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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013/07/01 - ADMIN - Agenda Packets - City Council - JointJoint Meeting St. Louis Park City Council and School Board AGENDA City Council Chambers 7:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Monday, July 1, 2013 Outcomes: • To continue to develop a high performing partnership • To discuss SWLRT/Freight Rail options and formulate a position statement • To determine key topics for the next joint meeting 1. Call to Order 2. Introductions (3 minutes) 3. Remarks from the Mayor Pro Tem and School Board Chair (4 minutes) 4. SWLRT/Freight Rail: - Discuss overall issues, comments and formulate a position statement 5. Discussion of topics for future joint meetings 6. Other 7. Adjournment by 9:30 p.m. Meeting: Joint City Council & School Board Meeting Date: July 1, 2013 Discussion Item: 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY TITLE: Southwest LRT Update RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff requests that in conjunction with the School Board, the Council provide feedback and direction regarding the attached draft letter and comments on freight rail relocation and co-location options identified by the SWLRT Project Office (SPO). POLICY CONSIDERATION: Does the attached draft letter and comments appropriately and adequately address the freight rail options within the context of the impacts on the City of St. Louis Park? Please note that a clean and marked up version of each is provided to denote edits made since the City Council’s last review. SUMMARY: The purpose of this agenda item is to discuss the draft letter and comments on the proposed freight rail routing options and the impact they will have on St. Louis Park. The plan is to discuss the draft comments with the School Board, with further discussion and adoption by the City Council on July 8th and subsequent submission to the to the Metropolitan Council’s SPO. FINANCIAL OR BUDGET CONSIDERATION: Not applicable at this time. VISION CONSIDERATION: Not applicable. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS: Draft List of Key Issues on Freight Rail Alternatives (clean and marked up version) Draft Letter to Met Council SPO (clean and marked up version) Map of Expanded RR ROW Concept Prepared by: Kevin Locke, Community Development Director; and, Meg McMonigal, Planning and Zoning Supervisor Approved by: Tom Harmening, City Manager City of St. Louis Park Key Issues and Comments on Freight Rail Alternatives July 1 2013 The City of St. Louis Park has reviewed the eight (8) alternative freight rail routing alignments and provides the following comments and requests for further information for evaluating the alternatives. It is important to note that any comment, question or suggestion relating to the Re- Location Alternatives should not in any way be construed that the City supports the re-location options. Key Issues to address for freight rail routing to be successful: Co-location Alternatives 1. Presence of freight rail and trains potentially interferes with access to LRT station platforms by foot, bike, bus and auto. Significant traffic impacts will occur at Wooddale Avenue and Beltline Boulevard; these impacts must be assessed and addressed. A circulation study for the areas around the stations is needed to evaluate and mitigate traffic impacts in the area. 2. Grade separation of freight rail at Wooddale Avenue is not practical, however grade separating LRT and the Cedar Lake Regional Trail are feasible and would reduce traffic conflicts. The search for ways to eliminate the negative traffic and access impacts from freight rail and LRT crossing Wooddale Avenue needs to continue. This is a vital north- south route for the community and the Elmwood and Sorenson neighborhoods specifically and long delays due to LRT and freight trains are not acceptable or safe. Alternative grade separated vehicular crossings or routes under or over the rail/trail corridor are needed at either Yosemite or Xenwood Avenues. 3. Beltline Boulevard should be grade separated from LRT, freight rail and the regional trail by putting Beltline with sidewalks below the rail/trail corridor. Beltline is the only north- south crossing of the rail/trail corridor between the W. Lake Street Bridge and Highway 100. It is critical for circulation in the community and emergency vehicles that traffic movements not be unduly delayed by the presence of freight trains or LRT. Only grade separation will ensure that no matter when freight trains and LRT trains arrive or whether they are on schedule or not, traffic and emergency vehicles will be able to move where they need to go. The accumulative effects of at grade crossings at both Wooddale and Beltline are particularly troubling, since a train that creates traffic problems at one street crossing will move on to create crossing problems at the next street; and in some cases a single train will be long enough to block both intersections at once. Grade separation at Beltline would mean traffic could at least continue to flow there, and traffic could divert from Wooddale to Beltline or Louisiana Avenue if needed. 4. Presence of freight rail and trains potentially interferes with access to LRT station platforms by foot, bike, bus and auto. Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 2 5. Presence of freight rail and LRT at station areas affects development opportunities; design must consider development-friendly configurations. 6. Emergency vehicle delays will occur when freight trains are present at Wooddale Avenue and Beltline Boulevard. Grade separation or other means will be needed to maintain emergency vehicle accessibility in the community. 7. The Midtown trolley station/platform may be located at the West Lake Station and requires additional property takings; these costs should not be attributed to the SW LRT project. 8. It needs to be acknowledged that under the co-location alternative, with the removal of the Oxford industrial area switching wye, freight train access from Bass Lake Spur to the MN&S will only be possible by using the proposed wye track connecting the Bass Lake Spur to the MN&S southbound. If freight trains need to go north on the MN&S, they will need to use the connection to the south and then reverse directions and head north. TC&W is not currently taking trains north bound on the MN&S and, has not expressed interest in making that movement in the foreseeable future; if it were to occur it would likely result in blockage of Alabama Avenue and Excelsior Blvd where the MN&S tracks cross those streets at grade. It is recognized that the Canadian Pacific (CP) railroad currently operates two trains per weekday on the MN&S tracks in St. Louis Park. Re-Location Alternatives A. Community Cohesion and Aesthetic Impacts 1. Both relocation options create a completely new freight rail r-o-w where one has never existed before. The elevated freight rail r-o-w creates a major visual and physical barrier through the middle of St. Louis Park (SLP), the SLP school district campus, and the Sorenson/Lenox and Bronx Park/Birchwood neighborhoods. Community cohesion is compromised. Physical connections, such as walkways and roadways through the barrier must be created in order to provide needed community connections and reduce the barrier effect. These should include attractive, safe pedestrian underpasses or bridges at street crossing like Dakota Avenue, Wooddale Avenue, Lake Street and 27th Street, as well as facilities to connect portions of the community split by the elevated train tracks including the Central Community Center with the football field, Roxbury with Keystone Park, and Birchwood neighborhood with Bronx Park neighborhood, Dakota Park, Hobart School and Cedar Lake Regional Trail access. 