WEBSITE
Additional project information can be found on the project website at http://www.ci.ramsey.mn.us/th10.asp. The project website will be updated to include new information as key milestones are met throughout the study process and to announce upcoming opportunities for public involvement.
CONTACTS
Please feel free to contact any of the following with any questions or comments you have regarding the project: Anoka County Jacqueline Corkle, Senior Multimodal Transportation Planner Anoka County Highway Department (763) 862-4219 jack.corkle@co.anoka.mn.us City of Ramsey Brian Olson, Director of Public Works/Principal City Engineer (763) 433-9825 bolson@ci.ramsey.mn.us Mn/DOT Mark Lindeberg, North Area Engineer (651) 234-7722 mark.lindeberg@state.mn.us SRF Consulting Group, Inc. Don Demers, Consultant Project Manager (763) 249-6730 ddemers@srfconsulting.com
TRUNK HIGHWAY 10 IN RAMSEY: PRELIMINARY INTERCHANGE DESIGN
N EWSLETTER V OL . 3
June 2009
PUBLIC HEARING
A public hearing will be held on Thursday, June 25, 2009, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Ramsey Municipal Center. We hope you will attend this meeting to provide your valuable input on the proposed project and the EA/EAW. For disability accommodations, please contact Kent Barnard at 651.234.7504. Hearing- or speech-impaired persons can contact the Minnesota Relay Service at 1.800.627.3529. As Spanish language interpreter will be available at the public hearing.
Thank you for your interest in the Trunk Highway 10 in Ramsey: Preliminary Interchange Design project. This is the third of a series of newsletters that you will receive throughout the project process. Each newsletter will provide an update on progress that has been made and opportunities for you to provide feedback.
ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT PUBLICATION PUBLIC HEARING
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STUDY PARTNERS
Anoka County is pleased to work with the following project partners: City of Ramsey, Mn/DOT, and Metropolitan Council. The study team will continue to work with local elected officials, federal and state permitting agencies, affected property owners, and the general public throughout the study process.
www.ci.ramsey.mn.us/th10.asp
Anoka County, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT), and the City of Ramsey invite you to a public hearing for the Trunk Highway 10 in Ramsey: Preliminary Interchange Design Environmental Assessment/Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EA/EAW). This public hearing provides an opportunity for the public to view and comment on the EA/EAW. This will be an open house style meeting with city and county representatives, Mn/DOT staff, and consultant staff available to answer questions. No formal presentation will be made.
All comments must be received by Tuesday, July 7, 2009. Copies of the EA/EAW are available at Ramsey City Hall (7550 Sunwood Drive NW, Ramsey), the Anoka County Highway Department (1440 Bunker Lake Boulevard, Andover), Rum River Public Library (4201 6th Avenue, Anoka), Mn/ DOT Metro District Offices (1500 West County Road B-2, Roseville), and on the city’s website (http://www.ci.ramsey.mn.us/th10.asp)
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Anoka County, in partnership with Mn/DOT and the City of Ramsey, has developed a preliminary design and EA/EAW for the future conversion of Trunk Highway (TH) 10 from an expressway to a freeway. The long-term vision for TH 10 in Ramsey includes replacing at-grade intersections with interchanges at CSAH 57 (Sunfish Lake Blvd) and CSAH 56 (Ramsey Blvd) in order to improve safety and mobility. Local access will be replaced by a system of frontage and backage roads on the south side of TH 10, and several multi-use trails will also be constructed as part of the proposed project. Previously, Anoka County, the City of Ramsey, Mn/DOT, and the Metropolitan Council identified four alternatives for interchange options at CSAH 57 (Sunfish Lake Blvd) and CSAH 56 (Ramsey Blvd). Residents, business owners, policy leaders, and other interested parties were able to provide input and feedback on the alternatives at open house meetings held in 2008. After consideration of technical analyses and public and agency input, Mn/DOT, Anoka County, and the City of Ramsey endorsed the single-point urban interchange alternative for both locations. Mn/DOT has accepted the single-point alternative for right of way preservation. Mn/ DOT will review the alternative when construction funding becomes available to ensure the alternative remains costeffective. For further history about the project please see our website: http://www.ci.ramsey.mn.us/th10.asp.
Where
Ramsey Municipal Center Alexander Ramsey Room 7550 Sunwood Drive NW
When
June 25, 2009, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. The EA/EAW was published on June 1, 2009. Formal comments can be made at the public hearing in writing (or orally to a court reporter) or directed by mail (or email) to Mn/DOT, which is the Responsible Governmental Unit (RGU) for the formal environmental review process:
City of Ramsey 7550 Sunwood Drive NW Ramsey, MN 55303
SEE
INSIDE FOR INFORMATION ON THE JUNE
25 PUBLIC HEARING!
Mark Lindeberg, P.E. Minnesota Department of Transportation, Metro District 1500 West County Road B-2 Roseville, MN 55113 Mark.Lindeberg@dot.state.mn.us
Anoka County Highway Department • City of Ramsey • Minnesota Department of Transportation
CSAH 56/ Ramsey Blvd.
ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT
CSAH 57/ Sunfish Lake Blvd.
The environmental impacts of the preferred alternative are documented in the EA/EAW. An EA/EAW is a joint federal/ state document that is used to determine the potential for significant environmental effects and whether or not there is a need for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which is a more detailed analysis of project impacts.
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What are the potential impacts of this project?
• The proposed project will impact eight acres of the Mississippi West Regional Park. The City of Ramsey, Anoka County, and Mn/DOT have worked cooperatively with the Metropolitan Council and the DNR to ensure that this impact is addressed by future regional park expansion or investment in park development. As noted previously, planned mitigation actions are documented in the Section 4(f) MOU. • Traffic noise is expected to increase in some locations and decrease in others as a result of the project. Installation of an earthen berm north of the Rivenwick Village Neighborhood is a cost-effective measure to reduce noise. The details of the noise analysis will be revisited prior to project construction. If the earthen berm is still cost-effective in reducing noise impacts, the neighborhood will be consulted as to its preference prior to construction. • The proposed project will require total acquisition of 62 parcels (15 of these are already owned by the City of Ramsey) and partial acquisition of another 11 parcels. The affected properties include several businesses and the Oak Terrace manufactured home community, which includes approximately 100 housing units. The
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City of Ramsey, Anoka County, and Mn/DOT will work with affected property owners to help mitigate these impacts and plan future development around proposed right of way needs. Because project construction is not within Mn/DOT’s 20-year plan, there are many years for affected property owners to plan for change. All businesses and residences affected by land acquisition will receive compensation and assistance in accordance with federal law. The city’s comprehensive planning process provides a long-term framework for business and affordable housing opportunities elsewhere in the city, which will help mitigate the impact of these property acquisitions. • The project is not expected to impact air quality, historic/archeological resources, or wetlands.
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What happens after the public hearing?
The comments received during the 30-day public comment period will be used by Mn/DOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), in consultation with Anoka County and the City of Ramsey, in deciding whether there is potential for this project to result in significant impacts to the environment and whether an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is required. If preparation of an EIS is determined to be necessary, a new environmental document process will be initiated. If an EIS is not necessary, Mn/DOT will prepare a Findings of Fact and Conclusions document supporting a “Negative Declaration” decision to complete the state environmental review requirements. Mn/DOT will also prepare a request for a “Finding of No Significant Impact” (FONSI) that will be submitted to FHWA. If FHWA agrees that this finding is appropriate, it will issue a FONSI. The EIS need decision and supporting documents will be made available to everyone who commented on the EA/EAW and will be posted on the project website. The preliminary design process will conclude with the preparation of an Official Map for the project. An Official Map is used to identify the anticipated right of way needed for a transportation project when construction is not planned in the immediate future. Having an Official Map prepared for this project allows the City of Ramsey to plan new development and redevelopment along the TH 10 corridor around the proposed highway improvements. It also allows the City to use Right of Way Acquisition Loan Funds (RALF) from the Metropolitan Council to acquire properties from willing sellers in advance of the construction. A separate Public Hearing will be held by the City Council at the time they adopt the Official Map.
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The full layout of the preferred alternative can be viewed on the project website at: http://www.ci.ramsey.mn.us/documents/pulicworks/engineering/proposed layout.pdf
Mississippi Community Park
What has happened since the last newsletter?
• A public information open house was held on November 17, 2008, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Ramsey Municipal Center. The purpose of this meeting was to provide area residents and businesses with an opportunity to view layouts of the preferred alternative and hear information about potential relocations and other impacts. Project staff were available to answer questions, and a Spanish language translator assisted as needed. The 42 meeting attendees were encouraged to provide comments. The verbal comments received focused on project schedule, the preferred alternative decision process, and potential impacts to properties. Written comments expressed a need for bicycle and pedestrian facilities. • The proposed project layout was reviewed by local and state government agencies. Their suggestions were incorporated into the project layout in order to improve engineering design. One change of note is the addition of a right turn lane on CSAH 56 (Ramsey Blvd) to 143rd Avenue. • A “Section 4(f)” Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the impact of the proposed interchange at
Ramsey Boulevard to the Mississippi West Regional Park was developed and approved by Anoka County, the Metropolitan Council, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and Mn/DOT. Section 4(f) refers to the federal legislation that protects public parkland. The MOU details the actions that will be taken to mitigate for the acquisition of eight acres of the 274 acre park. These actions include financial compensation and/or replacement land at Mississippi West or another regional park in Anoka County, and restoration of the affected native prairie plantings elsewhere in Mississippi West Regional Park. The MOU provides that mitigation can occur in advance of project construction, which will allow Anoka County and Mn/DOT to take advantage of mitigation opportunities as they arise. • The draft EA/EAW has undergone review by federal and state agencies to ensure compliance with all requirements. The additional design details noted previously were incorporated into the project, and the MOU was developed to ensure the park impacts are properly addressed. These agency comments, MOU provisions, and additional design details are reflected in the EA/ EAW, which has received county, state, and federal approval.
Anoka County Highway Department • City of Ramsey • Minnesota Department of Transportation