Burnsville votes for shorter Highway 13 noise wall to preserve transit visibility

The Burnsville City Council voted on April 21 to reject a full-length noise wall option along Highway 13 adjacent to the MVTA transit center and instead approved a reduced-length wall that protects Dakota Station Apartments and a daycare while maintaining visibility to the transit facility.

City Engineer Logan Velasti told the council the Highway 13/Nicollet Avenue interchange project includes four proposed noise walls (7, 8, 9 and 10). Velasti said noise wall 7 will be constructed, noise wall 8 will not be constructed, and walls 9 and 10 had community support. Because the city is the trail authority for the north-side trail and MnDOT deferred certain votes to the city, Burnsville's vote determined the length of wall 10.

Velasti summarized the two options for wall 10: a full-length wall extending adjacent to both the MVTA site and the Dakota Station Apartments and daycare, and a reduced-length wall that would protect only the Dakota Station Apartments and the daycare. He said the reduced-length option preserves sight lines and visibility to the transit center. "If the city votes yes, the full length noise wall will be constructed. If the city votes no, a shorter length wall will be constructed just to protect the Dakota Station Apartments property," Velasti said. The council moved, seconded and approved voting no on the full-length wall; the motion carried by voice vote. The transcript does not record a roll-call tally or named mover/second.

Next steps: staff will communicate the city's decision to MnDOT and proceed with the reduced-length wall option for noise wall 10 as part of the Highway 13 project.