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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1986 06-17 AGENDA CENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ADVISORY GROUP ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING JUNE 17, 1986 CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1. Call to Order: 8:00 p.m. 2. Roll Call 3. Role of Neighborhood Advisory Group 4. History of the Issues Relating to East /West Cut - Through Traffic in the Neighborhood. 5. Discuss Procedures for Neighborhood Advisory Group Review and Comment 6. Set Date for Formal Neighborhood Advisory Group Meeting 7. Other Business 8. Adjourn: 9:30 p.m. MEMORANDUM TO: Central Neighborhood Advisory Group Tony Kuefler, Chairman 561 -3251 Gordon Gunderson 561 -1826 Robert Cilke 566 -8583 Harold Uecker 561 -1841 Diane Reem 561 -2690 Ronald Turner 561 - 3571 Michael Nelson 566 -0449 FROM: Ronald A. Warren, Director of Planning and Inspecti�x�- DATE: June 9 1986 SUBJECT: Central Neighborhood Advisory Group Organizational Meeting Tony Kuefler, Central Neighborhood Advisory Group Chairman, has proposed an organizational meeting of the Neighborhood Advisory Group for Tuesday evening, June 17, 1986 at 8:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in the City Council Chambers at City Hall. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the expanded role of the Neighborhood Advisory Group; review the history and background of the cut - through traffic issue; establish procedures for the advisory group's review and comment; and set a meeting date for additional review and comment from the neighborhood. This meeting is for organizational purposes only and the group is not expected to make any final decisions or recommendations regarding the issue at this time. It is an "open meeting ", meaning that it is open to the public, however, it is not a public hearing and the group is not required to open the meeting for public comment. The meeting should conclude by approximately 9:30 p.m. Enclosed is a copy of the minutes of the May 1, 1986 meeting held at the Brookdale Christian Center which you were invited to. You previously received a packet of information related to this issue. If you have misplaced this or need additional copies of that information, please contact me at 561 -5440 ext. 118. If you are unable to attend the organizational meeting, please contact either Tony Kuefler (home phone no. 561 -3251, after 6:00 p.m.; office phone no. 330 -6628, before 4:30 p.m.) or myself. Your cooperation and willingness to serve on this advisory group . are greatly appreciated. RAW:mlg • NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDED BY COUNTY ROAD 10, BROOKLYN BOULEVARD, 63RD AVENUE NORTH AND XERXES AVENUE NORTH BROOKDALE CHRISTIAN CENTER BROOKLYN CENTER, MINNESOTA MAY 1, 1986 ATTENDANCE Gerald G. Splinter, City Manager; Sy Knapp, Director of Public Works; Ron Warren, Director of Planning and Inspection; and Geralyn Barone, Personnel Coordinator. Also in attendance were residents of the neighborhood. The City Manager reviewed the history of this case, explaining the concern for the amount of cut - through traffic on the east /west streets in the neighborhood, originating from Brooklyn Boulevard and Xerxes Avenue North. He explained that a neighborhood meeting had already been held on November 14, 1985 for residents living on 59th Avenue North between Xerxes Avenue North and Brooklyn Boulevard. The City Manager said the purpose of the meeting this evening is to inform residents of the possible solutions to the problems, and he pointed out that no decisions will be reached this evening. He said that the Central Neighborhood Advisory Group will review the situation, and make a recommendation to the Planning Commission. In turn, the Planning Commission will make a recommendation to the City Council, and the City Council will make any final decisions. The Director of Public Works reviewed several proposals for 59th, 60th, and 62nd Avenues North. He pointed out that the City staff is not supporting or opposing any of these ideas at this time. The following comments and questions were expressed by the residents attending the meeting: - All of the problems are premised on a problem that no one has said anything about; that is, the left turn lane from southbound Brooklyn Boulevard to eastbound County Road 10. - A resident living at 63rd and Beard Avenues North said if he lived on 59th Avenue North, he would want the street closed off. However, he cannot get out of his driveway at this time onto 63rd Avenue North. If the traffic is rerouted, he feels he would not be able to get out onto Beard Avenue North either. - A request was made to extend the center island on Brooklyn is Boulevard further south. This would allow residents to go north out of the neighborhood