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CR 01-202 13th Ave S. Road Right Of Way Vacation CITY OF ~ Council Report 2001-202 December 13, 2001 HOPKINS . PUBLIC HEARING 13th AVENUE SOUTH ROAD RIGHT OF WAY VACATION Proposed Action Staff recommends the following motion: Move that Council continue the public hearing for the consideration of a etition re uest b St. Jose h's Church for vacation ofa ortion ofthe 13th Avenue South road ri ht-of-wa to Januarv 15, 2002, at 7:30 p.m. in order to allow time for study meetings to look at potential alternatives. Overview At the November 7, 2001, meeting, the Hopkins City Council received a petition from St. Joseph's Church to vacate a portion of the road right-of-way along 13th Avenue South located between 1st Street South and Mainstreet. At that same meeting, the Council ordered the reconstruction of the same segment of 13th Avenue South. It was decided that final design ofthe reconstruction project would be put on hold pending a decision on the vacation issue. St. Joseph's hosted a neighborhood meeting on December 5, 2001, at the John Ireland School to discuss the potential vacation with the neighborhood and to try to address any concerns that the property owners in the area might have with the vacation proposal. At their December 13,2001, work session, the City Council was given an overview ofthe St. Joseph's proposal and the issues that have come up to date. There was a large neighborhood turnout at the work session and the people in attendance were allowed to state their views on the issues associated with the potential vacation. The three main issues that were identified at the work session were; closing off access to 13 th Avenue South from the properties south of 1 st Street South; possible added traffic on lih Avenue South; and on-street parking on 12th Avenue in the vicinity of the City a Gables Condominiums. Hearing notices have been mailed to area property owners of record. Because it is ~ossible that the letter from St. Joseph's Church did not reach the same people as the official notice of the hearing, staff is recommending that Council open the public hearing to hear input from anyone who desires to speak or may have issues that have not yet been heard or identified. Notice has also been sent out to the local utility companies who have responded that they would not object to the right-of-way vacation provided a utility easement was recorded in the same area as the right-of-way being requested for vacation. Staff has identified three potential dates on three consecutive weeks (Dec. 2ih, Jan. 3rd, and Jan. loth) that meetings could be held to try to identify a solution that is agreeable to representatives of all groups directly affected by this potential vacation. After speaking with the City's consultant for the design of the 13 th Avenue South reconstruction, it is possible to still complete the final design and keep the assessment schedule on track if a decision on the vacation were able to be made at the January 15,2002, City Council meeting. Primary Issues to Consider . Study Meeting Group . Project Schedule for 13th Avenue South Supportin2: Information . St. Joseph's Concept Plan for area should the roadway vacation be approved . Petition and Neighborhood meeting letter from St. Joseph's . Memo to Council dated December 6, 2001, from Steven G. Bot, Assistant City Engineer . Letter from Dennis and Tom Roof dated December 6, 2001 . Traffic Study Review of Proposed 13th Avenue S. closure, February 5, 1999, Benshoof & Assoc., Inc. .~,~ Steven G. Bot Assistant City Engineer Council Report 2001-202 Page 2 Primary Issues to Consider . . Study Meeting Group As requested by Council, staff has identified three possible meeting dates (Dec. 2ih, Jan. 3rd, and Jan. 10th) to get a study group together in order to try and identify an overall solution that would be acceptable for all affected groups. Staff is recommending that at least two meeting dates and times be agreed upon. Meetings would most likely be held at City Hall and could be held at any time of day that is agreeable to the group members. The area groups identified to this point have been the City Gables Condominiums, Southern Area Properties, Northern Area Businesses, St. Joseph's Church, and the American Legion. If any other unrepresented groups were identified at the December 18, 2001 meeting, they would also be invited to the meetings. In addition to City staff, the City Council would also ideally be represented at the meetings. . Project Schedule for 13th Avenue South The condition of the roadway along 13 th Avenue South is at a critical point of failure and needs to be reconstructed next year if the vacation cannot be worked out. Reconstruction of this roadway section was delayed back in 1998 while