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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Connection 07162013Council rejects bids for intersection improvements The Council rejected bids for France Avenue intersection improvements. The City had planned to begin construction in July along the corridor to enhance intersec- tions and provide safer crossing for pedestrians. Next summer, landscaping was to be done. However, when the City opened bids for the intersection im- provements, officials found that just one contractor had submit- ted a bid and it was more than $500,000 over the City’s esti- mate. The Council decided to reject the bid and bid it out again in the fall with the land- scaping portion of the project. Construction, then, would all occur in 2014. The project is important for pe- destrians and bicyclists in the area. By removing the free right- turn islands, the corners of the intersections at 66th, 70th and 76th streets will be expanded to increase space for pedestrians and decrease the length of the crossing. ADA-compliant pedes- trian accommodations, pedestri- an-level lighting and planters will be installed. In addition, “median refuge islands” will be built. Median refuge islands are the space between northbound and southbound traffic where pedestrians or cyclists may need to wait. Traffic signals will be improved with accessible pedestrian sig- nals, countdown timers and vehicle and bike detectors. And, to maximize pedestrian safety, the lanes on France Avenue will be narrowed from 13 and 14 feet wide to 11 and 12 feet wide. This will add to the space needed to create a boulevard between the sidewalk and road as well as the refuge in the mid- dle of the busy roadway. The project is estimated to cost just over $4 million. The City has received a federal grant of about $1 million for part of the project. Council begins consideration of Arena priority use policy The Council began discussing a possible priority use policy for Braemar Arena. In August 2012, the City Council directed staff to prepare a rec-ommendation for a new priority use policy to govern the distribu- tion of ice time at Braemar Are- na, the only City facility utilized by youth athletic associations that operates without an agree- ment. Ice time at the arena has historically been distributed based on the City's relationship with the figure skating club and the Edina Hockey Association, and the need for ice time for its own recreational programming. As staff began the process of preparing the policy, they were challenged with creating a prin- cipled priority use policy that would provide bona fide priority access to the recognized associ- ation that meets the residency requirement — the Edina Hockey Association (EHA) — while also recognizing the long relationship between the City of Edina and the Braemar-City of Lakes Fig- ure Skating Club (BCLFSC). Braemar Arena is currently able to meet approximately 94 per- cent of ice needs for BCLFSC, but less than 50 percent of the ice needs for the EHA. Staff recommended priority be granted in the following order: 1. All City-sponsored activi- ties, programs, classes and open skate times. Reserva- A summary of the July 16 Edina City Council meeting Oct. 30, 2013 Volume 15, Issue 17 Council Connection Upcoming meetings: City Council, 7 p.m. Nov. 4 Park Board, 7 p.m. Nov. 12 Heritage Preservation Board, 7 p.m. Nov. 12 Planning Commission, 6 p.m. Nov. 13 Energy & Environment Com- mission, 7 p.m. Nov. 14 City Council 7 p.m. Nov. 19 City Contacts City Manager Scott Neal 952-826-0401 Assistant City Manager Karen Kurt 952-826-0415 City Clerk Debra Mangen 952-826-0408 Engineering Director Wayne Houle 952-826-0443 Parks & Recreation Director Ann Kattreh 952-826-0430 Braemar Arena Manager Susie Miller 952-833-9502 We’d like to hear from you … If you have any comments, call Communications & Technology Services Director Jennifer Bennerotte at 952-833-9520. The text of this publication will be available online at www.EdinaMN.gov. www.EdinaMN.gov tions for City functions may be taken at any time for any date. City functions may pre-empt lower priority reservations at the discre- tion of the Parks & Recrea- tion Director. There will be no rental fees charged for City reservations. 2. Edina High School Boys’ and Girls’ Hornets Hockey Teams 3. Recognized Edina Youth Athletic Associations 4. Recognized organizations/ leagues that have consec- utively rented ice from the City of Edina on good terms, including BCLFSC 5. New Non-Recognized Resi-dent or Non-Resident Hockey and/or Figure Skating programs, if there is availability after the above-mentioned groups have put their request in to Braemar Arena. Space granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Staff also recommended an alternative for ice time alloca- tion based on the proposed priority use policy. Under that alternative, BCLFSC’s ice hours at Braemar Arena would be reduced by 10.75 hours per week or 201 hours per season. Staff argued the option recog- nizes the longstanding relation- ship with the BCLFSC, but also provides the EHA with priority scheduling and a few additional ice hours. BCLFSC would main- tain 71 percent of their hours at Braemar for a total of 500 hours per season. The Council heard from many concerned parents and skaters and directed staff to attempt further negotiations for ice time allocations with the EHA and BSLFSC. The Council is ex- pected to take action on the matter in August.