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11/06/1995 - City Council Special AGENDA SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday November 6, 1995 5:00 p.m. Municipal Center Conference Rooms L ROLL CALL & ADOPTION OF AGENDA II. VISITORS TO BE HEARD III. FISCAL IMPACT CONSIDERATION ON INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT W. CABLE COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION PASS THROUGH OF PEG ACCESS FEE • V. OTHER BUSINESS VL ADJOURNMENT • icii0U`+L� MEMO _city of eagan • TO: HONORABLE MAYOR & CITY COUNCILMEMBERS FROM: CITY ADMINISTRATOR HEDGES - DATE: NOVEMBER 3, 1995 SUBJECT: SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING/MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1995 A Special City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 6, at 5:00 p.m. in the . new Conference Rooms on the second floor of the Municipal Center building. As a reminder, you will enter the building on the east side, upper level. FISCAL IMPACT CONSIDERATION ON INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT The inquiries and applications for industrial development are numerous and diverse, causing the need for policy discussion with the City Council. There are certain trends occurring, i.e. the number of trucking firms has escalated during the past couple of years. Staff has felt that a fiscal impact study to examine property tax implications on industrial development would help guide the direction for the type of industrial development desirable for the community. The City Administrator and Director of Finance met with the Woodbury City Administrator and Finance Director to discuss a comprehensive fiscal impact study that community is completing to determine how their community should build out by the year 2000 within the MUSA line and various assumptions for developing outside their MUSA. In addition, their assumptions include an examination of the associated costs for certain land use in correlation with operating costs. The City Administrator will comment further on the approach and data compiled for the Woodbury study. Specific policy issues to be covered are: • Are we willing as a City to be patient and allow an appropriate absorption rate for industrial development or should development be market driven with less concern • for land use compatibility? • If the City removes 160 acres of industrial property for public purpose, will there be a significant property tax consequence to the community? l • What is the property tax impact and land use consequences of changing industrially zoned property to residential, i.e. the Unisys parcel? Staff has prepared maps that will illustrate the current use of industrial property with a special acknowledgement of those industrial sites that are currently being used by trucking/transport firms or large distribution companies, i.e. Coca-Cola, American Food & Produce and UPS, that include some mixture of manufacturing, processing or distribution. In summary, the purpose of presenting this fiscal impact analysis for existing and proposed uses within our industrial parks is to consider some public policy and direction to City staff to work with land owners/developers for future development and expansion within those land areas that are zoned industrial. In order to achieve these objectives, it may be necessary to consider new zoning classifications or restrict conditional use permits for outside storage. Also enclosed on pages 3 through gr for City Council review is correspondence from Karen Flood, a Lone Oak Road resident, who within the last week sent a letter to the City Administrator raising concerns about the increase in truck traffic on Lone Oak Road through her residential area. This is one of many examples of how the increased truck traffic is impacting the community. Attached to this correspondence is a letter to County Commissioner Bataglia and a memo to Director of Public Works Colbert regarding this issue. CABLE COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION/PASS THROUGH OF PEG ACCESS FEE For background information on this item, please refer to Consent Agenda Item U. Staff would like an opportunity to spend 5 to 10 minutes briefing the City Council on this item. If the direction is acceptable to the City Council, it would then be handled as a Consent item. /S/ Thomas L. Hedges City Administrator city oFacigcin THOMAS EGAN . Mayor October 27, 1995 PATRICIA A HUNTER SANDRA A. MASIN THEODORE WACHTER Council Members PATRICE BATAGLIA . DAKOTA COUNTY COMMISSIONER THOMAS HEDGES City Administrator DAKOTA COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER E.J. VAN OVERBEKE 1590 WEST HIGHWAY 55 City Clerk HASTINGS MN 55033-2372 Re: Correspondence/Karen Flood, 1518 Lone Oak-Road Regarding Weight Limit on Lone Oak Road Dear Commissioner Bataglia: _ — I am forwarding a copy of a comprehensive memo that was prepared by Karen Flood who resides at 1518 Lone Oak Road. Her memo is entitled "Weight Limit on Lone Oak Road (Dakota County Road 26)" and her concerns are safety and weight limits due to the increase in truck traffic on Lone Oak Road in her neighborhood. I have asked our Director of Public Works to review the concerns raised in Karen Flood's memo. Any help or assistance you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to contact Karen directly or this office at any time. • \\,!"