the vacation option was explored. Since that time, the roadway condition has deteriorated to this critical point of failure and staff feels it must be. either reconstructed in 2002 or vacated in order to keep the road passable and maintainable. The City has over $1,000,000 in assessments planned for an assessment hearing this spring, and staff feels it is critical that we stay on the schedule outlined below. With this revised schedule, final design timelines on 13 th Avenue South have been reduced as much as possible down to only two weeks. State statutes do not allow for flexibility in the assessment process timelines. . Proposed Revised Project Schedule for 13th Ave. S and the 2002 Street Improvements: Public hearing on vacation (continue until Jan. 15) December 18, 2001 Study Group Meetings December 27, 2001 January 3, 2002 January 10,2002 January 15,2002 January 15, 2002 February 5, 2002 Week of March 11, 2002 March 19,2002 April 16, 2002 May 21, 2002 June-September 2002 Continued public hearing on vacation Authorize or cancel 13th Ave. S. final design Approve plans, 2002 Street Improvements Bid opening Order assessment hearing Assessment hearing Award bid Construction . ..y:. ,,~; , ~"_........_.. _r_.......M..~ '.... I.... ~...' 92S19 X r.....^.................................................; ~ ..../ 1 X 915.2 II /"" ------- -.- -- --..-' \ / /_.-.-___.... I ; ...--....... J I X I ( "'\ ''or' ! 913 4 f \ 9145 \ . \ X \, " ... '\, ' ....--/ , \ , I \ \, \ ~...., , ; \.........~- -....-...--..... i I \ I . \ .......... PARKING STALL COUNT STANDARD STALLS DISABLED STALLS TOTAl. 194 12 206 . . . Mr. Steve Mielke City of Hopkins 10 10 S. 1 st Street Hopkins, MN 55343 "RE: Request for vacation of 13th Avenue South between the alley South of Mainstreet to 1st Street South Dear Steve, The Church of St. Joseph is requesting the vacation of the above mentioned roadway in an effort to improve safety for the children attending the school and daycare. The extending of green space from the current comer of C;entral Park to the grassy playground area will enable us to provide safe access to what we are planning to be a nice youth play area with playground equipment and pathways. Based on a past City Traffic Survey showing little change in traffic patterns to the surrounding streets and the savings to the City for the upcoming reconstruction project, we feel that it is a win-win situation for both the City of Hopkins, the City Taxpayers and the Church of St. Joseph. We are in the process of having some plans drawn up to present to the City and will have those available for a neighborhood meeting The church is in the process of setting up a neighbor hood meeting with the surrounding neighbors and letting them know what our intentions are and to work with them to make sure that their concerns are heard. We have also had a discussion with Mark Anderson, on behalf on Ron Clark Construction, who would like to build a project on the property. Since we still are in the process of a search for a new pastor and would rely on him for his leadership and guidance, so anything along those lines would be extremely premature. We appreciate your consideration on this matter and look forward to continue to be a good neighbor to the City of Hopkins. Sincerely, i1 v&tLLl f Jelinek / . 9 It! /c/rl/ I;JU/~U~'f,~ PaulO'Gorman (::" ---~ . . . saine; ..J"oseph s- paRish 1310 MAINSTREET / HOPKINS, MINNESOTA 55343/ PHONE (952) 935-0111 November 27, 2001 Mr. Steven G. Bot Assistant City Engineer, City of Hopkins 1010 1 st Street South Hopkins, MN 55343 Dear Mr. Bot: The Church of St. Joseph's has been in conversations with the City of Hopkins regarding the vacating (closure) of a portion of 13th Avenue South. The Church of St. Joseph's is going to host a meeting with the residents and property owners on 12th and 13th Avenues that are most affected by this change. We respectfully request your attendance at a meeting to be held on Wednesday, December 5 at 7:30 P.M. in room 12 of the John Ireland School building. The purpose of this meeting is to hear the concerns of the property owners and to explain what St. Joseph's is contemplating. We want this to be a brainstorming, workable session to arrive at satisfactory recommendations addressing the needs of all the people. Representatives from the City will also be at this December 5 meeting. The closure of 13th Avenue is primarily for the safety of the children at the daycare center and John Ireland School and those attending our CCD and other related programs continuously during the week. Th~ Ch-..1rc.h ?Jso plans on developing a playground area on the grass portion of the property for the use by the children. The Hopkins City Council has scheduled a work session to li1eet with the Church and the neighborhood to