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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-235-04/01/2013Prepared by Carol Failor, Deputy City Clerk, City of Waterloo, 715 Mulberry Street, Waterloo, IA 50703. RESOLUTION NO. 2013-235 RESOLUTION RECOMMENDING A PRELIMINARY IMPACT AREA TO OBTAIN NEPA CLEARANCE FOR THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S UNIVERSITY AVENUE/IOWA 934 PROJECT IN THE CITY OF WATERLOO, BLACK HAWK COUNTY, IOWA. WHEREAS, the City of Waterloo recognizes that University Avenue/Iowa 934 is an Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) owned and maintained roadway; and WHEREAS, the Iowa Department of Transportation recognizes its duty and responsibility to properly maintain, repair, replace and finance the reconstruction of University Avenue/Iowa 934 by undertaking the necessary studies to reconstruct the roadway; and WHEREAS, the IDOT has completed a corridor study and is currently undertaking an environmental assessment as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); and WHEREAS, the NEPA requires the completion of an environmental assessment to help communities identify the best way to meet future needs and avoid or minimize impacts to both the natural and man-made environment; and WHEREAS, an environmental assessment is currently being developed and will utilize the recommendations from the University Avenue Corridor Study as a baseline for refining and evaluating corridor alternatives and assessing their impacts to the natural and man-made environment; and WHEREAS, the NEPA process requires that various alternatives be identified and a preferred alternative be selected, and the IDOT has requested that the City of Waterloo review the alternatives identified and recommend a preferred alternative; and WHEREAS, the City of Waterloo has not yet selected a preferred alternative, but it is desired that adequate impact area or "footprint" be cleared within the study area to accommodate the widest range of final design options; and WHEREAS, it is recognized that the final design process, following public input, public hearings and design review by the City Council and IDOT, will determine the ultimate final design of the corridor including each intersection based on traffic characteristics, proper engineering design criteria, consideration of all environmental impacts, and financial constraints. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATERLOO, IOWA, that the City of Waterloo has not selected a preferred alternative but recommends that the IDOT proceed forward in the NEPA process to clear a preliminary impact area or "footprint" as identified on preliminary plans prepared by the IDOT as "Alternative 4" plus additional preliminary impact . Resolution 2013-235 Page 2 areas to be cleared as identified on "expanded impact area" plans prepared by the City of Waterloo and submitted to the IDOT on 3/20/13, including: 1) expanded impact areas at the southwest corner of University Avenue and Progress Avenue, 2) expanded impact areas along Progress Avenue north of University Avenue, 3) expanded areas on the north and south sides of University Avenue at "Tunis Dr" (unofficial street name of the intersection in front of the former Platt's Nursery and McDonald's), and 4) expanded impact areas along a frontage/backage road on the south side of University Avenue between Falls Avenue and Sager Avenue and extending east of Sager Avenue. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATERLOO, IOWA, that this recommendation does not represent an endorsement of specific intersection improvements or other corridor improvements, including traffic lanes, trail or bike lane configuration specific to "Alternative 4", as all final design elements will be analyzed in greater detail based on traffic characteristics, proper engineering design criteria, consideration of all environmental impacts, and financial constraints during the next phase of the design and public input and hearing process leading to the final design. PASSED AND ADOPTED this lst day o April, 2013. Er 4 st G. lark, Mayor ATTEST: zy S are , CMC City Clerk