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Post Number: 1
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alcitizens
Albert Lea
Group: Members
Posts: 3664
Joined: Jul. 2009
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Posted on: Sep. 08 2014,1:46 am |
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Virginia Place and 5th Street are being neglected when it comes to streets and sidewalks.. Collapsed sidewalk all along both sides of Virginia Place and major holes that would break your leg if stepped into.. This hazard is located next to a park used by many children..
Millions being spent on reconstruction projects like Broadway while residential projects are forgotten..
Leaders of Albert Lea, hear me.. "It's wrong"..
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Post Number: 2
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nzeroesc
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 258
Joined: Aug. 2005
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Posted on: Sep. 08 2014,2:49 am |
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Remember that streets are not fixed for free. Generally sidewalks are the responsibility of the property owner to maintain in a safe and serviceable condition, and you can expect the cost of these repairs to be assessed to each property.
Virginia Place in particular was listed on the Albert Lea 2013-2017 Capital Improvement Plan for 2014. I do not recall seeing anything voted on or bid this year, so it is likely delayed and scheduled for 2015 at this point. Contact the appropriate individuals listed below to get more information.
Here are the people to contact:
Ward V: Virginia Place - North of 5th St Larry Anderson Fifth Ward Councilor 824 Jefferson 507-377-2392 landerson@ci.albertlea.mn.us
Ward VI: Virginia Place South of 5th St Al “Minnow” Brooks Sixth Ward Councilor 1402 Academy 507-373-9024 abrooks@ci.albertlea.mn.us
Streets and Public Works: Scott Overland Street Superintendent 414 Commercial St. Albert Lea, MN 56007 507-377-4377 soverland@ci.albertlea.mn.us
Steven Jahnke Public Works Director 221 E. Clark Street 507-377-4325 sjahnke@ci.albertlea.mn.us
Also might not be a bad idea to approach the police department with this concern as well. There are two community policing represeantives as well:
Virginia Place North of 5th (District 3-4): ALPD Officer Brianna Lutz: blutz@ci.albertlea.mn.us
Virginia Place South of 5th (District 3-6): ALPD Officer Adam Hamberg: ahamberg@ci.albertlea.mn.us
Community Service Officer: Mary Schroader: mschroader@ci.albertlea.mn.us
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Post Number: 3
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Santorini
Group: Members
Posts: 2015
Joined: Nov. 2007
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Posted on: Sep. 08 2014,8:39 am |
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The 'beautification' of downtown stops at the intersection of Main & Broadway. The South side of Main down South Broadway looks terrible! Boarded up buildings... The flowers & benches & sidewalks should have continued at least past the Coffee Hus.(or whatever it's called). Even Austin kept it going out to Hormel museum...The downtown does look nice though.
-------------- "Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turned out." Jack Buck
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Post Number: 4
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nzeroesc
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 258
Joined: Aug. 2005
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Posted on: Sep. 08 2014,10:28 am |
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Santorini
The city is currently soliciting plans and working with MNDOT on the second phase of the Broadway improvements scheduled for next year. They will be implementing some of the design features on a limited basis pending MNDOT input from Main St to Front St, and the entirety of Broadway from Main St to I-35 Exit 8 will be resurfaced.
http://www.albertleatribune.com/2014...ay-work
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Post Number: 5
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Post Number: 6
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twingroves
Group: Members
Posts: 599
Joined: Oct. 2007
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Posted on: Sep. 08 2014,12:39 pm |
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if the council members do not live on the street it does not get any work done on it heres to them
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Post Number: 7
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Post Number: 8
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nzeroesc
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 258
Joined: Aug. 2005
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Posted on: Sep. 09 2014,1:46 am |
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I do want to add here at the top for the sake of posterity that Google Maps has thoughtfully driven down this street for us just last year, and provided a beautiful high resolution view of the neighborhood in question. While I do see several areas that could use some TLC, I have certainly seen far worse in my travels both in this city, and others. And not anything I would call squalor by any means.
For that matter there is an awful lot of shiny new concrete right in the area you allege this "leg breaking crater" to be Google Maps Street View - Virginia Place
In the case of the block of Virginia Place you are talking about there are 21 assessable properties on the block. 9 of them are city owned. Not only from the park, but several lots carried on tax rolls as forfeitures with no income at all. Average property values on that street have been low for quite some time with the majority of the lots bringing in under $400 a year on property taxes, and one duplex rental bringing in $1400.
Nearly every neighborhood has someone that will fight a tax assessment for street repairs because they feel it is unfair, doesn't benefit them, don't see the need, or any other litany of issues that have come up in the past opposing street replacement or construction in recent memory. Do you expect the 11 property owners on Virginia Place to be different?
I'll use the project on St Joseph from 11 years ago as an comp for Virginia Pl. Similar neighborhood, scope, and likely assessment base. QUOTE
The $342,000 project includes the replacement of the 6-inch sanitary sewer line, installed in 1930, with a new 10-inch pipe; replacement of the water main, installed in 1932; a new storm sewer, replacing the old one from 1923; and new pavement, sidewalks and curbs. The city will assess 18.8 percent of the cost, or about $64,000, to the property owners and pay the rest.
So $64000 assessed to 11 property owners if the city opted for the maximum statutory 30 year repayment schedule would be $193 a year minimum. For at least one property on that street that would DOUBLE the property taxes. For smaller projects like this, the city has historically gone with a 10-15 year repayment window.
For the record, 18% assessment is low, some projects have been assessed out at 50% owner responsibility. So I think that estimate is well within line given the amount of linear feet that are city owned.
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Post Number: 9
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greenbeans
Group: Members
Posts: 8
Joined: Jul. 2009
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Posted on: Sep. 09 2014,11:11 am |
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Park Ave is/has been hurting as well for a looooong time. Its getting old.
guess we get to wait TWO more YEARS.
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Post Number: 10
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