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Council approves West Seventh reconstruction, continues Germania Park and Woodshire hearings after public comment
Summary
The Mankato City Council approved feasibility and declared costs for a West Seventh Street reconstruction project (CIP 11078) and continued public hearings on Germania Park Phase 5 (CIP 11114) to March 10 and Woodshire Drive (CIP 11120) to Feb. 10 after staff and a property owner requested more review of assessments and utility scope.
The Mankato City Council on Jan. 13 approved the feasibility report and declared costs for capital improvement project 11078, West Seventh Street, and continued public hearings for Germania Park Phase 5 (11114) to March 10 and Woodshire Drive (11120) to Feb. 10.
Staff presented all three feasibility reports and recommended proceeding with West Seventh Street and postponing the Germania Park Phase 5 hearing so staff could resolve two recently raised issues. Alec Petes, a city staff member who presented the projects, told the council the Germania Park Phase 5 project should be continued “so that this item can be further resolved,” and that staff had received a letter the morning of the meeting that changed some earlier support for the work.
The West Seventh Street project covers two blocks southwest of West High School and a few blocks south of Highway 169. The proposed work includes sanitary sewer and water-main replacement and full street reconstruction; sidewalks would generally be replaced where they already exist. Staff estimated the construction subtotal at about $1,020,000 and total project costs near $1.3 million when including contingencies, administration and engineering. Funding would come from a combination of utility funds, preliminary special assessments and general obligation bonding; the city’s assessment policy was used to develop preliminary assessments. The council voted to receive the report, declare the cost and proceed to order plans and specifications for competitive bidding.
The council also heard about Woodshire Drive from attorney Chris Sandquist, representing Twin Valley Council Inc., owner of the property at the bottom of the hill where Woodshire meets Madison Avenue. Sandquist said his client’s building is the headquarters for the organization formerly known as Boy Scouts of America and argued the property should not be included in the proposed special assessment area because — he said — the property receives little or no utility benefit from the planned work above it. “We do not believe that this property should be within the proposed special assessment area,” Sandquist said, adding that the building’s stormwater system is the only city connection that runs adjacent to the roadway and that water and sanitary services serving the building would not be replaced as part of the project.
City staff told the council that, for Woodshire, the utilities brought down the hill would primarily serve properties above the subject street and that replacing utilities or surfacing on the hill portion is driven by those needs. Petes said the storm and sanitary improvements would benefit the hillside and reduce flows through private properties. After extended questioning from council members about the assessment methodology and the roadway condition, staff recommended continuing the public hearing for Woodshire to allow staff and the property owner time to review whether the Twin Valley property should remain in the assessment area and to revisit assessment categories. The council voted to continue the Woodshire Drive hearing to Feb. 10 at 6 p.m.
For Germania Park Phase 5, staff said a potential developer changed position after initial coordination and that a church along Lind Avenue had expressed interest in vacating a block of Lynd and an alley; those two items, staff said, materially affect feasibility and recommended continuing the hearing. The council voted to continue the Germania Park Phase 5 hearing to March 10 at 6 p.m.
Votes at a glance - Project 11078 West Seventh Street (feasibility report received; costs declared; plans and specs ordered): motion passed on roll call; votes recorded as yes for Council members Deacon, McLaughlin, Melby Kelly, Tampa, Mettler, Lavin and Mayor Massad. - Project 11114 Germania Park Phase 5 (public hearing continued): motion to continue to March 10 passed (voice vote). - Project 11120 Woodshire Drive (public hearing continued): motion to continue to Feb. 10 passed (voice vote).
Why it matters: The three projects affect street, sewer, water and drainage infrastructure in neighborhoods across the city and include proposals for special assessments. Where staff proposes to bring new utilities through existing streets, adjacent property owners questioned whether they should share in the assessment; those questions prompted the council to delay two hearings to allow staff and property owners more time to review scope and assessment categories.
The council will consider final assessment packaging, plans and bids on remaining items after the continued hearings. The Woodshire Drive hearing will return Feb. 10; Germania Park Phase 5 returns March 10.
