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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 533A /014-1 4W d y - 1"A 4010 4v.-f✓7 - 0 RESOLUTION NO. 533 A RESOLUTION OPPOSING THE APPROVAL OF THE PORPOSED I-394, REQUESTING A DEMONSTRATION OF NEED THEREFOR, AND REQUESTING THE METRO- POLITAN COUNCIL TO RECONSIDER ITS APPROVAL THEREOF BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF ORONO THAT: WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council has adopted various principles and plans which have as their purpose the discouragement of premature development in outlying areas particularly where municipal services and facilities cannot be economically or feasibly provided to accommodate such development, and WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council's policy guides and n ung ^v fi�lall" r Vt rr : t ii1L uCV c r-1 f y lU�'.iiaL o� qac aii auaa proximate to the center cities and included within the inner - ring of suburbs, which areas the Metropolitan Council has declared to be adequate to meet our residential and commercial needs into the 1990's, and WHEREAS, the City of Orono in its land use planning, zoning and utility plans has responded to those directives by encouraging stageddevelopment only when utilities can be economically or feasibly provided, has discouraged pre- mature development in undeveloped areas and has otherwise attempted to comply with development guidelines concerning staged development, open space and land use policies, and WHEREAS, the construction of I-394 would exert tremendous development pressure upon the City of Orono and surrounding cities which would be contrary to the principles and policies of the Metropolitan Council as stated above, which would be contrary to the current zoning and land use planning of the City of Orono and other cities in the vicinity,and which would create demands within the City of Orono for municipal services that it is presently unable to meet, and 9 0 • WHEREAS, no need has been shown or demonstrated for this additional highway construction, and . WHEREAS, the Minnesota Highway Department has declared that traffic demands west of Wayzata do not require any additional highway construction beyond the existing 2 lane highway until at least the 1990's, which indicates that most traffic demands east of Wayzata would be commuting in nature which could be met by a mass transit system, and WHEREAS, there has been no consideration given to the alternative of not constructing any additional highway lanes east of Wayzata and constructing an effective rapid transit alternative in. lieu thereof, and WHEREAS, the environmental impact statement on file totally fails to address itself to that alternative, and WHEREAS, shortages of petroleum will require greater dependence upon mass transit and less dependence upon the auto- mobile in the foreseeable future,.and additional dependence on the automobile should not be abetted by further highway construc- tion, and WHEREAS, these various factors clearly indicate that additional highway construction would only attract more traffic and more intense development to this corridor in areas that are not equipped for or desirous of such development, all of which is contrary to the planning and land use principles on both a metropolitan and a local level in this area, and WHEREAS, that the construction of I-394 as proposed has been determined by the City Council of the City of Orono to be contrary to the best interests of its citizens and of the proper and orderly development of the City of Orono, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT 1. The City Council of the City of Orono opposes further consideration of additional highway construction in the I-394 corridor,at least until the alternative of constructing only a rapid transit facility is thoroughly considered by an objective, independent agency. 2. That there be presented to•the appropriate federal, state, metropolitan and local units of government a clear demonstration M f • • of need for any additional highway construction prior to any further consideration or proceedings that might lead to the approval or construction of additional highways in the I-394 corridor. 3. That the Metropolitan Council reconsider and reverse its approval of the proposed I-394 and instead consider the impact on land use and land development not only adjacent to the corridor but on those comm--inities west of the corridor if I-394 was constructed, and to consider whether the construction of rapid transit facilities would meet any legitimate transporation needs in this corridor in lieu of additional highway construction. We request that any funding which would otherwise had been made available for the construction of additional highways in this corridor be instead applied to the construction of an effective rapid transit system for the western suburbs under the provisions of the Federal Highway Act of 1973. Approved on the 4th day of March, 1974, by a vote of 5 ayes and 0 nays. Robert L. Searles, Mayor f ATTEST: