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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022/08/08 - ADMIN - Agenda Packets - City Council - Study Session AGENDA AUGUST 8, 2022 Members of the public can attend the meeting in person, watch by webstream at bit.ly/watchslpcouncil, or watch on local cable (Comcast SD channel 17/HD channel 859). Recordings are available to watch on the city’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/slpcable, usually within 24 hours of the end of the council meeting or study session. 6:30 p.m. STUDY SESSION – council chambers Discussion items 1. 60 min. Sidewalk policy - draft 2. 60 min. Public parking 5 min. Communications/updates (verbal) The agenda is posted on Fridays on the official city bulletin board in the lobby of city hall and on the text display on civic TV cable channel 17. The agenda and full packet are available after noon on Friday on the city’s website. If you need special accommodations or have questions about the meeting, please call 952.924.2505. Meeting: Study session Meeting date: August 8, 2022 Discussion item: 1 Executive summary Title: Sidewalk policy – draft Recommended action: To identify sidewalks to be evaluated as a part of transportation projects, staff is recommending a consistent approach. Attached is a draft sidewalk policy that lays out a way for staff to identify the location of proposed sidewalk segments and anticipated costs to implement. Staff would like council feedback on the need for the policy and if there should be additional considerations. Policy consideration: This discussion has the following policy considerations: •Does the city council support the development of a sidewalk policy to identify the locations of sidewalks proposed as a part of transportation projects? •If a sidewalk policy is adopted, does the city council support removing sidewalks from the Connect the Park plan to eliminate confusion? Summary: Consistent with past council direction, the scope of the city’s transportation projects includes the evaluation of new sidewalk construction. The manner of identifying the location of these new sidewalks has evolved over the last nine years. More information on this evolution is in the discussion section of this report. During the approval process for the 2022 pavement management project (PMP) in Fern Hill, there was considerable discussion regarding the process used to identify proposed sidewalk locations and staff recommendations. It was suggested that a more consistent approach to identifying the location of new sidewalk construction would better reflect the city’s mobility priority and communicate that a continuous sidewalk network provides connections for the entire community, not just for the people that live on the street. Financial or budget considerations: Construction of sidewalk segments as a part of our transportation projects is planned for and included in the 10-year capital improvement plan (CIP). The average annual budget for new sidewalk construction is $670,000. Implementation of this enhanced sidewalk policy would increase the needed funding by an additional $750,000- $1,000,000 annually. Strategic priority consideration: St. Louis Park is committed to providing a variety of options for people to make their way around the city comfortably, safely and reliably. Supporting documents: Discussion Draft Sidewalk Policy Prepared by: Debra Heiser, engineering director Reviewed by: Jack Sullivan, engineering project manager Aaron Wiesen, project engineer Approved by: Kim Keller, city manager Page 2 Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 1) Title: Sidewalk policy - draft Discussion Background: The following timeline outlines the evolution of council direction regarding the construction of new sidewalks in the city since 2013. •May 28, 2013 - Complete Streets policy approved by council. The Complete Streets policy encompasses the planning, scoping, design, implementation, operation, and maintenance of roads to reasonably address the safety and accessibility needs of users of all ages and abilities. Complete Streets considers the needs of motorists, pedestrians, transit users and vehicles, bicyclists, and commercial and emergency vehicles moving along and across roads, intersections, and crossings in a manner that is sensitive to the local context and recognizes that the needs vary in urban, suburban, and rural settings. •June 17, 2013 - Connect the Park capital improvement plan approved by council. This plan is the implementation of the majority of bikeways, sidewalks and trails identified in the Active Living Sidewalk and Trail Plan. The purpose is to make a measurable difference in how people travel around the community by constructing a comprehensive citywide system of bikeways, sidewalks, and trails. It builds on council policies and plans to set a course for the implementation of non-motorized transportation for the community •June 2014 - Council directed staff to identify gap segments near Connect the Park (CTP) sidewalk segments and add them to the implementation plan. A gap was defined as a sidewalk segment that, if completed, would create connections from the existing sidewalk system to the new sidewalks in the CTP plan. •July 2018 - Definition of sidewalk gap expanded to include connections from multi- family naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) to the community sidewalk system. At the request of the city council, staff was asked to locate all the sidewalk gaps between NOAH properties and sidewalks along transit corridors. Staff includes these gaps into the scope of projects in the CIP. •2018 – 2040 Comprehensive Plan incorporates the policy, “The city will plan, design, build, and operate the city’s mobility system in a way that prioritizes walking first, followed by bicycling and transit use, and then motor vehicle use”. This is a significant change from previous comprehensive plan priorities. Flipping the prioritization enables staff to plan, design and implement projects to optimize the pedestrian and bicycle experience. •2018 – Climate Action Plan approved by council. The plan sets the goal of achieving carbon neutrality — having a net-zero carbon footprint — by 2040. The plan provides guidance for residents, businesses, and the city on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the impacts of climate change. The construction of sidewalks will help in achieving the goals set forth in the Climate Action Plan goal 6.4: Enable reduction of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) from single-occupancy vehicles. •Aug. 19, 2019 - Living Streets policy formally adopted. This policy includes the principle: Enhance walking/ biking conditions and connections. This principle is incorporated into the planning and design of transportation projects. To do this, as a part of project development, the existing bikeway, sidewalk, and trail networks are reviewed. In addition, locations of naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) will be identified. Recommendations will be made to close gaps in the networks, provide additional Page 3 Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 1) Title: Sidewalk policy - draft connections, and make safety improvements based on the context of the