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Maplewood council approves $9.6 million street-improvement plan with trail, drainage and assessments
Summary
After a public hearing with more than a half-dozen resident comments, the Maplewood City Council voted to order the 2025 Maplewood Street Improvements (City Project 2412), a roughly $9.6 million program that includes full reconstruction on Prosperity Road and Hazelwood Street, an 8‑foot trail, utility upgrades and property assessments.
Maplewood — The City Council voted to order the 2025 Maplewood Street Improvements, City Project 2412, after a staff presentation and a public hearing in which residents raised safety, parking and access concerns.
Assistant city engineer John Geroche told the council the project covers about 4.4 miles of streets with an average pavement condition index of 42 out of 100 and includes two program areas: pavement rehabilitation in the south-leg area and full reconstruction of Prosperity Road and Hazelwood Street. Geroche said the reconstruction will include utility repairs, new concrete curb and gutter where needed, drainage improvements and an 8‑foot trail on the west side of Prosperity Road to connect nearby parks and the regional trail system.
“Those streets total roughly 4.4 miles in length,” Geroche said in the staff presentation. The project team estimated the total cost at just shy of $9,600,000 and said funding would come from the street revitalization fund and general-obligation improvement bonds (about 50% combined), the environmental utility fund (about $1.8 million), St. Paul Regional Water Service (about $770,000) and property assessments (about $1.3 million).
Residents who live along Prosperity Road urged the council to prioritize safety and parking. Patrick Kessner, who lives at 1946 Prosperity Road, asked the council to consider traffic control at Frost Avenue and Prosperity and to include sidewalks: “Putting stop signs or some sort of traffic control there would be a very wise idea,” he said. Multiple residents also described speeding and poor sight lines near trail crossings and the need for safe crossings to Wakefield Park.
Staff said the design aims to balance on-street parking with measures to slow traffic. Geroche said the engineers plan “parking bays, where possible along Prosperity Road,” and use lane narrowing and strategic bump-outs to reduce speeds. He also said the trail alignment will fall within the public right-of-way and will not require taking private property.
City staff outlined construction logistics: plans will go to bid and council would hold an assessment hearing in September; construction is expected to occur June through November if the project proceeds. Staff said most driveway accesses will be maintained throughout construction but that short interruptions may occur when crews install utilities or cure concrete.
Councilmember Cave moved to approve the resolution ordering the improvements; the motion passed by roll-call vote. Staff said the next steps are final design, bidding and an assessment hearing later in the year.
The council’s approval orders the project to proceed to the formal assessment and contracting phases; specifics about individual property assessments will be provided at a later neighborhood meeting and in mailed assessment statements.
