Loading...
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."