review the plan we develop on December 5 and discuss the potential options before the Council makes a formal decision on December 18. This December 11 meeting will take place at 6:30 P.M. in the Raspberry Room of City Hall. You are naturally invited to attend all three of these meetings but please be aware the December 5th and 11 th ai:'e working ses.sions which will probably result in recommendations to the City Council. Enciosed for your review and insight into' 'this matter is a trafnc I'eview of this proposal completed by Benshoof and Associates, Inc. at the request of the City of Hopkins. This report is dated February 15, 1999. It may be beneficial to review this report prior to our December 5 meeting. Once again, we encourage your attendance at the December 5 meeting so we can hear your concerns. As stated above, we believe a workable and beneficial solution can be achieved. Tha~ you for your time and consideration. LiJn Jelinek, Trlstee Q II ." . :'Jr~ \f ~ ttJ~. 0 ~'1?~~ Paul O'Gorman, Trustee Directions: enter the east door of the Jolm Ireland School building (parking lot), down the stairs, turn left . . . Public Works Department Memorandum TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council COPY: Steven C. Mielke, City Manager Steven J. Stadler, Director of Public Works FROM: Steven G. Bot, Assistant City Engineer )(h DATE: December 6, 2001 SUBJECT: Review of St. Joseph's Church Petition for Vacation of 13th Ave. So. December 11, 2001, City Council Work Session On November 7, 2001, St. Joseph's Church submitted a petition request for the vacation of a portion of the road right of way on 13 th Avenue South between 1 st Street South and Mainstreet. St. Joseph's has submitted the attached concept plan for what they would propose to do should the street be vacated. Representatives of the Church will make an in-depth presentation of the plan to Council at the work session. St. Joseph's hosted a neighborhood meeting on December 5, 2001, at the John Ireland School to discuss the potential vacation with the neighborhood and to try to address any concerns that the property owners in the area might have with the vacation proposal. In addition to City staff (Steve Stadler and Steve Bot), representatives of the City Gables Condominiums, the American Legion, and property owners of three apartment complexes on 13th Avenue South were in attendance. Highlighted below are some of the issues that came up during that meeting, and additional information is also provided that has been gathered by City staff since the meeting in an attempt to shed more light on'the concerns raised by the residents. If the road were vacated, where would the alternate route be for emergencv vehicles to access the area south of 1 st Street South if the intersection of 1 st Street South and 12th Avenue South becomes blocked for some reason (accident, etc.)? This issue was reviewed with the City Fire Marshall and he indicated there are three feasible alternate routes that emergency vehicles could take to access this area if the intersection of 1 st Street South and 12th Avenue South was blocked or restricted. These alternates include using the alley located between 11 th Avenue South and 1 ih Avenue South, using the parking lot and trail located on the south side of Central Park, and using the St. Joseph's parking lot and the trail in the potentially vacated 13th Avenue right of way. City staff would work with the Church to make sure the last option was designed into the St. Joseph's site plans. . . . Could an entrance into the St. Joseph's parking lot be made from 15t Street South in order to alleviate some of the traffic from 12th Avenue South? After discussing some possible options with representatives of the Church, it seems feasible that a drive entrance to the parking lot could be located on the north side of 15t Street South adjacent to the alley on the south side of l5t Street South. The drive entrance would then curve to the east and head north so that the playground area space can be maximized. Could on-street parking along lih Avenue South in the vicinitv of the City Gables Condominiums be eliminated to allow better visibility for the City Gables residents as they enter 12th Avenue South? Elimination of anyon-street parking on lih Avenue South would most likely only be considered if equal and alternate public parking were allowed in the St. Joseph parking lot. The Church has expressed willingness to allow public parking in their lot if an agreement could be reached that would address liability and police patrol issues. City staff would highly recommend that a lighting upgrade in the lot be required of the Church if any agreement is made for public parking in the St. Joseph's lot in order to decrease the risk of incidents occurring. The counts for the traffic study (attached) which were done to look at the impacts of vacating 13th A venue South were taken in January and do not reflect the traffic that comes to the area when activities take place at Central Park during the summer. What would the traffic study have shown if the counts were taken in the summer rather than the winter? After a lengthy discussion with the recreation coordinator in charge of the Central Park activities regarding the use of the park and the impacts of this potential vacation, the following conclusions can be made. An average of approximately 25 cars come in 2 shifts per night (approx. 