Thanks to 5-8 Grill & Tap for their support. From $8 Juicy Lucy Mondays to hand battered fish Fry-days and new weekend breakfast, try the 5-8 for great food at a great value every day.
The City of West St. Paul wants to upgrade alleys, but it’s going to cost homeowners. Let’s answer a few questions.
Why is this an issue: Simple maintenance. Alleys are in such bad shape they need to be patched every year. The city almost spends as much time patching 4.9 miles of alleys as 65 miles of streets.
Why are they in bad shape: “Alleys have no subgrade so they’re sitting on clay basically,” said the city’s Public Works Director Ross Beckwith. “A large percentage need to be reconstructed so we can start maintaining them like a road instead of a giant pothole.”
Who pays: Regular alley maintenance is covered by the city, but 90% of the cost of alley reconstruction is assessed to homeowners.
- Why: This is because alleys are not considered public streets. This has been a long-standing policy.
- Debate: At the crux of the argument is whether residents across the city should pay for alleys used by a small minority of residents.
- Comparison: Next door St. Paul assesses 100% for alleys (and doesn’t plow alleys like West St. Paul does). South St. Paul assess 60% for alleys, but that’s because they use more expensive concrete for lower long-term maintenance costs.
- How much: That 90% cost is spread among the homeowners on alleys, so it depends on the total cost of the project and the number of homes, but in 2022 the city estimated costs of $4,000-7,000 per home.
- What if you can’t pay: Like any other assessment, if residents aren’t able to pay up front the assessment is added to their property taxes over 10 years at a modest interest rate.
Who decides: Like any other city road project, whether or not to upgrade alleys is a decision ultimately made by City Council.
- Recent verdict: They discussed alley maintenance in 2022, and while Council members recognized the burden for residents, they also saw it as necessary maintenance. That discussion was a general conversation about upgrading alleys, and the specific projects being considered now haven’t come before City Council yet.
- Upgrade early: In the past, residents could petition to upgrade an alley and if enough residents signed on the city would do it. With the rising cost of maintenance, the city is looking for a more cost effective approach.
Where: The alley between Smith and Ottawa off of Mina is one of the first alleys being considered. It’s one of the worst alleys in the city and receives the most complaints. Residents on this alley have already received letters from the city about potential reconstruction. Other alleys could follow in subsequent years, though the city doesn’t have a timeline yet.
When: At this point, the city is gauging interest and wants to hear from residents. There is no official project planned or approved yet, and the potential project is probably six months out from appearing before Council for approval.
We answer questions with facts thanks to member support. Join now and help inform our community.
One Response
A lot of the wear and tear is from trash trucks and heavy salting. Reduce the number of trash trucks and switch to alternatives such as brine and it might preserve the alleys for much longer periods of time. The salt trucks are not very efficient. I’ve swept up piles of up to 50-100# from our alley that were dumped rather than spread evenly. Horrible for the environment as well as the pavement.