Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutweekly Notes- August 13th 2021 r CITY OF OAK PARK HEIGHTS—WEEKLY NOTES for: August 13th,2021 fn A TO: Cit Council Members& Staff � Y`. FROM: Eric Johnson City Administrator Zoninq &Development Items: 1. No new applications have been received.The City has received some inquiries about the former Ruby Tuesday's building;it is possible this could be redeveloped into a small multi-tenant use with a drive thru. We will see. 2. The Clty may also see an application for final Zintl storage yard expansion located just to the north of the Post Office on Memorial Ave. 3. TWO of the town homes in the development just south of HALL CHIROPRACTIC is having major foundation issues—repairs are underway.This was formerly known as HOME 4 Me.There appears to be an unknown water source penetrating some foundation walls 4. The STARBUCKS facility was reported to not have a stationed person on site dealing with the traffic back-up; this has been addressed and it appears the required people have been re-established. 5. The City received a PEDESTRAN CROSSING concern at Upper 55th and Osgood Ave.-Please see the attached letter sent to Washington County asking if they would evaluate the issue. COVID-19 Matters: • This is the Governor's- PORTAL https://mn.gov/covidl9—Many documents/Exec. Orders can be found. Washington County has initiated a County Dashboard containing more localized COVID-19 Impacts and rates LINK->>HERE. Other Items: • Mayor McComber and I have met the City's Legislative Consultants—Lockridge Grindal to continue to pursue inclusion in the 2022 Bonding Tour. Please see the enclosed letters.We understand these may occur in FALL with the METRO AREA being generally last on the schedule. • The City has received a notice from the Ramsey—Washington 2022 2021 Recycling/Energy entity(enclosed)that the City tipping fee(per These ranges are established using the following assumptions: ton)will rise to$87/ton from$84.This is pass through to the City through increased rates by TENNIS. Tennis does not see a Assumption#Disposal(Tipping)Fee—Per,rton* $ 87.00 5 84.00 percentage of this and is not their fee increase. In rough terms, Assumption ft Per Ton Rebate $ - for 2022 it will increase the 60 — 65-gallon container cost by Assumption#NET COST PER TOIL-Disposal Fee $ 87.00 $ 84.00 $0.26/month AND cost to the City of about$3,900 annually. Tons Per Month Fee Per Month • The Lookout Trail project does require the installation of Assumption#80'35-gallon ser%ice 0.054 $ 4.70 $ 4.84 additional WATER PIPE insulation and will require a formal Assumption#60'65-gallonsenice 0.085 $ 7.48 S 7.22 change order;Please see the enclosed memo from Lee Mann of Assumption#90%95-gallon senice 0.129 $ 11.22 $ 10.84 STANTEC outlining this condition. It would appear that not much in the way of options are really available. Overall, however,the project appears to be going well and some curbing has been poured.Please also see the 8/13/21 Lookout Trail Resident 1 Update. Here is a picture of some storm sewer sites I walked with David Beaudet. Mayor McComber Provided 1. NLC UPDATES from August 10th 2. MNDOT Update on the LIFT BRIGDE EVENTS this weekend. 3. Article from Pioneer Press 8/11/21 —STH 36 Streamlining Please let me know if you have any questions. "Weekly Notes" is an internal I inter-departmental memo limited in scope to share brief updates and information among City Departments, City Consultants and Elected Officials regarding various topics. 1 of 22 City of Oak Park Heights 14168 Oak Park Blvd. N•Oak Park Heights,MN 55082•Phone(651)439-4439•Fax(651)439-0574 8/10/21 TO: Jennifer Wagenius,Deputy County Administrator -VIA EMAIL ONLY Jennifer.Wa emuskco.washington.mn.us FROM: Eric Johnson, City Administrator RE: Pedestrian Crossing concern—Osgood Ave and Upper 55'1 Street Dear Jennifer: The City has received a concern from a resident along Upper 55t1 Street commenting on a safety condition of the pedestrian walkway crossing Osgood Ave. (a County Highway). It states: "I hope all is well and things are going good I have a safety concern about this crossing as most all drivers on Osgood do not stop prior to crossing this crossing if pedestrians are present nor do they stop at the midpoint while crossing.I think we all knew this would be a problem as it is very difficult to see the crosswalk and if heading north on Osgood you have no prior warning that the crosswalk is being used Can the city please help get this labeled to aid in crossing this road The crossing at 58th has the lights and they work very well." I would believe they have a valid point,so... if your staff could review this condition and see what can be done to improve the matter it would be very much appreciated. If a pedestrian signal is justified,I would believe the City would entertain sharing in these costs as we did in the 2018/19 project and the Ped- crossing signal near 57t1 Street,just to the north... Please let me know if you have any questions and I appreciate your review of the situation. Thanky oU c o v FI a ..¢ �as � s� ✓vq 5685 0.-q .c �•..a� as .... n w r rti ,,nw w`^ J . 5676 I 56481 5565 -Pi Y P P p car ••. Pel Sst�ls}-'H ,; a p 4�� 14811 s r,;o4'� 1P'\ s646y 5.•S6 d t'` m 56321 5624 Wi v t�po-lo0 W 562856A L� Y,5627 X 5635 x .., J 5616 0 5617 Eric Johnson5601 5575 City Administrator nt ifs 55821}Yu{ y 55th S4 t� "orf psly 4 5585�y }$ . 5564 v rn m 5544 Brekke Park �...P. .TW_ T _"�� 5537 5500 `•. Upper 531h St IN 5502 Walley View Park Rd Area of Concern Cc: Steve Hansen, Chief of Police 2 of 22 �E• City of Oak Park Heights 14168 Oak Park Blvd. N•Oak Park Heights,MN 55082•Phone(651)439-4439•Fax(651)439-0574 August 11, 2021 Representative Shelly Christensen 577 State Office Building St. Paul, MN 55155 Dear Representative Christensen, Thank you for everything you have done on behalf of the City of Oak Park Heights. We are working hard to ensure the City is prepared for the impending closure of the Allen S. King plant. Our hope is that you are still willing to introduce legislation in January with a request for bonding dollars to help prepare the site for redevelopment. In addition to introducing legislation, the next step is to secure a bonding tour stop on a House bonding tour when they begin this fall. We had a wonderful meeting with House Capital Investment Chair Fue Lee this spring and he offered to come tour the site. Would you be willing to formally request a tour stop with Chair Lee and copy his Committee Administrator Jenny Nash on the request? We appreciate everything you have done thus far to assist the City of Oak Park Heights. Thank you for your consideration in placing the request for the bonding tour visit. A visit can help immensely to secure funding for important projects like this. Sincerely, Mayor Mary McComber 3 of 22 �E• City of Oak Park Heights 14168 Oak Park Blvd. N•Oak Park Heights,MN 55082•Phone(651)439-4439•Fax(651)439-0574 August 11, 2021 Senator Karin Housley 95 University Avenue W. Minnesota Senate Bldg., Room 3217 St. Paul, MN 55155 Dear Senator Housley, Thank you for chief authoring a bill that would provide bonding dollars for site preparation for redevelopment of the Allen S. King plant after its closure. We appreciate all of your work on our behalf during the 2021 legislative session. We understand that since a final bonding bill was not passed, there is still much work to be done to ensure it is funded next year. The next step is to secure a bonding tour stop on a Senate bonding tour when they begin this fall. Would you be willing to place a tour stop request with Senate Capital Investment Chair Tom Bakk? His Committee Administrator, Suzy Geroux should be copied on the request. We appreciate everything you have done thus far to assist in the City of Oak Park Heights. Thank you for your consideration in placing the request for the bonding tour visit. A visit can help immensely to secure funding for important projects like this. Sincerely, "e- Mayor Mary McComber 4 of 22 ON RAMSEY/WASH INGTON RECYCLING & ENERGY August 9, 2021 RE: Official Notice of 2022 Tipping Fee TO: Solid Waste Haulers and Transfer Stations Licensed in Ramsey and/or Washington Counties CC: Recycling Coordinators in Ramsey and Washington Counties The Ramsey/Washington Recycling& Energy Center(R&E Center)tipping fee for acceptable waste will be $87.00 per ton in 2022. Ramsey and Washington counties jointly own and operate the R&E Center, which processes trash to recover resources