50 cars total per night) to use the ball fields directly adjacent to 13th Avenue South. Approximately half of these cars would normally come from the north and likely use 13 th Avenue if it is available. It can be assumed that all of these cars park as close to the ball fields as possible. As a result, parking for the activities in the park at the S1. Joseph's lot would be necessary to compensate for the lost on-street parking along 13 th Avenue South. Since the main activities at the park occur at night (after the peak hour), the added traffic would not be included in the peak hour counts which represent the highest period (hour) of traffic in both the morning and the evening when people are going to and from work, school, etc. Because of this, the City staff feels that the report and the counts taken are accurate and a good representation of the potential traffic consequences of closing 13th Avenue South. The Church has also pointed out that during the summer, when the park traffic is the highest, the traffic going to and from the Church is the lowest due to school not being in session. There also has been some discussion revolving around possibly turning the existing alley running from lih Avenue South to 13th Avenue South into a one-way alley rather than two-way as it currently exists. At least one business owner located north of this alley has . . . indicated that he would not be in favor of such a change. The general consensus to this point has been to leave the alley as is for now regardless of what decision gets made. The possibility of making the alley a one-way could be brought up at any point in the future if problems arise. The statement was also made by the owners of the apartments located on 13 th Avenue South between 1 st Street South and 2nd Street South that having to turn and go up 1 ih Avenue rather than being able to just go straight north on 13 th Avenue would be more inconvenient for their renters. Although the inconvenience of going one block over verses going straight is undeniable, it does seem to be minimal and isn't completely unusual for many residential areas. In an attempt to help the numbers make more sense for the expected volume changes on 1ih Avenue S. north of 1st Street S. if13th Avenue S. is closed, I have put together the following summary of some other peak hour volume counts for comparable streets in Hopkins. Street AM Peak Hour 12th Ave. S. if 13th Ave. S. is closed 126 (from traffic study) 11th Ave. N. (north of Mainstreet) llth Ave. S. (south of Mainstreet) 8th Ave. N. (north of Mainstreet) 8th Ave. S. (south of Mainstreet) PM Peak Hour 181 408 626 148 306 201 472 147 336 City staff feels it is also appropriate to inform the council of the estimated costs for reconstructing 13 th Avenue South. The estimated pending assessment for reconstruction is $47,994.70 for St. Joseph's Church. The estimated City costs for the reconstruction project are $66,268.00. This estimated City cost does not include costs for the proposed watermain looping that may possibly be done regardless of the decision on the possible vacation. At this time, neither the Church or the City are proposing any direct City costs for the changes proposed with the potential vacation. All direct costs associated with the proposed vacation changes would be the responsibility of St. Joseph's. The public hearing and first reading of an ordinance for the petitioned vacation is scheduled for December 18, 2001. Staff is hopeful that a decision will be able to be made at that time as to the potential vacation. If a decision is made not to vacate the roadway, final design for the reconstruction of this portion of 13 th Avenue South (which has been on hold to this point) will be ordered to continue and the project could be constructed next year as was deemed necessary due to the existing pavement condition, which is at the point of failure. . . . December 6, 2001 Roof Development Properties Tom Roof 14369 Waco St N.W. Ramsey, MN 55303 (612) 427-3116 Mr. Steven C. Mielke. City Manager City of Hopkins 1010 First Street South Hopkins, Mn 55343 - 7573 RE: CONSIDERATION OF CLOSING 13TH AVENUE SOUTH, HOPKINS Dear Mr. Mielke: ." .,j,'",::,.' . Last evening we, along with several others, met with Paul O'Gonnan and John Jelinek, Trustees cfSt, Joseph's. We welcomed the opportunity to 'dialogue with them and were pleased that they informed those in attendance ofa work session on the 11th of December. We were most appreciative of this information since we cannot be in attendance at the December 18th meeting. Although we '\\111 be attending the work session, we are v.