PUBLIC HEARING: Adopt Resolution #18-229 Approving Feasibility Report and Ordering Plans and Specifications for Improvement Project #19-01, Ford Brook Estates Street Reconstructions

Purpose:
The purpose of this case is to conduct a Public Hearing then consider adopting Resolution #18-229 approving the Feasibility Report and ordering plans and specifications for City Improvement Project #19-01, Ford Brook Estates Street Reconstructions.

Background:
City Improvement Project No. 19-01 proposes to reconstruct 180th Lane and Krypton Street in the Ford Brook Estates neighborhood.  These streets total approximately 860 linear feet (0.16 miles) in length.  Figure 1 in Appendix A in the attached Feasibility Report shows the scope of the proposed improvements.

Existing Conditions
Krypton Street and 180^th Lane were constructed in 1981 as rural sections with bituminous pavement at a width of 24 feet.  Both streets are generally centered within a 66-foot wide right-of-way.

The storm sewer system consists of ditches along both sides of the streets within the right-of-way and drainage and utility easements. Storm runoff collects in the ditch along TH 47 and is carried north to Ford Brook.

Sanitary sewer and watermain are not present under the streets.
 
The existing bituminous pavement section ranges from 1.2 to 6.4 inches thick, with a median thickness of 4.3 inches, as determined from Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) analysis performed by Braun Intertec in 2017, as well as from field observations and record plan documents.  The existing aggregate base ranges from 2.4 to 6.8 inches thick, with a median thickness of 4.1 inches. The pavement section was built on silty sand and lean clay subgrade materials generally not considered ideal for pavement support.

Two (2) soil borings were completed by Braun Intertec to assist with the preparation of the Feasibility Report.  Pavement design recommendations were offered by Braun Intertec.  City Staff considered and incorporated Braun’s recommendations to varying degrees while preparing the report.
 
Copies of Braun Intertec’s GPR results and Geotechnical Exploration are attached in Appendix C in the attached Feasibility Report.

The City evaluates and rates the condition of pavement sections on all City streets on an annual basis using the Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating (PASER) system. In the summer of 2018, the pavement section of the above referenced street segments were rated with a PASER rating of 2 which indicates these streets require complete reconstruction.
 
Pictures of the streets are located in Appendix A in the attached Feasibility Report.

Proposed Improvements
Proposed improvements include removing the existing bituminous pavement and aggregate base along with 2-feet of unsuitable subgrade material. Two-feet of select granular borrow (sand) will then be placed over geotextile fabric, with drain tile added at low points.  Four-inches of imported aggregate base will then be placed, followed by 3½-inches of new bituminous pavement.  This results in a 7-ton pavement design, which is the City standard for residential streets.

Existing ditches will require minor re-grading due to the proposed soil corrections, but driveway culverts are not anticipated to be affected by this project.  Drain tile will be added at the bottom of the subgrade correction areas to drain any trapped water into the ditches. No other storm sewer improvements are proposed with this project.

Estimated Costs
The engineer’s opinion of probable costs for completing the proposed improvements outlined in this report is $239,464.57. Estimated costs include 5-percent contingency costs plus 23-percent indirect costs for administrative, engineering, finance and legal costs. A summary of the engineer’s opinion of probably costs is included in Appendix B in the attached Feasibility Report.

Funding Program
This project is proposed to be funded using a combination of street reconstruction bond proceeds in the amount of $194,880.41, special assessments to benefiting properties in the amount of $31,359.20, and storm sewer funds in the amount of $13,224.96.
 
A total of 8 benefiting parcels have been identified as eligible for special assessments. Staff recommends assessing 25-percent of eligible project costs equally across the 8 benefiting properties using the “per lot” assessment method as allowed by the City’s adopted Special Assessments Policy. Eligible project costs include everything except subgrade correction costs. This results in a proposed preliminary assessment rate of $3,919.90 per assessable parcel.

Staff recommends ordering a special benefit consultation report for this project to verify the proposed assessment amount will not exceed benefit to the properties. If the report concludes the benefit to assessed properties is less than the proposed preliminary assessment rate, Staff will then propose to lower the assessment rate accordingly during the Assessment Hearing, which is scheduled for October 8, 2019. If the report verifies the assessment rate as proposed is justified, Staff will propose to adopt the final assessment roll using the rate as preliminarily proposed.
 