instead of putting it into landfills. By processing waste,thousands of tons of metal are recycled, and waste is turned into a fuel that Xcel Energy uses to generate renewable energy for thousands of homes per year. Plans are underway at the R&E Center to recover food scraps and additional recyclables from the waste stream. Processing waste at the R&E Center not only significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions by avoiding landfills, but the R&E Center also adds jobs and value to the East Metro economy. An average household produces about one ton of trash per year, so the 2022 tipping fee (increased by $3 per ton over 2021)will increase the cost of trash collection in the average household by about$0.25 per month. Tipping fees typically account for about 1/3 of a trash bill. The rest of the bill is related to other costs of running your business, such as for transportation, insurance and labor, increases in which you may also be passing on to your customers. We appreciate your continued support. For Ramsey County questions, contact Joe Wozniak at joe.wozniak@co.ramsey.mn.us or 651-266-1187. For Washington County questions, contact Rob Murray at rob.murray@co.washington.mn.us or 651- 430-6682. Sincerely, Nikki Stewart and Michael Reed Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy 100 Red Rock Rd I Newport,MN 55055 1651-768-6670 1 info@recyclingandenergy.com I regdingandmergycom 5 of 22 ® Stantec Memo To: Eric Johnson, City Administrator From: Lee Mann, P.E. City of Oak Park Heights City Engineer File: 193805070 Date: August 9, 2021 Reference: 2021 Lookout Trail Improvements Project—Change Order#1 Eric, During the installation of storm sewer on Lookout Trail, the existing watermain was found to be installed at a depth of approximately 5.5', which is shallower than anticipated. Typically, watermain in Minnesota is installed at a depth of 7.5' to 8' to minimize the risk of the pipe freezing due to frost penetrating into the ground. While it is our understanding that the City has not experienced any significant issues with the existing watermain on Lookout Trail to date, the widening of the roadway towards the watermain (to the west)will increase the potential of the watermain freezing in the future, particular at the shallower depth, and where the watermain is closest to the roadway. There is a section of the roadway that is approximately 825 feet in length where the watermain will be in close proximity to the new curb, resulting in an increased risk of freezing. Generally, when a watermain depth of 7.5' is not achievable, insulation is installed above the watermain to minimize the risk of the pipes freezing. We have discussed with the contractor the option of installing 4"thick insulation over the existing watermain along this 825-foot stretch of roadway. The additional cost to do this is approximately $32,300, depending on the final quantity. Based on the information above, it is strongly recommended that insulation be added over the water main in this area. The cost for the project as originally bid is $975,985.95. With the additional cost to install insulation over the existing watermain, the construction cost would be revised to approximately $1,008,300. The final cost will be based on the actual work performed and items completed as measured in place, which include the balance of minor quantity underruns and overruns, as is typical of a project of this nature. Let me know if there are any further questions. Stantec Consulting Services Inc. �� ��. Lee M. Mann, PE MN,WI,CA Principal Phone: 612-712-2085 Lee.Mann@stantec.com c. file 6 of 22 Stantec City of Oak Park Heights 14168 Oak Park Blvd. N • Oak Park Heiahts, MN 55082 • Phone (651) 439-4439 • Fax (651) 439-0574 Lookout Trail Improvements Update No. 7: Friday, August 13th Project Details — The Lookout Trail Improvements project includes storm sewer installation and Safety In road reconstruction/widening. The old concrete and asphalt road surface has been removed. New storm sewer also has been installed along Lookout Trail. Construction The new asphalt road will be built along with concrete curb and gutter in the coming weeks. Zones Dresel Contracting and its subcontractors will be performing the work. . Please