MEMORANDUM

To:     Mike Wildgen

          City Manager

From: Chuck Soules

          Public Works Director

Re:     O’Connell Road construction

Date:  September 8, 2004

Chad Voigt, Stormwater Engineer, and I met with County staff members Craig Weinaug and Keith Browning as well as Joe Caldwell, consulting engineer with Bartlett & West, to discuss County Commission inquiries about O’Connell Road and potential impacts on local traffic after construction of the project is completed.  We discussed the following issues:

1. There is a request that the County pave the road south of 31^st to N1250 and then west to Haskell (see the Green Route on the map below). This would cost a considerable amount as the road is narrow, there is a narrow bridge south of 31^st, and the site distances are poor. The County does not believe that a chip seal would be adequate for the traffic a paved road might attract due to the previously identified deficiencies.

2. The Prairie Park neighbors are concerned with the possible cut through traffic and increased speeds past the school that might occur after O’Connell is improved (see the Brown Route). It is staff’s opinion that this is not a realistic route option for motorists to use on a regular basis  if westbound and using this route to avoid 23^rd Street.   Cut through traffic would first have to turn south onto O’Connell then encounter the congestion at the intersection @ 27^th and Haskell that occurs at peak times.  The County staff indicated they will look at traffic impact after O’Connell is reopened.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.