City Council - 05/07/2019 - Workshop APPROVED MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP & OPEN PODIUM
TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019 CITY CENTER
5:00—6:25 PM, HERITAGE ROOMS
6:30—7:00 PM, COUNCIL CHAMBER
CITY COUNCIL: Mayor Ron Case, Council Members Brad Aho, Kathy Nelson, Mark
Freiberg, and PG Narayanan
CITY STAFF: City Manager Rick Getschow, Police Chief Greg Weber, Fire Chief Scott Gerber,
Public Works Director Robert Ellis, Community Development Director Janet Jeremiah, Parks and
Recreation Director Jay Lotthammer, Administrative Services/HR Director Alecia Rose,
Communications Manager Joyce Lorenz, City Attorney Ric Rosow, and Recorder Katie O'Connor
Workshop - Heritage Rooms I and H(5:30)
I. SOUTHWEST LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT CONSTRUCTION UPDATE (5:30—6:I5)
Mayor Case announced to the Council the Board and Commission Banquet program
feature a panel discussion by the Council Members.
James Mockovciak, Community Outreach Coordinator for Eden Prairie and Minnetonka,
Ryan Kronzer, Assistant Director of Design, and Nick Dial, Assistant Director of
Construction provided an overview of the Southwest Light Rail Transit(SWLRT)
updates.
Mockovciak provided an overview of the project and the communications and outreach.
Ticket revenue for SWLRT will be opening in 2023. There will be 16 stations and the
line will connect to other existing lines. The groundbreaking occurred November 2018. In
regards to the overall project schedule, they anticipate receiving the full funding grant
agreement(FFGA) this year. Communications and outreach has involved engaging many
stakeholders. The Project Office will be managing social media accounts throughout the
project and will conduct media tours. The Community Relations Leader, Kimberly
Sannes, will be providing live updates, including hotline updates. The hotline will be
available, starting next week, 24 hours, seven days a week through a call center. Sannes
will also be working directly with businesses to coordinate access plans. Utilized best
practices include meeting with advisory committees, signage, construction open houses
and community meetings, video animation, door-to-door canvassing, media briefings,
and website updates. Updates will be provided via email blasts, twitter, and the website.
Kronzer stated the SouthWest Transit Station there will be an additional 525 parking
spaces. The LRT will arrive underneath the parking structure, and the station will have
indoor waiting rooms. The light rail transit(LRT) will then cross Prairie Center Drive.
Eden Prairie Town Center station has been added to project after receiving a congestion
mitigation and air quality improvement program grant(CMAQ). An extension of Eden
City Council Workshop Minutes
May 7, 2019
Page 2
Road will provide access to the station. Technology Drive and Viking Drive will be the
two at grade stations controlled by gates.
Aho inquired what the traffic priority will be, the light rail or existing traffic. Kronzer
responded the train will send a signal when it is coming to the intersection and will
technically have priority. Ellis added the Technology Drive intersection was of the most
concern. City staff worked with the Project Office to model what the traffic flow would
look like. In order to mitigate traffic issues, double left turn lanes will be added to Flying
Cloud Drive onto Technology Drive, Technology Drive onto Flying Cloud Drive, double
right turn lanes onto Flying Cloud Drive, and an additional through lane on Technology
Drive.
Kronzer stated there will be go to card readers for riders and ticket vending machines.
The original public art fund was cut from the project,but there are functional wickets that
distinguish the stations. Freiberg inquired how tall the wickets are. Ryan responded about
18 feet tall, and they are functional with speakers and lights.
Narayanan inquired how the LRT is set up for ADA compliance. Kronzer replied all of
the stations are handicap accessible and meet ADA compliance. At every track crossing
and the edge of the platform, there are tactile warnings. Walkways are slopped with
handrails. Stations also have brail, audio, and are well lit.
Aho inquired what will be at the crossing near the hotels at T.H. 212. Kronzer stated
there will be a traffic signal and gate arms on both sides of the track. Aho inquired if train
horns will need to be sounded at the crossing. Kronzer stated generally train horns would
only be blown in the case of an emergency,but he will get back to staff with a definitive
answer.
Kronzer stated the Golden Triangle Station will include a 74 space surface park-and-ride
lot. There will be a long LRT bridge going over Shady Oak Road and T.H. 212. The City
West Station will include 120 surface park-and-ride lot spaces. As the LRT leaves Eden
Prairie into Minnetonka, it will go under T.H. 62 via tunnel.
Dial stated the contractors have been working towards submittals in order to begin
construction on site. Construction sequencing will include utilities, site prep, structures,
track and stations, systems, and testing. The construction scope includes 16 stations, 44
structures, 15 at-grade LRT crossings, over 100 retaining walls, about 182,000 track feet,
and about 7.8 miles of shared LRT and freight rail corridor. There will be low impact
activities to begin preparing the stations: clearing and grubbing, fencing, and erosion
control. Some lane closures and sidewalk closures will be necessary. Off Prairie Center
Drive there will be a pedestrian detour. The LRT bridge over I-494 will require private
utility survey, removal and relocation. Golden Triangle Station will include similar low
impact activities and a field trailer installation.
Mockovciak stated all non-federal funding is committed, all critical third party
agreements have been signed, the project has meet the Federal Transportation
Administration (FTA) readiness requirements, and federal funding has been appropriated
by Congress.
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May 7, 2019
Page 3
II. HOUSING TASK FORCE APPOINTMENTS (6:I5—6:30)
City Manager Getschow stated Council Members have received the submitted Housing
Task Force applications.
Case stated he would like the Task Force to work on a list of options to present to the
Council. The objective is not to determine if affordable housing is necessary. The Task
Force is meant to be a fact-finder mission rather than a debate. Selected Task Force
members should have various perspectives on the topic.
The Council determined a list of eleven members to be appointed to the Housing Task
Force: Carol Bomben, Pedro Curry, Terry Farley, Marlene Fischer, Joan Howe-Pullis
(chair), Lyndon Moquist(vice chair), Mohamed Nur, Joan Palmquist, Anne Peacock,
Kenneth Robinson, and Emily Seiple.
Open Podium - Council Chamber (6:30)
III. OPEN PODIUM
IV. ADJOURNMENT