slow down The following is a summary of work planned for next week: for construction activity Monday(August 16th): Final grading of the road between Highway 95 and the • Remind children Scenic Overlook will be performed. The contractor will remove and grade driveways. that materials and Curb backfilling and yard grading will also continue. If residents have any equipment should questions regarding how their yard is graded or about how their driveway be avoided apron will be installed, please call Brandon Johnson (612-393-9409). Do not enter th Tuesday(August 17 ): The paving contractor will install asphalt from Highway 95 excavations or to the Scenic Overlook. The road will be closed to traffic during and immediately after fenced off areas. the asphalt is laid down. After the asphalt is compacted, it can be driven on. New • If an emergency asphalt pavement is extremely hot, please take caution if you are walking occurs, contact near or driving over the new pavement. 911 In general, there will not be much work for the remainder of the week. The contractor will be onsite occasionally to clean up and maintain the road. We expect to have the remaining concrete curb installed on Monday (August 23rd) depending on weather conditions. Temporary Mailboxes - Mail delivery has switched to the temporary mailboxes on Upper 61St Street east of Lookout Trail. Every home has a dedicated mailbox labeled with their house number. Permanent mailboxes were removed for storage and reinstallation at end of the project. Tree Removals - There may be some additional tree and shrub removals if it is necessary for construction of the project. The contractor will remove some additional trees and shrubs North of Upper 61St Street, on the West side of the 1 7 of 22 road. Email Updates — Our main form of communication regarding this project will be via email updates. Updates will be emailed every Friday, with additional updates being sent as needed. If you know someone who would like to receive these email updates about the project, please email bra ndon.johnsonNIstantec.com to be added to our email list. Garbage and Recycling — At different stages of the project, garbage trucks may not be able to reach your trash receptacle. Please label your bins with your house number using tape and permanent marker. Place your trash/recycling receptacles curbside by 7:00 am on collection day and the contractor will move it as needed to be picked up and return it by the end of the day. We do not anticipate any issues with regular curb-side pick-up next week. Driveway Access — Driveway access will remain open at most times during the project. However, residents should expect that duringworking hours (7am-7pm) their driveway may be temporarily blocked by excavation and equipment. Driveway access will be restored by the end of each working day. If anyone has any special access needs or concerns, please contact Brandon Johnson. Driveway Replacement— Portions of driveways that are disturbed as part of the project will be replaced in-kind. Contacts — Brandon Johnson will be on-site daily and will be your primary contact person for any project-related questions. Please contact Brandon, or any of the other contacts below, with any questions or concerns. Brandon Johnson — On-site Representative (Stantec) 612-393-9409 Bra ndon.iohnson2(alstantec.com Craig Larson — Construction Manager (Stantec) 651-775-5154 Craig.larson@stantec.com Kellie Schlegel — Project Manager (Stantec) 651-775-5622 Kellie.schlegel@stantec.com Have a great weekend! 2 8 of 22 Eric Johnson From: Mary Mccomber <marymccomber@aol.com> Sent: Tuesday,August 10, 2021 1:18 PM To: Eric Johnson Subject: Fwd: What's Next for Infrastructure Legislation in Congress? For weekly notes -----Original Message----- From: National League Of Cities (NLC) <advocacy@nlc.org> To: marymccomber@aol.com Sent: Tue, Aug 10, 2021 1:03 pm Subject: What's Next for Infrastructure Legislation in Congress? Federal Advocacy Newsletter-Tuesday,August 10th NATIONAI LEAGUE NLC ,.OTIE, Federal Advocacy Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Passes the Senate On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which includes $550 billion in new federal investments in America's infrastructure