specific transportation project under consideration. Since the adoption of the Living Streets policy, staff identified the location of new sidewalks to include in the project scope in one of the following ways: •Connect the Park plan: Staff will include any segment of sidewalk identified in the Connect the Park plan adjacent to a street segment included in the project. •Gap sidewalks: Staff will review the existing sidewalk network along street segments in the project and recommend filling in gaps. For purposes of discussion, a “gap” is considered a section of sidewalk that is missing on a continuous street block. •Multi-family housing connections: where there is multi-family housing on a street segment, staff will include new sidewalk to connect these properties to commercial nodes, parks, and transit. •Resident requests: During the public process, residents request the inclusion of additional sidewalks. Staff will add these for consideration. Unless otherwise covered by the bullets above, staff typically do not propose installation of new sidewalk on street segments where there is no existing sidewalk. . This process is consistent with past council policy direction. Current considerations: During the approval process for the 2022 pavement management project in Fern Hill, there was considerable discussion regarding how new sidewalk locations were identified. Councilmembers and the public had questions regarding which sidewalks were selected for evaluation. There was also feedback that sidewalks should run continuously on one side of the street instead of taking a block by block approach to minimize adverse impacts to mature trees. It was suggested that a more consistent approach to identifying the location of new sidewalk construction would better reflect the city’s mobility priority. In response to this, staff has put together the attached sidewalk policy draft for consideration by the city council. It lays out basic principles for locations where sidewalks will be considered, along with design standards. The expectation is that providing a more consistent approach to identifying the location of new sidewalk construction will reduce confusion for the public, better reflect the city’s mobility priority and recognize that a continuous sidewalk network provides connections for the community, not just for the people that live on the street. Financial considerations: Construction of sidewalk segments as a part of our transportation projects is planned for and included in the 10-year capital improvement plan (CIP). The average annual budget for new sidewalk construction is $670,000. It is anticipated that should this policy be applied to projects in the CIP, the annual funding would need to be increased by $750,000 to $1 million. The funding source for new sidewalk infrastructure is general obligation bonds. Next steps: If council supports the general concepts presented in the attached draft sidewalk policy, staff will work over the next six months to identify potential locations for new sidewalk construction adjacent to the street segments scheduled for rehabilitation. This will enable us to put together cost estimates for the 10-year CIP and work with finance to understand how this would factor into our overall budget. Page 4 Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 1) Title: Sidewalk policy - draft In addition, if the council is supportive of adopting and implementing a city sidewalk policy, staff recommends that we consolidate the conversation around sidewalks to reduce confusion. To do this, we would remove the remaining sidewalks from the Connect the Park plan, and they would be constructed as a part of transportation projects consistent with the Sidewalk policy. An update on this item can be brought back when the connected infrastructure system is at council in 2023. Sidewalk policy- Draft August 2022 St. Louis Park Engineering Department • 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55416 www.stlouispark.org • Phone: 952.924.2656 • Fax: 952.924.2662 • TTY: 952.924.2518 Purpose St. Louis Park is committed to providing a variety of options for people to make their way around the city comfortably, safely, and reliably. One way to do this is by continuing to expand the network of sidewalks. As a part of transportation projects, the existing sidewalk system will be reviewed, and new sidewalks will be proposed to close gaps and create a connected sidewalk network along streets in the city. This document will help inform the locations where new sidewalk will be proposed as a part of these projects. Guidance 1.Proposed sidewalk locations: At the start of transportation project scope development, staff will review the existing sidewalk network adjacent to streets that are scheduled for rehabilitation. Sidewalks will be proposed where sidewalk does not currently exist and to fill gaps in the sidewalk network on the street segments scheduled for reconstruction. 2.Minimum sidewalk network: As vehicle volume increases, the relative comfort for pedestrians to walk in the road and cross the road decreases. To recognize this, this policy breaks the roadway network into two different types of roads, low-volume and high-volume. •Low-volume roads are those that have less than 2,000 vehicles a day. o Continuous sidewalk will be proposed on at least one side of the street. •High-volume roads are those that have more than 2,000 vehicles a day. o Continuous sidewalk will be proposed on both sides of the street Sidewalk will not be proposed on streets where: o The average daily traffic on the street is less than 200 vehicles. o It is along a dead-end street and the sidewalk would not provide a public connection to an activity node. In general, activity nodes are community or area destinations such as the library, schools, retail areas, parks, regional trails, transit nodes, high-density housing, and places of worship. 3.Network continuity: Continuous sidewalks are recommended to be constructed along all street segments included in a transportation project. This will promote a safe, comfortable sidewalk network and reduce the need for pedestrians to cross the street to get to a sidewalk. •Low-volume roads: o When there is no sidewalk adjacent to the project street segment, the side of the street where new sidewalk is proposed will be based on the side of the street where the existing sidewalk segments are located. For locations where there is sidewalk on the blocks on either side of the block where there is a proposed sidewalk segment, the side of the street the existing sidewalks are on will dictate which side the new sidewalk is recommended. For locations where there is no sidewalk on the blocks on either side of the block where there is a proposed sidewalk segment, both sides of the street will be evaluated for sidewalk construction. One side will be recommended. o When there is a gap in the existing sidewalk adjacent to the project street segment, staff will recommend filling in the gap. For purposes of discussion, a “gap” is considered a section of sidewalk that is missing on a continuous street block. This may result in sidewalks on both sides of the street. •High-volume roads: Continuous sidewalks will be proposed on both sides of high-volume roads. Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 1) Title: Sidewalk policy - draft Page 5 Page 2 4. Design: The standard sidewalk design depends on the sidewalk designation, community, or neighborhood. The proposed sidewalk segments will be designated as either community or neighborhood sidewalk based on the following definitions: Community sidewalks are located on a street that is directly adjacent to an activity node. They make major connections within the city and to neighboring cities’ systems. These pedestrian facilities (sidewalks and/or trails) are spaced roughly at 1/4-mile intervals across the city. Most of these sidewalks are located along collector and arterial roadways that have high traffic volumes. In general, activity nodes are community or area destinations such as the library, schools, retail areas, parks, regional trails, transit nodes, high-density housing, and places of worship. Snow removal on community sidewalks is the city’s responsibility. Neighborhood sidewalks are all other sidewalks in the city. They provide accessibility for pedestrians within the immediate area and feed into the community sidewalk system. These sidewalks are generally located on lower-volume roads. Snow removal on neighborhood sidewalk is the property owner’s responsibility. • Sidewalk and boulevard width: At the beginning of design, the following standard sidewalk design sections are applied to the corridor and adjustments are made, where possible, to minimize impacts to trees and private property. These standard designs are: o Community sidewalks: A 6-foot-wide concrete sidewalk with a 5-foot-wide grass boulevard for community sidewalks. o Neighborhood sidewalks: A 5-foot-wide concrete sidewalk with a 5-foot-wide grass boulevard. • Minimizing impacts: Staff will use the following techniques to minimize impacts to trees and private property: o Reduce the width of the boulevard – possible reduction between 0-5 feet. o Reduce the width of the street – minimum street width 24 feet.  Parking is allowed on both sides of streets that are 28 feet wide or more.  For streets that are less than 28 feet wide but more than 24 feet wide, parking would be restricted to one side.  For streets 24 feet wide or less, parking would be prohibited on both sides. Implementation All transportation projects within the city will follow this policy. This includes all types and phases of transportation projects, including programming, planning, design, and construction. The process by which this policy is applied will be scaled appropriately for each individual project or initiative, including private developments that influence the public right-of-way. This sidewalk policy is to be used by staff to identify the locations of proposed sidewalk segments. The decision on whether to construct a new sidewalk segment will be made by the city council as a part of the project approval process. Staff recommendations will be project-specific based on context sensitive design solutions. (e. g. traffic volumes, tree impacts, private property impacts, available right of way, and cost). Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 1) Title: Sidewalk policy - draft Page 6 Meeting: Study session Meeting date: August 8, 2022 Discussion item: 2 Executive summary Title: Public parking Recommended action: The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the types of public parking provided in the city, their construction cost and funding sources. Staff requests direction on the policy questions below. Policy consideration: This discussion has the following policy questions: • Does the city have an obligation to provide public parking? • Is on-street parking a shared resource? • Does the city council wish to change how we fund the reconstruction of municipal parking lots? Summary: The purpose of this discussion is to focus on public parking that is not directly connected to a public building or park. The city provides free public parking throughout the city. This resource is available as either on-street or in municipal parking lots. This report provides information on the construction costs for parking. There are costs associated with annual maintenance of public parking; however, they are not included in this report. Financial or budget considerations: The cost to build streets wide enough to have on-street parking varies between $500 and $4,000 per stall, depending on the street type.The construction or reconstruction of on-street parking is included in the capital improvement plan and is paid for using franchise fees, municipal state aid or general obligation bonds depending on the project. Reconstruction of municipal parking lots is not included in the capital improvement plan. In 2022 dollars, it is estimated that it will cost $1,200,000 to reconstruct the seven remaining lots. A standalone study on the need for the lots is estimated to be $50,000. Strategic priority consideration: St. Louis Park is committed to providing a variety of options for people to make their way around the city comfortably, safely and reliably. Supporting documents: Discussion Parking lot location maps Assessment policy Study session report May 9, 2016 Study session report June 13, 2016 Prepared by: Debra Heiser, engineering director Reviewed by: Phillip Elkin, engineering services manager Approved by: Kim Keller, city manager Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 2) Page 2 Title: Public Parking Discussion Background: The purpose of this discussion is to focus on public parking that is not directly connected to a public building or park. The city provides free public parking throughout the city. This resource is available either on-street or in municipal parking lots. What follows is a discussion of these two topics. On-street parking discussion The city is responsible for almost 150 miles of streets (148.90 miles); of that, 115.76 are local streets and 33.14 are municipal state aid (MSA) streets. On-street parking is allowed along most of the streets in our city. However, there are locations where signs are posted to restrict parking; this includes 16 medical need permit parking locations, 17 areas where parking is allowed by permit only, and multiple miles of posted parking restrictions. In addition, the following state and city codes prohibit parking without posting signs. State Statute 169.34 PROHIBITIONS; STOPPING, PARKING. Subdivision 1. Prohibitions. (a) No person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or traffic-control device, in any of the following places: (2) in front of a public or private driveway; (4) within ten feet of a fire hydrant; (5) on a crosswalk; (6) within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection; (7) within 30 feet upon the approach to any flashing beacon, stop sign, or traffic- control signal located at the side of a roadway; St. Louis Park Code Secs. 30-161. Parking Distance from Driveways and Alleys. No person shall park a vehicle on a public street, except in compliance with the directions of a police officer, within five (5) feet of a public or private driveway or alley. The five (5) foot distance shall be measured from a point which is the intersection of the projected street curb line and the projected nearest edge of the driveway or alley. Staff does not have an inventory of