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City Council Minutes <br />February 3, 2025 <br />--------- <br />Page 3 of 5 <br />outlined in the staff report. <br /> <br />Councilmember Calva asked if the three options considered other future developments. Ms. Schmidt <br />stated it does consider the general growth of the volume on Highway 10. <br /> <br />Mayor Dietz asked if any other areas could be developed in the area. Mr. Femrite explained that the <br />Specht family is reserving all their property on the east side. Then it moves to Cargill ownership, who <br />has not indicated their plans for their property at this time. <br /> <br />Councilmember Beyer asked how the truck traffic on the other side of the highway affects the study. <br />Matt Barker representative from Capstone answered saying that the study generally considers all traffic. <br />Councilmember Beyer expressed his concern that it is not the quantity that he is concerned about, it is <br />the truck traffic specifically in that area and is concerned about trucks coming onto the highway in that <br />area when traffic speeds on the highway are high and the trucks move slowly onto the highway. He is <br />concerned that it makes a very dangerous corridor. He wants to see it done right. <br /> <br />Councilmember Calva asked if overpasses would be considered. Mr. Femrite explained they are going <br />into construction ahead of the funding for overpasses. They are not in the timeline right now which is <br />why they are looking at interim improvements for the development. <br /> <br />Mayor Dietz asked to help with the development if they would need to adjust the 171st signal to give <br />them a longer cue to allow people to get out of the development by traveling east. Mr. Femrite said he <br />would have to confirm that with MnDOT operations. <br /> <br />Councilmember Beyer asked if the timing of the lights on 171st comes into the traffic impact study <br />factors. Ms. Schmidt explained it provides more gaps for the eastbound traffic, but the gaps are not as <br />much as one would expect because of the side street traffic turning on Highway 10. <br /> <br />Councilmember Calva asked if the J-Turns have an opportunity to have acceleration lanes. Ms. Schmidt <br />stated yes and they would coordinate with MnDOT to make the acceleration lanes work. <br /> <br />Mr. Femrite explained the traffic impact analysis tells us why the different scenarios would work or not <br />work and that it considers safety and mobility aspects. <br /> <br />Dale Gade, MnDOT representative, further explained why they are supportive of the J-Turns. He <br />explained that J-Turns allow you to make a better gap assignment to make your movement, by breaking <br />up the moves with small gaps instead of trying to cross the whole intersection, you are crossing just <br />part of the intersection at one time. He further explained that J-Turns would be the best interim option <br />for safety concerns. Ultimately, future grade-separated interchanges would be the best option. <br /> <br />There was discussion and comparison of the MN Highway 65 and 143rd Avenue intersection in Ham <br />Lake, and Mr. Gade stated the volume for that intersection is 37,221 vehicles per day. However, the <br />intersection has a signalized intersection on both sides as opposed to the intersection at Highway 10 <br />and 165th has a lower volume of 32.887 but only has one side that has a signalized intersection. The <br />signalized intersections help slow traffic down and create gaps. <br /> <br />Councilmember Wagner asked if there is an opportunity for the speed limit coming into Elk River to be <br />Page 6 of 227