City council to vote on plan for street project, water main replacement

Staff

Published Saturday, June 21, 2008

The Albert Lea City Council will vote Monday on whether to accept a feasibility report and call a public hearing for the total street reconstruction and water main replacement on sections of Ridge Road.

The reconstruction would include about 1,120 feet of roadway on Ridge Road from The Fairway to Garden Road.

Albert Lea City Manager Victoria Simonsen said during the past couple years, several residents in the area have requested the project.

The street has many large trees growing on the curb line, causing the curb and pavement to heave. As a result, storm water ponds have formed in places and the roadway has become rough.

Simonsen said in order to ensure proper drainage in the future, all of the large trees growing alongside the road would have to be removed during the project.

Though the neighborhood requested the project, she said she doesn’t know if they realize all of the trees would have to go if they moved forward with the project.

“It will definitely change the look of that street,” she said. “Our tree friends are not going to be happy.”

The street was originally constructed in 1959 and has never been overlaid, according to the city engineer’s report on the project.

The cost for the project is estimated at about $230,000 with 44 percent being assessable to abutting property owners and 56 percent being a city cost.

Proposed assessments on residents range from a low of about $4,900 to a high of $9,800. The average assessment is almost $6,000.

Simonsen said these assessments are higher than what is usually seen on similar projects.

The neighborhood park accounts for about 21 percent of the total assessable footage and would be included as a city cost.

Also, because the curb and gutter are less than 50 years old, only 50 percent of the costs can be assessable to property owners.

These figures only include the street and the water main reconstruction; they do not include sanitary sewer line reconstruction, Simonsen said. She would recommend that the sanitary sewer be done at the same time, though Utilities Department stated that they found the sanitary sewer line to be in good condition.

If the council approves the feasibility report and calls a hearing, the hearing will be on July 28 in the City Council chambers. A neighborhood meeting would be on July 8 to better inform residents on the project.

If awarded, construction would occur yet this summer.

During the Monday meeting, the council will also:

Have a public hearing to receive input on the proposed Highway 13 sidewalk project.

Under the proposal, a sidewalk would be installed from Elmira Street to Fountain Street, going through Shoff Park, and on the west side of North Avenue from Fountain Street to Clark Street.

The project came about after a community policing meeting last fall at St. John’s Lutheran Home, when the residents at the facility requested the sidewalk for safer and easier access down the street and to the Skyline Plaza. It would also assist children on their way to the areas near Southwest Middle School and Sibley Elementary School.

The new sidewalk would cover about 2,600 feet. Costs are estimated at about $121,000, with about 5 percent of the project being assessable to adjacent property owners.

Hear a request from the Albert Lea Police Department, who is involved in coordinating a county-wide disaster drill on Sept. 4.

The drill would be held at the Blazing Start Landing, where a large ethanol fire would be staged.

Simonsen said when disaster teams have been looking at where the most likely place would be for a disaster in this area, they say it would probably be at the ethanol plant in Glenville with an ethanol fire.

An ethanol fire burns clear, and you can’t even see the flames, she said.

The drill would involve the staging of injured people in vehicles and possibly a train.

It will involve several city departments as well as other agencies throughout the county.

Vote on whether to accept a portion of West Ninth Street and Wedgewood Road from the Albert Lea Township.

Under the annexation, the city would assume full maintenance responsibilities upon approval of the state.

Vote on whether to annex 2.87 acres of land south of Pro Manufacturing on Freeborn County Road 38, also known as State Park Road. The land is being used for the new ITC Midwest facility that is going up in that area.

The petition for annexation was signed by 100 percent of the property owners involved.

Hear a request from the youth ShineFest group for the use of Morin Park and part of William Street on July 26 for a ShineFest activity.

The activity includes a day of free food and music to families in need of assistance. It is being put on by the youth of several churches in the community.

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