nearing and the 2010 construction season
approaching, the discussion on median treatments needs to resume determining how to
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proceed with restoration of the medians on 193 Avenue. The City has acquired ownership
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for all medians along the 193 Avenue corridor outlots A,B,C, and D of The Woods of
Hillside Third Addition and Outlot A Woods at Hillside Second Addition. Plats of these
outlots are included in the appendix.
Background
Currently the City has a number of different median treatments in place and overtime some
have evolved to their current state from what their original concepts were. The following is a
summary of a few median landscaping treatments and their history.
Orono Parkway
– This road was constructed in 1994 with a berm in the median
covered with turf grass. Subsequently in 2002 the berm was removed and the turf
grass was replaced with Native plantings. Most recently manicured perennial
plantings end caps were added in 2008. A copy of the approved planting plan is
included in the appendix.
Twin Lakes Road
– This road was constructed in 2001 with a flat irrigated turf grass
median. In 2005 the irrigation was discontinued and in 2009 above ground irrigation
piping was removed. In 2008 the City Council discussed median treatment options
but did not come to a consensus on what if any modifications they would like to see
put in place. Copies of formal planting schemes discussed are included in the
appendix.
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193 Avenue
– The median on this roadway begins on the east side of the intersection
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of 193 Avenue and Zane Street. This first median contains a monument sign and
includes plantings surrounded by mulch. This treatment is carried through on the
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islands and the eyebrow cul-de-sacs. The rest of the medians along the center of 193
are turf without irrigation.
BDM Project No. 226069
2/22/2010
Waco Street
– Waco Street has a limited amount of median that is hard surface with
concrete. This is typical of streets that have medians to channelize traffic flow at
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intersections. Other such streets with this type of medians include, Evans Street, 193
Avenue at Evans, School Street at TH 169 and Main Street at both TH 10 and TH 169.
The following figures show examples of the median landscaping mentioned above.
Figure 1 Orono Parkway-original bermed section
Figure 2 Orono Parkway - Seeded with Native Plantings (2003)
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Figure 3 Orono Parkway - Native Plantings (2009)
Figure 4 Orono Parkway - End Cap Treatments (2009)
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Figure 5 Twin Lakes Road - Irrigated Turf Grass (2003)
Figure 6 193rd Avenue - Monument Sign and Plantings (2003)
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Figure 7 193rd Avenue - Turf Grass (2003)
Figure 8 Waco Street - Hard surface, Concrete (2003)
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Options for Median Landscaping
There are a wide variety of landscape treatments that can be applied to medians. A number of
factors go in to the decision of developing a policy related to median landscaping such as
developing a neighborhood identity, impact on the environment, initial cost, maintenance cost,
and compatibility with traffic. Not all medians exist in the same settings, some are in
generally residential neighborhoods, some in commercial or retail and others in more heavily
traveled highway commercial areas. Therefore it may be necessary to establish standards that
apply to each type of setting. The following summarizes a few of the options that have been
established in the past or contemplated for implementation:
Option 1 – Native Plantings
This option could include plantings much like are in
place along Orono Parkway.
Option 2 – Native Plantings with Perennial Planting End Caps
This option
would include both the native plantings as are inplace along Orono Parkway and
perennial plantings that have been added at the ends of the medians.
Option 3 – Turf grass
This option would include typical grass seed mixture to
establish turf.
Option 4 – Formal Planting Scheme
This option would be similar to those
proposed for Twin Lakes Road including varied planting of shrubs, flowers and trees.
Examples of these types of planting plans are shown in the appendix.
Option 5 – Hard Surface
This could include a number of materials for hard surface
such as concrete, colored concrete or concrete pavers.
Schedule
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As was mentioned above the medians in the new construction of 193 Avenue have been left
with no permanent landscaping to allow for discussion of the topic and a determination of a
median policy. The medians were temporarily stabilized with hydro mulch last fall. As part
of the NPDES permit issued by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency the City is required
to restore vegetative cover to the soil as the owner of the project. It is anticipated that work
should be scheduled to begin in late April or early May of 2010. If native plantings are to be
included, the site needs to be prepared and ready for planting by May 15. Native plantings
need to be planted within a narrow window to increase the chances for success. This window
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is from May 15th to June 1. Modifications to the existing medians along 193 between
Auburn Street and Xavier Street may be incorporated if a specific theme is intended to be
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maintained throughout the corridor. This work is expected to take place with traffic on 193
Avenue. The following is a tentative schedule for the work:
March – City Council determine Landscape policy
April – Prepare request and collect quotes for work, Authorize contract
May thru June – Complete landscaping work
1 to 3 year warranty period depending on landscaping option
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2/22/2010
Cost
Completion of the medians has been budgeted for in the 2010 Capital Improvement Plan. The
budgeted amount for this work is $65,000. This would cover the construction cost of 1.3 acres
medians from Auburn Street to Twin Lakes Road. This estimate is based on placing topsoil
for native plants, preparing seedbed in the existing medians, planting and maintaining native
plants. Depending on the scale and complexity of the selected landscape option the cost may
go up or down accordingly.
Implementation
Construction of the final landscaping will follow some basic steps regardless of the specific
landscape option selected. Details on topsoil, plant materials and irrigation are dependant on
specifics of the option selected. Irrigation stubs have been installed on the newly constructed
medians between Xavier Street and Twin Lakes Road in the event that the landscape option
selected requires irrigation. A native planting plan could benefit from a basic temporary
irrigation system put in place to help establish new native plantings. The basic steps that need
to be accomplished are as follows:
1.Place topsoil in new medians, augment, treat or replace topsoil in existing medians
Install temporary or permanent irrigation system
2.
Plant seed and plantings
3.
Provide temporary cover to allow plantings to establish
4.
Maintain plantings through out warranty period
5.
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APPENDIX
A. Approved plan for Orono Parkway
B. Orono Parkway study 7-24-07
C. Twin Lakes Road concept A
D. Twin Lakes Road concept B
E. Twin Lakes Road Concept C
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Approved Plan for Orono Parkway
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Twin Lakes Road – Concept A
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Twin Lakes Road – Concept B
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Twin Lakes Road – Concept C
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Woods at Hillside Third Addition
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Woods at Hillside Second Addition
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~• -/ 6 ~ Gt~~T -T
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Monday, April 5, 2010
Cars: 1:18 P.M. To 2:02 P.M. Total: 44 Minutes
Eastbound 193rd Ave. Total: 34
Westbound 193rd Ave. Total: 31
Entering 193rd from Xavier Total: 14
Tota I Cars I n 44 Minutes: 79 Cars
Cars: 3:43 P.M. To 4:43 P.M. Total: 60 Minutes
Eastbound 193rd Ave. Total: 47
Westbound 193rd Ave. Total: 56
Entering 193rd From Xavier Total: 22
Total Cars in 60 Minutes: 125 Cars
Total Cars in 104 minutes combined: 204 cars in 104 Minutes
Pedestrian totals 16 Pedestrians.
Joe Glowacki
11024 192r'd Circle N.W.
Elk River, Minnesota 55330
763-633-1700