Adopt Resolution #23-051 Approving Plans and Specifications and Authorizing Advertisement for Bids for 161^st Avenue Reconstruction, Improvement Project #23-01

Purpose:
The purpose of this case is to adopt Resolution #23-051 approving plans and specifications and authorizing advertisement for bids for 161^st Avenue Reconstruction, Improvement Project #23-01.
 
Background:
City Improvement Project 23-01 proposes to reconstruct 161^st Avenue between Armstrong Boulevard (CSAH 83) and Variolite Street. The street total approximately 2,680 linear feet (0.51 miles) in length, and is a 29-foot wide urban section with bituminous curbing. No parking is allowed on either side of the street. A figure showing the project scope and a street segment summary is attached to this case.
 
Project History
 

• 2022 – 2031 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) proposed to reconstruct 161^st Avenue in 2024. To avoid reconstructing the street after PACT Charter School opens, the street reconstruction was moved up to 2023.
• Resolution #22-089, adopted April 12, 2022; City Council awarded a proposal to Bolton & Menk Inc. for a topographic survey of the project area.
• On June 21, 2022, the Publics Works Committee (PWC) reviewed bicycle and pedestrian facilities as part of the 161^st Avenue reconstruction project. The PWC recommended extending a trail along 161^st Avenue with a goal of minimizing tree impacts and existing park facilities.
• Resolution #22-200, adopted August 23, 2022; City Council ordered the City Engineer to prepare plans and specifications for the improvement project.
• Resolution #22-204, adopted August 23, 2022; City Council awarded a proposal to Haugo Geotechnical Services for a geotechnical report of the project area.
• Resolution #22-234, adopted October 11, 2022; City Council authorized Staff to apply for the Minnesota Active Transportation State Infrastructure Program to construct off-street facilities between Armstrong Boulevard and Variolite Street as part of 161^st Avenue reconstruction. The State make grant selections in late March. If awarded the grant, the City will need to enter into an agreement with the State of Minnesota for funding and construction of the trail construction costs.
• On December 13, 2022, the City Council discussed the Central Park southern parking as part of the case for Resolution #22-285 ordering plans and specifications for Improvement Project #23-02, Central Park Main Parking Lot Reconstruction. City Council directed Staff to include the southern parking lot with either Improvement Project #23-01 or #23-02.
• On January 17, 2023, the Public Works Committee received an update from Staff on Central Park Southern Parking Lot Reconstruction as part of 161^st Avenue Reconstruction. PWC recommended Staff reconstruct the southern parking lot as park of 161^st Avenue Reconstruction, Improvement Project #23-01, and to include basketball courts as part of the parking lot reconstruction.
• Resolution #23-029, adopted January 24, 2023; City Council prohibits parking of motor vehicles at all times on both sides of 161^st Avenue between Armstrong Boulevard and Variolite Street, as the proposed street improvements do not provide an adequate width for parking, and approval of the proposed reconstruction as a Municipal State Aid Street must therefore be conditions upon certain parking restrictions.

 
Pavement History
161^st Avenue was constructed in 1979. Pavement maintenance has included a crack seal / seal coat improvement in 1993, a pavement overlay improvement in 2001 and a crack seal / seal coat improvement in 2009. Maintenance crews have performed patching over the last several years, however the pavement is currently in extremely poor condition. In 2021 PASER values were 3 for 161^st Avenue, the street was not rated in 2022 as it is past the stage where any treatment other than a full reconstruction is recommended.
 
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) was performed on the street segment. Bituminous pavement thickness was found to have an average thickness of 3.37 inches. The aggregate base was found to have an average thickness of 3.23 inches. The overall pavement section average thickness is 6.59 inches.
 
Proposed Improvements
161^st Avenue is a Municipal State Aid (MSA) street, and must be designed to MSA standards. Staff is proposing to generally leave the street at the current 29-foot width, but replace the bituminous curb with concrete curb and gutter. Based off the Traffic Impact Study performed for the PACT Charter School estimated future 2,500 ADT at full build out, Staff is proposing a 10-inch-thick pavement section to meet the required 10-ton MSA design requirement. This will be made up of 4 inches new bituminous pavement over 6 inches of aggregate base. Pavement markings will generally match existing marking, a center skip line to allow passing as well as fog line to mark the outside edge of the lanes. The Traffic Impact Study determined turn lanes would not be necessary to handle future traffic levels. The existing driveways and boulevards along the corridor will have impacts due to construction, however, all impacts are proposed to be contained with the City-owned right of way.
 
The project will add a 10-foot wide bituminous trail along the north side of 161^st Avenue. This trail will connect to the existing pedestrian landing built with the 2020 Variolite Street reconstruction, and connect to the existing trail at the west side of Central Park. The existing trail from the Central Park drive to Armstrong Boulevard is proposed to be reconstructed with this project as well. All trail crossings will include concrete pedestrian ramps, built to current ADA Standards. The Central Park southern parking lot and attaching park drives will be reconstructed, including concrete curb and gutter to meet current City of Ramsey requirements. Two basketball courts will be marked out in the parking lot, and include 4 new basketball hoops. Central Park Main Parking Lot will be reconstructed in the summer of 2023 as a separate project, Improvement Project #23-02.
 
