Lemay Lake Road Project Should Advance, Says Mendota Heights Council

 The Mendota Heights City Council voted Tuesday to go forward with the proposed for next summer, despite the vocal objections of residents.

Tuesday night’s meeting was the second go-around of a public hearing on the project, which will reconstruct Lemay Lake Road, Lakeview Avenue, Kendon Avenue, Furling Avenue and Victory Avenue. Lemay Lake Road will be reconstructed from Mendota Heights Road to Highway 13. The project includes installation of curb and gutter, storm sewer, a trail and hydrant replacement.

The total project is estimated to cost $2.3 million. City staff is recommending assessing $442,633.88 to residents with a cap of $8,500 per household. 

“I’m not so sure how well they listened,” said resident Kathy Geier of the decision. “There was not a level of respect back that I think we gave them with our comments. The mayor was very respectful. The council people—it felt like we were being lectured to like children.”

Residents who spoke at the hearing reiterated concerns that the $8,500 assessment is too much money in the poor economic climate. Another argument made by residents against the project is that the curb and gutter installation required by city ordinance will not enhance property values in the older neighborhood, which has a number of drainage issues, according to residents.

"Two years would not make any difference in our road,” said resident Robert Anderson, who spoke in favor of delaying the project. “In two years I feel confident that possibly the economy is going to be back; people can afford it more. We’re going to be hit with higher taxes here. The school levy just passed; that’s going to hit us. This assessment is going to hit us. You’re in a time when there’s no growth. There’s no jobs. The economy is bad.”

City staff was armed with research comparing the assessment policy to that of neighboring cities, which shed a relatively generous light on the 19 percent of the overall project that will be assessed to residents of the neighborhood.

Mazzitello acknowledged that if the project were to be calculated solely with the cul-de-sacs, that percentage would rise to 47 percent, but said the cul-de-sacs are “meaningless” without Lemay Lake Road.

Dennis Corrigan was one resident who also supported delaying the project. He said he saw the value added by the Wagon Wheel project to that neighborhood, but encouraged the council to wait, especially because the cul-de-sacs are not through-roads, and only serve the residents that live there.

Staff also countered the claim that the neighborhood’s declining property values are worse off than the rest of the city by comparing their property values to those of the Wagon Wheel Trail neighborhood that underwent reconstruction last summer.

The average value of the Lemay Lake properties being assessed is $220,112.46, according to staff, while the average of Wagon Wheel Trail neighborhood properties is $226,201.61. The median value of the Lemay Lake properties is $207,700, and the median value of the Wagon Wheel properties is $208,991.

Ultimately, council members circled back to the condition of the road as justification for the project.

Council member Jack Vitelli commented that while the residents of the neighborhood are being assessed 19 percent, the remainder is being paid for in part by the tax dollars of the city’s residents as a whole, who pay taxes with the expectation that city streets will be maintained to the city’s standards.

“I understand the economy. I understand the money. But at some point you’ve got to fix something that’s broken,” said council member Mike Povolny.