onto Brooklyn Boulevard. - One of the biggest problems is commercial trucks cutting through on the residential streets heading for Super Valu. - This concern was seconded, and a request was made to post "No Trucks" signs. - A request was made to install four -way Stop signs on Beard Avenue North, at all intersections on 59th, 60th, and 62nd Avenues North. - The question was raised that if 59th Avenue North is a residential street, why is there a left turn lane from northbound Xerxes Avenue North to westbound 59th Avenue North. City staff noted that the left turn lane was installed for safety reasons. - If all of the neighborhood accesses are closed off, people will use 69th Avenue North and come down Xerxes Avenue North. - It was asked if this is just a morning problem. City staff said the problem appears to occur at all times of the day. - The biggest problem is that at the intersection of Brooklyn Boulevard and County Road 10 there are not enough lanes. - It was asked what the traffic count is on 59th Avenue North. City staff responded that approximately 2,200 cars per day travel on 59th Avenue North. The traffic counts on 60th and 62nd Avenues North are not as high as 59th Avenue North. The City will be conducting additional traffic counts in the area. - A resident who walks in the neighborhood every day feels safer walking along 59th, 60th, 61st, and 62nd Avenues North than walking on Xerxes Avenue North. - It was asked if the traffic count given is an average, and City staff responded affirmatively. - The possible solution could be to experiment by installing temporary road blocks. The City Manager noted that if safety standards are met, the City can consider this. - Beard Avenue North is getting to be used as a service road. - Cars driving through the neighborhood are driving faster than 30 mph. With no sidewalks and a lot of kids in the neighborhood, this is a problem. • - It was asked what the normal traffic level is on a residential street, and the Director of Public Works said the normal average is between 300 and 1,000 cars per day. - It was requested that additional traffic counts be taken on other streets in the neighborhood before continuing with any proposals. - It was asked where the traffic counter is placed on 59th Avenue North, and the Director of Public Works said it is placed between Abbott and Beard Avenues North. - It was requested that a "No Left Turn" sign be posted from southbound Xerxes Avenue North to eastbound Northway Drive. The City Manager pointed out that this intersection relieves some of the traffic pressure from the Xerxes Avenue North and County Road 10 intersection. - A request was made to install Stop signs on 59th and 60th Avenues North, which would make an inconvenience to short cutters. The City Manager pointed out that people will Still short cut and will begin to slide through intersections with Stop signs, creating a serious accident potential. - A resident living near 62nd and Beard Avenues North said there is a Stop sign at this intersection, and vehicles are travelling 45 mph half a block from the intersection. This resident noted that there are a lot of older people in the neighborhood who do not have any children and, therefore, are not outside much of the time to see what is happening. The younger residents have children and are outside to see some of the traffic problems. - There was another request for installation of Stop signs on every corner in the neighborhood. - The resident living near 62nd and Beard Avenues North said that 45% of the cars do not stop for the four -way Stop sign. - Concern was expressed that if all streets are closed to Brooklyn Boulevard, emergency vehicles would have a problem accessing the neighborhood. The City Manager pointed out that emergency vehicles are radio - directed into the neighborhoods. It was requested that left turn lanes from Brooklyn Boulevard to 59th Avenue North be prohibited during certain hours, and also that the speed limit be lowered to 20 mph. The City Manager responded that it is difficult to enforce a left turn prohibition, and also that the State of Minnesota does not allow cities to post limits lower than 30 mph unless a school crossing is eed the area. - A resident asked that at this time a voice vote for and against any changes be taken, and the City Manager said this meeting is for informational purposes only. Also, additional traffic counts need to be taken and other comments received from other residents in the neighborhood. - There was support for closing the accesses to Brooklyn Boulevard because of the high number of children living in the neighborhood. It was noted that the traffic travelling on 59th Avenue North is usually speeding, and support was voiced for using temporary barriers to see if the possible solutions work. The City