BAXTER - Conditions for a railroad crossing at Cypress Drive were approved by the city of Baxter Tuesday.
The city is seeking a permit application for a railroad crossing at Cypress Drive. Short Elliott Hendrickson is representing the city in talks with BNSF Railway and the Minnesota Department of Transportation. From those talks, the city was given additional conditions for a railroad crossing in order to receive a permit.
Conditions include:
• Including a fence along the road corridor through the railroad property and pedestrian gate for the trail crossing of the train tracks.
• Constructing a continuous raised concrete median from Highway 210 to the railroad crossing.
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• Installing advanced equipment, which will allow additional time for the railroad to communicate with the proposed traffic signal at Highway 210 and Cypress Drive to let it know a train is coming. "This special 'advanced' communication occurs prior to the flashing gates activating. This communication interrupts the normal timing of traffic signal to assist the clearing of vehicles from the railroad tracks when trains approach the crossing," the report read.
• Minimizing the need for new railroad crossings and eliminate existing crossings where possible. Baxter agreed to close a private crossing when a new street is constructed to provide alternative access from the west to use the Timberwood Drive crossing to reach Highway 210.
The cost for the additional safety features is expected to be about $70,000. The city reported some costs are "eligible expenditures under a previously approved MnDOT grant" and represent a small percentage of the estimated project costs.
In other business, the council:
Approved the appointment of Timothy Carroll as a police officer at the entry level wage.
Approved conditional use permits for a home addition and garage on the 5200 block of Fairview Road, which constitute nonconforming structures on a lakeside lot on White Sand Lake. Brian Thompson requested the conditional use permits and the variance.
A variance was granted to allow grading in the shoreland area and to allow the building within the 75-foot setback required for the lake. The city noted the permits do not put additions closer to the lake than the existing house because the lake curves away from the buildings.
RENEE RICHARDSON, associate editor, may be reached at 218-855-5852 or renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com . Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Dispatchbizbuzz .