available on-street parking stalls. Determining the number of on-street parking stalls would need to consider several variables, including posted parking restrictions, driveways, intersections, traffic control, and hydrants. These variables make it difficult and time-consuming to calculate the number of on-street parking stalls in the city. In general, the locations of posted on-street parking restrictions are tied to street width and traffic volume. Parking on local streets: Most local streets carry low volumes of traffic, less than 2,000 vehicles per day. These roads serve single-family residences and have low on-street parking demand. Since these streets are under local jurisdiction, on-street parking street widths are set by the local jurisdiction. The following are the standards that the city has established using feedback from public works, police and fire. Minimum street width required for two-way traffic: 24 feet. • Parking is allowed on both sides of streets that are 28 feet wide or more. • For streets that are less than 28 feet wide but more than 24 feet wide, parking would be restricted to one side. Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 2) Page 3 Title: Public Parking • For streets 24 feet wide or less, parking is prohibited on both sides. Parking on Municipal State Aid (MSA) streets: MSA roads are designated by the city and receive state funding and are subject to state design standards. These streets are higher-volume roads that carry more than 2,000 vehicles per day. Designating a street as MSA does not increase the number of vehicles using the road, rather, the road is designated as MSA because people use it. For a street segment to be designated as MSA it must terminate with another state aid street, a state highway or a county road. Due to these connections, more drivers use these roads, and they serve as collectors. As the term implies, collector roads collect and distribute vehicular traffic from neighborhoods and commercial areas and provide a critical link between local streets, which are primarily designed for property access and minor arterials, which are designed for higher vehicular mobility. Collector streets have an equal emphasis on land access and vehicular mobility. When rebuilding an MSA route using MSA funds, the design of these street segments is required to meet the minimum design standards set out in state statutes. These standards require the following street widths to allow on-street parking. Minimum street width required for two-way traffic: 24 feet. • Parking is allowed on both sides of streets that are 40 feet wide or more. • For streets that are less than 40 feet wide but more than 32 feet wide, parking would be restricted to one side. • For streets 24 feet wide or less, parking is prohibited on both sides. Present considerations: During our public processes, on-street parking generates input from adjacent property owners. Depending on the project, staff may recommend reducing the width of a street to accommodate a bikeway, sidewalk or trail. This may also be recommended to reduce impervious surface or slow traffic. An impact of street width reduction can be the elimination of all or a portion of the on-street parking. In the past, staff has also made the recommendation to reduce the width of a street due to lack of right of way, to preserve trees, and to reduce costs. Street width reductions do not always result in restricting on-street parking. Prior to making recommendations that will change the availability of on-street parking, a parking inventory will be used to collect information on existing parking utilization. In areas where there is on street parking demand, staff will try to maintain the minimum number of on-street stalls observed as used as a part of the project recommendation. On recent projects where on-street parking was reduced to the minimum needed, we have received feedback that the results were not satisfactory. This is mainly because the available parking no longer was directly in front of the property and was not as convenient to use. Staff received this feedback even on a project where the number of stalls after the project was implemented exceeded the minimum number of stalls that the inventory indicated were used. Finally, staff has had requests after the on-street parking was reduced to post permit parking in front of houses, with permits only being issued to the adjacent property owners, so that people at other locations of the street could not park in front of their residences. Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 2) Page 4 Title: Public Parking Financial considerations: The cost to build streets to have on-street parking is below: Street type/ parking Cost per stall Cost per mile Local street - one side parking $500 $132,000 Local street - both side parking $1,000 $264,000 MSA street – one side parking $2,000 $528,000 MSA street – both side parking $4,000 $1,056,000 Staff recommendation: Due to the cost to build on-street parking, it is staff’s recommendation that on-street parking be considered a shared resource for anyone in the community to use. If it is considered a shared resource, staff does not recommend the implementation of permit parking when there is not a demonstrated medical need. Municipal parking lots discussion In 2016, the city owned and operated 10 municipal parking lots. These lots are located throughout the city and are not adjacent to city buildings. Their primary uses are for transit park and ride or private property parking. Seasonal maintenance is performed by Public Works. Below is a list of the lots and their current status. Attached are maps of each lot showing the locations and the parcels originally assessed for the construction. Parking lot name and address Status Underlying land 27th St & Louisiana Ave • 2701 Louisiana Avenue In service tax parcel 36th St & Wooddale Ave • 3575 Wooddale Avenue Parking lot scheduled for removal with redevelopment. tax parcel Alabama Ave & Excelsior Blvd • 6000 Excelsior Boulevard In service city right of way Bohn Welding Lot • 6570 Lake Street In service city right of way Lake Street alley parking lot • Behind 6400-6600 Lake St In service city right of way Georgia Ave lot • 6470 Lake Street In service city right of way Gorham lot • 3301 Gorham Avenue Parking lot closed in 2019 based on Historic Walker Lake parking study determining that it was not needed. It is currently being leased to USI for staging. Once their work is complete, the pavement and curb will be removed and seeded until the future is decided. tax parcel Louisiana Park & Ride (N) • 7201 Minnetonka Blvd In service tax parcel Louisiana Park & Ride (S) • 3016 Louisiana Avenue In service tax parcel Lake St & Walker St • 6534 Lake Street Parking lot removed in 2020 and replaced with on the street 90 degree parking tax parcel Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 2) Page 5 Title: Public Parking Staff has included information about the underlying land in the table above. The reason this is important is that there are specific processes for the city to dispose of land based on how it was acquired. For tax parcels, the land can usually be sold by the city. For right of way, the disposal of the land is tied to how the right of way was dedicated. Present considerations: The city’s current policy for reconstruction of municipal lots is to assess 100% of the cost to the benefitting property owners. Some additional background. 