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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-12-15 PACKET 04.L.• C D evelop ment o . 0 4 rL4 10 Fil AGERDA ITEM # y ail • ' • ' •' Receive recommendation from the Planning Commission to not construct a sidewalk along the north side of the 7600 block of 62nd Street, the east side of the 6100 block of Hedgecroft Avenue, or the north side of the 7600 block of 61 st Street based on the fact that the majority of the affected property owners do not want the sidewalk across their properties. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Receive the Planning Commission's recommendation. ADVISORY COMMISSION ACTION REVIEWED APPROVED DENIED ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ COUNCIL ACTION TAKEN: APP OVER DENIED [:1 OTHER CITY • COTTAGE GROVE MINNESOTA TO: Mayor and Members of the City Counci' Ryan Schroeder, City Administrator DATE: December 9, 2010 RE: Pinecliff/Silverwood Sidewalk — Planning Commission Recommendation TITMONURT • The Planning Commission reviewed the sidewalk request from the Pinecliff neighborhood and recommended that the sidewalk not be constructed. This recommendation was based on oppo- sition from the majority of the affected households and the excessive cost to retrofit a sidewalk across those properties. If the City Council concurs with this recommendation, no action is required. On September 15, 2010, a petition from property owners in the Pinecliff and Silverwood neighbor- hoods to construct a sidewalk was presented to the City Council. The petitioners requested that the City and Lennar Homes fund this proposed sidewalk project. The petitioners' representative ex- pressed safety concerns for pedestrians, particularly children that must walk in the street because there is no sidewalk in the northern portion of the Pinecliff development. The City Council referred the request to the Planning Commission for review and a recommendation. On November 18, a neighborhood meeting was held to discuss options with affected homeowners. Four of 17 affected households were at the meeting. A slide presentation on various options was given by city staff. Staff also explained that retrofitting a sidewalk across developed lots will require the affected property owners to temporarily remove and re-install their underground irrigation sys- tems and that a portion of their front lawn and driveway slope will change. During construction, affected property owners must park their vehicles in the street for intermittent time periods for site preparation, form construction, pouring concrete, and curing. Honorable Mayor, City Council, and Ryan Schroeder Pinecliff Sidewalk Project December 9, 2010 Page 2 of 3 Avenue and north side of 61 st Street, one resident suggested placing the sidewalk on the west side of Hedgecroft Avenue and south side of 61st Street. The reason for doing this is because residents walking around the stormwater basin/wetland at the north end of the neighborhood would not have to cross any street, fewer residential properties would be affected, and the total length of the side- walk is shorter. One resident reported that a property owner on the west side of Hedgecroft Avenue does not want a sidewalk across their property. All the residents were pleased to learn that the School District relocated the bus stop from the northwest corner of 62nd Street and Hedgecroft to the southeast corner where sidewalks already exist. Now all the children waiting for the bus can stand on the sidewalk and not in the street. At the November 22, 2010, Planning Commission meeting, several property owners affected by the proposed sidewalk spoke against this project. All residents that spoke acknowledge that pe- destrian safety is the primary concern, but retrofitting a sidewalk after all the residential proper- ties are developed is too expensive and adversely alters driveway slopes and a portion of the affected properties' front yards. A petition signed by 14 property owners opposing the sidewalk was submitted to the Planning Commission. This petition contained signatures representing 10 of 17 affected households. A copy of this petition and a map showing their location in respect to the proposed sidewalk is attached. An excerpt from the unapproved Planning Commission minutes is also attached. I Sidewalk Options Listed below are seven options that were evaluated plus one option suggested at the information meeting on November 18: 1. No improvement project. 2. Standard six-foot wide concrete sidewalk at the right-of-way line. III I I I 1 151 7. Laneway stripe on one side of the street that parallels the curb along the north side of 61st and 62nd Streets and east side of Hedgecroft Avenue. & A five-foot concrete sidewalk on the west side of Hedgecroft Avenue between 61 st and 62nd Streets and along the south side of 61st Street between Heathstone and Hedgecroft Avenues. Honorable Mayor, City Council, and Ryan Schroeder Pinecliff Sidewalk Project December 9, 2010 Page 3 of 3 The Planning Commission recommends • • be constructed along the north side of - 7600 block of 62nd Street South, east side of • 11 block of H-••-croft Hedgecroft Avenue • or • •- of - 7600 block of 61 st Street • based on - fact that the majority of - affected property owners •• not want the sidewalk across property. • OPPOSING T November 22, 0 M 1#1 L� 97 �� ' MIMI • LEGEND Petition Objecting to Sidewalk Proposed Sidewalk "W" I 480 720 960 Park and Open Space Feet owl ■ , m 1 t: The City of • • Grove has received . petition t• construct a sidewalk on • side of the 7600 block of 61st and 62nd Streets and along the east side of Hedgecrofl Avenue between 62nd Street and Hearthstone Avenue. Blin explained that a petition for installation of a sidewalk was presented to the City Council in September. The Council reviewed the petition and referred it to the Planning Commission. There was a neighborhood meeting last Thursday night where four households were represented. One of the issues brought