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1997-09-30 Council Meeting Packet SpecialCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA September 30, 1997 - 7:30 p.m. 1. Call to Order. 2. Roll Call. 3. Unfinished Business a. Bunker Hills Neighborhood Meeting. 4. Council Comments. 5. Adjournment Auxiliary aids for persons with disabilities are available upon request at least 120 hours in advance. If a notice of less than 120 hours is received, the City of Mendota Heights will make every attempt to provide the aids, however, this may not be possible on short notice. Please contact City Administration at 452-1850 with requests. CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS September 26, 1997 TO: Mayor, City Council, and City Administrator FROM: Marc S. Mogan, Civil Engineer MSM SUBJECT: Summary of Proposed Design and Topographic Constraints For Bunker Hills Street Reconstruction Neighborhood Workshop DISCUSSION: Council scheduled the special neighborhood workshop meeting that was promised to the residents of the Bunker Hills neighborhood for Tuesday September 30, 1997, (the 5th Tuesday in September) at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall. The goal of the workshop meeting will be to attempt to address and resolve the concerns of the residents prior to conducting a formal public hearing to consider any street reconstruction project for the Bunker Hills neighborhood. Areas of special note and proposed solutions are summarized below: 1. Ridge Place, Wachtler Ave. to Dodd Road. Constraints - Trees, steep slopes, and current narrow width. Proposed Design - Shift Alignment, and propose 25' wide street section. 2. Wachtler Avenue, Hilltop Road to Ridge Place. Constraints - Trees and current narrow width. Proposed Design - Shift alignment, and propose 25' wide street section. 3. Ridge Place cul-de-sac. Constraints - Trees, Steep slopes, and current narrow width. Proposed Design - Shift alignment, propose 25' wide street section, and modify street cross slope. 4. Hilltop Road, Wachtler Ave. to 812 Hilltop Road. Constraints - Steep slope and trees to the south of Hilltop Road. Proposed Design - Shift alignment, and modify street cross slope. 5. Valley Curve at Wachtler Ave. Constraints - Steep slopes, and current alignment shift. Proposed Design - Maintain alignment shift, and modify street cross slope. 6. Hilltop Court cul-de-sac. Constraints - Current narrow width. Proposed Design - Shift alignment, and propose 25' wide street section. Areas of special note and proposed solutions continued: 7. Valley Curve cul-de-sac. Constraints - Landscaping on west side. Proposed Design - Offset alignment to east. 8. Arvin Drive cul-de-sac. Constraints - Trees, and current narrow width. Proposed Design - Vacate street R/W, maintain utility easement. 9. Gravel Alley between Dodd Road and Valley Curve Constraints - Residents desire to keep current gravel surface, and discourage through traffic. Proposed Design - Propose paving alley section without curb and gutter. 10. Hilltop Road and Ridge Place intersections at Dodd Road. Constraints - Skew angle with Dodd Road. Proposed Design - Realign street to reduce the skew angle with Dodd Road. ACTION REQUIRED: None. For Council information only. September 17, 1997 Jim Danielson City of Mendota Heights 1101 Victoria Curve Mendota Heights, MN 55118 The enclosed plat shows there is 33' on each side of the centerline of the original, I believe, County Road as originally platted sometime prior to the present time. The Plat doesn't show Wachtler which was probably a dirt road originally, I believe, about 1948 or 1949. I played Bunker hills (back in 1948 and the consensus then was that it was a "goat track". The owner apparently had an opportunity to rid himself of the property right after that time. Our house, 1900 Wachtler, was built in 1949. It was the first and only house, then on the golf course property. The house to the South, for example, was built in 1953, although the plat shows a 66' road, it never was considered a through way. It is ironic that Wachtler was used since it has no connection to the main road Wachtler to the North between Wentworth and Highway 13. You have a letter by me requesting a name change to Ridge. There are only 7 house on Wachtler. The reason for writing this nonsense is to show that Wachtler doesn't following the original centerline. Its entire widik ies to the East of the center line. The South "iron" on my lot is only 9' from the road. There should bra I Y easement between the South iron and the road. No one wants to see destruction of maturel-layear old trees and Betty and I surely don't want further intrusion into our lot either. I am asking to keep the street width outside curbing to curbing at 26 feet. I am in favor of storm sewers as well. The 26' width can be accomplished without causing a controversy with others along WiE Ier Avenue. Joseph 0. & Betty L. Schuster cc: Marc S. Mogan Civil Engineer 5,IY67-cV. - F1 AT PRaPOSEO Sa.e,olY/J/PN <%f PART Of LP71 %7•^.Z.Z Sort E.rsT H11ts 7- 1111A5 By 0 vvvrq LTO.1'F" O. 3cNYJTER W-4YV-0 .1Vd1-A4AV A700 Y1Yr"7X4,f 2 33 0.44 o 7,4 A j,,r, W. fsz- 3a36 Y -v7 - 34 5/,5- NaI,,e~x.q /7 1779 _r'o I hereby g-- Irty MW pl, nr teporl prupi,ed by Ine- under rrr/ du -t stn to vitnn 'j I14'11 ml du .....• d t'jiul -reS XVVTCA XjVajv sm -4.1 IM 114. urt., rin. JSSq P) 4S. .-,;, I T. jj 23 3o' 1P Al I 14 %A DESCRIPTION XAJIr .15Y. Y�z I 1 bat part of Lots 37 and 22, Somerset }a+,-, Hills, according to 'the plat thereof ) on file in the offi,a of the Count%, Recorder, Dakota Co�jdtyj Minnesota* lying northerly of the following 72 described line: Beginning at a point on Che wost vl line of Lot 22 of said Somerset Hills, 26.00 Leet moutlierly of clu 'T nort6weer cornor of said Lot 22, 4 mc-asured along said wast line; thence easterly to a point on the easterly line. of Lot 17 of said A Somerset Hills, said point being 4 25.00 feet northerly of the soutb- east corner of said Lot 17, mea - 3d. mad slong 9aid mc line, and there terminating. IVW. Olt L jL Chuck MacDonald 816 Hilltop Road Mendota Heights, MN 55118 September 18, 199 7 Marc S. Mogan, P. E. Civil Engineer City of Mendota Heights 1101 Victoria Curve Mendota Heights, MN 55118 Dear Mr. Mogan, Thank you for your briefing and meeting announcement of September 15/97 Unfortunately I have a conflict that night. Your professional efforts to address the concerns of residents is laudable. You might recall I have gone on record twice previously about the disastrous conditions of our roads. I certainly understand the complexities of a democracy and representation but beyond the meetings, workshops, and council meetings is the reality of over aged streets that make walking and driving a contest. My wife and I are two votes in this process and my vote is to bring the streets up to code and deliver the same quality of road service that the rest of this community enjoys. Besides the frequent complains of relatives and friends who attempt to visit us and must drive on these roads, a recent home appraiser challenged the quality of the neighborhood based on our roads. These roads are effecting the value of our homes and it is unfair. You speak to the issue ofpreserving the character of the neighborhood which is beginning more and more to look like a backwoods. I vote with this letter to have the city supply us with the same quality of road surface that other areas take for granted Curbs or no curbs, I want a decent and safe road I also hope that the city council continues to plan to bid this work out for the Spring of 1998. There will continue to be objections to any plan you propose, but the road by your own admission is way past due for replacement. Please replace the road as your offices had planned. Si4u�ckaeDaonaldMJ n erel P. 01 September 25, 1997 Mr. Jim Danielson City of Mendota Heights 1101 Victoria Curve Mendota Heights, MN 55118 RE: Bunker Hills Street Reconstruction Job No. 9514, Improvement No. 96, Project No. 3 Dear Mr. Danielson, Since we will be unable to attend the neighborhood meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 30, this letter is intended to share our thoughts regarding the planned street reconstruction for the summer of 1998. We are in favor of the plans to redo the streets and add curbs and gutters. However, we would like some assurance that the plans will make note not to harm the very large and very old oak tree in our front yard. It sits only a few feet from the road, and it is a very important part of the landscape of the neighborhood. In fact, we would hope that your reconstruction plans would avoid compromising the health of all trees in the Bunker Hills area We would also like to see a street drain in front of our house. I believe my husband called earlier during the summer to request this be included in your plans. We are at the base of the hill and the street currently drains directly into our front yard, causing much flooding and standing water in both our yard and driveway. We would appreciate your consideration of the above concerns as you finalize plans for the reconstruction next summer. Sincerely, John and Mary Gelderman 1812 Valley Curve Mendota Heights, MN 55118 612/683-1186 CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS II T To: Mayor and City Council September 26, 1997 From: Kevin Batchelder, City Administrator Subject: Other Items of Interest for the City Council DISCUSSION The "Other Items of Interest" memo is intended to provide City Council with information about events and happenings around City Hall that do not appear on an agenda or in the Friday News. Only City Council receives this memorandum and the information contained in this memorandum should be treated with discretion and confidentiality. 