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Memo- Discussion of Shady Oak Rda MEMO To: City Council and Zoning and Planning Commission From: Nancy Anderson Date: August 25, 2006 Subject: Discussion of Shady Oak Road Shady Oak Road is proposed to be reconstructed between Excelsior Boulevard and Highway 7. The reconstruction of the road is scheduled for 2009 and 2010. With the reconstruction of the road there will be opportunities for redevelopment along this corridor. Hennepin County has contracted with Hoisington Koegler for the Shady Oak Road Redevelopment Plan. The Plan will outline redevelopment concepts for specific locations in the reconstruction corridor. Attached is the report from a joint meeting with the City Councils of Hopkins and Minnetonka held on July 11, 2006, that details the background and the next steps. Attachment City Council Joint Study S ssion Meeting of July 11, 2006 Brief Description: Update on Shady Oak Road Reconstruction and Redevelopment Study. Introduction The Hopkins and Minnetonka city councils are holding a joint study session to receive an update on the reconstruction of Shady Oak Road, between Excelsior Boulevard and Highway 7, scheduled in 2009 and 2010. This update will provide information on recent neighborhood meetings held to resolve issues necessary to have addressed for the preliminary design layout, which will come before the city councils in August. Additionally, an introduction will be given about the upcoming redevelopment study to be conducted by Hoisington Koegler Group, Inc. Background Last spring and summer several public meetings and several joint Hopkins-Minnetonka City Council Meetings were held to review and discuss concept roadway plan options. These meetings culminated in an August 23, 2005 approval by both City Councils for a preferred concept roadway plan. At that meeting both City Councils passed resolutions requesting Hennepin County prepare a preliminary layout based on the approved concept plan alignment. This approval was based on the understanding that Hennepin County and city staffs would continue to work out the neighborhood concerns during preliminary design development. Preliminary Design Layout Since that time, Hennepin County and its consulting engineer, WSB, have been refining the roadway plan in an effort to address neighborhood concerns, improve design features and ultimately obtain preliminary layout approvals from both City Councils in August 2006. This preliminary design layout (attached) is based on the preferred concept identified in 2005. The key aspects of the preliminary design layout include: • A four lane roadway design with a sidewalk on the west and a trail on the east. • The southern portion of the roadway is shifted very slightly to the west in order to provide better parking and circulation and minimize the partial take acquisitions needed on the east side of Shady Oak Road. • The Mainstreet intersection will be signalized, with a driveway leg extending to the west. First Street North will be disconnected from Shady Oak Road, and the two Oak Drive Lane intersections will be right-in, right-out only. City Council Joint Study Session of Juiy 11, 2006 Page 2 Shady Oak Road Reconstruction To the north, Lake Street Extension and 2"d Street North will be aligned by shifting 2"d Street to the north. On the west side of Shady Oak Road, a new cul- de-sac street will provide access to the homes remaining on the west side, north of Lake Street Extension. Shady Oak Road and Highway 7 will have a realigned intersection. North of Highway 7, the North Service Drive is rerouted to intersect Shady Oak Road further north. At the August 23, 2005 meeting there were several issues raised by neighbors and businesses regarding access, specific intersection designs, buffering, drainage, and landscaping that would need to be addressed during preliminary roadway design. On June 21 and 29, 2006 Hopkins staff and Hennepin County met with residential neighborhoods to present the refined roadway layout. Comments and responses received include: North segment (West Park Road/21St Avenue neighborhoods): • Buffering from new roadway: Adjustments to the previous alignment have left room for adequate buffering to include berms, plantings and/or fencing. Illustrated cross sections were presented at the meetings showing the relative elevation and distance from the proposed reconstructed roadway to the remaining homes and the areas where a 4' - 6' high berm could be built. Staff did not commit to fencing but stated the decision on extent of fence, if any, could be made during final design phase. Shady Oak Road/2"d Street North intersection function & safety: The consultant completed a detailed traffic/safety analysis of the new 2"d Street North/Lake Street Extension intersection. At the public meetings a traffic simulation was shown depicting projected 2025 traffic levels and the length of Highway 7 approach queues and spacing of vehicles allowing reasonable access to Shady Oak Road from 2"d Street North or Lake Street Extension. The proposed new roadway will eliminate the hill on Shady Oak Road north of 2"d Street. This will be a great improvement from the current situation regarding sight distance from the intersection. Drainage improvements: The project will include a new pond outlet structure and new drainage channel and/or pipes from the pond to the existing storm sewers at the Excelsior Boulevard intersection -significant improvements are expected. Work is continuing to better define the level of expected improvement given existing drainage constraints. • Future land use: Staff and consultants explained the previous City Council decisions dictated the area between West Park Road and Shady Oak Road would be dedicated to a landscaped buffer area only. • Cut-through traffic from Shady Oak Road to eastbound Highway 7: Staff and consultants stated the improved function of the Shady Oak Road/Highway 7 intersection should cut down on the amount of neighborhood cut-through traffic. • Noise concern for higher ground properties (218, 226, 238 21St Avenue North): Although these homes are 500+ feet from the realigned roadway, there is line-of- sightvisibility and there will also be road noise. Berming and planting or a fence City Council Joint Study Session of July 11, 2006 Page 3 Shady Oak Road Reconstruction will reduce, but not eliminate this noise. Currently, these homes are 600' - 650' from the roadway and somewhat buffered by the existing homes along Shady Oak Road. • Concern regarding