Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout14-090 - ADMIN Resolution - City Council - 2014/07/14• • RESOLUTION NO. 14-090 RESOLUTION APPROVING THE PHYSICAL DESIGN COMPONENT OF THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN PLANS FOR THE SOUTHWEST LIGHT RAIL PROJECT WITHIN THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA WHEREAS, a Strategic Priority for the City of St. Louis Park is "to be a connected and engaged community;" and WHEREAS, St. Louis Park is committed to enhancing the regional transit system and recognizes the value the Southwest Light Rail Transit Project ("SW LRT Project") will bring in serving St. Louis Park citizens, businesses, employers and employees; and WHEREAS, the City of St. Louis Park has been an ardent supporter and active partner of the SW LRT project since its inception, participating in numerous processes for the SW LRT line including the Corridor Management Committee (CMC), Community Works Steering Committee, Business Advisory Committee (BAC), Community Advisory Committee (CAC), Technical Project Advisory Committee (TPAC), Technical Implementation Committee (TIC), several city advisory groups, and many community processes and education forums through Corndors of Opportunity, LISC, ULI Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County and others; and; WHEREAS, the City of St. Louis Park is committed to protecting and enhancing the quality of its neighborhoods; and, WHEREAS, St. Louis Park and its citizens have dedicated enormous effort, time and resources into visioning the city's station areas, including planning, engineering, analyzing, discussing, and gaining community input in anticipation of the line, and, WHEREAS, the Governor designated the Metropolitan Council ("Council") as the responsible authority for the SW LRT Project, which makes it responsible for planning, designing, acquiring, constructing and equipping the Project; and WHEREAS, the SW LRT Project is now in the preliminary design phase; and WHEREAS, the design at this phase is approximately 15 percent complete; and WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes section 473.3994 allows cities and counties along a proposed light rail route to provide input to the Council on the physical design component of the preliminary design plans; and WHEREAS, on April 22, 2014, the Council submitted the physical design component of the preliminary design plans ("Plans") to the governing body of each statutory and home rule charter city, county, and town in which the route is proposed to be located; and WHEREAS, a public hearing on the Plans was held by the City of St. Louis Park on May 19, 2014; and WHEREAS, within 45 days of a joint heanng held by the Council and the Hennepin 0 County Regional Rail Authority ("HCRRA"), which was held on May 29, 2014, the City of St. Louis Park must review and approve or disapprove the Plans for the route to be located in the City of St. Louis Park; and Resolution No. 14-090 -2- WHEREAS, approval or disapproval by the City of St. Louis Park is part of the statutory preliminary design process; and WHEREAS, City of St. Louis Park staff has reviewed the Plans and developed a report pertaining to these Plans and has made its recommendations; and WHEREAS, the Plans include continuing the routing of freight rail trains along the Bass Lake Spur in St. Louis Park and into the Kenilworth corridor of Minneapolis, and not rerouting them to the MNS line in St. Louis Park, which is consistent with the City of St. Louis Park's long-standing formal position on this matter; and WHEREAS, the City of St. Louis Park supports the implementation of the Project and is doing everything possible to support its successful implementation by 2019; and WHEREAS, the City of St. Louis Park is committed to work with the Council throughout the design and construction process; and WHEREAS, the City of St. Louis Park has identified the following issues as outstanding, some of which may become Locally Requested Capital Investments ("LRCIs") requiring the identification of funding during the advanced design of the Project: 1. Cedar Lake Regional Trail grade separations at Wooddale Avenue and Beltline Boulevard; 2. A roadway underpass of Beltline Boulevard at rail and trail crossings; 3. Circulation and access improvements at Beltline Station including implementing the extension of Lynn Avenue and a new road along the north side of the rail corridor; 4. A commitment to structured parking at the Beltline Park & Ride; and to continue to work towards a Joint Development project; 5. A new roadway underpass near the Wooddale Station connecting Xenwood Avenue to the north to meet the Highway 7 frontage road for vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists; 6. Pedestrian/bike connection to Methodist Hospital from the Louisiana Avenue station; 7. Streetscape and engineering plans that accommodate development and redevelopment of the LRT station areas in accordance with City and the Community Works Southwest Corridor Investment Framework and Transitional Station Area Action Plan (TSAAP) elements; and WHEREAS, resolving the outstanding issues is necessary to completing the design of the SWLRT and creating a healthy, safe, accessible multi -modal transportation system; and, WHEREAS, the City of St. Louis Park desires that the Council and its staff continue to work with City staff to evaluate and resolve the above list of design issues; and, WHEREAS, the City of St. Louis Park desires that the Council and its staff continue to address and work with the city on SW LRT line and station area design revisions that were identified in comments sent to the Southwest Project Office on May 2, 2014 ("RCSC Form"). WHEREAS, the City of St. Louis Park's understanding is that the Council and its staff are committed to working cooperatively with the City to evaluate and resolve the above list of design issues, the referenced May 2, 2014 comments as well as any additional issues that arise during the course of the SW LRT Advanced Design, Final Design, bidding, contracting, construction, mitigation of environmental impacts and all aspects of the design and implementation of the SW LRT Project. ResolutionNo. 14-090 - -3- NOW THEREFORE BE -IT RESOLVED THAT: 1. The City of St. Louis Park provides its municipal approval of the Plans pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Section 473.3994. 2. City,o1St. Louis Park staff is directed to submit the City'sapproval to the Metropolitan Council. BE IT,FURTHER RESOLVED THAT: The ; City of St. Louis Park will be submitting to the Council a Memorandum of Understanding -(MOU) between the Council and the City of St. _Louis Park 'outlining- the tanding ,design issues _noted_ above in this resolution and- the May 2, 2014 comments 'teed, in the RCSC'form;_ and, confirming both St. Louis Park's and the Metropolitan Coun ' intent to work cooperatively toward mutually acceptable solutions. Attest: 4 • City Clerk 7 Adopted ,'y'the City Council July 14, 2014 Mayr) l