Nisswa workshop advances Lakers Lane safety plan, staff favors 2027 roundabout and joint school project

Dave Reese, a project presenter with consulting firm Wutscef, told the Nisswa City Council workshop on April 21 that consultants and school staff conducted video and drone observations of student drop-off and pick-up and identified failing sidewalks, ADA gaps and congested traffic patterns around Nisswa Elementary. "Our purpose was to have an open discussion about Lakers Lane improvements and improvements to the school," Reese said, summarizing the team’s scope.

Reese said a 2024 ADA compliance review flagged the crosswalk at Lakers Lane as lacking ramps, and that roof drainage across walkways and sunken curbs have created trip hazards and erosion near the school. He described results from one-hour AM and PM counts and drone footage showing relatively spread-out morning traffic but concentrated queuing during afternoon pick-up that sometimes stretches onto Lakers Lane and Main Street.

To address safety and circulation, staff presented two concepts and identified a preferred option: a mini roundabout at Church Street and Lakers Lane. Reese described the design as a compact traffic circle "about 30 ft in diameter" with a low center island that allows larger vehicles to traverse; the location was favored because it better accommodates bus movements and reduces conflicts with parent drop-off when compared with an alternate at Wood Dale and School Street.

Reese and staff warned the roundabout would require some loss of immediate parking near the intersection but said stakeholders anticipate additional parking on Church Street in a later phase, making net parking change minimal when the full 2027 project is completed. The team also proposed pedestrian upgrades such as defined crosswalks and rapid-flashing beacons to improve crossings near the school.

On schedule and phasing, Reese recommended delaying short-term, standalone sidewalk reconstruction and instead bundling sidewalk, curb and drainage work with the city’s bonded street improvements planned for 2027. "We think it would be good to just do it in 2027," he said, citing the benefit of a single comprehensive project and school maintenance staff concurrence to avoid two years of construction and rework.

Council members asked questions about design details and aesthetic options. Council member Son suggested decorative center paving or custom pavers in the roundabout; Reese confirmed such features can be designed to allow vehicle wheel paths. Council member London called the plan "a great idea" and said the project is long overdue. Council member Fraley pressed staff on alternatives for bus loading and pick-up circulation; Reese said the team had discussed extending or reconfiguring the bus loop with adjacent property owners as one option.

Next steps, as outlined by staff, are to compile public and stakeholder feedback, refine the preferred concepts, coordinate with the school board and the City Council, and return with final designs for a council decision and bid-ready documents. At the conclusion of the workshop a motion to adjourn was made and carried.

The workshop focused on design options and community input; no formal council vote on project authorization or funding was recorded during this meeting. The council may consider formal action when staff returns with a refined scope and a funding plan, including how the proposal would fit into the city’s 2027 bonded street program.