05-17-1976 Council Meeting Minutes Public Hearing/ring route

Home Browse Search

� i ) .1 �� _ )` F . . . � '�a � �Iay 11�, 1�37b _� �ie, the under�igr.ed, a.re opposed t� ths construction af the propo��d s�gmez�t of the `� :ir�; helt road w�-iich would connect the intersection of C�unty Road #�4 aaad #19 to that of hTater�own Road and C�unty Raad 6 in Grono ?'recinct �10. µ. _ ` . The proposed road �ill cut thro�h an essential and extensive watershed eventually feeding into Lake NLinnetonka, and �rhich drai.ris naturally an area east of County Road #6 and �`19, and to a larger extent, an area east a.nd south of Maple Plain, Instead of ' being held in r�atural ma,rshland, w�.ter will have to be drained through large culverts. _ _ _ Aaide from the �etlands, the area affected by this proposed road is primarily agricul-- ' tural �,nd grazing land and should not be diverted to housing development, which w:i11 inevitably result from the subdivision caused by this roadway. � Cost of construction or. a project of this kind will be much greater than hinted at in the letter of April 9 from McGombs-Knutson Associates accompanying the annour.cement of the May 17 public meeting at Orono Village Hall, and far greater than the cost of upg;ading and widening any existing a�ternate roadway, Further, one must question khether the plan will relieve the traffic on #15 sufficiently to justify the cost ' and the additional complications for ta,xpayers and residents of the area closest to _; the proposed road. � Ho�aever, if indeed a heavy traffic �iversion does occur from the`'actual savings in mileage of 12 miles, there• wi11 be a serious and un�entioned safety factor involved � in funneling this traffic onto U. S. #�12. � The present County #6 intersects U. S, �12 at a point ��rhere there are more than an usual number �f accidents each year. iVot only are there sight line hazards at presen� � on U. S. #12, but the intersection i� only thirty feet from a major railway line, and � a problem now exists with the bacKup of traff:i:c at prime commuting hours when a train goes through. Also there is considerable danger from westbound and/or eastbound � traffic attempting to turn off U. S. �{12 onto #6 during the passage of a train, especially a long freight tra,in. � • The only solution then wili be a very expensive bridge and clover leaf approach to � J. S. ##12 which, again, is not hinted at in the McCombs-I:nutson Associates letter of April 9, 197b. ) � The disruption of an eco system, which is irreplaceable, of one aestheticall,y attraetive area to be replaced by concr°ete and asphalt, of plentifi,il wildlife which will be �rightened off, of potentially dangerous problems at the Burlington Northern Line tracks, cannot ; be jus�iiied against the dubious advantage oi' transferring the traffic problem from � one area to another. � We feel that now is the time to get down to sone serious and raeanir�gful discussions on the development of a competent and complete mass transit system instead of more new . �' roads which instead of offering a solution, only creates a new problem.