-Er Sin ely, Thomas L. Hedges City Administrator cc: Karen Flood Tom Colbert, Director of Public Works Enclosure TLHreh MUNICIPAL CENTER 3830 PILOT KNOB THE 3501 COACHMAN POINT THE LONE OAK TREE MAINTENANCE FACILITY ROAD E SYMBOL OF STRENGTH AND GROWTH IN OUR COMMUNITY EAGAN,MINNESOTA 55122 1897 EAGAN,MINNESOTA 55122 PHONE:(612)681-4600 PHONE:(612)681-4300 FAX:(612)681-4612 Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer FAX:(612)681-4360 TDD:(612)454-8535 TDD:(612)454-8535 I — - -- — • a • MEMO city of eagan TO: DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS COLBERT FROM: CITY ADMINISTRATOR HEDGES DATE: OCTOBER 27, 1995 SUBJECT: CORRESPONDENCE/KAREN FLOOD, 1518 LONE OAK ROAD REGARDING WEIGHT LIMIT ON LONE OAK ROAD Attached is a comprehensive memo-"Weight Limit on Lone Oak Road (Dakota County Road 26)" written by Karen Flood, 1518 Lone Oak Road. She has expressed a number of concerns about weight limits and safety of increased truck traffic on Lone Oak Road in front of her home and neighborhood. Karen is asking for our assistance In the form of a study that would consider options to solve various problems and issues she's identified in her memorandum. I would like you to review this memo and attachments and contact Karen directly to review any thoughts you might have regarding her concerns. I would appreciate your sharing the outcome of any discussions with Karen so I can include the same with the City Council since I am sending a copy of this memo to their attention. I am also copying Dakota County Commissioner Patrice Bataglia so she is also aware of these issues. Thanks for your attention to this matter. City Administrator Attachment TLH/jeh • T0: Tom Hedges, Eagan City Administrator a'1© FROM: Karen Flood, 1518 Lone Oak Road, Eagan �vV 454-2631 ! OCr DATE: October 12, 1995 RE: Weight Limit on Lone Oak Road (Dakota County Road 26) I would like to bring to the attention of the City of Eagan a major safety problem on Lone Oak Road between Pilot Knob Road and Highway 13 . Action by the City of Eagan may well save lives in the future. As a County Road, Lone Oak is posted by the county with •a weight restriction of 9 ton axle weight. According to the County Engineer' s office, this would allow dump trucks, concrete trucks and some semi trucks to lawfully use this roadway. Over the past five years I have observed a great increase in the number of very large trucks, double- long trucks and trucks hauling heavy equipment that travel on Lone Oak Rd. Initially, I thought the increase was due to the closing of the Mendota Bridge and construction on Highway 13. Now I recognize that the increase is proportional to the number of trucking industries newly located and expanding in the industrial park areas in northern Eagan. All major thoroughfares in this area such as Lexington, Pilot Knob and Yankee Doodle Rd. have the same 9 ton axle weight. They also have been improved to accommodate oversized, heavy vehicles and have multi-lanes, turning lanes, curbs, gutters and walking paths. The west end of Lone Oak Road does not have any of these features. It is strictly a residential area with a school and a park. In May of this year I talked with Sergeant Larson of the Ragan Police Department who indicated that the police department does riot have the ability to weigh or pre-judge the weight of vehicles. Therefore, the police do not enforce the weight posting. He stated that many trucks use the Lone Oak route to avoid the traffic lights on Pilot Knob and Yankee Doodle. I see evidence of this in the fact that the Best Brands Company, located on Yankee Doodle Road near Highway 13, regularly route their trucks up Lone Oak Road. Sergeant Larson further stated that he felt it would take a major incident or an "act of congress" to make a change in dispatching of vehicles on this roadway or a weight restriction change by the county. I have also discussed the rationale of the 9 ton posting with Dave Everds, Dakota County Engineer. He stated that because Lone Oak is a County State Aid road and that the trucking companies pay taxes the truck traffic cannot be restricted. (I was unable to get a list of criteria used by the county to set the weight limits. ) After this conversation I did some surveying of other Dakota County roads and weight postings and found that THERE ARE county roads in the area with