Metropolitan Council to Hold Public Information Meeting and Public Hearing on Improving Regional Sanitary Sewer Facilities in Excelsior Area

ST. PAUL—Dec. 21, 2006 – The Metropolitan Council will hold two public involvement events in January 2007 to present and discuss proposed improvements to its regional sanitary sewer facilities in the Excelsior Area. These events include a public information meeting on January 4 and a public hearing on January 17.

The Metropolitan Council, which operates the regional wastewater collection and treatment system, is proposing improvements to provide sewer capacity to serve growth in this part of the region and increase the level of service of the facilities. Construction of the facilities would be scheduled for 2010-2012.

The public information meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 4, 2007, 7:00 p.m. at the Southshore Center, located at 5735 Country Club Road in Shorewood. Staff from the Metropolitan Council and their consultant will introduce the proposed sewer improvement project to the community, discuss the proposed improvements, review maps of the project area, and answer questions.

The public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, January 17, 2007, 7:00 p.m. at the Southshore Center, located at 5735 Country Club Road in Shorewood. At the hearing, Metropolitan Council staff will provide additional follow-up to questions and concerns raised by the community during the January 4 public information meeting. They also will discuss in greater detail the alternatives studied and the resulting recommendations, and receive formal public comments on the proposed regional sewer improvements.

The Metropolitan Council has drafted a facility plan for improving the regional sanitary sewer system in the Lake Minnetonka area. Excelsior-area recommendations include:

Upgrading lift station L21, located at the south end of Lake Virginia Dr. in Shorewood
Upgrading lift station L19, located just east of the intersection of Beehrle St. and Oak St. in Excelsior
Installing a second force main interceptor sewer parallel to the existing one that generally goes easterly along George St. and Excelsior Blvd. from lift station L19 and connects to an existing gravity interceptor sewer along Covington Road south of Carrie Lane in Shorewood
Eliminating lift station L20 on Galpin Lake Rd. just south of Highway 7 in Shorewood and installing a gravity interceptor sewer from this location to lift station L19
Upgrading lift station L18 at the intersection of 3rd Ave. and Christmas Lake Rd. in Shorewood, and adding a second force main interceptor sewer parallel to the existing one along Christmas Lake Road from 3rd Ave. to Highway 7
Upgrading lift station L47 at the intersection of Channel Dr. and Manor Rd. in Greenwood, and adding a second force main interceptor sewer parallel to the existing one along Manor Rd. from the lift station to Excelsior Blvd.

Copies of the Draft Facility Plan for the Excelsior Area Components of the Lake Minnetonka Area Regional Interceptor Improvements Project are available for review at:

Excelsior City Hall, 339 Third St., Excelsior
Excelsior Library, 343 Third St., Excelsior
Greenwood City Hall, 20225 Cottagewood Rd. in Deephaven
Shorewood City Hall, 5755 Country Club Rd., Shorewood
Metropolitan Council’s Data Center, 390 Robert St. N., St. Paul

All interested persons are encouraged to attend both the public information meeting and the public hearing to learn more about the proposed project and to provide input. Following the public information meeting on January 4 and the public hearing on January 17, the public also may submit comments, which must be received by the Metropolitan Council no later than January 29, 2007:

Send written comments to: Tim O’Donnell at Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, 390 Robert Street North, St. Paul, MN 55101-1805
Fax comments to: Tim O’Donnell at 651-602-1477
Record comments on: Metropolitan Council Public Comment Line at 651-602-1500
E-mail comments to: data.center@metc.state.mn.us
Send TTY comments to 651-291-0904

Upon request, the Council will provide reasonable accommodations at the public information meeting and the public hearing to persons with disabilities. Please submit such requests to Tim O’Donnell via mail or fax (see above) or by phone at 651-602-1269 by Jan. 2, 2007.

The Metropolitan Council is the regional planning organization for the seven-county Twin Cities area. It runs the regional bus and light rail system, collects and treats wastewater, manages regional water resources, plans regional parks and administers funds that provide housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income individuals and families. The Council is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the governor.

MCES, an operating division of the Metropolitan Council, provides wastewater services that protect the public health and environment while supporting regional growth.

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