1. The lots were constructed 50-60 years ago. 2. The pavement has reached the end of its useful life and the parking lots need to be reconstructed. 2. The initial construction costs for all the lots, except for the Louisiana Park and Ride (N and S) lots, were paid for by adjacent property owners through special assessment. 3. The Louisiana Park and Ride (N and S) lots are mainly used by transit users. It is staff’s opinion that there is not a nearby property owner that relies on the parking provided at these locations for their employees or customers. 4. There is no formal agreement between the property owners and the city for the use of these lots. However, when there is a change to a tenant or land use at one of the buildings that were originally assessed for lot construction, Zoning staff does credit that property the number of stalls for which they paid an assessment. 5. It has been our past practice not to reserve parking spaces in these lots. What this means is that while we may have assessed property owner X for ten stalls, we do not post signs assigning ten stalls to property owner X. Their use of the spaces is nonexclusive. 6. In addition to the reconstruction of the pavement, the reconstruction of these parking lots will require upgrades to meet city code. This includes improvements to lighting, bike parking, screening, landscaping, and in some cases, stormwater management and electric vehicle charging stations. Consistent with the assessment policy, municipal lots were included in the 10-year CIP. During the 2020 budget process in the fall of 2019, the city council requested that they be put on hold for additional discussion of the city’s assessment policy as it relates to municipal parking lots. To facilitate this discussion, staff has identified the following as the options to proceed with addressing the reconstruction of these lots: Option 1: No change to the assessment policy Most of these lots are used by propery owners for employee or customer parking. There are many property owners in the city that are solely responsible for the costs to reconstruct, operate and maintain their parking lots. Option 2: Reconstruct the lots using city funds These lots are used for public parking. The city will use city funds to reconstruct on- street public parking as a part of our transportation projects. Option 3: Evaluate parking lots A study could be done to determine if there is a way to meet the parking demand by providing on-street parking in place of a separate parking lot. If it is determined that a Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 2) Page 6 Title: Public Parking lot is not needed, the council could consider selling or closing the lot and repurposing the land. Financial considerations: Staff estimates the total cost to reconstruct the remaining seven lots is $1.2 million in 2022 dollars. At $7,713/ stall, it is more expensive than providing on-street parking. This is because a separate municipal parking lot requires the construction of aisles for circulation, curb and drainage system. For on-street parking, the road provides circulation, curbing and drainage. Staff recommendation: Since the cost to build a separate municipal parking lot is considerably more expensive than constructing on-street parking, staff recommends Option 3. A parking study has already been done for the three lots in the Historic Walker Lake area; the findings of that study are that they are needed for area parking demand. Staff estimates that a parking study for the remaining 4 lots will cost $50,000. The cost to complete this study is not in the city’s budget. If a parking lot is necessary to meet the parking demand of an area, Option 2 is consistent with the city’s practice of paying for the construction of on-street parking as a part of our transportation projects. If this is the direction that council provides to staff, we can work to add the remaining lots to the 10-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) next year during the 2024 budget process. Since this is pavement replacement, using franchise fees as a funding source would be consistent with our other pavement replacement projects. However, at this point, we have more expenses eligible for franchise fees than we have dollars available. The council could direct staff to incorporate this expense into future franchise fee calculations and considerations. An update on this item can be brought back when the connected infrastructure system is at council in 2023. ")3 ")25 ")5 ¬«7 ¬«100 LYNNAVES29TH ST W 36 TH ST W LAKE S T W MON T E R E Y D R QUENTINAVESVERNONAVESUTICAAVESMINNETONKA BLV D WOODDALE AVE CEDAR LAKE AVE SERVICE D R H I G H W A Y 7 WOOD D A L E AVEXENWOODAVES28TH ST W 33RD ST W W O L F E P K W Y MONTEREYAVESZARTHANAVES4 1 S T S T W WALKER ST JOPPA AVE SLAKE ST W 31ST ST W INGLEWOODAVE S WALKER ST TOLEDOAVESP A R K C O M M ON S D R 26TH ST W XENWOODAVESGOODRICH AVE W ALKERSTXENWOODAVESOXFO R D S T KIPLINGAVESRHODEISLANDAVES26TH ST W 33RD ST W 28TH ST W 27TH ST W 34TH ST W S U NSE T BLVD 31ST S T W 36TH ST W 35TH ST W MEADOWBROOK RD35TH ST W EDGEWOODAVESLI B R A R Y L N VICTORI A W A Y 36TH ST W 42ND ST W 39TH ST W 29TH ST W 27TH ST W UTICAAVESBRUNSWICKAVES31ST ST WSUMTERAVES 32ND ST W TAFTAVESVALLA C H E R A V E 32ND ST W 33RD ST W 40TH ST W NATCHEZAVES32ND ST W DIVISION ST 34TH ST W 32 1/2 ST W 37TH ST W 36 1/2 ST W R E P U B L I C A V E EDGE B R O O K D R 3 9 T H S T W DAKOTAAVESS E R V IC E DR H IG H W A Y 7 ALABAMAAVESOXFORD ST YOSEMITEAVES37TH ST WUTAHAVES INGLEWOODAVESSUMTERAVESJOPPAAVESFLORIDAAVESGEORGIAAVESHAMPSHIREAVESIDAHOAVESLOUISIANAAVESMEADOWBROOKLNYOSEMITEAVESXENWOODAVESB R O W N L O W A V E WEBSTERAVES36TH ST W WEBSTERAVESYOSEMITEAVES31ST ST WLYNNAVES SALEM AVESQUEBECAVESQUEBECAVESOREGONAVESNEVADAAVESEDGEWOODAVESPENNSYLVANIAAVESMARYLANDAVESSALEMAVESPRINCETONAVESRALEIGHAVESQUENTINAVESUTAHAVESP R I VAT E R D NORT H S T M O N IT O R ST CAMBRIDGE ST 3 5 T H S T W 40TH L N W P A R K G L E N RDMEADOWBROOK BLVDRALEIGHAVESLOUIS I ANAAVESPARKCENTERBLVDKIPLINGAVESALABAMAAVESLOUISIANAAVESUTICAAVESI D A H O A V E S 2ND ST NW JOPPAAVESLYNN AVE SHUNTINGTON AVE SOTTAWAAVESQUEBECAVESS E R V I C E D R H IG H W A Y 7 PRIVATER D BRUNSWICKAVESZARTHANAVESBRUNSWICKAVESCOLORADOAVESALABAMAAVESJERSEYAVESKENTUCKYAVESALLEYBLACKSTONEAVESHUNTINGTONAVESPOWELL RD 0 625 1,250 1,875 2,500Feet ² Municipal Parking Lots Legend 27th St. & Louisiana Ave. 36th St. & Wooddale Ave. Alabama Ave. & Excelsior Blvd. Bohn Welding / Lake St. Alley / Georgia Ave. Gorham Lot Lake St. W. and Walker St. Louisiana Ave. Park & Ride (N & S) City Limits Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 2) Title: Public parking Page 7 27TH ST W LOUISIANA CT KENTUCKYAVESLOUISIANAAVES2640 2641 27322733 2729 2640 27282728 2721 2716 2717 2722 2725 2725 2720 2717 2708 2709 2708 2713 2636 2733 2732 2729 2730 2740 2724 2722 2721 2717 2716 7217 2700 2701 7309 7203 2701 2700 2645 2635 2634 2631 2630 26492648 2645 2644 2625 2624 2632 2641 2633 2629 2624 2650 2644 2628 2750 2746 2747 2742 2741 2737 2737 2704 27482745 2740 27412711 27042704 2738 2712 72047300 2736 2713 2712 