2. Dramatic negative visual impacts will be created by the elevated trains and the structures that support them. A MNDOT Visual Quality Manual type of process must be undertaken to establish the visual treatments and mitigation needed to reduce the impact of the elevated trains. It should guide the aesthetics and appearance of the structure as it crosses through different areas of the city each with its own characteristics and needs, such as the school campuses, residential areas, commercial areas, the overpass of Highway 7, etc. This processmust be conducted with citizens and other stakeholders and must include much more than a bare minimum treatment. It should incorporate public art Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 3 and other elements designed to minimize the negative aesthetic impacts on the City and use the structures where possible to build community cohesion, identity and sense of place. Specific mitigation items need to be incorporated as a part of the reroute cost. 3. The project budget must include not only the cost of preparing the Visual Quality Manual but also the cost of constructing aesthetic and community cohesion elements. B. Safety impacts 1. Elimination of reverse curves, reductions in grade changes, upgrading of tracks and elimination of at grade freight rail crossings of streets inherently improves safety of freight traffic in St. Louis Park. These improvements reduce the potential for accidents and derailments. Elevating trains on bridges and earthen berms especially in sensitive environments, creates special safety risks and concerns. The impacts of spills and derailments can be more severe on elevated tracks. The proposed freight rail re-location routes elevate tracks significantly and introduce freight rail tracks to areas that have not had tracks before. Measures to improve the safety and eliminate potential negative impacts associated with elevated tracks need to be included in the SWLRT project. They should include: a. Softening of side-slopes. The proposed side-slopes are far too steep at 2:1 grades; they should be at 3:1 or flatter for safety, and to maintain proper vegetation. b. Inner guard rail should be used. A special extra rail should be placed on tracks to reduce the potential severity of derailments. c. Widening the MN&S r-o-w width to a minimum100 ft. to increase safety and provide a larger buffer area between freight trains and other uses. Acquiring properties too close (closer than 50 ft.) to freight rail tracks, as recommended by SLP in its DEIS comments, and must be included in the proposed plans in order to have appropriate area for buffering single-family homes and yards from trains, to provide safe, maintainable side-slopes and to allow for track maintenance. The homes along the west side of Blackstone Avenue between Minnetonka Blvd and 27th Street need to be acquired to create an adequate corridor for train operations and buffer nearby residents from trains. Similarly, four homes on Minnetonka Blvd; and, four homes near Lake Street, one home on Brunswick and three homes on Blackstone, also must be acquired to create adequate r-o-w. These are the homes identified in the City’s SWLRT DEIS comments as necessary to be acquired and their location is shown on the attached map. d. Fencing and signage are needed to minimize railroad r-o-w trespassing. e. A derailment study must be done to assess the enhanced risks of derailment in the proposed elevated tracks compared with risks at-grade. 2. Retaining walls on raised sections of MN&S can be an attractive nuisance and present a dangerous situation for kids; tall retaining walls should be avoided. 3. The impact of the new reroute options must address the safety of the electric substation. Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 4 C. Property Impacts 1. The information provided by the SPO to date does not fully describe the number and type of properties and acreage and costs of acquisition needed for each alternative. This information is needed in order to accurately compare alternatives. 2. The height of tracks in relation to surrounding uses needs to be shown. 3. The property impacts for each alternative (besides takings), i.e. people and operations impacted at football field, PSI, etc. must be considered and evaluated. 4. The relocation alternatives move elevated freight rail closer to Central Community Center and Park Spanish Immersion Elementary school and younger children. There are inherent risks with trains in close proximity to young children and there is nothing provided in the proposed re-route plans for how this risk will be addressed; this needs to be addressed. 5. It is not shown how the SLP High School football stadium would be replaced. It would not appear to fit north of the proposed relocated Lake Street especially if the power lines are not also relocated and additional properties are not acquired. The football stadium must be replaced. Finding a nearby location will be very difficult. Relocating the football stadium comes with many challenges that go beyond simply obtaining property. They include how to effectively address potential negative neighborhood impacts of noise, lights, and traffic. Selecting a new location for the football stadium will require an extensive public process of its own that will be time consuming and expensive. This process needs to be funded and completed before a freight rail routing decision is made, if the Brunswick West re-routing alternative is to be seriously considered. The future location and funding for replacing the football stadium must be resolved by the SWLRT project. 6. How the playground serving the Central Community Center will be replaced and funded must be established before freight rail decisions are finalized. The playground is critical to the operation of the Central facility and its replacement must be resolved before a decision on the re-routing freight rail traffic. Access from Central school to football stadium must be addressed through a pedestrian tunnel or other measure. The connection between these facilities is important for the operation of the Central School and the commitments made by the SLP School District in the funding of the turf field. Access needs to be maintained. 7. Freight Rail Relocation options show a large loss of commercial properties that house many businesses that would have to move but may not be able to be relocated in SLP. The potential loss of locally owned businesses is of particular concern. Every effort to retain locally owned businesses must be used. 8. The loss of tax base, jobs, and businesses must be minimized. 9. There are significant impacts on commercial/industrial businesses and properties which need to be addressed. Access issues for businesses and uses at Dakota and Walker St. where a cul-de-sac is proposed need to be addressed. 10. How freight trains and the trail will operate during construction must be clearly identified. The massive nature of a freight rail reroute project raises concerns about the constructability of the re-route options. The proposed routes cut through the center of the Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 5 City of St. Louis Park and how the new rail route can be constructed and the current trains continue to operate is not apparent. A plan for how freight rail service will be maintained during construction and how any negative impacts on the community, its residents, businesses, schools, parks and property owners from the actions needed to maintain freight rail operations will be mitigated must be prepared and approved by St. Louis Park before a decision to re-route freight trains is made. 11. The construction of either of the freight rail re-route options will entail significant disruption to all aspects of the community; its schools, parks, businesses and residents daily lives will all be dramatically affected. Construction will entail hauling of massive amounts of fill material through single-family neighborhoods, school campuses, parks and commercial areas. Today more than 100 single-family homes abut the MN&S corridor. The construction project will literally be happening in their backyards. Local residential streets will be impacted by the heavy equipment traffic and no doubt periodic street closures during the construction process. Noise, vibration, dust, disruption of accessibility, congestion and safety issues are all likely consequences of the construction activity needed for a freight rail reroute. A detailed plan for how construction will be accomplished and how the impacts on the property owners, residents, schools and parks will be mitigated must be prepared and shared with the community before a freight rail routing decision entailing the re-routing options is made. 12. Construction will have major business interruption issues. How access will be maintained and how businesses will continue to operate successfully during construction must identified and prescribed in a plan prior to consideration of re-routing freight rail traffic. All impacts on businesses need to be identified, addressed and mitigated. 