up at that meeting was if there had been an intention to build a sidewalk with the Pinecliff subdivision. Blin stated that the answer is unclear; it ap- pears there probably was the intention to build the sidewalk when the subdivision was devel- oped but the record is not clear. In 2004, the Planning Commission reviewed this project, and initially a sidewalk was proposed to be constructed from 62nd Street south to 65th Street, which is essentially the current sidewalk. The City Council reviewed the entire Pine - cliff project at two meetings, and between the first and second meetings, the language in the approving resolution changed from building a sidewalk on one side of Hedgecroft Avenue between 62nd and 65th Street to building a sidewalk on one side of Hedgecroft Avenue. Blin stated he interpreted that to mean the intention was to build it all the way to 61st Street. Staff has reviewed all the minutes and recordings of those meetings, but they don't provide clear direction. This request is to retrofit a sidewalk in an existing developed neighborhood. McCool summarized the staff report, and provided a presentation highlighting the history of the development of the Pinecliff subdivision and showing various options for sidewalk con- struction. He stated that at the neighborhood meeting, two of the affected property owners stated that they would still be opposed to a sidewalk even they were not assessed for it. The Planning Commission is asked to make a recommendation to the City Council on if a side- walk should be constructed, and if so, the type of sidewalk and its location. Ruby Mower, 62nd Street South, why this petition was together. stated that - of - the safety of the 20 to 25 children who wait bus stop on the corner of 62nd Street and Hedgecroft Avenue. During the winter, the kil- Planning Commission Minutes Pinecliff/Silverwood Sidewalk November 22, 2010 Page 2 of 5 walk in the street to the bus stop and have to climb over snow mounds. The School District moved this bus stop to the southeast corner, but the children still have to walk in the street to get there. While she was putting together the petition and doing background research, she came across the final plat that was approved by the City Council, which said a sidewalk six feet in width must be constructed across A Street, which is now Hedgecroft Avenue. She be- lieves that the lack of a sidewalk was an oversight on the City's part. The petition asks the City of Cottage Grove and Lennar Homes to fund the project because it does not seem fair for the homeowners to be assessed for an oversight. She noted that before Pinecliff was built, sidewalks were not a requirement but she looked at comparable developments the same age as Pinecliff that have sidewalks. Examples include Pine Arbor Boulevard off Hinton Avenue, Hadley Avenue at 65th Street has both a sidewalk and a bituminous trail, Meadowgrass Avenue south of 65th Street, and Highland Hills Boulevard has sidewalks through the main area. Another concern is the way the development is designed, which is a circle. The roads accessing the subdivision are Hinton Avenue, which is 55 miles per hour, or 65th Street, which is 50 miles per hour. She stated that the petition for the sidewalk is for the safety of the children. Ryan Sam, 7675 61st Street South, stated that while Mower made some great points, there are at least two miles of walking paths, sidewalks, and bituminous trails throughout the neighborhood. Whether it was an oversight or not on the City's behalf, he believes at this point it would be a waste of private and public money to put in a sidewalk in an area that seems to have gotten by just fine for the past four years. He asked if it would be more ex- pensive to retrofit a sidewalk into an existing area than to put one in initially. McCool re- sponded yes. Sam stated that his property is on the west side of the road but there has been talk about putting it on the west side of Hedgecroft. When he bought his house, he bought it with the understanding that there was not going to be a sidewalk through his lawn. He also expressed concern about the maintenance of the sidewalk, particularly snow removal. He does not see a sidewalk as something that is necessary. Planning Commission Minutes pineclKf/SihenmoodSidewe|k November 22.2O1O Page 3uf5 Theresa Peterson, 6179 Hedgecroft Avenue, stated that two concerns she has are the im- pact of the sidewalk on the boulevard trees and the drain tile that several houses have out to the curb. McCool stated that some trees would have to be relocated. He did not look at the drain tile as he did not know the location of those houses. Peterson stated that she is against Planning Commission Minutes PinedUf/Gilvenwuod Skjevvo|k November 22.2O1O Page 4 of 5 Planning Commission Minutes Pinecliff/Silverwood Sidewalk November 22, 201 Page 5 of 5 Willhite stated that she does not believe a motion is necessary; the Commission was asked • just make a recommendation and she believes a verbal one would be appropriate. She does not feel comfortable with a formal motion. After discussion, it was determined that a formal recommendation would • made • the Planning Commission to the City Council. Blin stated that there will be fairly detailed minutes of this discussion. Pearson withdrew his motion and Treber withdrew his second for further discussion about the motion. Pearson made a motion to not recommend a paved sidewalk based on opposition from the majority of the affected households and the excessive cost to retrofit a side- walk across those properties. Treber seconded. " 111 1 1 1111 ;IIIIIIIJIIJI�1111 IIIIJI� 111111111111111! 111 11111111 pil III Rambacher asked if this was something the City Council deemed warranted via an assess- ment or otherwise, would there be accordance with the affected homeowners. Brittain asked if the City Council decides to approve a sidewalk, should the Commission provide some direction. Blin responded that the minutes would reflect the wishes of the Commission.