Council orders reconstruction of 17½ Street NW, sets assessment hearing for March 17

The Rochester City Council voted to order improvements to 17½ Street Northwest (between 19th and 21st Avenues NW), direct preparation of construction plans, and set an assessment hearing for March 17 per the state special‑assessment statute. Public Works presented a feasibility report and noted the city’s assessment policy typically covers 25% of street reconstruction costs via property assessments; the larger share (75%) is paid from city funds.

Public Works engineer Dylan Dombrowski said the total project estimate is $1,150,000 and that the qualifying portion for assessment mailing will be approximately $141,000; property owners will have the opportunity to contest the assessment at the March hearing. The project includes pavement, curb and gutter, driveway approaches and ADA upgrades; curb extensions were proposed to improve intersection crossings near the school and ramped pedestrian curb access will be reconstructed to meet ADA standards.

Council moved and approved the four‑part action to order the improvements, prepare plans, adopt a resolution setting the March 17 assessment hearing and order preparation of the assessment roll.

What happens next: staff will prepare design plans, finalize assessment calculations and mail assessment notices; property owners can contest at the March 17 hearing and the council will return to adopt a final assessment roll.