13. Wooddale Avenue and Lake Street alignments and the location of new streets will need much more evaluation. The options shown need to be much more thoroughly considered in order for a road system in the area to work and a specific design established. Roadwork and reconfiguration of streets is necessary for the rerouting alternatives: SW LRT’s cost estimates need to include the engineering, design and capital cost of this work. Extensive public involvement would be needed to plan and complete this work. 14. Who would own and maintain the new bridges and tracks is not determined and is an issue of importance to the City. If this new infrastructure is built in SLP it is of great importance that it be well maintained and that the lines of responsibility for it are clear. 15. The SWLRT plans all call for the removal of the freight rail storage tracks along the Bass Lake Spur in St. Louis Park. A commitment and agreement to the removal of the storage track must be in place prior to approval of the SWLRT plans.A pedestrian connection at W. 27th Street under the MN&S as discussed in DEIS is not shown in the proposed re- route plans. This is a needed and important connection between the Birchwood and Bronx Park neighborhoods and as an access point for the neighborhood to Dakota Park, Hobart School and the Cedar Lake Regional Trail access point. 16. The 28th Street options should be evaluated to see if the roadway could be grade separated or could be an at-grade crossing. It must be further engineered and the at-grade crossing must include crossing controls needed for a Whistle Quiet Zone (WQZ). Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 6 17. A circulation study for the area of north of Minnetonka Boulevard is needed to evaluate traffic impact in the area. It must identify the appropriate improvements and funding that will be needed to mitigate impacts. 18. The re-route options reduce the viability of reuse of the currently unused portion of Nat’l Lead site; compensation for this loss is needed. 19. South of Bass Lake Spur, MN&S tracks move east potentially impacting adjacent residential property and reducing the setbacks to less than 25 ft.; these properties must be acquired. 20. The Cedar Lake Trail Bridge at Iron Triangle wye is not shown on plans; this needs to be included and addressed. 21. The future of the CP r-o-w in the vicinity of the SLP High School needs to be addressed as the re-route options eliminate the freight rail tracks in this area. No further railroad use of this property must be allowed; the use and ownership of the property needs to be established. The first priority for the use of the property should be the SLP School District or some other public use such as a trail, followed by providing some opportunities for economic development. The potential reuse of the property will be hampered by the on-going presence of overhead power lines that currently follow the MN&S r-o-w. 22. Information on properties shown as “partial acquisition” need to be provided, to show it is usable and has access. Some of these likely may need to be full acquisitions. D. Environmental Impacts 1. Environmental impacts including noise, vibration, safety, wetlands, woodlands, traffic/road systems and all other standard environmental review items need to be addressed. No information on the potential environmental impacts has been provided. This is a critical component in the evaluation of the freight rail options and the design of the project, and must include mitigation measures. It is anticipated that the increased elevation of the tracks and trains will increase the potential for noise impacts on the surrounding neighborhoods. No indication has been provided for how these impacts will be addressed. Mitigation measures must be assessed and included in the SW LRT budget. 2. The football stadium, Central Community Center playgrounds, Roxbury/Keystone Park, Dakota Park, Birchwood Park and other properties present potential 4f parcel impacts; these must be evaluated, addressed and mitigated. 3. Several potentially historic homes and buildings may be taken and this situation needs to be evaluated. 106 reviews may be required for older buildings now potentially impacted by new re-location routes. 4. The loss of a major swath of trees and vegetation along Iron Triangle eliminates the existing screening of trains and tracks to the residents; this need to be addressed and landscaping must be replaced. 5. The Brunswick Pond was constructed for flood mitigation and cannot be filled in without replacement in the immediate area to address area flooding issues. How and where this Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 7 storm water storage is replaced is a critical issue. It must be resolved along with identifying funding of mitigation of any negative impacts created from the relocation of the storm water pond before a freight rail decision is made. 6. The Iron Triangle wye to BNSF moves west into wetland; wetland impacts need to be evaluated and mitigation plans prepared before the freight rail routing decision is made. 7. Stormwater drainage for a new rail route must be carefully studied and evaluated. There is no indication as to where or how the storm water from the freight rail infrastructure would be handled. How this ponding is to be provided and where it will be located must be resolved before a re-routing decision is made. Likewise any negative impacts from the ponding plan and needed mitigation must be identified and funding established. These plans must be approved by the City of St. Louis Park. 8. A new storm water plan for the larger area must be created at the expense of the project because the reroute options will alter the overall storm water drainage system and changes the direction of surface water drainage for a large portion of the community. 9. The Brunswick Central re-routing alternative entails lowering Hwy 7 by 4.5 feet. This will have an impact on the City’s storm water system and that has not been evaluated. Any new infrastructure needed in St. Louis Park as a result of the lowering of Hwy 7 needs to be included in the SW LRT project costs. 10. Construction of a new two mile siding along BNSF tracks will result in additional noise and vibration to surrounding properties; these must be addressed and mitigated. 11. Full topographic information from surveys must be completed prior to any decision to re- route freight trains to the MN&S routes to ensure freight trains can operate on the re- location routes as anticipated and to ensure the heights of bridges, berms and tracks shown in the current proposals are accurate. 12. Computer analysis of operating freight trains on the re-location routes must be completed prior to any decision to re-relocate freight trains to the proposed routes to ensure that trains can operate at the proposed speed of 25 mph. Any change in the operating speeds will change the potential freight train impacts including traffic, noise and vibrations impacts. 13. The location of underground utilities near the proposed heavy earth berms need to be identified and the potential impacts of those berms on underground utilities evaluated. Mitigation must be provided to protect or relocate the underground utilities at the SWLRT’s cost. Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 8 City of St. Louis Park Key Issues and Comments on Freight Rail Alternatives June 2July 14, 2013 The City of St. Louis Park has reviewed the eight (8) alternative freight rail routing alignments and provides the following comments and requests for further information for evaluating the alternatives. It is important to note that any comment, question or suggestion relating to the Re- Location Alternatives should not in any way be construed that the City supports the re-location options. Key Issues to address for freight rail routing to be successful: Co-location Alternatives 1. Presence of freight rail and trains potentially interferes with access to LRT station platforms by foot, bike, bus and auto. 2.1. Significant traffic impacts will occur at Wooddale Avenue and Beltline Boulevard; these impacts must be assessed and addressed. A circulation study for the areas around the stations is needed to evaluate and mitigate traffic impacts in the area. 3.2.Grade separation of freight rail at Wooddale Avenue is not practical, however grade separating LRT and the Cedar Lake Regional Trail are feasible and would reduce traffic conflicts. The search for ways to eliminate the negative traffic and access impacts from freight rail and LRT crossing Wooddale Avenue needs to continue. This is a vital north- south route for the community and the Elmwood and Sorenson neighborhoods specifically and long delays due to LRT and freight trains are not acceptable or safe. Alternative grade separated vehicular crossings or routes under or over the rail/trail corridor are needed at either Yosemite or Xenwood Avenues. 4.3.Beltline Boulevard should be grade separated from LRT, freight rail and the regional trail by putting Beltline with sidewalks below the rail/trail corridor. Beltline is the only north- south crossing of the rail/trail corridor between the W. Lake Street Bridge and Highway 100. It is critical for circulation in the community and emergency vehicles that traffic movements not be unduly delayed by the presence of freight trains or LRT. Only grade separation will ensure that no matter when freight trains and LRT trains arrive or whether they are on schedule or not, traffic and emergency vehicles will be able to move where they need to go. The potential accumulative effects of at grade crossings at both Wooddale and Beltline are particularly troubling, since a train that creates traffic problems at one street crossing will move on to create crossing problems at the next street; and in some cases a single train will be long enough to block both intersections at once. Grade separation at Beltline would mean traffic could at least continue to flow there, and traffic could divert from Wooddale to Beltline or Louisiana Avenue if needed. Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman, 12 pt Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 9 5. Presence of freight rail and trains potentially interferes with access to LRT station platforms by foot, bike, bus and auto. 4. Presence of freight rail and trains potentially interferes with access to LRT station platforms by foot, bike, bus and auto. 5. Presence of freight rail and LRT at station areas affects development opportunities; design must consider development-friendly configurations. 6. Potential Eemergency vehicle delays may will occur when freight trains are present at Wooddale Avenue and Beltline Boulevard. Grade separation or other means will be needed to maintain emergency vehicle accessibility in the community.Presence of freight rail and LRT at station areas affects development opportunities; and may reduce the viability of redevelopment of several parcels of land. The design must consider development-friendly configurations. 7. Potential emergency vehicle delays may occur when freight trains are present at Wooddale Avenue and Beltline Boulevard. Grade separation or other means will be needed to maintain emergency vehicle accessibility in the community. 8.7. The Midtown trolley station/platform is may be located at the West Lake Station and requires additional property takings; these costs should not be attributed to the SW LRT project. 9.8.It needs to be acknowledged that under the co-location alternative, with the removal of the Oxford industrial area switching wye, freight train access from Bass lake Lake Spur to the MN&S will only be possible by using the proposed wye track connecting the Bass Lake Spur to the MN&S southbound. If freight trains need to go north on the MN&S, they will need to use the connection to the south and then reverse directions and head north. While TC&W is not currently taking trains north bound on the MN&S; and, TC&W has not expressed interest in making that movement in the foreseeable future;, if it were to occur it would likely result in blockage of Alabama Avenue and Excelsior Blvd where the MN&S tracks cross those streets at grade. It is recognized that the Canadian Pacific (CP) railroad currently operates two trains per weekday on the MN&S tracks in St. Louis Park. Re-Location Alternatives A. Community Cohesion and Aesthetic Impacts Both relocation options create a completely new freight rail r-o-w where one has never existed before. 1. Both relocation options create a completely new freight rail r-o-w where one has never existed before. The elevated freight rail r-o-w creates a major visual and physical barrier through the middle of St. Louis Park (SLP), the SLP school district campus, and; the Sorenson/Lenox and Bronx Park/Birchwood Neighborhoodsneighborhoods. Community cohesion is compromised. Physical connections, such as walkways and roadways through the barrier must be created in order to provide needed community connections Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman, 12 pt Formatted: Normal, Indent: Left: 0.25", No bullets or numbering Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman, 12 pt Formatted: Normal, Indent: Left: 0.25", No bullets or numbering Formatted: Font: Italic Formatted: Space After: 0 pt Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 10 and reduce the barrier effect. These should include attractive, safe pedestrian underpasses or bridges at street crossing like Dakota Avenue, Wooddale Avenue, and Lake Street and 27th Street, as well as facilities . Underpasses to connecting portions of the community split bye the elevated train tracks including connecting the Central Community Center with the football field, Roxbury with Keystone Park, and Birchwood neighborhood with Bronx Park neighborhood, Dakota Park, Hobart School and Cedar Lake Regional Trail access. 2. Dramatic negative visual impacts will be created by the elevated trains and the structures that support them. A MNDOT Visual Quality Manual type of process should must be undertaken to address the visual impact of the re-route. It should include establishing the visual treatments and mitigation needed to reduce the impact of the elevated trains. It should guide the aesthetics and appearance of the structure as it crosses through different areas of the city each with its own characteristics and needs, such as . The areas include Sthe school campuses, residential areas, commercial areas, the overpass of Highway 7, etc. This process shouldmust be conducted with citizens and other stakeholders and should must include much more than a bare minimum treatment. It should incorporate public art and other elements designed to minimize the negative aesthetic impacts on the City and use the structures where possible to build community cohesion, identity and sense of place. Specific mitigation items need to be incorporated as a part of the reroute cost. 3. The project budget must include not only the cost of preparing the Visual Quality Manual but also the cost of constructing aesthetic and community cohesion elements. B. Safety impacts 1. While eElimination of the reverse curves, the reductions in grade changes, the upgrading of tracks and elimination of at grade freight rail crossings of streets by freight rail inherently improves safety of freight traffic in St. Louis Park., the These improvements reduce the potential for accidents and derailments. eElevating of trains often on curving bridges and earthen bermsintroduction of trains into especially in sensitive environments, where