2705 0 50 100 150 200Feet Legend Municipal Parking Lots Assessed Parcels Parcels City Limits ± 2631 Louisiana Ave. S. (6) 2641 Louisiana Ave. S. (10) 2645 Louisiana Ave. S. (8) Municipal Parking Lot 27th St. & Louisiana Ave. Assessed Parcels (Including Number of Spaces) Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 2) Title: Public parking Page 8 ¬«7 37TH ST W 35TH ST W WO O D D A L E A V E ALABAMAAVESWOOD D A L E A V E 35TH ST W XENWOODAVES36TH ST W PRIVATE R DBRUNSWICKAVES YOSEMITEAVESWALKERSTW O O D D A L E A V E T O W B H W Y 7 E B H W Y 7 T O W O O D D A L E A V E PRIVATE RD S E R V IC E D W B H W Y 7 T O W O O D D A L E A V E W O O D D A L E A V E T O E B H W Y 75600 636357085718 6015 5655 6007 5684 6017 5630 5691 5708 6005 6039 3506 5815 5912 6010 3520 3530 5725 3700 3701 6027 560557015727 5825 3630 3600 3700 5721 3601 3524 5707 5720 5724 3520 5802 58145816 3548 3548 3575 3565 0 75 150 225 300Feet Legend Municipal Parking Lots Assessed Parcels Parcels City Limits ± 5802 36th St. W. (6) 5724 36th St. W. (10) 3601 Wooddale Ave. S. (44) 3565 Wooddale Ave. S. (13) Municipal Parking Lot 36th St. & Wooddale Ave. Assessed Parcels(Including Number of Spaces) Parking lot 5925 R H IGH scheduled for removal with redevelopment Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 2) Title: Public parking Page 9 ")3 ALABAMAAVESBROOKSIDEAVESALABAMAAVES40546111 6011 6112 6100 6100 3991 6002 3987 3985 5930 4046 5925 3990 3996 6006 59153986 5900 3985 3981 592239823977 39783975 3971 3980 6114 6001 5911 3961 3967 59123965 3977 39763966 39723973 3937 5916 0 40 80 120 160Feet Municipal Parking Lots Legend Municipal Parking Lots Assessed Parcels Parcels City Limits ± Alabama Ave. & Excelsior Blvd. 5922 Excelsior Blvd. (2) 5930 Excelsior Blvd. (4) 6001 Excelsior Blvd. (6) 6002 Excelsior Blvd. (8) Assessed Parcels(Including Number of Spaces) 6006 Excelsior Blvd. (4) Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 2) Title: Public parking Page 10 O A K L E A F D R WALK ER ST WALKER ST ID A H O A V E SR E P U B L I C A V E 1ST ST NWLI B R A R Y L N AVEB R O W N L O W A V ELOUISIANAAVESLOUISIANAAVES LOUISIANAAVES2ND ST NW3260 6714 3384 3381 3356 3355 7020 67267008 3361 3374 3330 3378 3370 3366 3362 3375 3340 33873363 3451 3370 33583325 6425 6425 3313 3340 3355 3305 3312 3328 3339 3337 33613357 3362 3333 33293320 3371 3361 3351 3358 3354 3280 3300 3401 3343 3324 3300 3350 3320 3316 3340 3312 3313 3337 3333 3312 3351 3500 3304 3338 3325 3321 3345 33303317 3341 3308 3304 3317 3337 3340 3326 3383 3379 3354 3343 3350 3309 3305 3286 3318 3329 33053278 3336 3321 33323300 3313 3326 3346 3366 3328 3338 3347 3346 3333 3308 3309 33163282 3322 3325 3324 3320 3501 7201 0 75 150 225 300Feet Municipal Parking Lots Legend Municipal Parking Lots Assessed Parcels Parcels City Limits ± Gorham Lot 3340 Gorham Ave. (17) 3360 Gorham Ave. (5) 3359 Gorham Ave. (2) 3304 Gorham Ave. (9) Assessed Parcels(Including Number of Spaces) 3316 Gorham Ave. (18) 3336 Gorham Ave. (24) 3359-61 Republic Ave. (6) 3305-25 Republic Ave. (6) Parking lot closed in 2019. 3261 Currently being used by USI for staging. Once their work is complete, the pavement and curb will be removed. Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 2) Title: Public parking Page 11 ")5MINNETONKA BLVD LOUISIANAAVESKENTUCKYAVESMARYLANDAVES3033 3032 303230323033 3041 30403040 30413043 3040 3025 3024 3021 3020 7312 2941 2940 2928 7200 3021 3022 3021 7320 3037 3036 303630393036 3029 3028 3025 3037 302973217307 7201 7119 7109 7101 2940 7301 7225 7221 7217 3016 7112 7100 3015 301630173017 3024 3028 2924 2936 7315 7213 2925 3028 3029 3025 7304 7124 7116 3020 3016 2937 0 40 80 120 160Feet Municipal Parking Lots Legend Municipal Parking Lots Assessed Parcels Parcels City Limits ± Louisiana Park & Ride (N & S) Not Assessed Assessed Parcels(Including Number of Spaces) Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 2) Title: Public parking Page 12 ¬«7 LAKE ST WLI B R A R Y L N WALKER ST B R O W N L O W A V E 650965157001 6416 7000 6900 6714 6824 3384 650465126516 6530 67263416 6500 6900 6818 3374 3378 68123393 6800 3375 3387 6804 3404 3390 3384 67003371 3383 3379 6525 0 40 80 120 160Feet Legend Municipal Parking Lots Assessed Parcels Parcels City Limits ± 6516 - 24 Walker St. (5) 6804 Lake St. W. (4) 6812 Lake St. W. (15) 6818 Lake St. W. (2) Municipal Parking Lot Lake St. and Walker St. Assessed Parcels(Including Number of Spaces) 6824 Lake St. W. (6) Parking lot removed in 2020 Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 2) Title: Public parking Page 13 2 h r p a r k i n g 2 h r p a r k i n g 6600 Lake St. W. (Bohn Welding) Assessed only for Bohn Welding & Georgia Ave. Lots DAKOTAAVESLI B R A R Y L N 34THST W G E O R GIA A V E S DAKOTAAVESW O O D D A L E A V E HAMILTON ST 6320 3353 630863126316 6610 3391 345664256425 6425 6700 6700 6500 63013377 63006320 63096317 3398 3424 6528 6418 3410 6401 3401 6304 3397 641466003385 33523381 63133455 6525 6520 6422 64160 50 100 150 200Feet Legend Municipal Parking Lots Assessed Parcels Parcels City Limits ± 3410 Dakota Ave. S. (Unassigned) 6414 Lake St. W. (Unassigned) 6416 Lake St. W. (Unassigned) 6418 Lake St. W. (Unassigned) Municipal Parking Lot Bohn Welding/Lake St Alley/Georgia Ave Assessed Parcels (Including Number of Spaces) 6422 Lake St. W. (Unassigned) 6500 Lake St. W. (Unassigned) 6520 Lake St. W. (Unassigned) 6528 Lake St. W. (Unassigned) 6600 Lake St. W. (Unassigned)(Georgia and Bohn) Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 2) Title: Public parking Page 14 Assessment Policy Amended March 7, 2022 I. Introduction A special assessment is a levy on a property for a particular improvement that benefits the owner(s) of the property. The authority is provided to cities through MN Statutes §, Chapter 429. Special assessments assign cost of the improvement to those receiving a direct benefit from the improvement. Assessment amounts are based upon the total cost of the particular improvement and are allocated by the Council as guided by this policy. The amount assessed against any particular parcel shall not be greater than the increase in the market value of the property due to the improvement. The City Council has the authority to deviate from this policy as deemed appropriate by the Council or when the law requires such a deviation. When the City deviates from the policies identified in this document, it will identify the reasons for the deviation in the feasibility report or at the public hearings associated with the public improvement. This policy does not supersede or replace assessment references in the City Code. II. Improvements to be Assessed A. Municipal Parking Lots The city owns and operates municipal parking lots that are not adjacent to City buildings. The primary uses for these lots is for transit park and ride or private property parking. 1. Costs to be Assessed a. Reconstruction or Rehabilitation When the condition of the parking lot requires reconstruction or rehabilitation, the total project cost may be levied as a special assessment to benefitting properties in accordance with this policy. The assessment will be levied on a project specific basis. b. Maintenance Costs Annual, seasonal, and preventative maintenance are performed by the City. The total cost may be assessed to benefitting properties on an annual basis. 