and will add an estimated two million jobs per year to the national economy. Local leaders in cities, towns, and villages helped make this infrastructure package possible in Washington after years of advocacy. View NLC's full statement here. NLC invites all municipal leaders to join us on Thursday, August 12th from 3-3:30 pm EDT to celebrate another NLC federal advocacy win and prepare your city ready to take advantage of these new infrastructure resources. Register here. 77 rw 1 9 of 22 Leadership Applications Don't Miss: Infrastructure How to Help Students Now Open Call with President Biden Return to School Safely Tomorrow Register Here Response and Recovery Help is Here! Today, Treasury released the User Guide: Treasury's Portal for Recipient Reporting. The User Guide provides recipient governments with instructions to submit information in the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) recipient reporting portal. It contains detailed guidance and instructions on how to create and submit Interim Reports, Project and Expenditure Reports, and Recovery Plans as required by Treasury's Interim Final Rule. If you have general questions about the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, please email the U.S. Department of Treasury at SLFRP@treasury.gov or call 844-529-9527. • Treasury Department General FAQ's updated as of July 19 • Treasury Department FAQ's for NEUs as of June 30 • Status of Payments to States for Distribution to NEUs • Treasury webinar on evidence and evaluation for State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds recipients related to the Recovery Plan Performance Report, due August 31 How Local Incentives Can Help Accelerate the Vaccination Effort Throughout America's vaccination efforts, financial incentives have proven to be a motivating factor for some people to get vaccinated. Learn more about how state, territorial, and local governments can use the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to provide incentives to increase the number of people who choose to get vaccinated, or that motivate people to get vaccinated sooner than they otherwise would have. Learn More > Rental Assistance Finder 2 10 of 22 The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) introduced a new"Rental Assistance Finder" tool that members of your community can use to learn about emergency rental assistance available to tenants and landlords. Learn More > Webinar: How ARPA is Helping Cities Improve Health Equity This webinar will bring together a panel of health equity and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) experts to discuss how municipalities can leverage ARPA funds to strive for health equity. Register Here > Webinar: GSA Cooperative Purchasing Program Under the COOP program State, Local &Tribal (SL&T) governments have access to purchase information technology, security and protection products, services, and solutions via GSA Schedules at any time, for any reason. The Schedules Program offers a wide array of IT commercial products and services. Register Here > Rebuild Building Better Connections in Tukwila, WA With infrastructure investments, Tukwila can complete a new bridge and increase equity by reducing the Tukwila's digital divide. Tukwila's infrastructure story is one of the hundreds across the country. Learn More > Highlight Your Ready to Rebuild Infrastructure Project Local governments are ready to rebuild and to make their cities better places to live. NLC will keep calling on Congress directly to invest in local infrastructure and prepare for a better future, but we need cities to speak up for themselves too. Learn More > EPA Begins Two-Step Rulemaking Process on `Waters of the U.S.' The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold several stakeholder meetings in Aug. to gather feedback on how to define "waters of the U.S." under the Clean Water Act as the agency undergoes rulemaking processes to repeal the Trump 3 11 of 22 Administration rule and write a new rule. A meeting on Aug. 25 is dedicated to small entities, including small local governments. Learn more about the agency's plans here. Review Summary Information > NLC & CITY SUMMIT SAVE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES SALT LAKE NOVEMBER 27 Join us in Salt Lake or Online this Fall! EGISTRATION Helpful NLC Links: Articles Upcoming EventsIm Resources & Training Advocacy If this message is not displaying properly, please view the online version. L EA0llE NLC <)F(3T,ES M110166W You may opt out of email communications from NLC at any time. Update your communication preferences. This message was intended for: marymccomber@aol.com 660 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite 450, Washington, DC 20001 Privacy Policy I ©2021 NLC, All Rights Reserved Powered by Higher Logic 4 12 of 22 Eric Johnson From: Mary Mccomber <marymccomber@aol.com> Sent: Wednesday,August 11, 2021 10:14 AM To: Eric Johnson Subject: Fwd: Reminder: Help us celebrate the one year anniversary of the Stillwater Lift Bridge & Loop Trail opening this Saturday! For weekly notes -----Original Message----- From: MnDOT<mndot@public.govdelivery.com> To: marymccomber@aol.com Sent: Wed, Aug 11, 2021 10:12 am Subject: Reminder: Help us celebrate the one year anniversary of the Stillwater Lift Bridge & Loop Trail opening this Saturday! Having trouble viewing this email?View it as a Web page. DEPARTMENT F TRANSPORTATION Reminder: Help us celebrate the one year anniversary of the Stillwater Lift Bridge & Loop Trail opening this Saturday, Aug. 14! Join us on the west end of the Stillwater Lift Bridge from 10-11 a.m. on Sat,Aug. 14 to celebrate the one year anniversary of the Lift Bridge and Loop Trail opening! Following a presentation along Chestnut St., we'll cut a ribbon at the Minnesota-Wisconsin state line on the middle of the lift bridge. Following the ribbon cutting, stick around to enjoy a full slate of activities in Stillwater, Minn. and the Town of St.Joseph,Wisconsin ending at 9:30 p.m. with fireworks over the St. Croix River. Schedule of events All events on Chestnut Plaza, west of the bridge unless noted 10-11 a.m. Ribbon Cutting Ceremony 1 13 of 22 11 a.m.to 3 p.m. Park exhibits—Lowell Park Stillwater, Minnesota 11:30 a.m.to 3:30 p.m. Park exhibits—St. Croix Trailhead Houlton,Wisconsin 1-1:30 p.m. Mascot Dance Off 1:30-2 p.m. Curio Dance Group 2-3 p.m. Zephyr/Phipps Theater 3-5:30 p.m. Broken Spoke Band Sponsored by the Water Street Inn 6-9:30 p.m. Tim Sigler Band 9:30-10 p.m. Fireworks Note:The Stillwater Lift Bridge will be closed to bicycle and pedestrian traffic from 9-11 p.m. For more information on the day's festivities, please visit the Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce webpage. 2 14 of 22 A �� of Events (All events on Chestnut Plaza, P iR❑ wetafkhebr:d$e unless notedly 10 a,m.- 11 a.m. Ribbon Cloning Cereft" 11 a.m.- 3 p-m. " ter PmA eKhibits-by"ll Park Lift Stillwater.hhiMY, Bridge • Loop Trail 11.30-s.m,-130 p,rrt, Paulo exbibits-St-Craim Traikh.ead CE _ B Wauleant�rvc A 1 p,m,-1.3p p.m- maf{8k Daa:afOfl' i 21 1:30 P.M.-2 P.M. Curio Dtf*ce Group 1 2 p.m..-3 p.m. ZepkyrMWpps T6watar Join us on the Yyest end of the Stillwater Lift 3 p.m. -5.30 F,rn. Spaarsored by the Water Street lnn F,p.m.- 9:30 p.m. Tan S4er Bared informationFor moire day's 9-30 p-m.a 10 p.m_ please visit wwwlrtater:;t,illwattreharn6or.-com. Firewurks ria1E. Tho Wlwaty Lih Bridge-ill Ge cloud to 6icyc la and pedestrian tr&FE c From 9 pm.to 11 p.m. .,, More about this project The lift bridge reopened on June 1, 2020,as part of the new 4.7 mile St. Croix River Crossing loop trail. The new bicycle/pedestrian trail includes the new St. Croix River Crossing bridge along with other local and regional trails.Transformation of the lift bridge to a bicycle/pedestrian crossing began in August 2017. For more information about this project,visit the Stillwater Lift Bridge project webpage. 