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Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) - New residential neighborhoods in Rochester may be missing a popular choice for some homeowners - cul-de-sacs.

The Public Works Dept. has told the City Council in recent years it is struggling to keep up with maintaining and developing streets. It is now asking the council to amend its current policy to “effectively minimize the use of dead-end streets in new developments, increase route choices, and improve pedestrian and vehicular connectivity.” 

The department says “Based on prior analysis from City Administration and City Public Works, regulating the development of future dead-end streets would greatly reduce these costs.” The department says cul-de sacs “consume a disproportional amount of our city’s maintenance and infrastructure budget” and its analysis shows “regulating the development of future cul-de-sacs would greatly reduce these costs.”

The city currently has 689 dead ends, including street loops, bulbs,dead ends, and cul-de-sacs. The majority of these - 83% - are cul-de-sacs.

The department says cul-de-sacs “are more costly to maintain, and do not allow for future growth and development along the same street network. Cul-de sacs only serve the lots on the cul-de-sac, and offer no through traffic. Thus, not only is the cost to maintain a public cul-de-sac high, all taxpayers contribute to its maintenance, but only the lots on the cul-de-sac benefit from those tax contributions. “ 

The council will consider the request at its Monday meeting.

 

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