they have never been before creates special safety risks and concerns. The impacts of spills and derailments can be more severe onE elevated tracks. The proposed freight rail re-location routes elevate tracks significantly and introduce freight rail tracks to areas that have not had tracks before. ins present potential safety hazards from railroad spills, accidents, and derailments; mMeasures to improve the safety and eliminate potential negative impacts associated with elevated tracks need to be included in the SWLRT project. They should include such as: a. Softening of side-slopes. The proposed side-slopes are far too steep at 2:1 grades; they should be at 3:1 or flatter for safety, and to maintain proper vegetation. b. Inner guard rail should be used. A special extra rail should be placed on tracks to reduce the potential severity of derailments potential and potential severity. c. Widening the MN&S r-o-w width to a minimum100 ft. to increase safety and provide a larger buffer area between freight trains and other uses. Acquiring Formatted: Superscript Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 11 homes properties too close (closer than 50 ft.) to freight rail tracks, as recommended by SLP in its DEIS comments, and must be included in the proposed plans in order to have appropriate area for buffering single-family homes and yards for from trains, to provide safe, maintainable side-slopes and to allow for track maintenance. The homes along the west east? side of Blackstone Avenue between Minnetonka Blvd and 27th Street need to be acquired to create an adequate corridor for train operations and buffer nearby residents from trains. Similarly, four homes on Minnetonka Blvd; and, four homes near Lake Street, one home on Brunswick and three homes on Blackstone, also must be acquired to create adequate r-o-w. These are the homes identified in the City’s SWLRT DEIS comments as necessary to be acquired and their location is shown on the attached map. d. Fencing and signage are needed to minimize railroad r-o-w trespassing. d.e. A derailment study should must be done to assess the enhanced risks of derailment in the proposed elevated tracks compared with risks at-grade. 2. Retaining walls on raised sections of MN&S can be an attractive nuisance and present a dangerous situation for kids; tall retaining walls should be avoided. 3. The impact of the new reroute options must address the safety of the electric substation. C. Property Impacts 1. The information provided by the SPO to date does not fully describe the number and type of properties and acreage and costs of acquisition needed for each alternative. This information is needed in order to accurately compare alternatives. 2. The height of tracks in relation to surrounding uses needs to be shown. 3. The property impacts for each alternative (besides takings), i.e. people and operations impacted at football field, PSI, etc. must be considered and evaluated. 8.4.The relocation alternatives move elevated freight rail closer to Central Community Center and Park Spanish Emersion Immersion Elementary school and younger children. There are inherent risks with trains in close proximity to young children and there is nothing provided in the proposed re-route plans for how this risk will be addressed. ;I thist needs to be addressed. 9.5.It is not shown how the SLP High School football field stadium would be replaced. It would not appear to fit north of the newly proposed relocated Lake Street especially if the power lines are not also relocated and additional properties are not acquired. The football field stadium must be replaced, and. fFinding a nearby location will be very difficult. Relocating the football field stadium comes with many other challenges that go beyond simply obtaining property,. They . They , including includee how toing effectively address potential negiative neighborhood impacts of noise, lights, and traffic. Selecting a new location for the football field stadium will require an extension extensive public process of its own that will and It will be time consuming and expensive. This will need to be a process needs to be funded and completed before a freight rail routing decision is made, if the Brunswick West re-routing alternative is to be seriously considered. The Formatted: Font: Bold, Font color: Red Formatted: Numbered + Level: 1 + Numbering Style: 1, 2, 3, … + Start at: 1 + Alignment: Left + Aligned at: 0.25" + Indent at: 0.5" Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 12 future location and funding for replacing the football stadium must be resolved by the SWLRT project. 10.6. How tThe loss of the playground serving the Central Community Center will be replaced and funded must be established must be replaced before freight rail decisions are finalized. The playground is critical to the operation of the Central facility and its replacement must be resolved before a decision on the re-routing freight rail traffic. playground and aAccess from Central school to football field stadium must be addressed through a pedestrian tunnel or other measure. The connection between these facilities is important for the operation of the Central School and the a commitments made by the SLP School District in the funding of the turf field. It Access needs to be maintained. 7. Freight Rail Relocation options show a large loss of commercial properties that house many and businesses that would have to move but may not be able to be relocated in SLP or the area.; t The potential loss of locally owned businesses is of particular concern. Every effort to retain Retention of locally owned businesses must be use emphasized. 11.8. The loss of tax base, jobs, and businesses must be addressed must be minimized. 12.9. There are significant impacts on commercial/industrial businesses and properties which need to be addressed. Access issues for businesses and uses at Dakota and Walker St. where a cul-de-sac is proposed need to be addressed. 13. Construction will have major business interruption issues. 10. How freight trains and the trail will operate during construction must be established clearly outlinidentified. We question of The massive nature of a freight railthe reroute connection to the MN&S tracksproject raises concerns about the constructability of the re-route options. considering the massive nature of the construction project and the tight confines created by the fully developed areas adjacent to the MN&S tracks. The proposed routes cut through the center of the City of St. Louis Park and how the new rail route can be constructed and the current trains continue to operate is not apparent. A plan for how freight rail service will be maintained during construction and how any negative impacts on the community, its residents, businesses, schools, parks and property owners from the actions needed to maintain freight rail operations will be mitigated must be prepared and approved by St. Louis Park before a decision to re-route freight trains is made. 11. The construction of either of the freight rail re-route options will entail significant disruption to all aspects of the community; its schools, parks, businesses and residents daily lives will all be dramatically affected. Construction will entail hauling of massive amounts of fill material through single-family neighborhoods, school campuses, parks and commercial areas. Today more than 100 single-family homes abut the MN&S corridor. The construction project will literally be happening in their backyards. Local residential streets will be impacted by the heavy equipment traffic and no doubt periodic street closures during the construction process. Noise, vibration, dust, disruption of accessibility, congestion and safety issues are all likely consequences of the construction activity needed for a freight rail reroute. A detailed plan for how construction will be accomplished and how the impacts on the property owners, residents, schools and parks Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 13 will be mitigated must be prepared and shared with the community before a freight rail routing decision entailing the re-routing options is made. 14.12. Construction will have major business interruption issues. How access will be maintained and how businesses will continue to operate successfully during construction m, which must identified and prescribed in a plan prior to consideration of re-routing freight rail traffic. All impacts on businesses need to be identified, addressed and mitigated. 