Prior Lake City Council approves preliminary 21/13 project design

Prior Lake American

The Prior Lake City Council approved a preliminary design for the County Road 21 and Trunk Highway 13 reconstruction project Monday night. 

The plan, which was recommended by the project management team, will put roundabouts at the intersections of County Road 21 and Highway 13 and at County Road 21 and Arcadia Avenue as well as three-fourth accesses at County Road 21 and Duluth Avenue, Country Road 21 and Main Avenue and Highway 13 and Pleasant Street.

"I was not a huge fan of roundabouts when I started this process," council member Annette Thompson said during the meeting. "I'm definitely seeing the advantages of roundabouts. People are starting to drive them more and more and they're starting to be more comfortable, but I do think there's going to be a learning curve."

The Metropolitan Council approved funding for the project for just under $5 million more than 10 years ago when the first option was presented. However, now that an option with a roundabout has been selected, the plan might need to go back before the Metropolitan Council for approval due to changes from the original proposal.

This means the federal funding could stay the same but could also be reduced or eliminated.

"Roundabouts had not been considered ... so we needed to consider them," Bolton & Menk Project Manager Chris Chromy said during a public meeting in September.

Studies show that vehicles yield to pedestrians on crosswalks at traffic signals nearly 100 percent of the time but only 45 percent of the time at multi-lane roundabouts, though nearly 80 percent at a single-lane roundabout. Crashes are also more likely at multi-lane roundabouts but tend to be less severe than if someone were to run a red light due to the reduced speed. 

"You are twice as likely to get into a crash at a multi-lane roundabout than at a single, but half as likely to be injured," Chromy said.

An open house for the project was held on Oct. 10 and the results of a consultant study were presented during a council work session on Oct. 16. The project management team met on Oct. 31 to review final design alternatives and receive feedback from the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

Council member Kevin Burkart said he supports the preliminary design alternative as a way to set the future look of Main Street and downtown Prior Lake.

"I believe we are positioning our downtown businesses and the future of our core community development for the best opportunity to thrive," Burkart said. "It may not be perfect, but it's a significant improvement."

The share of the construction costs will be determined when plans are finalized. Scott County is also funding the project.

The final design and a cost-share agreement will be brought back to council before the end of the year.

In other action at the Nov. 6 meeting, the council:

• Held an investiture ceremony for Charles O'Donnell, the newest member of the Prior Lake Police Department. O'Donnell grew up in Savage and graduated from the University of Minnesota. He most recently worked at Canterbury Park as a security guard. Mayor Kirt Briggs performed the swearing in ceremony. O'Donnell started on Oct. 16 and will do field training for the next 12 weeks.

• "His brothers and sisters in blue will help guide him during that field process as he learns the ins and outs of being a police officer," Police Chief Mark Elliott said. "He will fit right in here with the work that we do here with the casinos and the (Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community)."

• Once he completes training, O'Donnell will then be transferred to the patrol division.

• Accepted a donation of 14 automatic external defibrillators from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. The police department received the equipment during a ceremony on Oct. 11.

• Approved a cooperative law enforcement agreement to provide police force to Mystic Lake Hotel Casino during the duration of Club Nomadic. The club will be open Feb. 1-4 to coincide with Super Bowl festivities and can hold up to 9,000 people over three stories.

• Club Nomadic has featured concerts from artists like Taylor Swift, The Chainsmokers, Bruno Mars, Pharrel Williams and more.

• The events will require more than 100 security force members as well as 60 police officers. Estimated cost for the police officers, which will be hired and trained by the Prior Lake Police Department, is anywhere from $200,000 to $250,000. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community will fund the officers.