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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-24-1971�1_ 00 Record of Official Proceedings of the `Common Council of. the City of Rochester, Minn., March 24, 1971 Minutes of an.adjourned regular.meeting of the Common Council of the City of Rochester, Minnesota,.held in the Council Chambers in the City Hall, in said City, on May 24, 1971. President Postier called the meeting to order at 7:30 o'clock P. M., the following members being present: President Postier,.Aldermen Kamper, Larson, Mayer, McNary, Strain, Willmarth. Absent: None. Public Hearing on the.2nd Avenue Northeast Project between 2nd Street and 7th Street N. E. President Postter,then made the following remarks:. "Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen: I am Richard Postier, President of the Rochester City Council. We are happy to see'..all of you here this evening and hope that we can have a productive hearing. The City will be represented by the City Council,': the City Engineer, C. A. Armstrong and the City.Traffic Engineer, Jack Dolan. Representatives of the State Highway Department and Federal Highway Administration are here as observers and to answer questions we might have. We also have with us tonight Mr. Robert Toddie of Agneberg Division of Kirkham, Michael & Associates who have.been engaged by the City to do the engineering of this project. We are here this evening to discuss the route location, design features, and social economics, and environmental effects of the proposed construction of 2nd Avenue N., E.- between 2nd Street N. E. and 7th.Street N. E. This,hearing is being held in.accordance with Section 128, Title 23 of. the United States which governs procedure for reconstruction of Highways of streets which involves the use,of Federal Funds. In order that you may all put tontghts heraring in the proper prospective I,will summarize the past events of the proposed project. This will give you somewhat of an idea of just where we stand in the process of planning a street such ar this. The extension of 2nd Avenue N. E. is not a new plan. This improvement was initially approved for construction in the 1957 Street Improvement Bond Issue, and those funds are still available for part of the present costs. Its construction has been delayed from year to year because of its close relationship to other downtwon improvement proposals that were closely related to it., In 1967 a grade crossing over the Chicago Northwestern Railroad was approved by, the Public Service Commission: Its is now proposed as one of 1971 Downtown Street Improvement Programs and it is scheduled for contracting this year. It -has .been recommended in the final report of the comprehensive Master Plan for Rochester completed in 1960. This alignment was also recommended in 1968 in the Rochester Olmsted Transportation.Planning Study, and again in the Urban Renewal Report in 1969. Following the hearing, the comments from it will be analyzed and the Council will consider them in determining its final approval of the project. If the.Council approves the project, the City.will then proceed to get Federal approval through the TOPICS program. Following the approval of this project the final design and right-of-way acquisition procedures will begin. This basically is the chain of events which have and will take place and lead to a completed project. This hearing is also intended.to provide you people with an opportunity for presenting views on social, economic, and environmental impact of various routes. Exactly what are social, economic, and environmental impacts or effects? Simply stated they are any direct or indirect benetts or losses to the surrounding area or to the highway users. These could include such.items as effect on employment„ parks, recreational area, aesthetics of the area, public safety, public utilities, characted of the neighborhood, area conservation, noise, air and water pollution. They.also could include the effect on a local tax base,.property values, natural or historical landmarks., displacement of families and businesses, disruption of school districts and economic development of the area. Before we proceed with_the description of the project under consideration there are a riumber,of items which should be mentioned. First of all the proposed alignment follows the unimproved street right- pf-way which was dedicated in the Original Plat of Rochester. However, the fill approaching the railroad embankment will require the new street grade to be considerably above the existing properties abutting it. This will require the City to acquire slope easements on the abutting properties or possibly actually acquire the three residential lots if the slope easement and grade revision damages are considerable. If Federal Funds are used on any segments of this project, a relocation assistance program will e available on those segments to owners of property acquired for the project. F-, 1 i I'- 0 Record of Official