3 15 of 22 MnDOT invites and encourages participation by all.If you need an ASL,a foreign language interpreter,or other reasonable accommodation,or need documents in an alternative format(such as braille or large print),please email your request to Janet Miller at ADAreguest.dot(cDstate.mn.us or call 651-366-4720. Stay Connected with Minnesota Department of Transportation: El Im El W MnDOT's Social Media Hub >> SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Subscriptions I Unsubscribe All I Help This email was sent to marymccomber@aol.com using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: �`�C= Minnesota Department of Transportation -395 John Ireland Blvd -Saint Paul,MN 55155 WW*L �C 4 16 of 22 NEWS Minnesota Highway 36 streamlining in northeast metro spurs development, concerns from some businesses CLO Construction continues on an interchange being built at the Manning Avenue and Highway 36 intersection near Stillwater on Wednesday, Aug.4, 2021. Work on the$21 million interchange began last spring, part of an effort to streamline traffic on Highway 36. (John Autey/Pioneer Press) By BOB SHAW I bshaw@pioneerpress.com I Pioneer Press PUBLISHED:August 11,2021 at 10:06 a.m. I UPDATED:August 12,2021 at 4:31 p.m. r WEISCRIBE > 17 of 22 For 47 years,Joseph Kohler looked out the window of his restaurant at the customers streaming in. They pulled right into his driveway off of state Highway 36, eager for some Canadian walleye or specialty omelets. But last week, Kohler looked out that window more warily.The entire road,from Stillwater to Minneapolis, is morphing into a freeway-traffic lights eliminated, $20 million overpasses popping up,and driveways being sealed off. "If you do an overpass,you eliminate access,"said Kohler, in Joseph's Restaurant in Stillwater."There are a lot of little businesses here that have been killed." Now rr e r LL i i a 4 s v r f i; a Joseph Kohler,owner of Joseph's Restaurant in Stillwater, in front of his business next to Minnesota Highway 36 on Wednesday,Aug.4,2021. Kohler fears that efforts to streamline traffic on Highway 36 will limit access to his and other local businesses. (John Autey/Pioneer Press) The 22-mile transformation is driven by a long-term vision of drivers breezing from Minneapolis to Wisconsin with fewer stops.When it's over,there will only be one choke-point—a cluster of three traffic lights in Stillwater and Oak Park Heights. Kohler looked out his window at one of them, and admitted he has mixed feelings about the streamlining project. 18 of 22 BIG CHANGES COMING State and county highway officials have nurtured the vision of a Highway 36 freeway to Wisconsin for more than 20 years,to improve the safety and efficiency of the road. The centerpiece was the St. Croix Crossing, a $693 million project completed in 2017. Overpasses sprouted up at Hadley Avenue,$22 million, in 2020; Hilton Trail,$14 million, in 2014; and North St. Paul, $24 million, in 2008. At Manning Avenue,work on a $21 million interchange began last spring. In the next few years, Lake Elmo Avenue and Century Avenue are next,according to Washington County Public Works director Don Theisen. The result of the improvements is a 20 percent increase in traffic since 2017, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Up and down the road,there's a sense of big changes coming. Businesses normally like to see more traffic running by their stores, because more visibility means more awareness and more customers. "We love the traffic!"said Mike Greer, assistant manager of the Harbor Freight tool store in Stillwater.The store opened two months ago, in part of the empty Herberger's store on Washington Avenue. Even if the Highway 36 project wiped out the signaled intersection, he said,the increase in traffic to 33,000 vehicles per day makes up for it. The best part of the upgrades? His customers come from further away. "We are getting customers from New Richmond"19 miles away in Wisconsin, said Greer. DEVELOPMENT POPPING UP Spurred by the new traffic,development is popping up, including the Hidden Meadows housing project near Keats Avenue in Lake Elmo. One freeway skeptic is Brian Zeller,the real estate agent who is looking for tenants for the former Herberger's building,and the former mayor of Lakeland Shores. 