04-22-1996 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council agrees to take stand againstinterchangeHumphrey says costs outweigh benefitsBy Greg KrakauSiafT WriterTha Wayzata City Council lit- tened to the people. After nearly a hundred reaidenta failed to perauade a Minneaota De partment of Transportation (MnDOT) manager that a Highway 12 interchange at Femdale Road would not be cost effective, the council heeded its citizens' wishes and agreed to draft an ofTiciel reso lution opposing the interchange. *1 think the need exists.” said Tom O'Keefe, a MnDOT engineer, at an April 3 public workshop that took place before Wayzata ’s regular City Council meeting ”lt provides a valuable benefit.” The interchange is one compo nent in a proposal to upgrade High way 12 called Transportation Sys tern Management (TSM). a concept that grew out of a mediation be tween Orono and I>ong Lake Resi dents of I/ong Lake believed that Highway 12 expansion through their city would decimate its com- COUNCIL; 1b Next Pkge Council: MnDOT engineer says interchange is neededFroai Previous Pagemercial districts Wayzata rcaidenU and councilmembers alike wondered aloud why WayzaU should be asked to give up more land after contributing a wide ^ath of community property to MnDOT in the late 1960a for the original construction of Highway 12."Once again.” aaid City Councitmem- her Chris Morrison. ”Wayzata is being asked to make the sacrifice ao somebody ebe doesn't have to bite the bullet *The proposal baa come under fire from residents of the Femdale neighborhood, who worry that their residential street will be transformed into a commuter thoroughfare, and from the various stake-Once again, hii}'zafa is b^ing asked to make the sacrifice so somrtMy etse doesn V havt to bite the bullet'— Chris Mnrnson Wayzata City (ajuncilmemberholders in property in that neighborhood The interchange would be located in a highly developed area: Meridian Manor. Redeemer Lutheran Church, Wayzata West Junior High School and the Wayza ta C4>untry Club are all nearby and could be afTecied by any constructionAnd as councilmember Robert Am brose said at the workshop and again in a Friday phone interview, there are already five interchanges in a three mile stretch in that vicinity.“There ’s Carlson Parkway, Ruahaway Road. (Highway! 101 North. County Road 15 and Wayzata Boulevard,” Ambrose said “We don’t need another one “Nevertheless, O’Keefe said it was safe to as.sume that TSM w'outd he one of the SuiHtallofmiadnasday. Aprs tO.1996 proposals that will make the cut when MnlXJT eliminates some of ila 10 allar- nativea on April 22Humphrey said Friday that Ilia work shop was very “frustrating* for a numhor of reasons“It was dear that nothing diaruoaad at that meeting waa going to havo any alfici on the Apnl 22 deciaion.” Ilumphroy aaid. *Wc'vt already preaonled MnDOT with all of these costs, like municipal oppoaition, citizen opposition, the ibet that their pra- liminary data show a decrease in uaaga |af FemdaM if the interchange goes in."They won't take those costa into ao* count They're going to spend taxpayer dollars to study the proposal for the next 18 months regardless I think MnDOT ie well-intentioned, but the job deocriplion does not include an incentive to reduce the scope of unneeded work.” O'Keefe left the council chambers at 7 p.m. Wednesday night, at the eoncluaion of the workshop He was not preaeni when the council diacuaaed a raaoluUon to oppose the interchange. Community support waa largely in favor of such op position. hut Mary Himes of Wayzata en couraged the council to wait until the re sults of new studies were available before taking action. “The Uak waa given to |city managerl Al Oraen and Chris IMorriaonl to draft it.” Ambrose said *At this point, there ia not a final draft * Ambrose also said, “the numbera to jua- lifif the interchange aoem pretty weak.”