Memo - Hopkins ISD bus facility
Public Works Department
Memorandum
To:
Copy:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
Rick Getschow, City Manager ~
Steven J. Stadler, Public Works Director
From:
Date:
October 7,2005
Subject:
Hopkins School District Bus Facility
This work session item is a discussion with City and Hopkins School District staff on the current
status and upcoming actions regarding the proposed new facility.
TRAFFIC
he city's traffic consultant, Benshoof & Associates, has analyzed the impacts of the school bus
facility on traffic at the intersections along 11th Avenue. The report predicts that the level of service
at the 6th Street and th Street intersections' will drop one level as a result of the traffic associated with
the bus depot. The report also predicts minimal increases to queue lengths at these intersections, on
the order of 1 - 3 cars (or one large bus) maximum in length. The potential range of additional delay
times are as shown below:
th StreeV11th Avenue intersection
A. M. peak hour, all traffic movements from the west leg and south leg of the intersection: 5 - 10
seconds additional delay. Currently, there is a zero to 10 second delay.
P. M. peak hour, all traffic movements except those from the east leg: 5 - 15 second additional
delay. Currently, there is a 10 -15 second delay.
6th StreeV11th Avenue intersection
P.M. peak hour, all traffic movements from the south leg of the intersection traffic movements: 10
- 20 second additional delay. Currently., there is a 15 - 25 second delay.
Staff is waiting for more detailed information from the consultant to better predict the additional
expected delays at these 4-way stop intersections. This information will be available for the work
.ession. The point of this information is that if a motorist is currently waiting, on average, 10 seconds
to get through and will, as a result of this project, experience a 30 second delay, it is not insignificant
.nd will definitely be noticeable. If there is another traffic ~enerator (redevelopment) introduced into
this area it could necessitate traffic signals at the 6th and 7 h Street intersections to maintain
acceptable traffic flow and level of service.
Other traffic related concerns:
. There is the possibility that returning buses will back up onto th Street creating problems for
the other businesses. The city should make any land use agreement conditional that this
condition not occurs.
. There is the possibility that the actual traffic impacts could be greater than anticipated. The
city should retain the right to require the school district to participate in the cost of traffic signal
installation or to modify bus routing if either action lessens the traffic impact. Exact language
of any such condition/s would have to be worked out.
CITY BULK DROP-OFF PROGRAM
Staff recommends that a site plan be developed that provides for a separate paved area and access
point to continue to provide this semi-annual program. A separate area would be required as
Hopkins residents would be strongly opposed to changing the bulk drop-off dates to coincide with
school breaks such as spring break and MEA - many families take vacations during these school
breaks.
. potential additional benefit is that the bulk drop-off area could be used as a snow emergency
vehicle impound lot.
BUS DEPOT MEETING NOTICE MAILING LIST
Staff provided a mailing list to the school district. The listing was compiled to include each property
owner according to current Hennepin County records plus a separate mailing to "resident" if the
property owner's address differed from the parcel address. There is the possibility that new
businesses and addresses are added to a building and it not be reflected in the Hennepin County
data.
A address was provided for each Westbrook patio home residence.
SCHOOL DISTRICT LEASE
As stated in my August 4 memo, the City must decide what is fair compensation for the School
District long-term use of this property. Besides the items mentioned above, items to consider
include:
- Property value and associated fair lease rate could be determined by a commercial
property appraiser with the property value discounted for remediation costs
- Although Hopkins bears the impact of the facility, the potential benefits of reduced taxes
extend to all School District residents
- The lease rate should cover costs of accelerated deterioration of th Street South and 11th
Avenue South pavements. Example: If we assume a th Street South mill & overlay in 5
years and every 10 years thereafter with the School District covering one half that cost, the
annual lease rate would be $4,500. This does not include increased maintenance costs for
11th Avenue pavement.
- A lease should require the School District to pay any real estate taxes
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September 27 2005
SECOND PUBLIC MEETING
6:00-7:30 p.m.
October 6, 2005
Katherine Curren Elementary
1600 Mainstreet, Hopkins
Dear South Hopkins Resident:
You are cordially invited to attend a presentation on a proposal sponsored by Hopkins
School District 270. Hopkins city staff will also be present at the meeting. Hopkins
School District staff members will present their plans to build a new school bus depot.
The bus depot is proposed to be built on six acres of land at the northwest corner of the
old landfill, located just south of 7th Avenue South, two blocks west of I I th Avenue
South.
Proposed project plans call for extensive improvements to the landfill site to further
contain contaminate infiltration of the air and ground water environment, construction of
a building for school bus operations, and a parking lot for buses and cars. If the proposal
is approved, constmction would begin in the spring of 2006.
After the presentation, Disl1ict staff, Hopkins city staff, engineers, and the project
architect will be present to answer your questions.
Please join us to learn more about this proposal and offer your input.
. Future City Council approvals will be necessary before consl1uction can begin on
this proposed project. These future meeting dates will be provided as they are
scheduled.
If you have questions or comments, please contact Jim Rhodes, Director of Business Services
for the Hopkins School District, at 952-988-4006 (jimJhodes@hopkins.kI2.mn.us) or Steven
Stadler, Director of Public Works/City Engineer, at 952-548-6350 (sstadler@hopkinsmn.com).
HOPKINS SCHOOL DISTRICT 270
Hopkins, Minnesota
PROPOSED BUS DEPOT
Questions & Answers
Question: Has the Hopkins School District explored other possible sites or locations for a
bus depot?
