Council reviews revised assessment plan for commercial street rehab; schedules improvement hearing

City staff presented changes to the 2025 Commercial Full-Depth Reclamation (FDR) project and the council approved a resolution to move the project toward a supplemental improvement hearing.

Staff said the original package included four roads but after removing Edgewood Drive and Lake Forest Drive the scope was reduced to Audubon Way and Whispering Woods Lane. That change altered the per-square-foot assessment calculations; staff said an earlier combined estimate (covering four roads) produced an assessment of roughly $0.57 per square foot, while separating the roads results in higher per-square-foot assessments for some frontages—Audubon/Ottobahn Way was presented at about $0.69 per square foot (after excluding wetlands and nonbuildable frontage) and Whispering Woods Lane at about $0.68 per square foot under the revised approach.

Staff described typical FDR work planned for each street: removal of failing pavement and subcut material, sanitary sewer joint repairs, storm-sewer work where needed, replacement of driveway approaches to the right-of-way line, and constructing bituminous in multiple lifts to meet city pavement design. Staff told council they plan to present the revised improvement hearing on Feb. 20 (correcting an earlier referenced date) and that the city will pick up nonassessable costs such as wetland areas.

Council approved the resolution to proceed; the motion was made by Councilmember Cross and seconded by Lissa, and the vote carried on voice vote. Staff said property-owner feedback influenced the scope adjustments and that the city is mindful of timing around community events.