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Just West of Waconia on Hwy 5

952-442-5000

Sebenaler Chiropractic Center

Chaska * 952-448-9908

CORNERSTONE Insurance Agency

David Barsness * 952-448-5028

8661 Deer Run Dr. * Victoria

952-443-2351

MACKENTHUN’S MEAT & DELI

St. Bonifacius * 952-446-1234

Highway 5 in Victoria

952-443-2491

NOW IT’S THE NEW STOP SIGNS

CREATING PROBLEMS ON NARCISSUS STREET

David Pool, a resident on Narcissus Street, spoke at the December 11th city council meeting about the newly placed stop signs in his neighborhood, stop signs that were placed at the request of other residents on Narcissus Street as a possible way to control speed.

Stated Mr. Pool, “I think we have responded to a perceived issue. Now we have noise. We have five stopping points within 150 feet of our windows with the additional amount of braking and acceleration. I just want to express my concerns. I don’t think the stop signs are the solution.”

Said Administrator Don Uram, “We have received calls. Other neighbors are also concerned. There were maybe ten calls, not 50. Generally it’s from people living at the intersections.”

“That’s disconcerting,” said Councilmember Tim Amundsen.

Councilmember Richard Tieden told about a friend of his that went through Victoria and said that it seemed like kids own the streets out here. Agreed Richard, “I often see children in the street. They think they share the streets with cars. We should have sidewalks. Children do not belong on the streets. They belong in parks and in the nice yards. When I come home at night, I see ten to fifteen kids in the streets. I don’t think in this upscale city that we should have speed humps and signs all over warning of the speed humps. I believe stop signs are the lesser of the two evils.”

Stated Councilmember Amundsen, “I think the issue was speed, not kids in the street.”

Continued Richard, “I got a card in the mail from a group of kids thanking me for the stop sign. It was signed by at least 15 children. It certainly is a controversial issue. I’m sorry for the people who are unhappy about this.” There was no action regarding the stop signs placed on Narcissus Street.

NEW STREETS FOR LIONS PARK AREA

PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS ARE HIGH

Council voted unanimously on December 1st to order the 2009 street, drainage, and utility improvements for the Lions Park Area of Victoria. Plans and specifications will be prepared. Affected property owners will pick up half the tab through assessments. The City of Victoria will pick up the other half.

Total cost for the street reconstruction is $1,6 million with estimated assessments at $11,681 per unit. Total cost for the smaller project of street reclamation in that area is $113,766 with estimated assessments at $5,080 per unit.

City Engineer Cara Geheren stated that residents will not pay more than the estimated assessments, but there is always the possibility of paying less, should costs come in under the estimate. “I am not anticipating a significant reduction in these assessments,” she said.

Cara reported that hardship deferments are available for senior citizens or retired and disabled persons if they qualify. She said that low income for a single person, as established by HUD, is $43,050 and low income for a two-person household is $49,200.

About the possibility of postponing the project, she repeated the warnings about new rules for 2010 projects from the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District. “To meet those rules means increasing the size of the existing pond [near Hwy 5 in that area] or building another pond in Lions Park, in the area of the old former playground, plus the establishment of 60 rain gardens, which is practically one in every yard. The new rules will mean an additional $1,500 to $3,700 per unit assessment.

“Some communities have already faced this,” she said.

“Looks to me like we have two choices,” said Councilmember Roden. “We do it now or we wait.”

The city administrator’s recommendation was to move forward.

Said Councilmember Tim Amundsen, “We used to have a semi-guided missile approach to doing streets here. We used to have a 70/30 split with the residents and city; now it’s 50/50. I applaud you all for the information. We’re not in the process of building roads for the sake of spending money. We’d be wasting the people’s money by continuing to delay this project.”

Speaking directly to residents in the audience he said, “You’ve got a couple years before the assessment actually occurs.”

Tim asked that in the future all affected property owners of potential assessments be totally and properly informed and notified of what the actual estimated numbers are proposed to be on a project, as well as the actual estimated amount of the individual assessments, including alternatives. Stated Councilmember Roden, “I agree with Councilmember Amundsen.”

Some of the affected property owners, including David St. Cyr, believed that the public should have been able to offer comment this evening of December 1st, since there was no decision made at the public hearing on November 13th, when the issue was deferred to December 1st. Said Mr. St. Cyr, “I looked for more creative engineering. There are different levels and degrees of alligator cracking [in the streets]. We’ve been railroaded.”

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