HomeMy WebLinkAbout06.22.2009COUNCIL WORK SESSION
June 22, 2009
4:40 p.m.
Council Chambers
Members present: Mayor Hurley,
Schmitt.
Moved by Reggie Schmitt, seconded
Seven. Motion carried.
Cole, Getty, Hart, Greenwood, Steve Schmitt, Welper, Reggie
by Greenwood that the Agenda, as proposed, be approved. Ayes:
Noel Anderson, Community Planning & Development Director, explained the reason for the meeting
was to review the design options for the Tower Park Trail segment. The city contracted with JDE
Engineering for design options for the Tower Park Trail system from Kimball Avenue westerly towards
the Veridian building. This trail segment would be infill trail construction through a primarily built
environment to hook onto future trail segments that would be built as additional land is platted and
developed westerly towards the Country Club Business Center and VGM. Several trail designs were
considered, and city staff and JDE Engineering met with property owners in Tower Park to go over the
designs for their input. The city has been working to require trail segments in tactical locations as new
land is platted and developed. The city's long range plans show a trail segment in the southerly portion
of the city near the San Marnan Drive corridor. New trails were required as a part of the Country Club
Business Center and as a part of the VGM development. The city has committed bond funds for the
development of the trail segment in the Tower Park area, which was previously built without trails.
Similar to the goals of the sidewalk infill, this would work as a trail infill project.
Jim Ellis, owner of JDE Engineering, noted that this started as a feasibility study to see if we could build
trail segments in the Tower Park area with the following goals: make it useful for the property owners
and build a system that would fit into the system already there. Part of the process was to research all
the property owners in the area, perform field reviews for the area and highlight obstacles. They looked
at the Kimball Avenue, Highway 20 and Tower Park areas.
Mr. Ellis noted some of the obstacles were: narrow available area, large trees in parking area, steep area
that could require retaining wall, connect existing pipes, extend the box culvert, construct bridge over
creek and rebuild retaining wall.
Mr. Ellis reported that they created four options for the recreational trail with alternate # 1 for additional
sidewalk and alternate #2 for additional recreational trail. A meeting was held with the property owners.
Some of the comments were it could increase the costs of the property owners' insurance and that the
trail was too close to the buildings. From the discussions, Option #5 was created, which kept the route
more to the south across the drainage patch and ending at Tower Park/Kimball Avenue An additional 5
foot wide sidewalk was included with Option #5 and a larger loop for employees to use. Option #5
extends a trail that is beneficial to the property owners and provides pedestrian access to Tower Park.
Councilperson Hart asked if the city has a master trail plan for the entire city, and Mayor Hurley
responded that we do. Councilperson Hart noted that we already had a plan when we bonded
$50,000.00 for the trails and he asked if this trail will move up in priority. Mr. Anderson responded the
city has been prioritizing for the past few years to create loops for existing trails. The Donald Street trail
provided a nice connection. Mr. Anderson stated he can't say that this trill will go forward before other
proj ects.
Mayor Hurley noted that Option #5 includes a 5 foot wide sidewalk. Eric Thorson, City Engineer, that
no decision has been made as to who will pay for the sidewalk, the city or the property owners. The
sidewalk was priced as an alternate.
The consensus of the council was to move forward with Option #5 with the understanding that any costs
associated with the trail will be brought back to council for approval.
With no further business before the council, it was moved by Cole, seconded by Steve Schmitt that the
meeting be adjourned at 5:03 p.m. Ayes: Seven. Motion carried.
Nancy Eckert
City Clerk