4. Wooddale Avenue and Lake Street alignments and the location of new streets will needs much more evaluation. The options shown need to be much more thoroughly considered in order for a road system in the area to work and a specific design established. 13. Roadwork and reconfiguration of streets is necessary for the rerouting alternatives: SW LRT’s cost estimates need to include the engineering, design and capital cost of this work. Extension Extensive public involvement would be needed to plan and complete this work. 15. 16.14. Who would own and operatemaintain the new bridges and tracks is not determined and is an issue of importance to the City. If this new infrastructure is built in SLP it is of great importance that it be well maintained and that the lines of responsibility for it are clear. 17.15. The SWLRT plans all call for the removal of the freight rail storage tracks along the Bass Lake Spur in St. Louis Park. A commitment and agreement to the removal of the storage track must be in place prior to approval of the SWLRT plans.Wooddale and Lake Street alignments and location of new streets needs much more evaluation. The options shown need to be much more thoroughly considered in order for a road system in the area to work and a specific design established. 18.16. A pedestrian connection at W. 27th Street under the MN&S as discussed in DEIS is not shown in the proposed re-route plans. This is a needed and important connection between the Birchwood and Bronx Park neighborhoods and as an access point for the neighborhood to Dakota Park, Hobart School and the Cedar Lake Regional Trail access point. 19.17. The 28th Street options should be evaluated to see if the roadway could be grade separated or could be an at-grade crossing. It must be further engineered and the at-grade crossing must include crossing controls needed for a Whistle Quiet Zone (WQZ). 20.18. A circulation study for the area of north of Minnetonka Boulevard is needed to evaluate traffic impact in the area. It must identify the appropriate steps improvements and funding that will be needed must be taken to mitigate impacts. 21.19. The re-route options reduce the viability of reuse of the currently unused portion of Nat’l Lead site; compensation for this loss is needed. 22.20. South of Bass Lake Spur, MN&S tracks move east potentially impacting adjacent residential property and reducing the setbacks to less than 25 ft.; these properties should must be acquired. 23.21. The Cedar Lake Trail Bridge at Iron Triangle wye is not shown on plans; this needs to be included and addressed. Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman, 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman, 12 pt Formatted: Numbered + Level: 1 + Numbering Style: 1, 2, 3, … + Start at: 1 + Alignment: Left + Aligned at: 0.25" + Indent at: 0.5" Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 14 22. The future of the CP ROW r-o-w in the vicinity of the SLP High School needs to be addressed as t. The re-route options eliminate the freight rail tracks in this area. No further railroad use of this property should must be allowed; and the use and ownership of the property needs to be established. FThe first priority for the use of the property should be the SLP School District or some other public use such as a trail, followed by providing some opportunities for economic development including potentially expanding parking in the area. The potential reuse of the property will be hampered by the on-going presence of overhead power lines that currently follow the MN&S ROW r-o-w. 24.23. Information on properties shown as “partial acquisition” need to be provided, to show it is usable and has access. Some of these likely may need to be full acquisitions. D. Environmental Impacts 1. Environmental impacts including noise, vibration, safety, wetlands, wood lands, traffic/road systems and all other standard environmental review items need to be addressed. No information on the potential environmental impacts has been provided. This and is a critical component in the evaluation of the freight rail options and the design of the project, and must include including mitigation measures. 2.1. No evaluation of the noise and vibration impacts of the re-route alternatives in provided. It is anticipated that the increased elevation of the tracks and trains will increase the potential for noise impacts on the surrounding neighborhoods. No indication has been provided for how these potential noise impacts will be addressed. Mitigation measures must be assessed and included in the SW LRT budget. 3.2.The football field stadium, Central Community Center playgrounds, Roxbury/Keystone Park, Dakota Park, Birchwood Park and other properties present potential 4f parcel impacts; these must be evaluated, and addressed and mitigated. 4.3.Several potentially historic homes and buildings may be taken and this situation needs to be evaluated. 106 reviews may be required for older buildings now potentially impacted by new re -location routes. 5.4.The loss of a major band swath of trees and vegetation along iron Iron Ttriangle eliminates the existing screening of trains and tracks to the residents; this need to be addressed and landscaping must should be replaced. 6.5.The impact on the Brunswick Pond area, which is neededwas constructed for flood mitigation and cannot be filled in without replacement in the immediate area to address area flooding issues. How and where this storm water storage is replaced is a critical issue. It must be resolved along with identifying funding of mitigation of any negative impacts created from the relocation of the storm water pond before a freight rail decision is made.must be addressed. 7.6.The Iron tTriangle wye to BNSF moves west into wetland; wetland impacts need to be evaluated and mitigation plans prepared before the freight rail routing decision is made.ed/replaced.. 8.7.Stormwater drainage for a new rail route must be addressed carefully studied and evaluated. . There is no indication as to where or how the storm water from the freight Formatted: Indent: Left: 0.25" Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman, 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman, 12 pt Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman, 12 pt Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 15 rail infrastructure will would be handled. How this ponding is to be provided and where it will be located must be resolved before a re-routing decision is made. Likewise any negative impacts from the ponding plan and needed mitigation must be identified and funding established. These plans must be approved by the City of St. Louis Park. 8. A new storm water plan for the larger area must be created at the expense of the project because the reroute options will alter the overall storm water drainage system and changes the direction of surface water drainage for a large portion of the community. 9. The Brunswick Central re-routing alternative entails lowering Hwy 7 by 4.5 feet. This will have an impact on the City’s storm water system and that has not been evaluated. Any new infrastructure needed in the St. Louis Park as a result of the lowering of Hwy 7 needs to be included in the SW LRT project costs. 10. Construction of a new two mile siding along BNSF tracks will result in additional noise and vibration to surrounding properties; these must be addressed and mitigated. 11. Full topographic information from surveys must be completed prior to any decision to re- route freight trains to the MN&S routes to ensure freight trains can operate on the re- location routes as anticipated and to ensure the heights of bridges, berms and tracks shown in the current proposals are accurate. 