Stormwater runoff is currently handled through curb cuts and swales to existing ponding areas located in drainage and utility easements, on the south side of 161^st Avenue. Easements exists at 16045 Xenolith Street; which handles runoff on the eastern portion of the project, and a large ponding area on 7826 161^st Avenue and 7833 159^th Lane; which handles runoff on the western portion of the project as well as runoff from the Central Park parking lot. This project is proposing to replace the existing curb cuts and swales with storm sewer inlets placed in the curb lines and piping to the ponding areas. This is to remove the safety hazard of having storm water runoff flowing across 161^st Avenue. The ponding areas on 7826 161^st Avenue and 7833 159^th Lane will need to be excavated approximately 7 feet deeper to accommodate piping. The storm sewer is proposed to handle the 161^st Avenue corridor and existing drainage areas, no accommodations for PACT Charter or a future Saint Katherine Drexel development are being proposed.
 
Municipal water and sanitary sewer utilities exist at the intersection of 161^st Avenue and Variolite Street. Water. These utilities will need to be extended to the west to connect the proposed PACT Charter School to the system. This project is extending 8-inch sanitary sewer and watermain, and is coordinating with PACT Charter for the location of their service connections. The services will be constructed up to the right of way, which is expanding an additional 14 feet north as part of the PACT Addition. The project stubs water and sewer into the southeast corner of Central Park, to allow for future connection of park facilities, when the time comes to replace the existing well and septic systems. The residential properties south of 161^st Avenue are not within the MUSA, and Staff is not proposing to extend water and sewer services to these properties with this project.
 
Anticipated Build Process

• Install traffic control measures
  • These are maintained throughout the project
  • Layout of traffic control may be adjusted to accommodate construction periodically
• Install erosion control measures
• Full-depth reclamation of existing bituminous pavement and aggregate base
  • Haul off-site to stockpile location (to be recycled as new aggregate base)
• Project removals (parking lot pavement, remaining trees, salvage mail box posts, etc.)
• Mass grading of storm sewer ponds
• Utility installation
  • Sanitary sewer; watermain, storm sewer
• Haul in aggregate base
• Place new concrete curb and gutter, concrete valley gutters, and pedestrian ramps
• Tolerance aggregate base, place first lift of new bituminous pavement, including trail and parking lot
• Final any trail and driveway repairs
• Restore the boulevard in any impacted areas
  • 4 inches topsoil; seed and hydro-mulch in boulevards, erosion control blanket in ponds
• Place the final lift of new bituminous pavement
  • place all pavement markings, must wait 72 hours after paving
• Erosion control measures are removed after restoration has been completed.

 
Preliminary Schedule Remaining

• Council approves plans and specifications / authorizes advertisement for bids
  • March 14, 2023
• Staff receives bids
  • April 19, 2023
• Council awards contract to the lowest responsible bidder
  • April 25, 2023
• Contractor begins construction
  • Late May / Early June 2023
• Contractor substantially completes construction
  • September 1, 2023
• Contractor final completion (project clean up, punch list created)
  • September 29, 2023

 
State Aid Approval
Plans are currently being routed through State Aid for approval, which is required before the project can be bid. Staff does not anticipate significant comments from State Aid which would require moving the proposed project bid opening.
 
Permit Approvals
Before construction can begin, Staff must obtain permits from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for a sanitary sewer extension permit, Minnesota Department of Health for a watermain extension permit, Lower Rum River Watershed Management Organization for a grading, stormwater management and erosion / sediment control permit, and Anoka County for a highway right of way permit. These permit approvals are not anticipated to impact the proposed project start date.
 
Bid Opening
Staff proposes to open bids on April 19, 2023, and to present the bid results to City Council on April 25, 2023 for award of a construction contract to the lowest responsible bidder.
 
Final plans are not attached to this case to prevent potential bidders from downloading plans attached to the case to prepare and submit their bids, rather than purchasing the plans through QuestCDN, the electronic bidding software used by the City of Ramsey. This ensures all bidders are bidding off the same set of plans, and all bidders are notified of any plan revisions (addenda) issued during the bidding process. Attached is the title sheet from the plans showing the scope of the improvements, as well as a plan sheet showing the typical sections, which includes information on the proposed pavement section. Plans are available upon request from the City Engineer.
 
The proposed improvements are designated as City Improvement Project #23-01, 161^st Avenue Reconstruction.

If Council approves plans and specifications and authorizes advertising for bids, bids will be advertised on Friday, March 17, and again on Friday, March 24, 2023, both in the City’s official newspaper, the Anoka Union Herald, and in Finance & Commerce.
 
Additionally, letters will be mailed to property owners with updates on the project status. Engineering Staff maintains City Improvement webpages with the most current project information, this can be found on the City website, Engineering department page.

Motion to adopt Resolution #23-051 approving plans and specifications and authorizing advertisement for bids for 161^st Avenue Reconstruction, Improvement Project #23-01.

Funding for this improvement is proposed to come from MSA funds, Stormwater Utility Funds, Sanitary Sewer Utility Funds, Water Utility Funds, and Park Improvement Trust Funds. If the State awards the Active Transportation Grant, the grant would offset construction costs of the trail, which is currently proposed to be funded with MSA funds.
 
Staff has completed an estimate based on the final plans and anticipated 2023 construction costs, with a total estimated project cost of $1,924,154.19, which includes 23-percent indirect costs for administrative, engineering, finance, and legal costs.
 

• Street Project Costs (MSA Funds)                 $709,829.93
• Trail Project Costs (MSA Funds)                   $206,144.62
• Storm Sewer Project Costs                             $474,111.50
• Parking Lot Project Costs (Park Funds)         $189,392.63
• Watermain Project Costs                                $177,626.76
• Sanitary Sewer Project Costs                         $167,048.76

Staff recommends adopting Resolution #23-051 approving plans and specifications and authorizing advertisement for bids for 161^st Avenue Reconstruction, Improvement Project #23-01.

Adopt Resolution #23-051 approving plans and specifications and authorizing advertisement for bids for 161^st Avenue Reconstruction, Improvement Project #23-01.