Council approves 2025 roadway rehabilitation special assessments, awards contract and adds traffic-calming work amid resident concerns

The Woodbury City Council adopted a suite of actions March 12 to move forward with the 2025 Roadway Rehabilitation Project. After a public hearing, the council certified the assessment roll (Resolution 25-51), awarded the construction contract to McNamara Contracting (Resolution 25-52), amended project budgets and authorized construction-phase engineering services, and approved interagency agreements with the South Washington Watershed District and the local school district for site-specific work.

Drew Broxrud, engineering project coordinator and project manager, described the project area as the Fox Run neighborhood bounded roughly by Hudson Road (north), Woodbury Drive (west), Powers Lake (south) and St. John’s Drive (east), with several additional streets including Eastview Road and two streets tied to Central Park included after council direction. He said the project scope is primarily pavement removal and replacement, spot curb repairs, limited storm-sewer work, targeted stormwater-quality improvements tied to a 3M settlement credit program, and selected pedestrian improvements and traffic-calming elements.

Broxrud told the council the total public-improvement hearing cost previously shown at about $8.1 million reduced to roughly $7.1 million for the assessment-calculation portion after scope adjustments and favorable bid climate; he said special assessments will cover about 22 percent of the assessed portion with the remainder covered by city funds and other partners. Staff pointed to several partner-funded items included for construction efficiency, including a $200,000 Watershed District practice that the district is funding directly, a stoplight funded by development interests and work on school property that the district will fund on its own property.

Residents at the hearing raised traffic and safety questions. Alice Roberts Davis, who identified herself as a long-time resident and planning/real-estate professional, opposed the proposed permanent traffic-calming circle at Lake Ridge Drive and Kilburnie Road — citing the circle’s proximity (about 300 feet) to a stop sign, snowplow/maintenance concerns with the temporary demo circle used for testing, and difficulty navigating the temporary layout in winter conditions. Broxrud and other staff said they had installed a temporary demonstration circle to gather data, observed that it reduced speeds locally, and proposed a permanent concrete island with mountable curb after addressing plow and maintenance concerns. Staff also said additional traffic-calming features (bump-outs and small raised elements) will be used in several other locations along Lake Ridge Drive and nearby streets.

Rob Watson, another resident, asked about assessment calculations, how prior taxes had been used, contractor selection, and the construction schedule. Staff responded that annual property taxes fund a roadway rehab program that covers the city’s share of projects and that assessments pay for the access-related benefit portion to properties. McNamara Contracting was the apparent low, responsible bidder and, if awarded, will work with the city on schedule and neighborhood meetings prior to construction start.

On the council roll call adopting the special-assessment resolution (25-51) the vote was recorded as four ayes and one no: Councilmember Wilson voted no; Councilmembers Morris, Santini and Stafford and Mayor Burt voted aye. Subsequent construction, budget and interagency resolutions passed by similar majorities; the council also approved a resolution removing a stop sign at Heather Drive and Bonny View Drive, and interagency agreements with the school district and South Washington Watershed District for targeted work in the project area.

Staff said assessments are payable over 15 years at a city bond-rate interest factor, and the first payment will appear on the first half of the next year’s property tax statement. Residents and owners were told assessment objections must be declared during the assessment hearing to preserve appeal rights; staff said they will continue public communications, post project schedules on the city website and hold a neighborhood meeting after award to present the construction schedule and traffic plans.