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Howard R, Green Company <br /> <br />April 11, 2002 <br />File: 816940J-0240 <br /> <br />Ms. Michele McPherson <br />Director of Planning <br />City of Elk River <br />13065 Orono Parkway <br />P.O. Box 490 <br />Elk River, MN 55330-0490 <br /> <br />RE: PROPOSED PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY <br /> <br />Dear Ms. McPherson: <br /> <br />This correspondence is intended to address some of the transportation issues <br />associated with the proposed construction of a new public safety facility on the City Hall <br />site. These are issues that were either raised at the Planning Commission Public <br />Hearing or discussed by staff at the project review meeting. They are as follows: <br /> <br />1. EMERGENCY VEHICLE ROUTING <br /> <br />As you are aware, the construction of the public safety facility will eliminate Orono <br />Road from Orono Parkway to the intersection of Orono Road and Gary Street. <br />Orono Road has always been viewed as temporary and, in fact, is not even a <br />platted right-of-way, but simply an easement through property owned by the City. <br />The proposed route for emergency vehicles going to areas other than adjacent to <br />Main Street would be out onto Orono Parkway, west to Joplin Street and north to <br />TH 10 to the signalized intersection equipped with emergency vehicle preemption. <br />Fire Chief Bruce West has measured both this route and the currently available <br />route of Orono Road north from City Hall to Joplin Street and then to TH 10. He <br />has reported that the difference in the two routes is less than 1/10th of a mile. <br /> <br />Concern was raised at the public hearing before the Planning Commission <br />regarding whether or not it would be better for emergency vehicles to be able to <br />leave the new public safety facility and head north on Orono Road, to Gary Street <br />to get to TH 10. Staff is extremely concerned about this route because it goes <br />directly through an active park area with lake usage in the summer and softball <br />fields during the spring, summer, and fall months. Also, Gary Street at the <br />intersection of TH 10 is an uncontrolled intersection with relatively poor geometrics <br />regarding Gary Street and the vertical elevation of the road as it meets TH 10. <br /> <br />2. ORONO PARKWAY CAPACITY <br /> <br />An issue was raised regarding the expansion of the City Hall facilities and the <br />elimination of Orono Road in view of the traffic it would attract and force to use <br /> <br />Ltr 4-11-02 McPherson[1] <br /> 1326 Energy Park Drive · St. Paul, MN 55108 ° 651/644-4389 fax 651/644-9446 toll free 888/368-4389 <br /> <br /> <br />