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Council Meeting Minutes April 28, 1987 Page 8 1 Haas asked if any consideration had been given to putting the sidewalk on the east side of the street; Proper reviewed the city.s sidewalk plan, which is designed to reduce and control pedestrian crossings, and indicated the proposed sidewalk on the west side of Long Lake Road conforms to the plan, especially near Irondale High School, and the proposed signalled crossing near 1- 694. Haas suggested there could be a cross-walk at 14th Street to join an eastern sidewalk from 1-694 to 14th Street with a western side- walk from 14th Street northward. Schmidt felt there would be an impact with the homes along Long Lake Road in that area. Leonard stated, in developing the location of the road within the right- of-way, the east curb is five feet from the right-of-way line and, if the sidewalk were to be on the east side, the roadway would be moved to the west, bringing the street closer to the homes. Oosterhuis asked if the entire system could be shifted five feet to the east; Leonard indicated there would not be adequate space for snow storage and NSP would have some concerns as to whether or not there would be adequate space for their electric facility in that area. Leonard further indicated there needs to be min1mum of four feet for signs; and believes the plan is already five feet too close without acquiring additional right-of-way. I Phyllis Reha, 1247 Long Lake Road, read and presented to council a petition urging the inclusion of a sidewalk in the plan, and a bike path consisting of one detached path separated from the tra- vel portion of the road by a grass boulevard rather than lanes adjoining the roadway which would be used by emergency vehicles, as an illegal passing lane, and for potential expansion into a four-lane roadway. Reha noted the petition was signed not only be residents on Long Lake Road, but also by those on streets in- tersecting Long Lake Road; and the petition takes no position re- garding the width of tha road or the number of lanes. Reha fur- ther stated that most individuals were concerned with maintaining Long Lake Road as a residential area, and all were concerned with safety. Reha expressed admiration of the City Council and challenged them to be creative and establish the top priorities for the residents, not the County; feels there are feasible alternatives available and felt that with design standards, there must also be variances to be requested for safety reasons. Williams asked Reha if she could see a problem with bikers trying to cross Long Lake Road to get to the path; Reha stated it would be a similar problem as with a sidewalk; however, if there were appropriate crossings, it should not be a problem. 1 Williams asked if it would be workable in a situation largely ser- ving residential clientele to install some type of a pedestrian crossing light; Leonard indicated Ramsey County does not recommend that form of traffic control because experience shows pedestrian- activated signals are not used too frequently and, therefore, tend