Woodbury Residents Outline Concerns Over Roadwork Project

Dozens of residents packed the council chambers at for Wednesday’s public hearing on this summer’s .

It’s the largest road construction project ever undertaken by the city and the work will affect about 1,800 homes, said City Engineer Klayton Eckles.

Eleven miles of roads in the two neighborhoods are set to be improved as the council unanimously voted Wednesday to move ahead with the project.

“I think we all know our roads are in poor shape in these neighborhoods,” said Eckles, who noted that the pavement-condition index for those streets range from 0-70 on the 100-point scale.

Four residents spoke during the public hearing, and staff and the council took time to address each of their concerns, which included:

• sightlines on Colby Lake Drive, which is set to be narrowed to 28 feet;
• the size, scope and timeline of the project;
• plans to turn a dry pond near into a wet one, which would require the removal of hundreds of trees;
• if work on all streets in the neighborhoods is truly necessary;
• the impact of a path along Leyland Trail;
• a request to add a sidewalk along Wimbledon Drive, which one resident said he would help fund; and
• the assessment estimates.

The work is expected to cost about $7.3 million, with the city paying two-thirds of that figure. The rest would fall to . Work will likely begin this May and run through October.

The project was originally slated for 2014-15, Eckles said, but because of the favorable bidding climate, the city opted to move ahead with the work this year. In five years, the bids could swell by 30 percent, he said. Because of that, the city took what would normally be a three-year project and condensed it into this summer’s road construction season.

Three streets—Colby Lake Drive, Wimbledon Road and Leyland Trail—would be narrowed as part of the project, and some minor sewer repairs will be completed, as well.

The city is typically high on its preliminary assessment estimates, Eckles said, and they could come down depending on contractors’ bids for the project.

The first installment wouldn’t be due until spring of 2013, and residents have 15 years to pay them off, though there would be some interested tacked on. Eckles said recent assessments included 3.9 percent interest.

Also, the city must be able to demonstrate that the project boosts property values at least as much as the assessment costs. Typically, the city’s assessments are in line with the increases in property values, Eckles said. Woodbury generally uses the one-third assessment cost formula for residential areas.

A hearing on the assessments is set for April 25.

On the issue of sightlines for traffic on Colby Lake Drive, Eckles said engineers don’t anticipate any issues, and a median with trees would help slow traffic, along with a narrower roadway.

A resident who raised the issue also said there should be turn lanes at additional intersections, but Eckles said they aren’t warranted with the traffic volumes on that stretch of road.

Woodbury resident Bob Callery, who , renewed his plea for the city to reconsider, as the work would require the removal of hundreds of trees.

The pond work, however, is part of the city’s goal to improve the water quality of Colby Lake. Allowing more water to settle at the drainage pond will prevent pollutants and nutrients from entering the lake, which is on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s impaired waters list.

Plans do include additional tree plantings along the edge of the pond—near Leyland Trail and Queensport Road—once the work is complete.

Joe Fitzenberger, who lives at Glacier Road and Wimbledon Drive, said the overall project is “fantastic.”

But he did ask the city to consider installing another sidewalk on the other side of Wimbledon Drive—set to be narrowed to 28 feet—to ensure children who walk to the nearby school aren't in the street as much.

And Fitzenberger said he’s willing to help pay for the sidewalk, to the tune of $5,000.

“This needs to be taken care of,” said Fitzenberger, whose children do not attend . “We’d be willing to step up to the plate.”

Regarding a path along Leyland Trail, it would fall in the city’s right-of-way and connect to the neighborhood pool.

Concerns about some curbs, relating to standing water, would be addressed through grading, Eckles said.

While some roads, particularly in cul-de-sacs, may not seem like they need immediate attention, it is more cost-effective to improve all the streets at one time.

Councilman Christopher Burns asked if the city was excluding smaller contractors, who might come in with lower bids, by grouping the two projects together. Eckles said fixing roads in one of the two areas would still be a major project and likely attract larger contractors.

Councilman Paul Rebholz said the city could always halt the project.

“If we don’t like the bids, this project could stop,” he said.

Still, Rebholz introduced the resolution ordering the project, approving the plans and specifications, establishing a March 22 bid date, and authorizing the preparation and acquisition of easements for the roadwork.