-Titing to voice our concerns, as we were informed by Mr. Stadler that the December 11th session could be closed for input from those in attendance, iithe work council so wished. We feel it is essential that we voice our strong ()p.icr.S!#)~ to the closing of 13th. We can appreciate trying to find a win-win situation, but, as of tI>>~SirP,y~!W~ 4~ve, 091 lJ~J;d of any such proposals ~;~i~?~~~~$i1~:~~;~;~--';;;'~~;p~,~fI~1\;~[,; ;.; st1;eet andJorcetlietraffic of over: lOOfifrnil1es'to usethe'Interseetton;,ofFust.and 12~.This, .,' , i<>wiU~ Mover \Ii\!. #W)i~~~gi1s .bOund .bfExoelslltr ""the~OOrh:.ij;,,'paT}p.;;~~~#,Ol1d n'lS aI1 extt out.pfilie at~ qY:l.lSmgelther 12thor-I 3\\!,.As,')'ou are aware, ea<:hfiU?1llyg~Ilerate~ many trips out of~earea'~ch day~Webelieve we heard that eachfamily makes.~~7trips'per .. day. This means that approXimately 400 trips would cross the~b"qve-mentioped intersection. . The increased traffic past CitiGa{)les would have an adverse affect on the many seniors who have to exit onto ithAvenue. Additiona1iy~ se:i1iorS who cross 12th to go to' church or other areas to the west would also face a greater risk. ' , ,", ," . " ," " -' .. ..' .... . .,;:. ~:.~-'.., ",: -'. '! Currently the times that school is in session are the times that there is the least amount ofti'~c on 13th. This has not been aproblern in the past and should not be one in the futUre, It appears that this proposal would cause safety risks for a greater population. This population is the seniors a~Citi9aQlesand the over lO~ fanrilies on the bloGk betwe~p.12th& 13~South, ,,~""\ .,.,."." ,,,:, Of suspec,t is ~ ~eytPat w~stakenon' two days in January] 999 to coul)ttraffic.This survey Wa$ taken em. oiw.day when, it):vas snowing and on the Other,Whenthe:weatl1er was wel~betow '.~e[Q...)Vo~ld it AQth~x~J)~~!lbetter,ifthis survefbadbeentakenin June, J~ly; orAu~~~,'.'lh~n ;~,~,pa.,r~Ji.el.cl$~ej~ed'\vith b:3ffiC;' andparkirig'has"become',a~prQbl~m7", lrifcict".us~rs. 9! Aw, ' ",' "",v... "',_ . <,,,,,,,,,,,\, """,,,, ,., ,'" ,,", <'" ,,<,,,, ,.'." ,'''''',/'''''''''' .... . . ' ',< ',' "",.-' ..,' "," ',' '. ,. "',' ",H'i:' .pa.rl!.,haYe)lS~a9ude~$t's -parkirig;lots;'$there.'wasJiottoom 'on:the~streets;" Ii dQesn't,ti3ke "", ~, """""""""''''''''"".,:,L.;,(""".;,,'j,,;,~r'.~, ',' . ,'c,,;,':- "",..~. """" """,,,'..., ',.,. .... ~ '. '..-"" """', )",'-' ,:,:;.,,". much to'figure the pr601eh1s-you:wotlld'face':navll1g:0rie'lIitersecttoltandJ~mw~d.stte~t~',~Q:u1d a .. ", -... .... ,..~~.' '.:j':':';;-"~" .:<. ~:r~!(;}me~&~n9yar~~~",~HyJt~ .a.Ji.~e t.ruc~ o~, ambulance having to get into this area in atiiriely .:~~~~r.... "., """,',,,,:,, ;",,,,,..:,.,,,~ ,'.;~,.C'!lt,,~ L~":~J :;,;,,:.\::n'}:::;;:;j.~ .., ,,~':,~'~ '~;-:;'!, ".;- ':"~" '. '"' ,~ . ".,:~" ,- '. . ,.:.:":':'" .....'..,' . _.... f':;.;"'" . . . We do not believe there is a problem and to take action on this proposal would create more of a problem than it would solve. If you are truly interested in data regarding this area and traffic flow, then conduct a study that takes into account summer traffic and a much more complete sampling. Estimates by guessing do not work. Again we question if there is a problem and, if this proposal was enacted upon, would it create a larger problem? Do you suppose that St. Joseph's does not want to pay the cost of repairing the street? We sincerely hope this isn't the motivation. St. Joseph's will gain by not having to pay for a street and increasing the size of their playground at the expense of over 100 families, as well as the seniors of CitiGables. If safety is a concern, what measutes has St. Joseph's taken to deal with the situation? Have they established student or adult crossing guards during the school day? Have they increased the signage on the street calling attention to the cross walks? Have they worked with the Hopkins Police for increased patrols? Have they asked for speed limit signs? Since a great deal oftraffic during school time involves people dropping off and picking up little ones from St. Joseph's day- care center, have they done in-service with those people? Under the proposal, this traffic would still continue. Have they considered an overhead cross walk? Please explore other options, if in fact a problem exists. Of all the schools in Hopkins that have streets adjacent