school children safety: Staff will have to follow-up with the School District Transportation personnel to ensure that school bus drop-off/pick- up locations preclude children having to cross Shady Oak Road. • Property acquisition concerns: Residents whose homes are projected as "total- takes" had questions regarding appraisal process (fair market value determination) and flexibility on the timing of the takings. Hennepin County personnel explained the appraisal process and that individual negotiations can allow for some flexibility of when owners must vacate their properties. It was stated that after both City Councils approve the preliminary layout more detailed information would be provided to those property owners whose homes are being taken due to the road project. South segment (Avenues north of Mainstreet and just east of Shady Oak Road): • Buffer from roadway: The current roadway alignment improves upon the current situation by providing about 15' of space to buffer the nearby single family homes from the edge of the proposed trail and road. • Cut-through traffic on 18t" - 20t" Avenues between Mainstreet and 1St Street North: The consultant used traffic counts to show the impact (expected traffic redistribution) of terminating 1St Street North at 21St Avenue. The expected increases are on the order of an additional 18 vehicles per avenue during the PM peak traffic hour. • Future land use between Shady Oak Road and 21St Avenue North: Determined by previous City Council action to be landscaped buffer area only. The upcoming redevelopment study (see below) will address resident concerns regarding short- term and long-term land use changes adjacent to residential areas. On June 28, 2006, Hennepin County and Minnetonka staff met with two neighborhood groups to discuss the preliminary roadway design and the issues they raised during the concept layout approval process. Oak Drive Lane Neighborhood: • Access points: Oak Drive Lane has two access points onto Shady Oak Road, but with the reconstruction a new median will be built and both access points will be right-in, right-out only. During the concept layout approval, the neighborhood was divided on if an access to an extended Mainstreet should be provided. The neighborhood continues to remain divided on whether this connection should be made. North of Highway 7: • North Service Drive: The north service drive is shown to be rerouted to intersect Shady Oak Road further north. Rerouting the service drive necessitates taking two houses for the right of way necessary to make the connections. Those in attendance at the meeting, with the exception of a few of the property owners City Council Joint Study Session of July 11, 2006 Page 4 Shady Oak Road Reconstruction who would be impacted by the rerouting, agreed that if the location of the north service drive could not stay where it is today they would rather have it rerouted than no service drive at all. On June 29, 2006 affected business and commercial property owners met with city staff and consultants. Property acquisition and how tenant business owners are treated: Hennepin County staff explained that the law includes provisions for government payment of relocation costs of current businesses and that this is figured uniquely for each business. It was also stated the redevelopment study will include a relocation specialist that will be available to consult with every business regarding their particular situation and the relocation law. Redevelopment Study Hoisington Koegler Group Inc. (HKGi), who conducted the land-use analysis done during the concept layout process in 2005, has been hired by Hennepin County to work on a redevelopment study. This study will take the information collected and the direction given by the city councils in the land-use analysis, and along with additional information collection and public input create a redevelopment plan for the Shady Oak Road corridor from Excelsior Boulevard to Highway 7. The project area boundaries for the redevelopment study will include a primary and secondary study area. The primary study area will focus on areas that have redevelopment potential because of the reconstruction of Shady Oak Road. The secondary study area is comprised of parcels that may redevelop in the long-term. Throughout the redevelopment study there will be community meetings and joint study sessions with the city councils to review the work completed. Additionally, a relocation consultant wi[I be a part of the redevelopment study to meet with local businesses to address relocation concerns and identify potential relocation alternatives. Schedule and Next Steps The attached preliminary schedule combines both the schedule for the roadway approvals, roadway reconstruction and the redevelopment study work. For the roadway approvals and reconstruction work, the public hearing on the preliminary roadway design approval is tentatively scheduled for August 2006. If the city councils approve the roadway design, the detail roadway design and acquisition of right of way will begin, with construction scheduled for 2009 and 2010. The redevelopment study has already begun with some information collection. It is scheduled to continue through the remainder of 2006, with a redevelopment plan to be completed at the end. A series of community meetings and joint study sessions with the city councils will be held as part of the redevelopment study process. Dates, times and locations of these meetings will be announced as they approach. City Council Joint Study Session of July 11, 2006 Page 5 Shady Oak Road Reconstruction Discussion Questions • Do the councils agree that neighborhood concerns have been addressed to an extent that preliminary design layout work can continue? • Do the councils agree that the scope and process for the redevelopment study are appropriate? Submitted through: Rick Getschow, Hopkins City Manager John Gunyou, Minnetonka City Manager Originated by: Jim Kerrigan, Hopkins Director of Economic Development & Planning Steve Stadler, Hopkins Public Works Director Lee Gustafson, Minnetonka City Engineer Ron Rankin, Minnetonka Community Development Director - i ..~ ~w ';j ~ ~ ~€ ! ~ y`Y,r r t z ~, a ~,, J3 ~ eet s ~ ~ ~ ~ r ilic:"v. iJf~ ii ~:i :€ t~€ ~y[?' .~...'~ i- ~~: i • • N r ~ ~ Z ,,,,,, T II y ~ ~ ~.. a ~ _ > a~ m ',' ~ ~ > 0 O•y oN U ~ C. it ~ ~ ~ y ~ ~ N "-' k ~ ~ ~ ~~ d ~ ~ Q> oT o ~ a` ~. c~ E U _ _ __ _ - ~---- - _ - - _ 'T ~ y~ a - `F~:- +.rr. ~ f A I ~ ~ ~ ~ . 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