Cliff Buchan
News EditorRoad improvements in the Keather Avenue area of Forest Lake should be underway this week.
That became possible Monday when Forest Lake City Council at a public hearing heard only mild opposition to the road project and voted 3-1 to accept the proposed assessment amounts and order the project. Three formal appeals of the proposed assessments were received prior to the public hearing.
Bids for the paving and ditch improvement project were received early by the city as part of a ìbundleî bid that included several road projects, said City Engineer Phil Gravel.
The road work targets Keather Ave., 217th St. N., 219th St. N., 223rd St. N., and 223rd St. Ct. N. The roads are slated to receive a class five aggregate base, a two-inch bituminous base course and a 1‡-inch bituminous wear course. Minor ditch work is also planned to address drainage issues.
Total project cost is set at just under $385,000. The 63 parcels in the project area will pay a special assessment of $6104.76, Gravel said.
More support for the council backing was supplied by a citizen petition from the project area. Area resident Linda Paulson submitted a petition containing the names of more than half of the parcel owners who were in support of the project.
Two of the appeals came from property owners who have land in the project area that touches the target area but has a majority of its frontage along North Shore Trail N. They said they would see little benefit to their property from the project.
One of the corner land owners, Jeff Carpenter, said 245 feet of the 330 feet of road frontage along his property is already paved and the property address is on North Shore Trail, not Keather.
ìIt is a unique property,î Gravel conceded to Carpenter during the hearing Monday. But the engineer said the model for assessments was built on the parcel basis with no consideration to actual lot size.
The latter was also the chief concern of resident Alvin Norby who filed an appeal of his $6104.76 assessment. With only 30-feet of frontage slated for improvement, he questioned the assessment of the full amount to his property on N. 217th St.
Norby said the project would also result in safety issues with vehicles driving faster, more crime and vandalism and increased traffic volume.
During the summer of project planning, the city was able to reduce the parcel assessment amount. The $6104.76 charge is about $1000 lower than the initial proposed assessment of $7090 per parcel, Gravel said.
In the 3-1 vote to order the improvement project, Mayor Ray Daninger and Council members Rick Ashbach and John Tom Lynch were in favor. Susan Young was opposed and Bruce Carlson was absent.
Youngís no vote came after City Attorney Dave Hebert assured the councilwoman that any successful appeals of assessments would be the responsibility of the city and not other property owners within the project area.
The assessments will be spread over a 10-year period. Council will vote on the final assessment role at a future meeting.
More road projects
Council Monday also took action to finalize several other road projects recommended by Gravel. They include:
ïA $23,000 cost for improvements to SE 9th Street with four assessable lots to pay $5740.79 each for the work. Construction is underway. The assessment hearing is set Oct. 25.
ïA $95,210 cost for paving improvements on 184th St. N. east of US-61 with 21 assessable parcels to pay $4533.81 for the work. Construction is underway. The assessment hearing is set Oct. 11.
ïA $76,440 cost for surface paving on Jason Ave. and Janero Ave. N. with parcels adjacent to the construction to pay $2708.44 for the work. Construction is underway. The assessment hearing is set Oct. 11.
Council also awarded Buschville Construction, the low bidder at $84,030, the contract for grading and utilities for an airport industrial park road to serve two commercial building pads. The company was the low bidder from five firms that sought the bid last month.
The grading and utility work will be followed next year by a paving project that Gravel estimated at an additional $35,000.
City Administrator Chip Robinson said the city has two purchase agreements pending in the airport industrial park and the road will be needed to assist with development.
Park board gets wish
A request by the Forest Lake Park for a smaller board and pay for its members won approval from council from Monday night.
Under the merged city and township, the park board has existed with nine members. Because of resignations, the board has been unable to recruit additional members to reach full board status.
Earlier, the park board asked council to consider an ordinance change to allow for a seven-member board. The board has operated with seven members for most of the year and felt the total was adequate.
Council voted 4-1 with Daninger, Lynch, Ashbach and Bruce Carlson in support. Young was opposed. The business item came early in the meeting to accommodate Carlsonís schedule. He had to leave early because of another commitment and four-fifths approval was needed on the ordinance change.
The ordinance change will also provide compensation to park board members. Members will now receive $25 per meeting and reasonable reimbursement for travel and other necessary expenses incurred.
Under the change, any member of the board can be removed by the mayor with the consent of city council for cause after a hearing.
Moto Mart car wash OKíd
Plans for a new car wash at Moto Mart won approval from council Monday based on staff review and in part on a recommendation from the planning commission. Moto Mart, 1898 S. Lake St., was granted a conditional use permit for a single-bay, fully automated car wash.
Doug Borglund, community development director, recommended approval with a requirement Moto Mart close its northern most and southern most driveways from US-61. That requirement was made in writing to city staff by the Minnesota Department of Transportation for safety reasons.
In its review, the planning commission did not list the driveway closing as a requirement. City approval will also align the car wash with the gas pump canopy to better suit traffic at the pumps.
Councilman Rick Ashbach questioned if the distance of the car wash exit to US-61 was too close and may lead to ice on the road during the winter.
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