Manager again expressed safety concerns for doing so. - If hammerhead turnarounds are installed, this will make snowplowing difficult. City staff agreed, but said this would not be an insurmountable problem. - A possible solution would be to make 59th Avenue North traffic one way westbound and 60th Avenue North traffic one way eastbound. The City Manager pointed out that the total traffic on both streets would probably average what it is now, but this is a possible solution. - - It was requested that* "No Left Turn" signs be placed on Brooklyn Boulevard to 59th Avenue North between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. - It was suggested that Brooklyn Boulevard at 59th and 62nd Avenues North be closed off at Xerxes Avenue North rather than Brooklyn Boulevard. - The question was raised of how accurate the traffic counts are, and the Director of Public Works said accuracy is at about 95%. - It was pointed out that a lot of the cars travelling fast through the neighborhood are people from outside the neighborhood who do not belong there. - It was requested that a semaphore be installed either at 59th and Xerxes Avenues North or at Xerxes and Northway Drive. - It was noted that far more people live in the rest of the neighborhood than live on 59th Avenue North, so problems from 59th Avenue North should not be diverted to the rest of the neighborhood. - Another request was made for installation of a semaphore at Xerxes Avenue North and Northway Drive. The City Manager said he does not know if the traffic levels meet State requirements for installation of a semaphore. - Another resident complained about Brooklyn Boulevard and County Road l0e traffic problems at - A request was made to install a median barrier on Brooklyn Boulevard at 59th Avenue North. Although the bank may be hurt, people will still go there if they want to keep their money there. The City Manager pointed out that Hennepin County is responsible for Brooklyn Boulevard. - A comment was made that the residents on 59th Avenue North are not unanimous in their choice to close off 59th Avenue North at Brooklyn Boulevard, and, therefore, a few people should not dictate what the rest of the neighborhood wants. - Another resident stated the concern that installing barriers will hinder emergency service to the neighborhood. - It was asked that when 911 is dialed, if a rescue squad is sent from the fire station. The City Manager noted that Police Officers are trained in emergency medical treatment and are usually the first to the scene, with the Fire Department and ambulance following. - it was asked if additional traffic problems are anticipated with the opening of the Target store. The City Manager pointed out that a retail development moratorium was placed on the City for three months while a traffic study was conducted. The findings of the study indicate that there are two traffic peaks in the City, one for employment and another for retail operations. It appears that little additional traffic will be generated on Xerxes Avenue North as a result of the Target development on Shingle Creek Parkway. It also appears that the present roadways in the Target area, with minor improvements, can handle the increased traffic. There was concern that if all streets are blocked off the neighborhood in crime. , residents will be more vulnerable to A resident pointed out that proposals are being made without complete statistics. It was asked what information will be used and who will make any final decisions. The City Manager said the Central Neighborhood Advisory Group will review the proposals and make a recommendation to the Planning Commission if they choose. The Planning Commission would then review those recommendations and send its findings to the City Council. The City Council will make any final decisions. As requested by either of these bodies, City staff will conduct additional studies. The City Manager stated the studies and statistics are not complete at this time because it is very early in the decision - making process. - It was asked what the time frame for settling this issue is, and the City Manager said that the City Council could receive this issue no earlier than the fall of 1986. - It was asked who the Neighborhood Advisory Group representatives are, and the City Manager read them as follows: Tony Kuefler, Gordon Gunderson, Robert Cilke, Harold Uecker, Diane Reem, Ronald Turner, and Mike Nelson. The City Manager informed the residents that they would receive copies of this evening's minutes. Residents will also be notified of any future meetings. Meeting adjourned. #ESE i V EO APR 2 8 X98 :s. 3aron. T:anc you for the orrortunity tc cort:ibute. It is my lan to be out of term on the ri7ht or the meeting, otherwise, we would surely be there. It is difficult to understand why- you might :,rish to curtail egress from 63r-'. onto Brocklyn Blvd. If ;. close Of all of the streets mentioned that moves us to County Sad 10 or to 65th. 65th is so close to the fr9cwny that the traffic buildup at the ma nystoplights in that area is a problem now. Thus, it seems that at lelst 63rd should he kept "as is" or perhaps even given an extra right turn lane. Thank -you for -our @onside »a`,ion, nd 3306 62nd Avenue 7. Broc kl7r Center, Mr. 55429 S pr ;_1 2h, 1 186 A 'io 7� ko fyyu" d-�� Lckz tc 6-YO . act- c.