12. Computer analysis of operating freight trains on the re-location routes must be completed prior to any decision to re-relocate freight trains to the proposed routes to ensure that trains can operate at the proposed speed of 25 mph. Any change in the operating speeds will change the potential freight train impacts including traffic, noise and vibrations impacts. 9.13. The location of underground utilities near the proposed heavy earth berms need to be identified and the potential impacts of those berms on underground utilities evaluated. Mitigation must be provided to protect or relocate the underground utilities at the SWLRT’s cost. Formatted: Font: Italic, Underline, Font color: Red Formatted: Font: Italic, Underline Formatted: Font color: Auto Formatted: Font: Italic, Underline Formatted: Font: Italic, Underline Formatted: Font: Italic, Underline Formatted: Font color: Auto Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 16 Draft letter to the SPO regarding Freight Rail Routing Options revision 7-01-13-clean Draft Letter to the SPO Regarding Freight Rail Routing Options The City of St. Louis Park has and continues to be an ardent supporter of the SWLRT project. We believe construction of the SWLRT and the extension of the Green Line is in the best interests of the Region, County and all the cities along the SW Corridor. We are eager for the SWLRT project to gain FTA approval and the funding necessary for the project to proceed. We recognize that since the inception of the idea for an LRT line in the SW corridor, finding a way to accommodate freight rail traffic in the same corridor has been a vexing issue. Finding a solution to the freight rail issue that is acceptable to all the stakeholders involved is and has been a daunting task. The purpose of this letter is to thank the SPO for its efforts and place on the record the City of St. Louis Park’s official response to the SPO’s current freight rail options. Our hope is that our timely response will facilitate preparation of sound SWLRT plans that the City of St. Louis Park can embrace and approve during the Municipal Consent process this fall. We also hope that by providing our input now, the SWLRT process will be expedited and will continue to move forward on schedule. For a number of years the City of St. Louis Park has studied the freight rail issue. More recently, the St. Louis Park City Council has reviewed the current freight rail routing alternatives in great detail during a series of study session discussions. The City’s comments attached to this letter are based on a thorough understanding of the routing options and the potential impacts on the community. The City of St. Louis Park’s review of the SPO freight rail options have been undertaken in the context of the City’s policies regarding freight rail. Those policies were documented most recently in resolution 10-070 adopted on July 10, 2010. The policies have been largely unchanged since 2001 and grew out of the years spent by the community wrestling with the thorny freight rail issues. The City’s policy regarding routing freight rail traffic is and has been that re-routing of freight rail traffic from Kenilworth Corridor to the MN&S corridor in St. Louis Park is only acceptable if, 1.) it is established through a very thorough and careful analysis that no other viable route exists; and, 2.) that there is appropriate mitigation of any and all negative impacts associated with the rail rerouting, funded by sources other than the City of St. Louis Park. Based on the concept designs prepared by the SPO, we believe that the first of these conditions clearly has not been met. We believe that the only conclusion that can be drawn from the freight rail routing plans prepared by the SPO, is that co-locating freight rail traffic is indeed viable. We believe that the SPO freight rail options show conclusively that it is feasible to co-locate freight rail and light rail in the Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 17 Draft letter to the SPO regarding Freight Rail Routing Options revision 7-01-13-clean Bass Lake Spur and Kenilworth Corridors. We believe that the SPO concept plans show how to accommodate freight rail, light rail and the regional trail on the Bass Lake Spur and in the Kenilworth Corridor with widening of the rights of way in the Kenilworth corridor. Clearly all three elements can be accommodated at grade within the corridor and other options involving placing LRT in a tunnel or elevated; or, re-locating the regional trail or elevating the regional trail could also work. Given the above, the City of St. Louis Park does not support any of the options to relocate freight rail in St. Louis Park Based on the designs prepared by the SPO showing the feasibility of the co-location options, we expect that the SPO’s recommended freight rail routing option will be a co-location option. We also recognize that there are no perfect solutions to the freight rail issue; and even for SLP there a pluses and minuses to each routing option. No matter which freight rail solution is chosen there are many significant issues of concern to the City of St. Louis Park, its residents and businesses. For a successful SWLRT/freight rail project these issues need to be effectively addressed and are of vital importance to the City of St. Louis Park. Attached below are the key issues the City of St. Louis Park believes must be addressed for SWLRT to be successful and for the project design to be acceptable to St. Louis Park. It includes key design requirements for each of the freight rail options. It is important to note that any comment, question or suggestion relating to the re-location alternatives should not in any way be construed that the City supports the re-location options. For St. Louis Park the freight rail issue is of immense importance. For St. Louis Park where and how freight train traffic is routed is not just a matter of affecting a couple neighbors, it is about the potential impacts on the very core of the community and the nature of the community’s future. The city experiences the TC&W freight rail traffic today and will continue to do so no matter what freight rail routing option is ultimately chosen. The choice of route will not only influence the success of the SWLRT line itself, it will have a lasting impact on virtually all of St. Louis Park. It will affect areas far from the SWLRT line and the SWLRT stations themselves. The location of the TC&W train traffic and the details of the design of the freight rail route will be critical to the future of St. Louis Park. Some alternatives affect the core of the City more than others, but very little of St. Louis Park will not be affected by the choice and design of the freight rail route. The freight rail options under consideration potentially route trains by all three of SLP’s SWLRT stations, or past two of four elementary schools and past our only High School and through the High School campus. On behalf of all of St. Louis Park I thank you for your efforts in trying to find effective solutions to all the issues confronting the SWLRT project. Thank you for your consideration of the issues and requirements outlined in this letter. We look forward to continuing the strong working relationship that has been Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 18 Draft letter to the SPO regarding Freight Rail Routing Options revision 7-01-13-clean established between the City of St. Louis Park and the SPO staff and stand ready to discuss any of these issues as needed. Sincerely, Mayor Jeff Jacobs City of St. Louis Park, MN Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 19 Draft letter to the SPO regarding Freight Rail Routing Options revision 7-01-13-edited Draft Letter to the SPO Regarding Freight Rail Routing Options The City of St. Louis Park has been and continues to be an ardent supporter of the SWLRT project. We believe construction of the SWLRT and the extension of the Green Line is in the best interests of the Region, County and all the cities along the SW Corridor. We are eager for the SWLRT project to gain FTA approval and the funding