HomeMy WebLinkAbout1977 03-30 Opening streets is considered THE DISPATCH Opening
streets is
considered
By SCOTT CARLSON
hl Staff Writer
D Two members of the Maple-
wood City Council say they may
favor opening some residential
streets near the Maplewood Mall
to White Bear Avenue if steps can
be taken later to restrict traffic if
problems develop.
ACTING MAYOR Burton Mur-
dock and Councilman Donald
Wiegert made their off-the-cuff
remarks at last week's council
meeting during a discussion of the
northeast area streets.Their com-
ments reflect the concerns of
some citizens in the area that
there is not enough access to
White Bear Avenue.
At the present time citizens who
live on Beam,Lydia and Radatz
avenues east of White Bear Ave-
nue have no direct access to that
four-lane road. And last fall a
number of citizens asked the city
council to open all the roads in the
area.
But some other citizens urged
the council not to tamper with the
roads. Pointing to a feasibility
report,they said that opening the
roads should not take place until
other road construction is under-
taken by Ramsey County.
The outcome of the hearing was
issuance of a supplemental report
which outlines four alternatives
by the Maplewood engineering
department,(with assistance from
Jack Anderson associates).
Mayor Robert Bruton,who lives
on Beam Avenue,pointed out that
the council about two years ago
See Opening,Page 2(E 1
Opening eor -j,-,R77
Continued from Page 1 could make some change that
would ease the burden."
made a decision, and it "has been Both Wiegert and Murdock
implemented." pointed out that the volume of
But Wiegert noted, "That deci- traffic in the area has not reached
sion was made in reaction to what the levels anticipated in the
I felt was the opinion of the ma- Northeast study.
jority of the citizens." He added, But Bruton contended that a
"It was contrary to what I would number of factors have changed
have preferred to have done." since the original study came out.
More recently,he continued, the "You're going back and taking
city has found that the original de- some pieces and forgetting"other
cision of a couple of years ago to pieces,Bruton said.
restrict access is nearly split Wiegert, however, said that
evenly. some things which changed were
done on the basis that we weren't 1
"I GUESS if I had been aware changing traffic and other
of that sentiment I would have de- impacts." In particular, Wiegert
cided differently than I did," referred to rezoning the south side
Wiegert said. " . . .I would be even of Beam Avenue, west of White
willing to open up all the streets, Bear Avenue, to business com-
as the council once decided at one mercial.
point, 5-0, if I could be sure that if Murdock said, "I am in favor of
in some point of time that it would opening them (the streets) up and 1
be a burden to the people, that we seeing what flies."