New north water tower coming to city

RIVER FALLS – If speeding and safe driving are a concern on a city street, sometimes allowing vehicles to park on the street naturally inspires people to slow down, said City Administrator Scot Simpson.

His comment came amid discussion by the River Falls City Council at its July 13 meeting about whether or not to allow any parking on Meadows Drive, which is a collector street for the Highview Meadows subdivisions east of the River Falls Golf Club.

The council heard a first reading of an ordinance amendment that would create two “no parking here to corner” zones on Meadows Drive at the intersections of Meredith Circle. The street has a speed limit of 25 mph and since development has increased since 2019, so have traffic volumes. The portion of Meadows Drive between the two intersections with Meredith Circle is a curve with on-street parking on both sides.

According to a city memo, staff have fielded complaints from residents in the neighborhood about lines of vision while stopped on Meredith Circle.

A traffic and engineering investigation in 2020 determined the “no parking here to corner” zones are needed. The proposed no parking zones would eliminate five parking spaces.

Alderperson Scott Morrissette said he’s been contacted by eight neighbors about general concerns as that area develops and builds. He proposed not allowing parking on the southwest side of the street at all.

“As Meadows Drive is going to be the collector in that area, there’s going to be a fair amount of traffic, but number two, if people are parking there, they’re most likely going to the park and my concern is that, you know, if a family is parking on that side of the street they’re going to be crossing traffic to get there,” Morrissette said.

Alderperson Diane Odeen said the road will get busier and busier as a sixth development phase begins construction.

“I’m all for keeping Meadows Drive as wide as possible for smooth traffic flow,” Odeen said.

Simpson asked the council to consider the ramifications of eliminating parking altogether, especially for those who want to go to the park. He also said streets that have parking typically inspire lower speeds.

“Parking on streets makes them safer,” Simpson said. “It reduces the speed that people feel that they can drive in an area and allowing some parking on sections of street, especially in the entrance to a subdivision, can actually perform as a speed deterrent and can improve the speed at which people feel they can drive through a neighborhood.

“Sometimes ‘no parkin’ doesn’t result in what residents are looking for,” Simpson said.

He added that there are sidewalks on both sides, and that the city doesn’t know what traffic patterns might yet develop.

“We can always revisit it,” he said.

Since it was a first reading, no decision was made.

The council also heard a first reading of an ordinance amendment to eliminate parking on Dry Run Road from Division Street to the city boundary. Dry Run Road is partially within the city limits, partially in the town of Troy.

Historically, drivers parked on the street when accessing DeSanctis Park. In 2020, a new parking lot was constructed as part of a development project.

New water tower

The council approved a resolution to authorize a contract with Short Elliot Hendrickson for complete engineering, design, preparation of bidding documents, bidding services, construction administration and inspection services on a proposed water tower, to be located on the ridge in Whitetail Corporate Park. The engineering project has a $169,440 price tag.

In 2003, when the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources approved the Sterling Ponds Subdivision master plan, one condition was the construction of a new water tower on the north end of town when the subdivision reached 500 homes.

This will be the fourth water storage structure in River Falls. It will be a 500,000-gallon elevated storage spheroid-style tank, similar to the existing water tower on Golf View Drive (which is a 250,000-gallon tank).

According to a city memo, bidding should occur in late 2021, with construction taking place in 2022 and 2023.

Sidewalk, curb, gutter

The council approved a resolution to award the bid for the 2021 sidewalk, curb, gutter and structure repair needs to Pember Companies in the amount of $79,478.05. Pember, the only bidder, has contracted with the city in the past.

Each year, money is budgeted for repairs/replacements of sidewalks, curbs, gutters, handicap ramps and storm water structures throughout the city. The engineering department maintains a list of sidewalks that need repair or replacement. Catch basin and manhole replacements are also included in this project.

1300 S. Main St.

The council approved a resolution to accept the public improvements at 1300 S. Main St. with an 18-month warranty beginning on July 14, 2021.

The public improvements, such as asphalt patching, curb and gutter, public sidewalk, storm sewer and minor utility adjustments, resulted from the city’s agreement to work with the developer. Now that the improvements are complete, staff from the engineering, public works and utility departments inspected the work and recommends acceptance.

Development agreement

The city council approved a resolution amending a development agreement between the city and The Povolny Group, Inc.

According to a city memo, The Povolny Group, Inc. was the general contractor for a commercial kitchen production company looking to locate in River Falls in 2018. The company eventually decided to stay at its current facility, but The Povolny Group remained interested in the 5.8-acre parcel (located in Sterling Ponds Corporate Park) and planned to build a spec office/manufacturing facility and lease it to tenants.

City staff met with Jeff Povolny, president of the group, on June 3. He still intends to build the industrial facility, but the pandemic and cost of construction materials delayed the project. Because of those factors, he requested a one-year extension.

Map courtesy of SEH, Inc.