HomeMy WebLinkAbout1976 09-08 Beam Avenue residents want council to stick to study THE REVIEW Page 8 Wed.,Sept.8, 1976 THE REVIEW
Beam Avenue residents want
council to stick to study
by Kamy fde community to fight commercial traffic provements,while others have said they from North St. Paul and Stillwater
through our neighborhood going to did not fully understand the proposals residents travelling to the Mall.
A handful of residents of Beam Avenue Maplewood Mall." when made.Such comments were made Carla Radermacher said it is hard to
this week said commercial development He adds, "We have never wanted to at the Thursday,Aug.12 meeting of the stop commercial development in the area
may spread"like leprosy"in the area of sacrifice one area or one street at the Maplewood City Council,when the council of the mall, because "people want to
Maplewood Mall. expense of another." voted 3-2 to re-hear the Radatz issues. rezone to pay their assessments (for
They said they don't want that to St.Onge said the core of CARE included Mrs.St.Onge said she feels the council improvements to the area). ,
happen, they want to preserve their about 25 residents who met weekly,and may have voted to re-open the issue She adds that commercialism is fine,if
neighborhood and,most of all,they want later monthly,published a newsletter on "because they may be a little tired of not mixed with residential streets.But,
the Maplewood City Council to stick by a neighborhood concerns and attended being yelled at and screamed at.I'm sure she said,such development could"keep
weighty study on streets in the area and meeting of the Maplewood City Council to they felt this was the fair thing to do." creeping,like leprosy through the area."
how they should be developed. stay informed about plans for the streets. Yet it worries the Beam residents.Mrs. Mrs. St. Onge said she doubted if
The residents of Beam Avenue east of One member, Carla Radermacher, St.Onge notes that the Howard,Needles traffic,allowed to travel 50 miles per hour
White Bear Avenue specifically asked this present at the St.Onge home on Thur- firm said opening streets up to corn- on Beam west of White Bear,would slow
reporter to a meeting this week at the sday,Sept.2,was also attending meetings mercial traffic or opening them in an significantly on Beam east of White Bear
home of Mr.and Mrs.James St.Onge, of a citizens advisory group working with order different than proposed "Will Avenue.
2126 Beam Ave.There,the St.Onges plus Howard, Needles, Tammen and deteriorate the whole neighborhood."She She said she and other Beam residents
a handful of neighbors,presented their Bergendoff engineers and planners,who says the plan prepared by the consultants "have never wanted our own private
viewpoint on the current street dilemna in eventually developed the area street plan. lists specific streets as needing upgrading street.We don't think our children are
the Beam-Radatz-Lydia area and what Cost for development of that plan,paid by before Beam and Lydia are opened, more special than anyone else's. All
they hope the city council will do. the City of Maplewood,was$337,000. streets which would then carry the children are special.
The council has agreed to re-hear The St.Onges,Carla and husband Gene commercial traffic and leave the "We know Beam is eventually going to
residents of the area regarding the and fellow Beam resident Lillian residential areas undisturbed. go through and we just want it to go
proposed plans for the junction of Radatz Flaugher,all say residents of the area Some residents of Radatz have urged through with the (Howard, Needles)
and White Bear Avenues,plans which call should have been informed of plans for that Radatz, Beam and Lydia all be staging so it will protect the total neigh-
for a right turn only into Radatz off White the Radatz corner. They note the opened to traffic at the same time. borhood."
Bear and no exit from Radatz back onto discussions of the improvement continued The Howard,Needles firm suggests a St.Onge said a number of neighborhood
White Bear. for at least 10 months and that their seven step plan,with the right turn from meetings were held in the past,but that he
A number of Radatz avenue residents organization sent letters to all homes in White Bear to Radatz as part of the first would be willing to hold further meetings
have filed a lawsuit against the city over the area,as well as distributing flyers. step and the opening of Beam and Lydia if other residents are interested and if it
those plans. St.Onge notes,"The past(city)council as the seventh step in the long-range plan. might help relieve the divisiveness of the
The Beam Avenue residents present at did an excellent job trying to inform Specific concerns expressed by the neighborhood."I'd be more than willing
the St.Onge conclave indicated they feel people and I think the present council has residents Thursday included numerous to have the total neighborhood together on
the council should continue with plans for done a superior job in that respect.I don't items. this,"he said.
the junction,because those plans are the know how much more they could have St.Onge said he feels Maplewood Mall St. Onge said he would "really ap-
product of a long,expensive study and done." "is a nice mall, but it has created preciate" communications from other
they feel, will best preserve the Some residents of the area have said problems."His wife said that Beam,if concerned residents who may contact him
residential character of not only Beam, they were not aware of the planned im- opened,would carry a great deal of traffic at 777-3672.
but the entire neighborhood.
"I was chairman of CARE,"St.Onge
explained,noting the acronym represents
"Citizens Against Residential
Exploitation,"a group which had over 200
members from the Maplewood Heights
area.
"The group got started initally because
of concerns over Beam Avenue but our
scope quickly changed and we were
concerned with the total Maplewood
Heights area...Our direction has always
been that we should work together as a