necessary for the project to proceed. We recognize that since the inception of the idea for an LRT line in the SW corridor, finding a way to accommodate freight rail traffic in the same corridor has been a vexing issue. Finding a solution to the freight rail issue that is acceptable to all the stakeholders involved is and has been a daunting task. The purpose of this letter is to thank the SPO for its efforts and place on the record the City of St. Louis Park’s official response to the SPO’s current freight rail options. Our hope is that our timely response will facilitate preparation of sound SWLRT plans that the City of St. Louis Park can embrace and approve during the Municipal Consent process this fall. We also hope that by providing our input now, the SWLRT process will be expedited and will continue to move forward on schedule. For St. Louis Park the freight rail issue is of immense importance. The city experiences the TC&W freight rail traffic today and will continue to do so no matter what freight rail routing option is ultimately chosen. The choice of route will not only influence the success of the SWLRT line itself, it will have a lasting impact on virtually all of the St. Louis Park. It will affect areas far from the SWLRT line and the SWLRT stations themselves. The location of the TC&W train traffic and the details of the design of the freight rail route will be critical to the future of St. Louis Park. The freight rail options under consideration all route train traffic through St. Louis Park. Some alternatives affect the core of the City more than others, but very little of St. Louis Park will not be affected by the choice and design of the freight rail route. The freight rail options under consideration potentially route trains by all three of SLP’s SWLRT stations, or past two of three elementary schools and past our only High School and through the High School campus. For St. Louis Park where and how freight train traffic is routed is not just a matter of affecting a couple neighbors, it is about the potential impacts on the very core of the community and the nature of the community’s future. No matter what route is chosen, the details of the freight rail route design are critical to the community’s future success and livability. The comments attached to this letter are prepared with that in mind and we hope and trust that the SPO, and ultimately the Metropolitan Council, will accept and understand them in that light. Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 20 Draft letter to the SPO regarding Freight Rail Routing Options revision 7-01-13-edited For a number of years the City of St. Louis Park has studied the freight rail issue. More recently, tThe full St. Louis Park City Council has reviewed the current freight rail routing alternatives in great detail during a series of study session discussions. Our The City’s comments attached to this letter are based on a thorough understanding of the routing options and the potential impacts on the community. The City of St. Louis Park’s review of the SPO freight rail options have been undertaken in the context of the City’s policies regarding freight rail. Those policies were documented most recently in resolution 10-070 adopted on July 10, 2010. The policies have been largely unchanged since 2001 and grew out of the years spent by the community wrestling with the thorny freight rail issues. The City’s policy regarding routing freight rail traffic is and has been that re-routing of freight rail traffic from Kenilworth Corridor to the MN&S corridor in St. Louis Park iswas only acceptable if, 1.) it is established through a very thorough and careful analysis that no other viable route exists; and, 2.) that there is appropriate mitigation of any and all negative impacts associated with the rail rerouting, funded by sources other than the City of St. Louis Park. Based on the concept designs prepared by the SPO, we believe that the first of these conditions clearly has not been met. We believe that the only conclusion that can be drawn from the freight rail routing plans prepared by the SPO, is that co-locating freight rail traffic is indeed viable. We believe that the SPO freight rail options show conclusively that it is feasible to co-locate freight rail and light rail in the Bass Lake Spur and Kenilworth Corridors. We believe that the SPO concept plans show how to accommodate freight rail, light rail and the regional trail on the Bass Lake Spur and in the Kenilworth Corridor with widening of the rights of way in the Kenilworth corridor. Clearly all three elements can be accommodated at grade within the corridor and other options involving placing LRT in a tunnel or elevated; or, re-locating the regional trail or elevating the regional trail could also work, even though they may be more costly to implement. Given the above, the City of St. Louis Park does not support any of the options to relocate freight rail in St. Louis Park Based on the designs prepared by the SPO showing the feasibility of the co-location options, we expect that the SPO’s recommended freight rail routing option will be a co-location option. We also recognize that there are no perfect solutions to the freight rail issue; and even for SLP there a pluses and minuses to each routing option. No matter which freight rail solution is chosen there are many significant issues of concern to the City of St. Louis Park, its residents and businesses. For a successful SWLRT/freight rail project these issues need to be effectively addressed and are of vital importance to the City of St. Louis Park. Attached below are the key issues the City of St. Louis Park believes must be addressed for SWLRT to be successful and for the project design to be acceptable to St. Louis Park. It includes key design Formatted: Font: Italic Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 21 Draft letter to the SPO regarding Freight Rail Routing Options revision 7-01-13-edited requirements for each of the freight rail options. It is important to note that any comment, question or suggestion relating to the re-location alternatives should not in any way be construed that the City supports the re-location options. For St. Louis Park the freight rail issue is of immense importance. For St. Louis Park where and how freight train traffic is routed is not just a matter of affecting a couple neighbors, it is about the potential impacts on the very core of the community and the nature of the community’s future. The city experiences the TC&W freight rail traffic today and will continue to do so no matter what freight rail routing option is ultimately chosen. The choice of route will not only influence the success of the SWLRT line itself, it will have a lasting impact on virtually all of St. Louis Park. It will affect areas far from the SWLRT line and the SWLRT stations themselves. The location of the TC&W train traffic and the details of the design of the freight rail route will be critical to the future of St. Louis Park. Some alternatives affect the core of the City more than others, but very little of St. Louis Park will not be affected by the choice and design of the freight rail route. The freight rail options under consideration potentially route trains by all three of SLP’s SWLRT stations, or past two of four elementary schools and past our only High School and through the High School campus. On behalf of all of St. Louis Park I thank you for your tireless devotion to your efforts in trying to finding effective solutions to all the issues confronting the SWLRT project. Thank you for your consideration of the issues and requirements outlined in this letter. We look forward to continuing the strong working relationship that has been established between the City of St. Louis Park and the SPO staff and stand ready to discuss any of these issues as needed. Sincerely, Mayor Jeff Jacobs City of St. Louis Park, MN Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Southwest LRT Update Page 22 Joint City Council & School Board Meeting of July 1, 2013 (Item No. 1) Title: Petition for Street Lights – Joppa AvenuePage 23