Water main breaks and pavement problems: Golden Valley is set to undergo a significant Zane Avenue and Lindsay Street reconstruction project.
There the work includes the replacement and repairs for the majority of the aging sanitary sewer and water systems, storm drainage improvements, stormwater treatment of runoff from the project area, a new sidewalk, a new Union Pacific Railroad crossing and a new railroad signal system along with the reconstruction of the street. According to city documents, “these streets along with the underground infrastructure were originally constructed in the 1960s and have reached the end of their design life.”
This aligns with the city’s 30-year pavement management project which began in 1995.
During a public hearing, Council Member Gillian Rosenquist asked Public Works Director Tim Keiffer to speak on the “element of urgency due to failing infrastructure in the area.”
Keiffer said there have been three or four water main breaks in the past decade.
“I do know we have one leak that we can’t detect,” Keiffer added. “We think it’s coming from a valve. I know in the spring we have the frost that comes out of the ground, so it’s constantly seeping through the cracks on the concrete. So we do definitely have some poor soils. Therefore the road is deteriorating to the point where we’re bandaiding it together.”
Rosenquist asked how much a water main break costs the city.
“Every water main break is different,” Keiffer replied. “... You can average anywhere from $10-15,000 per break.”
For the reconstruction project, the city plans to call for bids in June. Construction will begin summer or fall of this year and the project will likely be finished by the end of 2025. An estimated cost for the project will be $10,050,000. Buildings in the path of this project will pay a preliminary special assessment rate of $11,100 per residential unit and $155 per linear foot for commercial and industrial properties.
Currently, the streets in question are 40-feet wide. The project will narrow the streets to 26 feet wide on the eastern part of Lindsay Street as well as 30 feet wide on the western part of Lindsay Street and all of Zane Avenue. The project would also prohibit parking in some sections.
Although a semi-truck would be able to drive through the area, city engineers hope to discourage truck traffic, especially in the residential areas. Narrower streets might make the option less attractive to truck drivers.
To move forward with this plan, the council needed at least an 80 percent vote.
Council Member Denise La Mere-Anderson removed herself from the room and the vote since she lives on Lindsay Street and she is a landlord for residential properties on the street.
After La Mere-Anderson had stepped out, four of four remaining votes were required to approve the project.
Rosenquist voted in favor, saying it is “a service to the neighborhood to bring the same quality street that almost all of the city of Golden Valley right now enjoys.”
“Almost all of the city right now has updated water, sewer and street infrastructure that help with plowing, that help with getting around, that promotes safety. And to be able to give that to the residents of Lindsay Street and frankly the commercial traffic and the people that use the Zane corridor as well,” Rosenquist said.
Rosenquist added that Zane is home to PRISM and its food shelf, social services and Shop for Change thrift store.
Council Members Sophia Ginis and Maurice Harris voted in favor as well.
Finally, Mayor Harmon voted in favor on May 7.
When this project was first brought before the council in March, Mayor Roslyn Harmon voted against the project, saying the streets would be too narrow.
Staff took some time to look at widening the commercial areas on Zane and Lindsay to 32 feet and the residential portion on Lindsay to 28 feet. This would cost the city an additional $34K for the residential area and $193K for widening all streets from the current design. These cost increases are estimated to raise assessment rates by up to $400 per residential unit and $5 per linear foot for commercial properties.
Staff added some signs to the project that will tell trucks to avoid the area.
When Harmon voted in favor of the plan, it brought the vote to 4-0 and approved the project.
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