Answer: The District has been looking for a suitable location for four years now. Over
72 sites have been evaluated. These sites were found to be unsuitable for many reasons:
the site was too far fronrthe District or too small or too costly or the zoning was
inappropliate or the access too limited or the owners unwilling to sell, etc. The Hopkins
City landfill site meets our needs and in addition, it is not on the City's tax rolls.
Meaning, there would be no tax increases due to this project.
Question: Will the proposed bus depot utilize all of the land upon which the dump site is
located?
Answer: The proposed depot would occupy about 6 acres of the total 26 acre site.
Question: Is the proposed bus depot a year round operation?
Answer: Except for a few buses, the depot would only operate on school days dUling the
school year. It would be closed evenings and weekends and holidays. It would be shut
down for two weeks dUling the winter holidays, over fall and spring break and during
most of the summer. The school year is about 174 operating days.
Question: Does the proposed bus depot provide any cost savings to the Disuict and
Hopkins tax payers?
Answer: Total accumulative cost savings would be about $500,000 a year. Since this
project helps the District control fixed costs (i.e. buildings and land), the inflationary cost
savings will become significant over the years. Also, the funding for this project was
voter approved in the 2001 Capital Bond Election.
Question: Is the Hopldns dump site suitable for other private, commercial, or non-
governmental uses?
Answer: The Hopkins dump site is not suitable for other uses. Much of the site is
polluted and venting methane gas. The cost to upgrade the site for commercial use would
not be cost effective. TIle costs would offset business profits. The Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency does not have the significant funding a cleanup would require.
Question: The Eden Prailie School DistJict stores its buses under cover when not in use.
Why does the Disuict's proposal call for outside parking?
Answer: School buses are designed to stand outside year round. The cost to park buses
inside would be very expensive in relation to the benefit received. The Eden Prairie
School District site has overhead cover but no walls or buildings for buses. Most school
districts and school bus contractors in Minnesota park their buses outside.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
September 30, 2005
Mr. Jim Rhodes
Director of Business Services
Hopkins School District 270
1001 Highway 7
Hopkins, JI..1N 55305
RE: ISD 270 Proposed School Bus Facility Located at Hopkins Landfill
Dear Mr. Rhodes:
I am writing this to docUment my phone conversation with you on Monday, September 26, 2005,
and regarding my meeting I had with your environmental consultants last week. Your
consultants presented a revised layout of the school bus maintenance building and parking lots
proposed for construction at the City of Hopkins Sanitary Landfill. This landfill is a closed
facility that is managed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Closed Landfill
Program.
During the meeting last week, it was brought up by your consultants that the School District had
conducted a public meeting to discuss the proposed project. As I stated in our phone
conversation, I was taken aback that the MPCA had not been notified of this meeting, since
MPCA is responsible for the management of this 37 acre site and your project, and ultimately the
public, is impacted by our actions and requirements. I leamed frorn my meeting. with your
consultants that there were questions from the public that concerned the waste relocation that
will occur if our proj ects move forward. I also learned that a second pubUc meeting has been
scheduled for October 6, 2005. I received your emailed notice of this second meeting and plan
on attending this meeting so as to be available to answer questions that pertain to the current and
future management of the landfill.
The following items were discussed during our September 26 phone conversation.
. The scheduling of the landfill cover and gas extraction system upgrade needed if the School
District project moves forward is contingent on the State Legislature authorizing bond funds
for this proj ect;
. Earlier conversations with the School District and their representatives indicated that a $1
million grant from the State Department of Employment and Economic Development was
likely to be inade available to the School District for site improvement costs. MPCA had
stated that this $ I million would be needed for the necessary waste relocation, gas extraction
system modifications, and landfill cover construction costs attributable to the District's
portion of the total landfill upgrade. As this project has evolved, it appears that the overall
cost of the landfill upgrade may be higher than the $2.5 million estimate made last year.
520 Lafayette Rd. N.; Saint Paul, MN 55155-4194; (651) 296-6300 (Voice); (651) 282-5332 (TTY); www.pca.state.mn.us
Sf. Paul. Brainerd. Detroit Lakes. Duluth. Mankato . Marshall. Rochester. Willmar
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Mr. Jim Rhodes
Page 2
September 30, 2005
Once MPCA has hired a design consultant to prepare detailed plans and specification, a
better estiI+1ate of costs will be made. Depending on the new project cost estimate, the
MPCA may ask for additional cost sharing from the School District; and
. MPCA is required by statute to conduct a public information meeting prior to implementing a
new remedy at a facility in the Closed Landfill Program. This meeting will likely take place
in early 2006 after sufficient progress has been made to design the upgrade. I would
anticipate the School District would have it's representative present to discuss specific
questions the public may have regarding the bus maintenance facility.
With these items in mind, I stated that the School District will need to proceed with the bus
maintenance facility located at the Hopkins Sanitary Landfill at their own risk. MPCA can not
guarantee that the landfill upgrade project will be able to proceed on the timetable the School
District would like to see. Weare doing everything we can to work with the School District so
both of our projects can be completed in a coordinated in a time-efficient manner. In order for
that to happen, it is extremely important ,that we work together, including public presentations, to
achieve a suitable project acceptable to the public and our respective needs.
Please feel free to contact me at 651/296-7274 if you have any questions or concems regarding
this project.
Sincerely,
&~.~
Peter W. Tiffany, P.E.
Senior Engineer
Petroleum and Closed Landfill Unit
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
PWT:ais
cc: Eric Hansen, P .E., Pinnacle Engineering
Christopher 1. Carda, P.E., RLK Kuusisto Ltd.
Richard Getschow, Hopkins City Manager