This improvement project is listed in the City’s current 10-year Capital Improvement Plan.

Public Comment
Staff conducted a public information meeting for this project at 6:30 PM on Thursday, November 8, 2018.  The purpose of the meeting was to present the proposed improvements, estimated costs, funding program, and preliminary project schedule to benefiting property owners, and to receive public input on the project.  Property owners from 3 of the 8 identified benefiting properties attended.
 
None of the property owners objected to the project and all agreed the pavement was in poor condition and needed to be replaced.  Their primary concern was on how access to properties would be maintained during construction, especially during the 2-foot subgrade correction work.  Staff informed the property owners that this work should only take a few days to complete, and that Staff proposes to require the contractor to restore the road at the end of each work day to allow full access to driveways overnight, though this would not allow access to driveways during the work day.  One way around this could be to limit subgrade correction work to one side of the road at a time, and to fill part of the ditch in on the other side of the road to provide temporary access at all times, but this would likely substantially increase project costs as the entire right-of way would need to be re-graded and restored.  Staff will explore this and other options to provide reasonable access to properties throughout construction while preparing plans and specifications.
 
The property owners also questioned why the Anoka Hennepin School District asked the City to expand the cul-de-sac diameter to 100-feet, and why the buses can’t continue to stop on Highway 47 to pick up and drop off students from their neighborhood when they are currently seeing school buses stopping along Highway 47 every day in numerous other locations nearby.  Staff will connect with the Anoka Hennepin School District to address this question as best as possible and to relay the school district’s response to the property owners before the Public Hearing.  It is important to note that the property owners did not formally object to increasing the size of the cul-de-sac, just that they didn’t understand why the school district is making the request at this time.  The property owners stated they had asked the school district to pick up and drop off kids in the Krypton Street cul-de-sac many, many years ago when there were far more kids in the neighborhood, but that their request was denied.  Now, there are only a few kids in the neighborhood and the cul-de-sac expansion will increase project costs and assessments.  They simply want to understand their options at this point.
 

Public Hearing notices were published in the Anoka Union Herald on October 26 and November 2, 2018. Staff also mailed Public Hearing notices to owners of all benefiting properties as required by law.

Observations:
If these streets are not reconstructed in 2019, they will need to be added to the next 5-year SROP to allow reconstruction between 2020 and 2024 instead. However, this would reduce the amount of pavement maintenance work that can be completed in 2019 since no new streets can be added to the current 5-year SROP, which is attached for reference. This is the final year of the 2015 - 2019 Street Reconstruction and Overlay Program (SROP).

Developed properties along the project corridor may have private irrigation systems. Impacts to these systems may occur during construction. Staff will notify property owners in writing of the pending construction as far in advance of construction as possible to allow them time to move their irrigation system components out of the construction area, after which they may replace the components in their original locations.

Survey work has begun to allow data to be collected before snow covers the ground.

Alternatives:
Alternative #1 – Motion to adopt Resolution #18-229 approving the Feasibility Report and ordering plans and specifications for Improvement Project #19-01, Ford Brook Estates Street Reconstructions.

Alternative #2 – Motion denying adoption of Resolution #18-229 at this time.

The Feasibility Report was completed in-house as part of Staff's normal duties.

Per the attached Feasibility Report, the engineer’s estimate of project costs is $239,464.57. Staff proposes to fund the improvements using a combination of street reconstruction bond proceeds in the amount of $194,880.41, special assessments to benefiting properties in the amount of $31,359.20, and storm sewer funds in the amount of $13,224.96.

A total of 8 residential parcels will benefit from the proposed improvements and are preliminarily proposed to be assessed for 25-percent of eligible project costs, which equates to a preliminary assessment of $3,919.90 per parcel.  The City will fund the remaining 75% of eligible project costs, and 100% of all ineligible project costs, which includes subgrade correction costs.

Staff recommends Alternative #1.  This will allow the improvements to be completed in 2019, while providing for the use of special assessments to pay for up to 25-percent of the project costs per the applicable provisions of Chapter 8 of the City Charter, the City’s Special Assessments Policy, and Minnesota Statute Chapter 429.

Motion to adopt Resolution #18-229 approving the Feasibility Report and ordering plans and specifications for Improvement Project #19-01, Ford Brook Estates Street Reconstructions.