Workshop Item: 4 - Robert Therres, Public Services Manager
Title
PROPOSED RECONSTRUCTION OF FLOWERFIELD ROAD AND RESTWOOD ROAD WITH THE CITY OF LEXINGTON
Background
The City of Lexington has expressed a desire to do a joint project with the City of Blaine to reconstruct Flowerfield Road from Naples Street to Lexington Avenue and Restwood Road from Naples Street to Lake Drive in 2014 or 2015. A preliminary discussion was held with the Lexington City Engineer as to what types of project would be involved.
Flowerfield Road
Flowerfield Road lies on the border between Blaine and Lexington and is broken into two different sections by Lake Drive. The first section from Lexington Avenue to Lake Drive is an urban section 30 feet wide with both concrete curb and gutter and bituminous curb on the Blaine side and bituminous curb on the Lexington side. The Blaine side has residential properties on the east half and commercial/industrial properties on the west half. The Lexington side is predominantly residential property. This is the most heavily traveled of the roads being discussed here, is in very poor condition and should be the first one to be reconstructed.
The second section from Lake Drive to Naples Street is 30 feet wide with bituminous curb on both sides but does not have storm sewer. The Blaine side is commercial property and the Lexington side is residential property.
Restwood Road
Restwood Road lies on the border between Blaine and Lexington and runs from Lake Drive to Naples Street. The road is a rural section 30 feet wide with no curb and gutter or storm sewer. Both sides of the road are residential property, with the Blaine side having a manufactured home community and the Lexington side having residential homes.
Proposed Projects
Flowerfield Road from Lexington Avenue to Lake Drive would be reconstructed as an urban section road with curb and gutter and storm sewer. As there is already curb and storm sewer present, provided no additional impervious surface is proposed and drainage patterns remain the same, it is anticipated that Rice Creek Watershed District will not require additional storm water treatment or infiltration practices. Discussion with the watershed will need to be held to verify this. A rough estimate for the City of Blaine share of this project would be approximately $500,000.
Flowerfield Road from Lake Drive to Naples Street and Restwood Road will require further discussion with the City of Lexington and the watershed district as to the potential impacts of installing curb and gutter and storm sewer. This will likely trigger additional storm water requirements that need to be further investigated to determine what impacts to property and what costs these may have. Once the storm water requirements are understood and a cost estimate generated, the cities can then discuss if it is feasible to construct them as urban section roads with curb and gutter and storm sewer or leave them as rural section roads. For example, the City of Blaine portion of costs to reconstruct Restwood Road as a rural section would be approximately $140,000, and as an urban section it would be approximately $310,000, not including any land that may be needed for any additional storm water treatment facilities.
Further discussion as to the scope of each of the projects would need to be held with the City of Lexington before a more accurate cost estimate can be developed and brought before Council. The City of Blaine portion of the proposed projects would be funded by utilizing assessments to benefitting property owners and Pavement Management Program funds.
Discussion
· There are three separate sections of road which can all be done as one large project or broken up into separate projects done at different times. Does the Council wish to pursue a joint project with the City of Lexington for reconstructing all or some of the above roads?
· Does the Council want to pursue investigating the costs and requirements with installing curb and gutter and storm sewer on Restwood Road and Flowerfield Road from Lake Drive to Naples Street?
· Upon Council direction regarding the above items, staff will proceed with finalizing the project scope, preparing a cost estimate and preparing a draft Joint Powers Agreement with the City of Lexington and bring the projects forward to a future Council meeting for action.