08/23/82 Board of Public Works Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING AUGUST 23, 1982 PUBLIC HEARING - VACATION OF MADISON STREET, ST. PETER STREET A14D ALLEY (ST. JOSEPH MEDICAL CENTER) Mr. Leszczynski advised that St. Joseph's Medical Center was petitioning the Common Council for the vacation of the following public rights -of -way in conjunction with its plans for expansion; The east -west street known as Madison in the blocks bounded -by St. Louis and Notre Dame; The north -south street known as St. Peter in the half block bounded by Madison and the east - west alley approximately half -way between Madison and LaSalle; The°°east-west alley in the half block bounded by St. Louis and the north -south alley approximately half -way between St. Louis and St. Peter. He stated that, as in the past, in order for the Board to submit a recommendation to the Common Council, a public hearing had been scheduled at this time and.all property owners within 200 feet of the alley and streets had been duly notified. Mr. Thomas Lewis, Attorney at Law, 1800 American National Bank Building, introduced Mr. Larry Tebelak, representing the hospital. Mr. Tebelak explained that the proposed vacation of the alley and a portion of Madison and St. Peter Streets was a part of the hospital's $20 million expansion program. He stated that the front of the facility would be expanded, the wide circle drive eliminated and the entrance changed so that all traffic would come into the facility from St. Peter Street. He stated that Transpo presently utilized Madison Street for a bus route; however, future proposed plans called for the buses to proceed down Notre Dame to LaSalle. He advised that fire lanes would be provided to the facility and parking would likewise be expanded under the proposed project. Mr. Leszczynski asked how much property along St. Peter Street was owned by the hospital, and Mr. Tebelak stated that the hospital owned all property along St. Peter Street south to the east -west alley. Mr. Ed Levin, 2350 Topswood Lane, stated that he owned property at the northwest corner of LaSalle and St. Peter Streets. He asked if any property along St. Peter Street would be vacated or if the street would be widened at some.future point. Mr. Tebelak stated that no other property along St. Peter Street would be vacated and there were no long-range plans to acquire property along St.'Peter Street for widening. Mr. Leszczynski advised that the city likewise had no plans to widen St. Peter Street and that the acquisition of property for the right-of-way eliminated that possibility. Mr. Levin advised that there were three business establishments which faced LaSalle that would be affected by the vacations. They included his property, property owned by Leo Scanlon and Joseph Rappelli. He felt that, if the alley was vacated, the business establishments would experience a problem with truck deliveries since the only portion of the alley to remain open would extend half a block from St. Peter Street and then turn sharply to the left, exiting on LaSalle. Mr. Tebelak advised that, if the parking lot owned by the hospital was designed accordingly, additional room could be allowed for a turn at that location. Mr. Joseph Rappelli, owner of one of the properties adjacent to the alley, explained that he has experienced problems in the past with beer truck deliveries, and he felt the problem would be compounded if the trucks had to make a turn out of the east -west alley. Mr. Leszczynski advised that part of the Engineering Department's recommendation concerning the proposed vacations addressed the need for the dedication of some property to provide a turning radius. Mrs. Rappelli stated that she felt there would also be additional problems because of the increase in traffic using St..Peter Street since it would be the only entrance to the hospital. Mr. Levin felt that a condition of the vacation, if approved, should be the installation of a traffic