2. Benefitting Properties The following information will be used to determine the benefitting properties and the number of stalls to assign to each benefitting property for the assessment rate: a. A parking study will be completed to determine the parking lot users. Benefitting properties are ones that have customers or employees that are using the lot. b. A land use review of surrounding properties will be done to determine parking ratios required by City Code and prior approvals. This is done to determine if the properties have adequate private parking. If a property does not have adequate private parking or if parking spaces in the lot were counted to meet their parking ratios, they will be considered a benefitting property. 3. Assessment Rate Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 2) Title: Public parking Page 15 2 The assessment rate shall be per parking stall. To calculate this rate, the total cost will be divided by the number of stalls in the parking lot. Each benefitting property will be assigned a number of stalls within the parking lot. This rate will be applicable to all reconstruction or rehabilitation projects and annual maintenance costs. The stall assignment is for assessment purposes only. The parking stalls are not for exclusive use of the properties assessed. B. Fire Sprinkler Systems Property owners may petition the city to assess the costs install a fire sprinkler system in an existing building. To be considered under this policy, the proposed work shall result in the sprinkling of the entire building in compliance with the applicable City ordinance and state laws. Petitions will be responded to by the Fire Department. 1. Petition The petition must meet the requirements of MS Chapter 429, as they apply to fire sprinkler systems. The petition, can be in the form of a letter or email, and shall include the following items: a. Fire sprinkler plans and specifications. b. A cost estimate from three (3) qualified companies (licensed by the State of Minnesota as a fire sprinkler contractor). c. A written statement that the owner(s) shall be responsible for contracting for the actual installation and proper operation of the fire sprinkler system. d. Signatures of all property owners. The petitioner(s) must waive all rights to the public hearing and any appeal of the special assessment adopted by the City Council. All petitions for the special assessment of the project must be received and acted upon by the City Council prior to the start of any fire sprinkler installation. The City shall not approve the petition until it has reviewed and approved the plans, specifications, and cost estimates contained in the petition. Consideration of any petition made under this policy is subject to a determination by the City Council, in its sole discretion, that sufficient City funds are available for the project. City staff will periodically advise the Council with regard to the availability of appropriate funds. 2. Costs to be Assessed a. The amount to be specially assessed shall not exceed the amount of the construction estimate, plus any City administrative or interest charges. The petitioner shall be responsible for any construction costs exceeding the amount of the construction estimate. b. The administrative fee for processing the sprinkler assessment application shall be set in the City’s fee schedule. c. If the petitioner requests the abandonment of the special assessment project, all City costs incurred shall be reimbursed by the petitioner. 3. Payment of Assessments Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 2) Title: Public parking Page 16 3 a. No payment shall be made by the City for any installation until the work is completed and finally approved by the City and the assessment has been adopted. b. If the petitioner requests the abandonment of the special assessment project, all City costs incurred shall be reimbursed by the petitioner. C. Sewer Availability Charges (SAC) and Water Availability Charges (WAC) Property owners may petition the city to assess the costs of Metropolitan Council SAC and City WAC. Petitions will be administered by the Inspections Department. The requirements for SAC and WAC deferrals include: 1. Eligibility Requirements The City may authorize the assessment of the SAC and WAC charges if the City determines it is in the best interest of the community and if the following conditions are met: a. The occupant of the benefitting property shall be a non-profit organization. b. The occupant shall be engaged in works to serve a public purpose. This may include charitable organizations or organizations that benefit veterans of the United States Armed Forces. c. The maximum SAC and WAC that can be assessed against any property is 25 SAC units. 2. Petition The petition shall be submitted to the City of St. Louis Park Building & Energy Department in writing and the petition submission shall include the following items: a. a valid SAC Determination Letter from the Metropolitan Council that indicates the number of SAC units and any applied SAC unit credits for the proposed property and use(s), and b. the number of SAC units the petitioner requests to be assessed against the benefitting property, and c. the petitioner(s) must waive all rights to the public hearing and any appeal of the special assessment adopted by the City Council, and d. signatures of all property owners. All petitions for the special assessment of the project must be received and acted upon by the City Council. The City Council will not approve the petition until city staff has reviewed and approved all city permits that may be associated with the proposed use and/or required property improvements associated with the petition. Consideration of any petition made under this policy is subject to a determination by the City Council, in its sole discretion, that sufficient City funds are available for the project. City staff will periodically advise the Council with regard to the availability of appropriate funds. 3. Costs to be Assessed a. The amount to be specially assessed shall not exceed the cost of the SAC and WAC for the non-profit use of the benefiting property based upon Metropolitan Council’s SAC Determination, plus any City administrative or interest charges. b. The petitioner shall be responsible for any SAC and WAC costs exceeding the special assessment amount if the use or project changes following City approvals. c. The administrative fee for processing the SAC and WAC assessment application shall be set in the City’s fee schedule. Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 2) Title: Public parking Page 17 4 d. If the petitioner requests the abandonment of the special assessment project, all City costs incurred shall be reimbursed by the petitioner. 4. Payment of Assessments a. No payment shall be made by the City until all required city permits have been approved by the City and the assessment has been adopted. b. If the petitioner requests the abandonment of the special assessment project, all City costs incurred shall be reimbursed by the petitioner. D. Energy-Related Improvements Property owners may petition the city to assess the costs to install energy improvements in existing buildings. To be considered under this policy, the proposed work shall result in projects in compliance with the applicable City ordinance and state laws. Petitions will be responded to by the Building & Energy Department. 