1UbL; WL > 19 of 22 Zeiler said he doesn't think the project will boost the value of commercial property from Stillwater west to Interstate 694."It's potentially negative,"said Zeller,an agent with Telus Property Services+ Solutions."If they put in a frontage road,and think it through, it can help everyone." But often there is no room for a frontage road, or officials won't spend the money for a road for an isolated business. "They always try to eliminate curb cuts on arterial roads;"Zeller said.While that can be good for traffic flow, it's not always good for business. WINNERS AND LOSERS Anne Finn agreed. Finn,a lobbyist and transportation expert with the League of Minnesota Cities,said major highway projects often create winners and losers. Cutting off access could hurt or even kill a business,said Finn."You might have Herberger's calling you,saying,'Wait!What if we can't use the same access?" The effects can ripple out to entire cities. "You could eliminate part of the business district.It could be disruptive to the economy,"said Finn."You would be taking away taxable land." Cities,she said, appreciate the need for highway projects, but are often surprised at their costs. MnDOT or the counties usually pay for the roadway itself, but many auxiliary costs fall on cities. It's a lesson not lost on Mayor Mary McComber of Oak Park Heights. She said if the traffic signals were eliminated in Oak Park Heights as part of the streamlining of Highway 36, her city would have to pay to move utilities,though currently there are no plans for this. "We get no benefits from it,"said McComber."We are a town under 5,000 population.This falls on taxpayers.We can't raise taxes to the moon to pay for this." FASTER COMMUTES Then there are local-road intersections.A state project might make improvements on a north-south road,said the League of Cities'Finn. But it will not pay for complete intersections with,for example,a city-owned east-west road. 20 of 22 If that happened,the city would have to decide whether to seal off its road,or pay for a new intersection. Some freeway advocates argue that bedroom communities benefit from having faster commutes to workplaces.Wouldn't that help Oak Park Heights? No,said McComber. Most of her constituents work at the nearby Andersen Windows factory in Bayport,or at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Oak Park Heights. "I am not persuaded;"said McComber."Not everyone works downtown." Originally,the three lights were identified as a problem that needed to be solved. McComber said that as early as 1999, a MnDOT study called for eliminating the signals at Washington Avenue,Greeley Street and Osgood Avenue. Greeley would have been served with an overpass,she said, and the two others with freeway- style intersections. `THE REAL DOWNTOWN' The alternatives were raised again when the St. Croix bridge was being planned, said Washington County's Theisen. "They even talked about building a bridge right over the(traffic)signals,"said Theisen. Instead, officials upgraded the three signaled intersections with new turn lanes and lights. For now,said Theisen,that is adequate. "They are going to be there for a long time;"he said."Highway 36 would have to get really horrible for the community to support doing something there." The urge to save the stoplights was explained by a retired Stillwater businessman,gazing out the same window at Joseph's Restaurant. Tom Odell said outsiders overlook a unique fact about Stillwater.They often think of downtown Stillwater as the historic downtown, next to the St. Croix River. "That is for tourists;"he said. The actual downtown—where local people shop— is along Highway 36."This is the real downtown,"said Odell."It's right here." 1UbL; We > 21 of 22 Tags: Anoka County, Business, Transportation, Washington County Bob Shaw I General assignment ' reporter Bob is a 40-year veteran (yes, he is grizzled)who edited one Pulitzer Prize winner and wrote two that were nominated. He has also worked in Des Moines, Colorado Springs and Palo Alto. He writes about the suburbs,the environment, housing, religion -- anything but politics. Secret pleasures: Kayaking on the Mississippi on the way to work, doughnuts brought in by someone else. Best office prank: Piling more papers onto Fred Melo's already trash-covered desk. bshaw@pioneerpress.com Follow Bob Shaw bob.shaw.980967 V Follow Bob Shaw As you comment, please be respectful of other commenters and other viewpoints. Our goal with article comments is to provide a space for civil, informative and constructive conversations. We reserve the right to remove any comment we deem to be defamatory, rude, insulting to others, hateful, off-topic or reckless to the community. See our full terms of use here. bWk6b9.;Ki6L > 22 of 22