City Council Meeting Date: October 3, 2023
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: David E. Bennett, PE - Public Works Director/City Engineer
Subject:
TITLE
Discuss Preliminary Design for Wall Street Road Improvement Project (STRT2022-A70).
BODY
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council Discuss Preliminary Design for Wall Street Road Improvement Project (STRT2022-A70).
Summary Report:
On June 20, 2023 City Council accepted the feasibility report for this project and authorized the preparation of plans and specification. As a reminder of how the project scoping changed through the project Feasibility process and ultimately what Council approved to move forward with.
Wall Street Road West of Spring Creek Road
Initial consideration in the project scoping during Feasibility stage, the project included a trail on the south side of Wall Street Road, and that was removed to limit tree impact along the golf course and that it didn’t connect to an existing or future planned sidewalk on the East side of Prairie St.
The approved recommended layout is below.
Wall Street Road East of Spring Creek Road
Initial consideration in the project scoping during Feasibility stage was to continue both the sidewalk and bikeway on the North side of Wall Street to serve the future growth area east of the Oaklawn Cemetery.
The approved layout is below and the sidewalk was eliminated to reduce tree impacts on the North side of Wall Street and not to impact plots/graves at the cemetery.
Staff have heard concerns from the public about impacts to trees, primarily in the NE corner of Wall Street and Spring Creek Road, however, that does not mean the Golf Course or Carleton have not expressed concerns about tree loss also. Based on these concerns again, primarily trying to eliminate impacts to trees in the NE corner of Wall Street and Spring Creek Road and along the cemetery, alternative layouts have been prepared and are attached.
All of the alternative options leave the retaining wall in the NE Corner in place (except for the small bump-out in the wall) eliminating tree impact and thus impacting the Golf Course property more.
• Option 1 - Mini-Roundabout exists with all of the same walking and biking facility.
• Option 2 - Turns lanes at intersection of Wall Street and Spring Creek Road with same walking and biking facilities.
• Option 3A - No intersection change, remains All-Way Stop - same walking and biking facilities.
• Option 3B - No intersection change, remains All-Way Stop but the trail on the North side east of Spring Creek Road is removed.
• Option 3C - No intersection change, remains All-Way Stop but the trail on the North side is placed directly behind the curb. The retaining wall moves back approximately 4 feet. The wall along Spring Creek Road will remain as it exists. Minimal impact to the Oak trees at the intersection, as the trail moves east those oaks will remain but will have root impacts. The trees along the cemetery will be removed.
A summary of the pros and cons is attached in the presentation. City staff along with County believe that Options 1 and 2 have too significant impact to the golf course and are not recommended. Rice County has also indicated at this time a roundabout or turn lanes do not need to be included with the project and the intersection can remain an All-Way stop.
Below is a little more information related to bur oak trees and white pine.
Bur Oak Tree:
It is a slow to moderate growing tree that typically grows 0.3 to 1.7 feet per year.
Healthy trees can have a life expectancy of 300-400 years old.
Age= DBH (Diameter at 4.5 feet above the ground) multiplied by 5 (Growth Factor)
White Pine:
It is a fast growing tree that can grow 2 to 3 feet per year.
Healthy trees typically live to be 200 years old, but can live up to 450 years.
Age= DBH (Diameter at 4.5 feet above the ground) multiplied by 5 (Growth Factor)
The main large bur oak tree in the NE corner of Wall Street and Spring Creek Road is ~44-inch dimeter which put the age of the tree approximately 220 years old. Some of the other bur oak are around 150 years old. One of the bur oak trees east of the intersection is sick or dying.
The white pines along the cemetery are approximately 140 years old, a couple of them are dead other are in good condition.
Alternative Options:
Alternative are listed above, Council could also consider eliminating the sidewalk on the north side of Wall Street from Fourth Street to Spring Creek Road.
Financial Impacts:
See Presentation
Tentative Timelines:
Note, with the delay in developing these alternative options, the construction of Wall Street may necessitate the need for construction in 2024 and 2025.