CITY COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM

Department:

Public Works

Commission Meeting Date:  June 6, 2017

Staff Contact:

Charles F. Soules, Director of Public Works

Recommendations/Options/Action Requested:

Open public hearing.  Pending public comment and City Commission discussion: 

• Adopt Resolution No. 7209 setting out the finding and ordering the construction of Queens Road from 6^th Street to Eisenhower Drive and the construction of improvements to the intersection of 6^th & Queens Road.

· Direct staff to request Douglas County to participate proportionately in the cost for Queens Road outside the city limits.

Executive Summary:

The area impacted by this project is rapidly developing and Queens Road needs to be completed. The Main Thoroughfares Map identifies Queens Road from 6^th Street to Wakarusa as a collector and from Wakarusa to N 180 Road (aka Farmers Turnpike) as a minor arterial. 

On May 16, 2017, the City Commission adopted Resolution 7207 establishing June 6, 2017 as the date of the public hearing on the creation of a benefit district for the improvements to Queens Road and the intersection of 6^th Street and Queens Road.  Notice of the hearing was published twice in the official city newspaper as required by State Statute. Additionally, city staff mailed letters to each owner in the proposed benefit district notifying them of the public hearing.

Staff recommends establishing two benefit districts:

· Queens Road from 6^th Street to Eisenhower Drive

· Intersection at 6^th Street and Queens Road

Public improvements planned for the construction of Queens Road from 6th Street to Eisenhower Drive include street, curb and gutter, sidewalks, bike lanes, shared use path, storm sewer, water main, sanitary sewer relocation, and roundabout. Public improvements planned for the intersection of 6^th Street and Queens Road include installation of a traffic signal at 6th Street and Queens Road, including signals, poles and mast arms, controller, emergency vehicle detection system, video detection, sidewalks, handicap ramps, pedestrian crossing, curb and gutter, and pavement markings. A summary of the two projects and benefit districts is provided in the following table.

Project Summary	QUEENS ROAD	SIGNALIZATION OF 6TH STREET
Project Limits	6th Street to Eisenhower Drive	Intersection of 6th Street and Queens Road
Description of Improvements	- 2-lane road with median and turn lane at intersecting streets - Roundabout at Wakarusa (constructed as part of the Links Development) - Bike lanes - Sidewalk and multi-use path	- Signalization of intersection - Mast arms, signals - Controller box - Pedestrian crossing ADA ramps - Pre-emption and video detection equipment - Pavement markings
Method of Assessment	Square footage	Square footage
Apportionment of Costs	100% of costs assessed to Benefit District except City will pay for additional street width for bike lanes (estimate $226,000) and additional width for multi-use path (estimate $122,250)	100% Benefit District 0% City at Large
Estimated Cost	$4,830,760 (City Share = $348,250)	$450,000 (City Share = $0)

From Eisenhower Drive south approximately 350 feet, only half of the right-of-way is within the City limits. The western half of the right-of-way lies outside the city limits and within the County. The improvements need to extend full access through Eisenhower Drive (complete intersection). KSA 12-693 allows cities to make improvements in the unincorporated areas within three (3) miles of the city’s corporate limits with consent from the County. In order to accomplish the construction of the road and intersection, the County will need to approve a resolution consenting to the proposed improvements.

The attached maps identify the proposed benefit district boundaries. All the properties in the Queens Road Benefit District have been included in other benefit districts for Wakarusa, Overland Drive, Stoneridge, or George Williams Way. When the developments were platted agreements not to protest the formation of a benefit district for the construction of Queens Road were filed. While agreements not to protest a benefit district executed by a developer are valid and binding agreements in many cases, the City Attorney’s office in consultation with our bond counsel, recommends the Commission evaluate any protest petitions timely received and that meet the statutory requirements for a benefit district protest petition. In this instance, it is not recommended that the Commission rely solely on the agreements not to protest executed by the developers for consent of property owners to create the benefit district.

The Links has not been included in a benefit district to date.  As the street network developed this property was not within the city limits (annexed 2008).  However, the Links is constructing (100%) the intersection at Queens and Wakarusa and the extension of Wakarusa from Queens to George Williams Way.

The Commission’s action is to open a public hearing and receive comments.  Pending Commission discussion staff is recommending adoption of Resolution No. 7209, establishing the benefit districts and ordering the improvements to be completed. 

Strategic Plan Critical Success Factor

Safe, Healthy, and Welcoming Neighborhoods

Innovative Infrastructure and Asset Management

Core Services

Fiscal Impact (Amount/Source):

These projects are included in the 2018 CIP. The CIP will need to be revised prior to adoption of the 2018 budget to match the current project cost estimates.  The project costs are estimated as follows:

- Queens Road, CIP# PW17E4, estimated cost $4.85 million 

- Queens Road and 6th Street intersection, CIP# PW17E10, estimated cost $450,000

Attachments:

Queens Road Benefit District Map

Signalization Benefit District Map

Queens Road Estimate

Signalization Estimate

Aerial Diagrams

Resolution No. 7209

Major Thoroughfares Map

Correspondence - Updated 06/05/17

Reviewed By: (for CMO use only)

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