Minnetrista outlines $4.4 million 2026 street improvement plan, some properties may face assessments

Emily Brown, project manager and assistant city engineer with WSB, presented Minnetrista’s proposed 2026 street improvement project and said the city is targeting multiple neighborhood streets for surface repairs and, in limited cases, full-depth replacement.

“Happy to be here for the 2026 proposed street improvement project,” Brown said as she opened a slide summary of streets under consideration, which included Game Farm Road (County Road 26 to County Road 110), Lakeside Drive and Circle, Pinnacle Way, Willow Court, Maple Lane, North Saunders Lake Drive, Cedar Court, Basswood Drive, South Saunders Lake Drive, Bluffs Lane, Walnut Drive and Cherrywood Court. The presentation summarized pavement-condition testing using a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) that rates pavement from 0 to 100; most streets scored in the 80s to low 90s with some in the 70s, Brown said, indicating surface distress that typically calls for repair.

Brown described the typical treatment as a mill-and-overlay — removing the top two inches of pavement and repaving — while identifying localized areas that may require full-depth replacement. “For the majority of the streets, we are looking at a mill and overlay,” she said, adding that a few sections on Game Farm and a portion of North Saunders are likely candidates for complete pavement removal and replacement.

Brown put the project budget at about $4,400,000 and said funding would come from the city’s road fund, Minnesota state aid (the Game Farm portion is scheduled as a state-aid route) and special assessments for certain properties. She cited Minnesota Statutes chapter 429 as the statutory authority for assessments and noted the city’s historical practice has covered approximately 50 percent of street project costs through assessments in past projects. Hardship deferrals are available for seniors, disabled persons and military service members, and assessment payments are anticipated to be spread over a 20-year period.

Residents raised questions about Game Farm Road, which Brown said displayed areas of more severe distress — some segments rated around 70 — with visual signs of longitudinal cracking and patching. One resident asked, “If it was subject to flooding, does it make sense to raise the level of the road as long as, you know, we're spending a lot of money on it?” City discussion noted a history of flooding during 2014 heavy rains in low-lying lakeshore sections and staff acknowledged that some segments were omitted from the 2009–2010 improvements, which contributes to varying road condition across the corridor.

On schedule, Brown said the feasibility report is expected to be presented to the council on Aug. 4; if council proceeds, a public hearing would be called (anticipated Sept. 3), bids would be opened in January 2026, assessments and contract awards would return to council in February, and construction for the overall project area is anticipated from June through September, though individual neighborhoods would be completed in shorter windows. Brown encouraged residents to review poster boards and sign up for email updates and weekly construction notices once the project proceeds.

The meeting concluded after a brief procedural motion to adjourn; staff remained available afterward in the foyer for one-on-one questions about property-specific concerns and maps.

Next steps: the council will receive the feasibility report on Aug. 4; notices for the assessment public hearing are expected to go to residents proposed to be assessed before the hearing on Sept. 3.