to them, this one probably has the least amount of traffic. Would the City consider closing other streets that run past other schools? We think not. . We hope this letter gets consideration at your work session. Should the meeting be open for input, we would welcome the opportunity to expand upon our position. Thank you for the opportunity to express our strong concerns on this matter. S~, '-6:--r. ~dA': --~ ~ ~ Dennis & Tom Roof Roof Development Properties C: Cecil Kloss, President Citi Gables Association Steven Stadler, Director of Public Works Eugene Maxwell, Hopkins City Council Richard Brausen, Hopkins City Council Diane Johnson, Hopkins City Council Bruce Rowan, Hopkins City Council Karen Jensen, Hopkins City Council . . 11'.... ,. L. VI L. V V I .J I ..J J I III v. I '_VI _11\,11 ".&.1'..... 11\01, V I I " .I BENSHOOF & ASSOCIATES, INC. TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS AND PLANNERS 10417 EXCELSIOR BOULEVARD. SUITE "TWO I HOPKlNS, MN 5534:3 / (612) 238-1SS7 / FAX (612) 238-1671 February 15, 1999 REFER TO RLE: 99-08 MEMORANDUM TO: StevenStadler ~. FROM: James A. Bensho~~d Kenneth W. Anderson RE: Traffic Review of PrQPosed l~rllAvenue S. Closure PROPOSAL St. Joseph Catholic Church School has requested that Hopkins close a portion of l3lh A venue S. from the ~ley south of Main St. to a point just north of 1 Sl Street S. The purpose of this closure would be to connect church properry east of 13111 Avenue S. with the schooVchurch development west of 13111 Avenue S. This closure would redirect vehicle trips, which are presently using this street, and the City has asked our firm to review the pr~bable impacts of such redireco<;m on the neighborhood street system. BACKGROUND Eleventh Avenue S. connects the Main Street business area with ~celsior Blvd. at a signalized intersection. Central Perk forms a neighborhood boundary west of l31h Avenue S. A one and a half block area between III and Zrd Streets S., east of Central Park and west of 11th Avenue has a mixmre of single family homes and apanments. Access to and from this area is restricted to 1 JI Ih . ~ ' Street S. (easterly) and 12 or 13. Avenue S. (northerly). A church play field and parking lots, along with the Legion Club, which'fronts on 12th Avenue S, utilize the ,area between 12th and 13th, north of 1st Street S. The church wishes to use the 1311l Avenue S. right-of-way as an expansion area for parking and as access to the church play field (Figure 1). The City would retain the street section to the cominercial alley south of the Main St businesses. Access to the church, school and parking lots would be reconfigured to discourage through trips. Town houses and apartment buildings in the south 'half of the block between 11th Avenue S. and 12111 Avenue S-. north of First Street take access via 1211l Avenue S. Redirection of trips from 13th Avenue S. to lZIh Avenue S. will have some impact on access and egress to these units. . . . jI1VY./..U.l.VVI,j..JJllfl \11 I I_VI_I(VI 1\.1I\1V 11V. V I I I. U --- ~ .....1 -~~~ '-:; .3/ ~ o ~ r l : -- : I 1 i. i XHl;tll. I I ~ tti 1m ffn; '" . , ~ t ~ .- -;6- N t APPROXIMATe SCALE I 100' 3 CITY OF HOPKINS TRAFFIC REVIEW OF PROPOSED 13TH AVENUE CLOSURE FIGURE 1 CURRENT CONCEPT PLAN m BENSHOOF &ASSOCIA1ES, INC. U TIlANSPORTATIO!l ENGINEE.l!SAHD PLANNERS .n.... I' 4. VI L. IJ IJ I J' oJ; I Jrl Y.&. I 1_""'1 _IIVI I\JoltV nv, V I I I, I Mr. Steven Stadler -3- February IS, 1999 . TR~FFIC COUNTS City craffic counts on 11 en Avenue S. show that the segment between Excelsior Blvd. and Main SL carries 10,000 vehicles per day. Main SL west of 11 <II Avenue S. carries 8, 100 vehicles per day. ,-. Manual traffic counts were made by City staff from.7 to ~ a.m., from 11 :00 a.m. to 1 :00 p.m., and from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on two consecutive days in January 1999 (Monday, January II, 1999 and Tuesday, January 12, 1999). Turning movements were counred on 1" Avenue S. at l2lh Street S. and at 131h Street S. Entering and exiting movements were also recorded at the Legions parking lot, townhouses and condos on 121ll Avenue and at the St Joseph's school. Two-hour volumes . (average of tWO days) are shown on Fig. 2-4. It should be noted that activity in Central Park is less intense in winter months and that additional trips could be expected during the summer period in conjunction with ball ga.mes and/or other park related activities. OBSERVATIONS Based on. review of the City traffic data and observations in the area, we have determined that most trips using streets in this neighborhood consist of the following movements: a) Neighborhood trips - Tra.vel with an origin or destination at dwelling units served by 1"- Screet S., 121ll Avenue S. or 13!h Avenue S. "b) Business trips - Travel to