�l.�,wrV- mot. gla-l- b ko -thz f ems, -C�I- cucu 9 -41 &Ind- �aLo-w- 3300 62nd Ave. No. Brooklyn Center MN 55429 April 30, 1986 We will be unable to attend the meeting on May lst because of our daughter's band concert at North View, but we do want our opinion known about the possibility of closing accesses. We are opposed to the idea. We feel the street near Park Center should never have been closed. It is a public street. If people want to live in a cul de sac, they should buy there and not inconvenience the rest of the city for their own concept of a problem. We repeat. We are opposed to closing any more streets. We do see some value in putting left turn signals on 63rd for people trying to get on to Brooklyn Blvd. from either east or west. When it is impossible to make a left hand turn from 62nd to Brooklyn Blvd., we go to 63rd and make a left hand turn there. This gets to be tricky at times and will become moreso when Builders Square is operational. We hope you give our ideas some considera- tion. Yours truly�� Veronica Lukes i Kenneth Lukes i May 1, 1986 RE: Traffic flow on 59th Av. N. & 60th Av. N. Traffic on these two streets presents a two fold problem: 1. Too heavy of a flow of traffic for safe residential streets. Too many autos are using these streets as a short cut to Brookdale. 2. Speed. Because autos are using these streets as short cuts, too many try to "beat" the normal arrival time or lights and are speeding on these streets causing an unsafe street. Making these streets into one ways will not ease either of these two problems, in fact, it may encourage additional use of these streets as alternative routes. Blocking off both streets at different places would cause a hardship for homeowners in this area. I believe the best solution is to install mulitple stop signs on both streets. This would d iscourage drivers from using these streets as a short cut due to their frustration of having to stop at every block, therefore making their .journey more time consuming and troublesome. Also, stop signs would decrease the ' speed on these streets making them safer for our children. ec 'lil C� `.l ��• ��r� r�! l Tom & Pat Slupske 5918 Abbott Av. N. ' 560 -2997 Gt P i t zci- cl a t ?C C 6; f - S / � in c7irsi C1 cI',�r't�c����l� 5620 BROOKLYN BLVD. • BROOKLYN CENTER, MINNESOTA 55429 • 612/561 -2530 May 9, 1986 Ms Geralyn Barone City of Brooklyn Center 6301 Shingle Creek Parkway Brooklyn Center, MN 55430 Ms Barone, We would like to voice our opinion in response to the possibility of closing or altering the access to Brooklyn Boulevard on 59th Avenue. It is vital to our business that the First Brookdale Auto Bank customers have access to the bank on 59th Avenue without any barricades. If "THRU STOP" signs were installed on every corner along 59th, motorists would be discouraged from using 59th Avenue as a short cut, which seems to be the main cause of.the traffic problem. It does not seem necessary to resort to as drastic a solution as any of the alternatives the city is suggesting. Sincerely, 9 , �,.� •:� �-Gtuv 7 _ c L : C�....t �"' I `. L l • L C � _ `K /.� �a_t_ •[� tom. /3��� ��fj _- «("`�C��Li � �G.� `- �-`� - a �f �, O /� �f�ce�e�.J cwt �.•c: — i �:z� 1�32G��j Al MAY 1 68 �, s. � ^JVd �� � � � t..��c " -=-=�' �` �Ccd� ,cam y22Zh�,, � �- '�- trx.�,L.z3 - �-e��- ����2.� d �Q- .�� � J %��L2 �P ti� GCS � y�ac.tJ . -- ��,� —C� '— G� yLt�.e�e� �La�c�c�LJ � .GG�- ee.� -�—� � �/ ..� // _ � � -i �, -�� --�- µ-t_2- 2� ��j..c.e�t. �-�`'� `� — - t -t-� -o - �-�.,� -ems �.� /�..- . -��c.� � �.z�.� -�_ �� C � a� � � � s��. ��� �'. ���- - --- --- ---- I — — c7u �— t Tickler Date MEMO CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER To File (T.S.A.C. #85 -020) Date g -14 -R6 From Ron Warre 26L , Received a call today from Mrs. Edwin Euteneuer, 5919 Xerxes Avenue North, regarding the subject of closing 59th Avenue and other east /,rest streets between Brooklyn Boulevard and Xerxes to through traffic. She indicated that she was opposed to changes in the area because she felt it would increase traffic on Xerxes which already has enough traffic. She believes the entire neighborhood should share the traffic load. She also felt that people on both the east and west sides of Xerxes should get notices of the neighborhood meetings. AVOID VERBAL MESSAGES