characteristics similar to Lone Oak which are posted at a lower weight level. Enclosed is a comparison chart of my findings. Mr. Everds said that asking each of the local trucking companies to be good neighbors and mindful of the residents and school students was our only recourse. • Page 2 This is not a satisfactory solution to the problem! : This section of Lone Oak Road has a variety of circumstances which pose serious safety concerns for the residents, pedestrians and all vehicle traffic. The 9 Ton Axle Weight should be lowered and enforced. Some of my concerns are: This is a residential area with many driveways and very limited visibility at the crest of the hill. - There is a 9% grade between Highway 13 and Pilot Knob Road. - Most of the roadway is two-lane with no curb, walking path or improved shoulder. - Pilot Knob Elementary School has walking students. - Neighborhood children bike and walk to use the playground and park adjacent to the school. - Traffic stops for school buses which pickup and discharge students at several locations on the unimproved shoulder of the road. - Mail trucks, sanitation trucks, and newspaper delivery vehicles obstruct and change traffic patterns as they serve the area. - Many residents must cross Lone Oak to pickup mail which is delivered on the north side of the street. - Many walkers, joggers and bikers use Lone Oak Road because of its terrain and beautiful vistas. I have observed a number of potentially dangerous situations involving large, heavy vehicles on this road. Weight restriction signs and 9% grade signs can only be observed after vehicles have entered the roadway from the east or west. Drivers have no opportunity to turn around, so they continue. - The Pilot Knob Elementary School parking lot has now been posted with No U Turn signs. Large trucks attempt to turn around at the school causing safety concerns and damage. - Trucks traveling down-grade at 40+ MPH at the crest of the hill swerve into the other lane to avoid pedestrians, delivery vehicles, bikers, stopped cars attempting to turn into driveways, and residents collecting mail. There have been several jack-knifed trucks which blocked all traffic. - Drivers who are impatient with slow moving, heavy trucks attempt to pass unsafely on the hill using the on-coming lane of traffic. - One local newspaper suspended delivery on Lone Oak Road citing the risk to drivers and their vehicles. Another local delivery person is paid extra to ;serve Lone Oak Road. - Several semi trucks have been disabled on the hill when fuel tanks read "empty" because of the incline. The police had to direct . traffic to avoid accidents. • • Page 3 While I have not taken a survey of all the residents on Lone Oak Road, I know the truck traffic problem is a growing safety concern. ' i . respectfully ask that the City of Eagan initiate a study of options to solving this problem and represent the interests of the residents in discussions with Dakota County officials. If necessary, I would gladly contact all residents with a petition or set up a neighborhood meeting where the issue could be discussed. • I recall when plans were being made for routing 494 and 35E through northern Eagan that there was a concern for increased traffic in our area. Residents were assured that the extensive upgrading of Yankee Doodle Road, Pilot Knob and Lexington would provide safe truck routes to the freeways. With the same weight limits as the major roads, Lone Oak Road has become an unsafe alternative to many drivers. Thank you, Tom, for anything you can do to bring this matter to the attention of the City Council and county government. Please call me with any questions or additional avenues I should pursue in this matter. Feel free to copy this memo to the Eagan City Council, Commissioner Patrice Battaglia, Dakota County Highway Department and anyone who can • assist: in addressing the problem. • • /37 • SHORT SURVEY OF TRUCK TRAFFIC ON LONE OAK ROAD s , May 15, 1995 _ TRUCK_COMPANY/TYPE FINE UP/DOWN No. Star Transport/Semi 11:15 Up Bensing/Tanker 11:15 Down Ov rnite/Semi 11:35 Down Dart/S nil 11:35 Down Dart/Cab only 11:40 Down Mid States/Semi 11:45 Down Yellow/Semi 11:45 Down Levy Transport/Semi 12:07 Down ?/Semi 12:16 Up Yellow/Semi 12:19 Down ?/Semi 12 :20 Up 1 Toro/Semi 12:20 Up Prior Lake Machine/Semi 12:24 Up Levy Transport/Semi 12:28 Up ?/Semi 12 :28 Up 1 Carriers/Semi 12 :30 Up ?/Semi 12 :31 , Up ?/Semi 12:32 Up Large Crane Truck 12:55 D' n Crane/Oil Tanker 1:05 - Up Break Leslie Supply/Semi 1:25 Down Anderson Windows/Semi 1:27 Up . Quast/Semi 1:33 Up Break CCC/Semi 4:20 Up Best Brands/Semi 4:21 Up Roadway/Semi 4:21 Up 5 Star 4:33 Up ABF 4:39 Up ?/Semi 4:42 Up Roadrunner/Semi 4:42 Up Roadway/Semi 5:05 Up Kraft/Semi 5 :06 Up This survey does not include dump trucks, delivery trucks, school buses, small business trucks, or sanitation trucks. Ff .