ot' from the Legion Club or orher businesses norm of 151 Street S. . c) Church traffic trips - Primarily related to the church school during peak periods on weekdays. This includes parents dropping of or picking up students. d) Short-cut traffic - Some motorists traveling between the west on Main Street and the south on 1111> Avenue are using 12111 or 13"' Avenue in order to avoid delays at the Main Street/11'" Avenue traffic signal. PROBABLE CP..ANGES IN TRAFFIC MOVEMENT . Based on Out traffic review, we have determined that the proposed closure of 13lh Avenue will have the following effects on the neighborhood: · Residential traffic, which presently uses 13th A venue S. to reach Main Street, will have 10 relocate to 1211> Avenue S. 'This is estimated to be 30 to 40 trips per hour during the peak hOUT. 12lA A venue S. carries a moming peak hour volume of 40 to 50 vehicles per hour and an evening peak hour volume of 50 to 85 vehicles per hour. With 13'" Avenue S. closed, neighborhood trips will increase volumes on 121h Avenue S. to an estimated 70-80 a.m. trips. and 90-125 p.m. trips. It should be noted that the predominant flow on 12111 Avenue S. is southbound and the predominant flow from the neighborhood is northbound. Therefore, rhe_ impac!..2fJbj~_re4ir~ctf?ftftQ..~..~iU.!l.Qrp.~_a_significao.t~~. · Some trips between Main Street (west of 131/1 Avenue S.) and the nth Avenue SJEJ\celsior Blvd. intersection presently short-cut through the neighborhood to avoid delays at signals along Main Street. (Note the heavy southbound to eastbound left tUrns from 12 and 131!1 Avenue S. to First Street S. and the h,eavy westbound to northbound right turns from westbound First Street S. to the north). We would expect a shift of some traffic back to the 111b AvenuelMain Street intersection and some movement of trips from 13\11 Avenue to 12111 Avenue if 131ll Avenue is vacated. We projectthanhe segment of 1Zlh Avenue S. between Main Street and First Street S. will show an increase of approximately 20 trips (10 northbound and 10 southbound) in each of the peak hours due to redirected short cut trips. r (.rj ~ ~ 1 cr.i I . I s::::: ~ ~ <c s::: ~ ~ ttJ .q: .,... ~ ,... 1 Legion W , School gJ I =N- - i , 19 Legion 3 l A.. Condos r ~2 ,r3 6 r 1 0 ~ .1 t:2 - r4 r ITownhomes 1 2149 ~~ l'-- C\lCI:l<q< L42 J~l r2 8-1' L,a - iri 70 ~ ~49 1~ 2 N 334 1 st Street S. 11!rr- t Note: Volumes are aveia f ~OTTO SCALE on Monday, Jan. 1~:1 9~9~~~~rd~ by ~ staff . ay, an. 2. 1999 r ...... ~ ". IVV'. L U. L V V I ) . '1' V I III \I! II_VI_IIVII\!11U . . . CllY OF HOPKINS TRAFFIC REVIEW' OF PROPOSED 13TH AVENUE ~ CLOSURE \iIj BENSHOOF & ASSOCIATES INC U TR^NSPO!lTATlOHElII;INE5RaAll[lp~PlNE~S 11V. V I I U FIGURE 2 EXJSTING,TRAFFIC VOLUMES FROM 7:00 TO 9:00 AM ...., ,--.-......' .,..,.... ......t V I I ,. J ,- .. cri ""' ~ Ctj I c::: !f ~ '" c: S ~ 0') ~ "t"- ;::: ~ 12 ...; Legion 1-1 School ~-.1' ---=w.j 11 Legion I 12 5 6 - l AI Condos r- ~4 r2 1 r - 2 0 ~ t1 r2 r ITownhomes 2 914 ~l COCCln L23 .J t ~l r4 . SJ L39 - 1l ~ 17 -? ~24 2~ 7 N 1 sf Street S. .1~lrr- t Note: Volumes are averages of cou ~OT TO SCAI..E on Monday, Jan. 11 1999 an:S~rdsd by City staff , ay., Jan, 12, 1998 ~ ~I" j . . . CI1'Y OF HOPKINS' TRAFFIC REVIEW OF PROPOSED 13TH AVENUE CLOSURE m BENSHOOF & ASSOCIATES, INC, V TRAIISPORTA1l0NE1lGI~EERSAHD PLANI/~llS FIGURE 3 EXISTING TRAFFIC VOLUMES FROM 11:00 AM TO 1:00 PM ,. r ., ,cr.i .' ~ <I:l I ;:::, cd c:: ~ ~ ":z: E::: ~ ~ 0) '" - ;:: C\i Legion -110 U School 16J 4=w, "I - I I 5 16 Legion 6 L. endos r- 3 " ,r1 17 r- .. - 1 3 L. t:1 - r3 r Townhomes 3 3055 ", ~~ In IOln~ L42 ' JJ ~ L-L ,r4 .... -- .,~ 3 33 trr 56 ~ <-54 N 1 st Street s. 21~!rr- 424 t Note; Volumes are aye of ~OTTO SCALE on Monday. Jan. ~,~S9S~~~~=~ by City staff , an. 12, 1S99 ". , ~. ~',. . .HV11 ,-v. L.VV I v. I '_\JI_IIVI 1\.LI"V .I. -r v 1 III . . . CITY OF HOPKINS TRAFFIC REVIEW OF PROPOSED 13TH AVENUE CLOSURE ' OJ BENSHOOF & ASSOCIATES INC U TR},IISPORi},TlON ENGINE!!~S},HD P~H~S !lV, V I r I I I V FIGURE 4 EXISTING TRAFFIC VOLUMES FROM 4:00 TO 6:00 PM . . . "IWY. LV. LVVI ).'tVIIYI vII I_VI_"VI 1\11~v IVV. V I I I. II Mr. Steven Smdler -7- February 15, 1999 · Some trips to and from the Legion parking lot will be forced. to use the 12t11 Avenue entrance/exit rather than entering or leaving via 13111 Avenue. We estimate this to add six vehicles to 12U1 Avenue S. in the morning and 16 vehicles in the evening with an even directional split. · Another group of drivers to be impacted by this change is paren'cs dropping off or picking up children at St. Joseph's School. The present movement from First Street S. via 13th Avenue will be replaced by an access from the alley behind the Legion Club. We estimate that ten cars per hour in each direction wiIl be added to 121A Avenue