1. Correspondence for Council's Attention - Attached are two letters that were received this week that I would like to bring to your attention. One letter regards the hiring process for the Police Chief position and is anonymous. The other is a letter from a resident notifying the City about a potential claim for storm water damage. Tom Knuth has visited the site and will be notifying Mr. Keith Heaver regarding the necessity to maintain the berm that is intended to properly drain storm water away from the residential properties in Cherry Hills. The drainage swale has filled with silt since it was established. The letter will also be submitted to our insurance company to notify them, of a possible claim. LAW OFFICES HOENE & KRAUSE, P.A. 101 EAST FIFTH STREET, SUITE 1800 ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA 55101 (612) 222-2838 FAX: (612) 222-6826 ROBERT C. HOENE THOMAS W KRAUSE September 24, 1997 MR CHARLES E MERTENSOTTO MAYOR OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS CITY HALL 1101 VICTORIA CURVE MENDOTA HEIGHTS MN 55118 Dear Mayor Mertensotto: vcp a F Y Please be advised that we are putting you on notice of a claim that wef are making against the City of Mendota Heights for storm water damage to my property. r As you may recall, approximately two years ago real estate developer Keith Heaver submitted a proposed plan for development to the Mendota Heights City Council to develop approximately a 10 acre plot of land owned at the time by Ms. Billie Logan, which property is referred to as the Knollwood/Ivy Lane property and is located directly above my property which is at the bottom of the slope at 1440 Cherry Hill Road. A number of my neighbors, including myself, expressed concern at the time that we feared that we could be subjected'to-a severe water run off problem and possible flooding as a result of the significant grade of the property, combined with the large number of sizable houses that Mr. Heaver wanted to put into the 10 acre plot which many of us felt was excessive under the circumstances. We were assured by the City of Mendota Heights and by Mr. Heaver's engineers that the proposed storm sewer system and plan that he had for the property would be more than adequate to avoid run off problems and flooding and the City ultimately accepted Mr. Heaver's plan and approved his proposed development with some minor modifications. My purpose in writing to you at this time is to advise you that in the two year period that my wife Patty and I lived in the property prior to Mr. Heaver starting his development of the land, we never once experienced a flooding or ponding problem of any sort. However, since the development and particularly during this past summer, we have had numerous occasions where we have had water damage to our land and property as a result of inadequate drainage and an ill conceived storm sewer system that appears to run all of the water in the entire'development to an area directly behind my property, which ultimately results in ponding and flooding to the Mr. Charles E. Mertensotto September 24, 1997 Page 2 back portion of my property. This happened not only in the July 1, 1997 flash flood, but has happened several times since that time which has resulted in water leaking into my basement and severe and significant run off of top soil and woodchips, which I have had to replace at my expense. In any event, I believe that it is ultimately the responsibility of the City of Mendota Heights to eliminate this problem since the City approved Mr. Heaver's plan in spite of considerable opposition and concern expressed at the time by myself and others in my neighborhood. I know from having spoken to other neighbors of mine that live at the bottom of the slope as well, including Bob Hanson and Preston Smith, that they too have experienced flooding and .. drainage problems as a result of the development. I would appreciate hearing back from you and/or the City after you have had.an opportunity to review and discuss this matter with the Mendota Heights City Council. Thank you for your consideration in this regard. Very truly yours, Thomas W. Krause TWK:sl. r M... SES 2 4 1997 Mr. Kevin Batchedler City Administrator MendotarHeig-I MN 551.18 :z Sic: e. • !.. i �.. �: .i. ! !ti"rc ...ii:i � �.i:(ir„%:` 17 .�!"_: il.iir: e. r�, .v rr.' i ''t. �' a .. ,.f• .i.: }J:, ,rY• _ :ii.,'9L:r;i, 3S .x1 1: i4rt2 �1 r... , ,_ 'r . +. Dear 1VIr. Batchedler: I am writing as a concerned resident of the City of Mendota Heights. I watched the last City Council meeting on T.V. where part of the agenda was accepting the resignation of the Chief of Police. While I was glad to see that there wasn't the fiasco that occurred when the two firemen resigned at the prior City Council meeting, I was appalled that the Mayor appointed seven members to the committee to select a new Chief and not one of those individuals appointed knows the first thing about law enforcement. Why do all the members of the City Council have to be on the committee? It seems to me you would select law enforcement officials from surrounding communities to serve on the board as well as a couple of civilians to make a more broad and balanced committee and to make a selection that would best serve first and foremost the police department and secondly the community. I hope for the sake of the officers and the community that you will reevaluate the reason there is, a hiring. committee to begin with and make a fair and balanced selection of committee` member's." L Sincerely, A Concerned Resident.