1. Eligibility Requirements The City may authorize the assessment of the energy improvement if the City determines it is in the best interest of the community and if the following conditions are met: a. For energy improvement projects on residential property, only residential property having five or more units may obtain financing for projects under this clause. b. Assessment is for the construction, reconstruction, alteration, extension, operation, maintenance, and promotion of energy improvement projects in existing buildings. c. Eligible energy systems are heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment, building envelope and renewable energy systems. 2. Petition The petition must meet the requirements of MS Chapter 429 as they apply to energy improvements. The petition shall be submitted to the City of St. Louis Park Building & Energy Department in writing and the petition submission shall include the following items: a. Plans and specifications, b. A cost estimate from three (3) qualified companies (licensed by the State of Minnesota) and c. A written statement that the owner(s) shall be responsible for contracting for the actual installation and proper operation of the improvement. d. The petitioner(s) must waive all rights to the public hearing and any appeal of the special assessment adopted by the City Council, and e. Signatures of all property owners. Each property owner petitioning for the improvement must receive notice that free or low-cost energy improvements may be available under federal, state, or utility programs. All petitions for the special assessment of the project must be received and acted upon by the City Council prior to the start of any improvement. The City shall not approve the petition until it has reviewed and approved the plans, specifications, and cost estimates contained in the petition. Consideration of any petition made under this policy is subject to a determination by the City Council, in its sole discretion, that sufficient City funds are available for the project. City staff will periodically advise the Council with regard to the availability of appropriate funds. Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 2) Title: Public parking Page 18 5 3. Costs to be Assessed a. The amount to be specially assessed shall not exceed the amount of the construction estimate, plus any City administrative or interest charges. The petitioner shall be responsible for any construction costs exceeding the amount of the construction estimate. b. The administrative fee for processing the energy improvement assessment application shall be set in the City’s fee schedule. c. If the petitioner requests the abandonment of the special assessment project, all City costs incurred shall be reimbursed by the petitioner. 4. Payment of Assessments a. No payment shall be made by the City for any installation until the work is completed and finally approved by the City and the assessment has been adopted. b. If the petitioner requests the abandonment of the special assessment project, all City costs incurred shall be reimbursed by the petitioner. III. Assessment Considerations All properties benefiting from improvements are subject to the special assessment. The project types to be assessed are not limited to those explicitly described in this policy. The City Council reserves the right to consider additional infrastructure improvements on a case by case basis for assessment, including but not limited to storm drainage improvements, streets, sanitary sewer, water, street lights, walls, noise walls, boulevard trees, and sidewalks (both new and replaced). IV. Payment of Assessments A. Duration The length of time that assessments are to be paid varies according to the total cost assessed, the table below is a guideline. Staff may choose a different term based upon the type of assessment and dollar amount. $0 to $999.00 1 year $1,000 to $2,499.99 2 years $2,500 to $3,999 3 years $4,000 + 5 or more years B. Interest Rate Interest rates vary based on project financing but are set no more than 2% above the City’s rate on the sale of bonds or U. S. Treasury rate if the project is financed with existing City funds. C. Repayment Schedule 1. All unpaid balances will be certified to Hennepin County for payment with property taxes after November 1 of the year in which the assessment hearing was conducted. a. Property owners can pay the entire assessment following the adoption of the assessment roll with no interest charged. b. Property owners may also make an interest free partial payment. For ease of administration, a minimum of 25% of the assessable cost must be applied for a partial payment 2. Interest will start accruing on all unpaid balances on December 1 of the year in which the assessment hearing was conducted. Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 2) Title: Public parking Page 19 6 V. Definitions: For the purposes of this policy, the following definitions will apply: RECONSTRUCTION - will be defined as a project whereby all meaningful elements of a facility are analyzed for removal and replacement. These include curb and gutter, bituminous or concrete pavement, gravel base, subgrade replacement as necessary and items appurtenant to these elements. REHABILITATION – will be defined as a project whereby the pavement, gravel base and other roadway items are reclaimed or replaced. These elements included bituminous or concrete pavement, gravel base and subgrade replacement as necessary, spot replacement of concrete curb and gutter and driveways. TOTAL COST- A. Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Cost The total project cost for reconstruction and rehabilitation projects includes the following: Construction cost plus engineering, administration, legal fees, assessment rolls, plus right-of- way costs (fee acquisition and/or easement costs including staff time) and temporary funding charges, plus other charges for services and contingencies, plus any assessable charges from other governmental agencies (i.e. Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, Hennepin County, State of Minnesota), plus any assessable costs previously incurred by the City. A portion of other contributing funds from the City (i.e. MSA), Trunk Utility, Water Resources, etc.) or outside governmental agencies may be deducted from the total improvement cost to determine the assessable cost. B. Maintenance Cost The total cost for annual, seasonal, and preventative maintenance includes, but is not limited to, the following: Sealcoating, crack sealing, patching, striping, signage, snow removal, sweeping, power for lighting, replacement or maintenance of bike racks and other fixtures within the lots, landscape maintenance, storm sewer maintenance and any other work deemed necessary to ensure a facility is in good condition. Reviewed for Administration: Adopted by the City Council March 7, 2022 Kim Keller, City Manager Jake Spano, Mayor Attest: Melissa Kennedy, City Clerk Study session meeting of August 8, 2022 (Item No. 2) Title: Public parking Page 20