S. during each of the rush hours as a result of these movements. Note rhat this increase will also be added to the alley rraffic. For analysis. the two-hour count periods were converted to one-hour (peak hour) volumes. Noon period (11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) volumes were also evaluated and were found to be significanTly lower than either of the peak hours. The following table presents rhe expected volume changes on 12111 Avenue S. north of Iff Street if 13111 Avenue is closed. The evening peak hour has rbe higher volumes' and represents the criteria for impact evaluarion Summary of Expected Volume Changes on lZIb A venue S. North of 1.T1 Street S. if 13l1l Avenue is Closed NB AM Peak Hour SB Total PM Peak Hour NB SB Total Exisling volumes Additional volumes if Bill Avenue is closed :Neighborhood nips ----==:--' Short-cut trips Legion trips ~~($cbo-9L~ps Total volumes if 13111 A venue is closed 20 30 50 35 50 85 20 10 30 25 15 40 10 10 20 10 10 20 3 3 6 8 8 16 10 lQ 20 10 10 ~' 63 63 126 88 93 181 EVALUATION Impacts on Nei2"hborhood Trips (Residents to South Who Now Use 13111 Avenue Closing 13rA Avenue S. will redirect some neighborhood trips [0 12!1l Avenue S. We do not feel that the resultant one Ot" two blocks of additional travel distance will represent a major imposition on the neighborhood. Imoacrs on the 12l1l Avenue S. Townhouses and Cond~ Increased traffic on 12lh Avenue S. norrh of 1 jl Street S. will result in slight increases in delay for entering or exiting mm:onsts using these driveways on 12ih Avenue. The resultant delays, however, are not. expected to be substantial because driveway volumes are light and because the total projected volumes on 12/l1 Avenue are just in the moderare category. . . . '.I~V'. i..V. i..VV I .I.'" I "" \I,L I '_VI_IIVI I\J.I'I..I I. Ii.. IlV. V I I -~ Mr. Steven St:ldler . .8- February IS, 1999 . Fire and Safetv Impacts Closing 1311I A venue S. will redirect police surveillance paths. The police departmenr should comment on any concerns for patrol patterns. We have some concern chat fire response apparatus will have only a single path access to the neighborhood However, 1'1 Street S. is the most direct approach path and this will not change. We recommend that a second emergency only access be provided ar I I tII A venue S. and 200 Avenue S. for use if the 1:" Street SJ1211l A venue S. intersection. is blocked. " School Droo-off Impacts-- Parents traveling berween the schoo! and the southeast on 13!ll Avenue and 1" Street wiIl have to redirect their travel path, most likely to 1111I A venue S. and Main Street. Effect on "Short-CU!'~ Traffic Drivers who Want to. a'loidrhe Main Street signals will have one less optionavailabie. This impact should not, in and of ~rself. be a deciding factor. However, th~se trips along with the Other traffic diverted to the 1211\ Avenue SJMain Street signal will increase delays at thar intersection. There also will be some diversion of rne~e "short-cm" trips back to the 11 tit AvenueMain Street intersection. We view any shift of nips to the 11 rJ\ A venuelMain Street intersection as a positive change because these streets are intended for such use. CONCLUSIONS While peak hour volumes on 12111 Avenue S. are expected IO increase from 50 vehicles per hour to 126 vehicles per ho'ur (a.m. peak) and from 85 vehicles per hour to 181 vehicles per hour (p.m. peak), the volumes still would be in the normal range for local downtown streets. We have some concern for design details ar me 13'" A venue S. intersection with the commercial alley. This alley is too narrow for two-way traffic movements. If 13tl1 Avenue is closed south of the alley, we recommend rhat the alley be restricted to one-way travel, eastbound from 131h Avenue S. to 12m Avenue S. If the City is interested in closing The subject segment of Bill A venue, we recommend thaI the church and school develop a basic traffic operations plan for approval by the City befOre final action occurs [0 close the Street. This operations plan is imponant to identifY the basic ingress and egress patrerns ,that would be used for different church and school functions and routing suggestions that would be communicated to users. Objectives that should be accomplished in this operations plan include: · Maximize traffic use of Main. Street and 11 '" Avenue · Minimize rraf'fic use of l21h Avenue by the condominium and townhouse developments. · Minimize traffic use of the alley between 12lh and 13111 Avenues south of Main Street · Minimize vehicle/pedestrian conflictS in the expanded parking lot. Provided thar the suggestions expressed in this TepO!! are implemented, we are confident that the subject segment of 1311l Avenue S. can be closed wirhout causing any significant traffic difficulties.