Proceedings of the Common 'Council of the City of Rochester, Minn., May 24, 197,1'; 1 • 1 FJ 0 This advisory assistance program will be administered by Steven Kvenvold Room 208 City Hall. You can either phone, write or visit him personally as this project proceeds, if you wish to have some assistance from him if relocation of a business or a home becomes necessary. After descritpion of the project we will later have a brief comment of the relocation assistance that is provided to property owners. The nature of this assistance will be described later in the hearing. A second announcement is that the design is being conducted by professional engineers. Inconsidering these corridors they are aware of their obligation to not only to provide a swift, safe, and economical street facility but they are also aware of their obligation to provide the most benefit while keeping disruptions to the area residents to a minimum. We have an obligation not only to the traveling public but to the residents of the area. A third announcement is that anyone may submit a written statement and this statement will be included in the official hearing record providing that the statement is received at the office of the City Clerk on or before June 3rd. Fourth, information developed between the time of tonights hearing and approval of the final project will be available for public inspection and copying at the office of the City Engineer. Fifth, we feel this project will have a minimal, if any, adverse environmental effect and the beneftis will be significent to the transportation quality of Rochester., We will now proceed with the description of the project. Following that, the City Engineer will briefly describe the relocation assistance that is available. After that we will accept comments from representatives of organizations and then from individuals. Now to move into the description of the ppoject under consideration is the City Engineer, Archie Armstrong." C. A. Armstrong, City Engineer, then gave the following description of the construction project and also the relocation assitance statement. "This proposed alignment of 2nd Avenue N.E. between 2nd St. N.E. and 4th St. N.E. will follow an existing 75 foot right-of-way. This will be constructed as a four=lane 48 foot wide roadway, with no parking allowed. The roadway will cross the railroad tracks at grade and will be proectected with railroad signals. The roadway in this area will be constructed on a fill with 3:1 side slopes. The toe -of the slopes will cross over the property line as shown in red onthis plan. The sidewalk on the west side will at the same elevation as the roadway, that is, abovethe existing ground level. Access to 2nd Avenue will be prohibited from lots 4, 5 and 6 on the west side, and from all of Block 77 on the east side. A retaining wall will be necessary along the river on the east side, and along thel Utility Departmen's transformer station on the west side. 2nd Avenue N. W. between 4th St. N.E. and 7th St. N.E. will be a 60 foot roadway, constructed within City owned property. This will be a four -lane facility with parking on one side, and a sidewalk on the east side. The roadway on both sections will be asphaltic concrete surface with bituminous base and concrete curb and gutter." Relocation Assistance Statement As a part of -street improvement projects where land acquisition is involved, there is a Relocation Advisory Assistance program. Under this program, certain benefits are avilable to owners and occupants of property acquired for street purposes. Detailed information on this program is outlined in the Relocation Assistance brochure available here tonight. There are copies availabe at the lectern. This project will require that -we acquire one business and possibly three single family residences. Briefly the program provides for assistance to owners and occupants of homes and businesses acquired in finding suitable replacement housing and business locations. Reasonalbe moving expenses are also allowed to cover the cost of relocating personal property from the site acquired to the new location; or businesses under certain conditions may a lect to receive an amount up to $5,000.00 based upon net income, in lieu of moving expenses. Additionally, owners and tenants of homes and apartments may be eligible for certain supplemental payments to provide comparable replacement housing. This program also provides for reimbursement to owners for incidental expenses involved in transferring real property to the City, such as, recording fees, transfer taxes, partial release of mortgage, penalty costs for prepayment of a mortgage, pro rata portion of real property taxes, etc. Additionally, an owner of real property may be reimbursed for his cost in having -his property appraised as to the effect of the taking up to the limit of $300.00. Amounts paid under this program can be appealed from by the eligible party if they are dissatisfied with the approved amount. Appeals must be made