5 days ago
Roundabout chosen for intersection in Jamestown
Jun. 3—JAMESTOWN — The North Dakota Department of Transportation has selected the roundabout option for the U.S. Highway 52 and 10th Street Southeast intersection, according to Jamestown City Councilman David Steele.
Steele informed the City Council during committee reports on Monday, June 2, that the North Dakota Department of Transportation has also selected a five-lane road with a two-way left-turn for Business Loop West, which is similar to the existing road.
The project would reconstruct the U.S. Highway 52 and 10th Street Southeast intersection and Business Loop West from 4th Avenue Southwest to 10th Street Southeast. The two bridges on Business Loop West will also be replaced.
The project includes restriping 1st Avenue South from 7th to 10th Street Southeast to help match the configuration of the Road Diet project further north in the downtown area.
The other three alternatives for the U.S. Highway 52 and 10th Street intersection were a radial T, double crossover and displaced left turns.
The other three alternatives for the reconstruction of Business Loop West were four lanes with full intersection access at all streets with raised medians, four lanes with three-fourths intersection access with a raised median, and four-lane right-in and right-out intersection access with a raised median.
The estimated cost is nearly $9.2 million for the roundabout and about $6.5 million for the five-lane road with a two-way left-turn lane, The Jamestown Sun reported in February.
The purpose of the project is to address bridge and pavement condition, vehicular traffic operations and sidewalks for bicyclists or individuals who walk along and adjacent to the U.S. Highway 52 corridor in Jamestown from 7th Street to 4th Avenue Southwest, the Sun reported in February.
The city of Jamestown's Land Use and Transportation Plan identifies the need to improve traffic operations and pedestrian comfort at the intersection of 1st Avenue South and 10th Street Southeast, The Sun reported. The Land Use and Transportation Plan also identifies the need to address gaps in the sidewalk and trail system in the general area.
Construction on the project is scheduled for summer 2027.
The Jamestown City Council unanimously approved listing city-owned properties for sale in southeast Jamestown.
The city-owned properties are located at 301 and 401 11th Ave. SE and 1104 and 1220 Railroad Drive SE.
The properties at 301 and 401 11th Ave. SE are in the Harold P. Bensch Addition. The properties at 1104 and 1220 Railroad Drive SE are in the Kourajian Second Addition.
The request for proposals for the four properties will be advertised on June 7 with applications due on Aug. 15. The selection date and notice will be on Sept. 2-3, respectively, or as determined by the City Council.
The minimum price acceptable for each of the properties is $2 per square foot at 401 11th Ave. SE and $2.50 per square foot at 301 11th Ave. SE, according to the city of Jamestown's request for proposals. The minimum price is $2 per square foot for the property at 1104 Railroad Drive SE.
Mayor Dwaine Heinrich said the price of the property at 1220 Railroad Drive SE, which includes a building, is $151,600.
"One of the other conditions on the sale of that one with the building on it is that ... the exterior has to be refurbished because it doesn't look very good right now," Heinrich said.
The purchaser must agree to sell the property back to the city at the original purchase price if development does not occur within 30 months of the purchase in accordance with the development plan submitted as part of the original purchase proposal.
The City Council unanimously approved the annexation of property adjacent to 25th Street and 11th Avenue Southwest.
The property is about 7 acres and is located west of Walmart.
The property will be used for the construction of a housing complex, Heinrich said at the Jamestown Finance and Legal Committee meeting on May 20.
The annexation request was made by Beyond Shelter Inc. and Jtown Land LLC.
In other business, the City Council held the first reading of an ordinance to amend and reenact section 8, article 1 of the city of Jamestown's municipal code related to keeping fowl.
The ordinance would loosen restrictions on keeping fowl within city limits by eliminating a setback requirement from the applicant's residence.
The current ordinance for keeping fowl in an enclosure has a setback requirement of 100 feet at its nearest point from any residence.
"Fowl shall be kept in an enclosure not less than 60 feet at its nearest point from any other residence, including any attached structures, and must be constructed as to prevent such fowl from wandering or flying from the enclosure," the new ordinance says. "Any enclosure for the Fowl shall be not less than 30 feet from the permittee's residence and any attached structures."
The proposed number of chickens allowed is up to eight.
Heinrich said the topic will be on the agenda for the Finance and Legal Committee meeting on June 24.
"We do have some proposed changes, and I have visited with our city attorney and we know there's some other changes, but we're confident that we're not ready to go forward with that," he said before the first reading of the ordinance.
Lisa Kainz, a Jamestown resident, said the setback distance of 100 feet from a neighbor's residence is "not the best thing."
"I know my neighbors personally and they're 150 feet from me because where I live, but I also believe that if you are a minority and you don't have what I have and you receive permission from your neighbors and the majority of the people around you would like you to be able to have chickens because they would enjoy them also, they should have that right," she said.
