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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1976 08-05 Intersection closing plan draws protests DISPATCH The Dispatch �{f Thursday, August 5, i;74>� Thi w Intersection closing plan draws protests • • By JOSEPH LYELL meeting. The residents had dif- Staff Writer • ferent opinions on the Maple- wood proposal but all of them A Maplewood proposal to agreed that the opening of Beam close the intersection of Radatz Avenue would solve the traffic and White Bear avenues reo- problems in their area. pened old wounds Monday THE MAPLEWOOD proposal night and resulted in the North would block the median at Ra- St. Paul City Council passing a datz and White Bear avenues resolution calling for Maple- making it impossible for south- wood to open Beam Avenue. bound traffic on White Bear Av- The story.leading up to the enue to turn left on Radatz, resolution. began with the coup, North St. Paul City Manager cil's public meeting to discuss Gerry Splinter explained. the Maplewood proposal. About • "Drivers entering Radatz 35 residents of Radatz and Chisholm avenues attended the See Intersection,Page 2 2 (E) St.Paul Dispatch Thurs.,Aug.5, '76 Intersection Continued from Page I would cut the traffic in half and give the mayor of Maplewood would not be able to get out on half of the traffic." Radatz. They would have to use Carwin said, "Maplewood has an internal street to go to Mc- chosen the most self-serving so- Knight and then to Beam to get lution to our traffic problems, out,"Splinter said. and I feel that cooperating with Jerry Markie, 2724 Chisholm, them on the closing of the in- pointed out "if the intersection tersection is the wrong ap- ps blocked off from our area it proach.'It is time for the North would be a mile and a half from St. Paul City Council to take a Radatz to McKnight from 17th stand and tell Maplewood that to White Bear Avenue. I feel what they are doing is totally ri- that is quite a roundabout way diculous." to get to White Bear Avenue. It JAMES BUSS, a Radatz resi- would seem to me to be unrea- dent, said, "Those people don't sonable to prohibit a right turn want their streets to go through, off Radatz on to White Bear Av- but its all right for us to be in- enue,"he added. convenienced while the mayor "I LIVE on Radatz myself," of Maplewood sits on his little Councilman Leo Hudalla said. hill and watches his own little "The problem really lies in the road." fact that somebody, somehow, A Maplewood resident, Bill someway,has got to force the is- Miskiska, said, "It seems to me sue that Maplewood has got to that all of us want the same provide some streets. Its going thing in most cases, to see all to have to happen. Either Beam the streets open and carry an Or the next street to the north, equal burden." Lydia. One of those streets has Owen Dean, 2253 Radatz, got to go through." Hudalla said, "My concern is for the said. safety of the children. I believe Hudalla said, "Until the may- that a right turn on Radatz or of Maplewood does not live would reduce the amount of the on Beam, or they get another traffic,which makes it safer for mayor or whatever it takes, the kids on Radatz" those streets are going to have to "We are not solving our prob- be open. (Maplewood Mayor lem by just having a right turn Robert Bruton's home is at 2114 on Radatz David Nelson, 2765 Beam Ave.) Chisholm Ave., said. "The solu- "I have a counterproposal tion has to be to force Maple- maybe you can submit," Ken wood to put Beam Avenue Carwin, 2751 Chisholm,said."Go through. We have to be united ahead and make Radatz a one- force here and not be split way street running from the among our own forces." easterly portion of Chisholm to "You're the city council. Tell McKnight and suggest that us what we can do to influence Beam run westerly one way,That Maplewood to open their streets," Nelson said. "What are the reasons they give for'want- ing their streets closed any- way?"he asked. "It all goes back to before the last election of the present city council of Maplewood and the fact that some of the persons on the council and the mayor sup- ported the idea of keeping Beam and Lydia closed. I am not going to go into reasons why. We all know why," Councilman Curt Johnson said. The city of North St. Paul, through its North East Task Force and through discussions with the two cities' staffs, has consistently s t a ted that all streets should be open,he said. "Our council has sat down with their council and pointed out why we feel they should be open, but we received no real comment, except that they are going to do it their way." "If this group would agree on a proposal that we could put into a resolution we will send it on to the Maplewood City Council,"he said. The council and the residents agreed upon a resolution stating that,if Maplewood closes the in- tersection of White Bear and Ra- datz avenues with a right turn •only off of White Bear then,Ma- plewood should open Beam Av- enue. Also, if Maplewood decides not to open Beam Avenue then a study should be conducted on the traffic patterns of the imme- diate area, including the study of the signing that area.The res- olution was passed by 4 to 0 vote.