September 21, 2026
This project proposes constructing (converting the existing gravel road section to pavement) the streets within the Itasca Heights subdivision, generally located on Beatty Avenue and Collins Drive, south of Highway 10. The existing gravel streets total 0.24 miles. Drainage is currently handled through swales adjacent to the road, which generally carry stormwater runoff to a low area at 9118 Collins Drive; from there, it flows southeast through backyards and eventually to the Mississippi River.
The new streets are proposed to be constructed to the city’s current typical rural street section: 24-foot-wide pavement (3.5 inches bituminous over a 6-inch aggregate base), with a max 4:1 slope ditch adjacent to the pavement. Rural section streets are also typically built with a 2-foot-wide gravel shoulder. Staff will need to conduct an extensive stormwater review to determine whether ponding is required and whether an outlet to the Mississippi River is necessary. Staff will need to do some coordination with MnDOT due to the proposed 2027 mill and overlay of Highway 10. This may include obtaining a MnDOT right-of-way permit. Staff anticipates this project will also require a Lower Rum River WMO Permit, but this will be determined during design. The existing cul-de-sacs are smaller than standard at approximately 60 feet in diameter. There appears to be sufficient right-of-way to build cul-de-sacs at or near the city’s standard dimension, 100 feet in diameter; however, staff will need to review the topographic survey to determine how the grades will match for any increase in size. Other features, such as landscaping and existing trees, may also need to be considered when making this determination.
Municipal utilities do not exist within this project area, which is in the 2040 MUSA. The closest city sewer and water lines are located at the north end of Bowers Drive, approximately 1,400 feet east of Beatty Avenue. The project does not propose extending sewer and water to this subdivision; staff is not aware of any desire among residents for municipal utilities.
Capital Improvement Project-level project costs are $280,000 ($250,000 Tax Increment Fund #2, $30,000 Stormwater Utility Funds).