to the City Council of the City of Rochester. To determine the probable available housing, we have contacted real estate firms, etc. and have learned from information gathered at this time that it appears 0 �02 Record of Official Proceedings of the Common Council of. the City of- Rochester, Minn., May 24, 197-1 that adequate accomodations will be available. We will continue to keep abreast of the housing -market right up to the time of acquisition. We are relatively certain that an adequate supply ofdecent,• safe and sanitary homes and places of warehousing are available to you. After the property has been acquired you -will be given 90 days written notice in which to vacate. • This program will -be administered by Steven Kvenvold, Room 208, City Hall." The recommendation of the -Planning and Zoning Commission stating that they had considered the proposed construction cf 2nd Avenue N.E.=from 2nd Street N.E. to 7th Street N.E. and find that the construction of -this street is'in-accord-with the city's adopted Thoroughfare Plan; and the Rochester -Olmsted Transportation Planning Study -"General Development Plan"; they are of the opinion that this street will provide -a needed bypass route for traffic that is not . destined for the central business district and as such should provide some relief to traffic volumes on Broadway; they are in agreement with the proposed construction plans as presented and would like to suggest that the area between the sidewalk and the Zumbro River be properly sodded or planted in grass and that some trees also be planted in this area. The recommendation was ordered placed on file and made a part of this hearing. President Postier asked if there was anyone in the audience wishing to be heard. There was no one present wishing to be heard. President Postier declared the hearing officially closed. ' Upon motion by Willmarth, second by Strain, -and all voting in favor, the request of George W. Beeler, Jr., Chairman for tickets and promotion for the 1971 Art Festival, for permission to hang a banner across 2nd Street S.W. between the alleys west of Daytons and Woolworth's, to be in place during the week of June 7th, was approved. Upon motion by Willmarth, second by Kamper, and all voting in favor, the request of Rochester City Lines to move the bus route --from 19th Avenue N. W. between 33rd and 37th Street to 18th Avenue N.W. between 33rd and 37th Street was approved. -- Request from Rochester Art Center for authorization to park a porta panel in front of the Olmsted County Bank Building on Second Street S..W. Upon motion by Larson, second by Willmarth, and all voting in favor, the request was approved and the permit granted. Recommendation of the Finance Committee that the City accept the offer from • Wilmar Enterprises to purchase approximately .68 acres of land fronting on Elton Hills Drive for a total price of $10,000 contingent upon their receiving U. S. Corps of Engineers or City Engineer approval within 120 days from acceptance of offer and provided that any property needed by the City for channel widening under our flood plan would be deeded -back to the City at no cost. A motion was made by Larson, second by Kamper,.to proceed with the sale; all voted in favor. Recommendation of City Planning and Zoning Department that the application to vary the provisions of Paragraph 41.305-2 of Ordinance No. 1558 as it applies to proposed Apache Mall Shopping Center Resubdivision No. 1 be approved. Upon motion by Larson, second by Willmarth, and all voting in favor, the recommendation was accepted and the variance granted. • 10 Record of Official Proceedings of the Common Council of the City of Rochester, Minn., . May 24, 1971 10 1 1 n U ,1 Mr. Tom Moore, Planning Director, stated that they felt a frontage roadway might be needed in Gateway Subdivision and they had been unable to get a firm commitment of any kind. Upon motion by Larson,.second by Strain, and all voting in favor, the matter was referred to the Public Works Committee, . A petition signed by residents in Allendale Subdivision along and near the frontage road requesting .that their property be changed to the commercial zone was read and ordered filed. The Planning Commission is presently reevaluating the whole area out there so no further action was taken. Mr. Stan Ernste of 822� 2nd Street N.'W. was present and said on 4th Avenue North of Valhalla Drive it seems that the City owns property and there seems to be some building activity going on and he.was wondering what was taking place.. Upon motion by Strain, second by Kamper,.and all voting in favor, the matter was referred to the Public Safety Committee. , Mr. George Holter, Rochester City Lines, was present and submitted various changes in his bus routes and.requested approval of same. Upon motion by Willmarth, second by Larson, and all voting in favor, the.request was approved. Upon motion by Willmarth, second by McNary, and all voting in favor, the meeting was. adjourned. 07)-71 Ci Clerk r