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Council approves lift-station plans for bid advertising and clears lot split pending engineer review
Summary
Birchwood Village authorized advertising for bids on a federally funded lift-station project (estimate ~$65,000) while approving a lot split at 700 Birchwood pending engineer conditions and directing soil borings at 15 Oakridge to identify a cost-effective drainage fix.
At its Oct. 9 meeting the Birchwood Village Council approved several engineering and land-development actions intended to move local infrastructure projects forward.
City engineer Marcus updated the council on the planned lift-station project and told members the estimated project cost is about $65,000 including a 10% contingency. He said the project is subject to additional federal procurement and Buy American paperwork and that the city is awaiting final EPA and MPCA reviews. The council voted to approve the plans and specifications and authorized staff to advertise for bids so the procurement process can begin.
Planning staff presented a proposed lot split at 700 Birchwood (creating a front and rear lot). Councilmembers discussed frontage, utility easements and coordinating setbacks with the adjacent jurisdiction; the council approved the lot split contingent on the city engineer’s final review and any conditions from that review.
On a related infrastructure issue, council heard from resident Andrew Jacka about persistent ponding at 15 Oakridge Drive that blocks driveway access after rain. Staff outlined two solution pathways: a relatively inexpensive temporary catch-basin/French-drain approach, or more extensive regrading with an estimated cost in the $150,000–$200,000 range. The council directed Marcus to initiate soil borings to determine feasible immediate and long-term fixes and to consult with Washington County as appropriate.
The council's actions move several projects to next steps: advertised procurement for the lift station, conditional approval for a residential lot split, and an engineering investigation into a local drainage problem.
