DEPARTMENT: Physical Development Administration
FILE TYPE: Consent Action
TITLE
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Authorization To Accept Donation Of Regional Greenway Trail Easement From City Of West St. Paul
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PURPOSE/ACTION REQUESTED
Authorize the acceptance of the donation of necessary permanent easements for County Project (CP) 98-13 from the City of West St. Paul for the River to River Greenway.
SUMMARY
To promote a safe and efficient transportation system throughout Dakota County (County) and the region, the County and City are partnering on CP 98-13. The project included preliminary and final engineering designs, surveying, and related services for the required improvements to build a pedestrian underpass and trail connections underneath Robert Street between County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 6 (Thompson Avenue) and CSAH 8 (Wentworth Avenue) in the City of West St. Paul.
Throughout the project, the property to the north of the trail had been undergoing various development planning with Hy-Vee and other potential businesses. The joint powers agreement (JPA) between the City and the County called for an outlot to be purchased by the County for $230,000 from the City. After construction was completed, the appraisal of the outlot was updated and showed that since the Hy-Vee development never came to be, the value of the outlot went down to $100,000. Since the acquisition funds were being provided by the Met Council, the County could not get approval for any price beyond the appraised amount of $100,000.
After discussing with City staff, the City would prefer to maintain fee ownership of the outlot and provide a Greenway Trail Easement to the County at no cost. The City plans to create a new park with improvements in the area and maintain ownership of the outlot, which will allow for an easier design for park improvements. County staff has conferred and agree that the City park improvements will enhance the Greenway user experience and that an easement will accommodate the necessa...
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