Lake Elmo council signs off on Washington County CIP comments, asks to prioritize school-area safety and preserve access at Keats

The Lake Elmo City Council voted to approve a set of comments to Washington County on the county's draft 2026'2030 capital improvement plan, asking county planners to reconsider timing for several projects that affect safety and access in the city.

City staff summarized the county's proposed work and a draft comment letter at the Nov. 5 meeting. Jack Griffin, city staff, told the council the county updates its CIP annually and that "they do look at the comments," prompting a request that Lake Elmo be explicit about local priorities.

Why it matters: Several projects listed in the county's CIP are timed to occur during the next five years and could affect school access, pedestrian safety and the city's capital program. The council's comments ask the county to consider changes to scheduling and to preserve operational features that residents rely on.

What the council highlighted: Griffin outlined the principal projects the county identified for Lake Elmo, including the Trunk Highway 36 and south frontage road project (staff said construction is targeted for 2026'27), the Lake Elmo Avenue/Tenth Street intersection driven by a new elementary school (planning and design now, construction targeted for 2028 and a roundabout is the leading candidate), Ideal Avenue/Casa 13 Phase 3 (planned, with construction currently shown in 2028), and several Manning Avenue corridor segments that the county has moved between rehabilitation and multi-lane concepts with a construction window around 2030 for some segments.

Council members pressed staff to ask for earlier pedestrian and intersection work where student safety will be affected. "With the elementary school getting completed next year, would it make more sense to move that up and prioritize that so kids could cross more safely?" asked Councilmember Preggnis. Griffin said pedestrian connections are part of the intersection planning and can be emphasized in the comment letter.

Specific requests added to the letter included: preserving the right-turn movement from eastbound Trunk Highway 36 to southbound Keats (council concern that removing that movement would force local traffic to double back on the frontage road); asking the county to consider installing a conduit or sleeve under the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way to simplify a future sewer extension north of South 14; and calling attention to pedestrian connections tied to the planned roundabout at Lake Elmo Avenue and Tenth Street.

Cost participation and timing: Griffin noted the county uses a formal cost-participation policy; typical city costs are right-of-way and stormwater. He said a cooperative cost-share agreement for the Trunk Highway 36 project will be brought to council with greater detail, likely in December. Griffin gave a rough estimate that the city's involvement in some segments could be in the low millions and that the overall large interchange work often involves multi-million-dollar shares.

Outcome: After discussion and the staff amending the draft to incorporate the Keats-turn request and the sewer sleeve suggestion, the council approved the amended comment letter and authorized staff to submit it to Washington County before the county's comment deadline.

What's next: City staff will submit the revised comments to Washington County and expects further coordination on cost participation and scheduling as design work progresses.