HomeMy WebLinkAbout1976 11-03 Citizens clash on need for street openings THE REVIEW Citizens
clash on need
for street •
o en � n s
4 \) 3 , 7
by Scott Carlson Paul residents, who signed the petititon motorists on Radatz Avenue were stopped
requesting that the roads be opened, had in the street.
Amidst applause and accusations on no business dictating their concerns to the Jim St. Onge, 2126 Beam Ave. and
both sides, Maplewood Heights citizens, Maplewood city council. chairman of Citizens Against Residential
at a Maplewood city council hearing,last Proponents on the road open- Exploitation (CARE), said "creeping
week offered opposing viewpoints on nings,however, countered that North St. commercialism"around the perimeter of
whether three residential streets in their Paul residents are affected by what the Maplewood Mall shopping center only
area should be connected up to White happens in Maplewood and should have a means that more traffic will be generated
Bear Avenue. voice. A couple of speakers added that in the future.
The roads under consideration for full they considered people on Beam Avenue In recent weeks, he added, "for sale"
access to White Bear Avenue include only fighting for their interests. signs have dotted both the north and south
Radatz, Beam and Lydia Avenues. The One gentleman, in particular, sides of Beam Avenue,west of White Bear
city council scheduled the public hearing suggested that the whole hearing was out Avenue,
after it received a petition from some 600 of order since Mayor Bob Bruton,who is a If the streets are connected
citizens asking for full access for the three resident of Beam Avenue, had not "prematurely" it will lead to increased
roads, Radatz Avenue residents, in declared himself ineligible from the vote. traffic on the residential roads, St. Onge
particular,have become up in arms about Councilmen Burton Murdock and Donald predicted.
the erection of a barricade across their Wiegert, however, defended Bruton's Jerry Markie,a North St.Paul resident
road that allows only north bound right to vote. of Chisholm,however,supported the road
motorists on White Bear Avenue access openings.He said it is about one and a half
onto their street. AFTER LISTENING to three hours of miles in either direction to get onto White
Citizens who support opening of the public testimony the council decided to Bear Avenue since there is no direct
three streets complained that their ac- continue the matter to 7:30 p.m., access.
cess is too severely restricted and results Tuesday, Nov.8 at John Glenn Junior "The mileage is significant over time,"
in waste of time and gasoline trying to get High School's lunchroom. he asserted.
onto White Bear Avenue. Wiegert suggested that there may be Markie countered citizen claims that if
Opponents of the proposal, however, other alternatives to opening or closing all the three streets are opened that will lead
told the council that to take such action the roads.He said it might be advisable to to increased traffic. Direct access, he
would result in the "deterioration of our allow only westbound traffic on Beam contended,to the Mall will come through
neighborhood" with the nearby Avenue while allowing only eastbound Highway 36 on the south,Interstate 694 on
Maplewood Mall regional shopping center traffic on Radatz. the north and White Bear Avenue , the
to the west of White Bear generating large However no council action was taken. current north-south carrier.
traffic flows. One gentleman, opposed to the street Jane St. Onge, 2126 Beam Ave.,
Some speakers, who are Beam and connections, said that residents in the however,countered that if the residential
Lydia residents, told the council that area had not moved to Maplewood roads are connected there will be no in-
some of the citizens who signed the Heights "because of the convenience of a centive from the county or the state to
original petition were not aware of a 1974 shopping center. I believe people chose upgrade their roads.
feasibility study that has scheduled Beam this edge of the city to be remote and Raymond Rossbach, 2055 Radatz Ave.,
and Lydia to be opened up to White Bear isolated." responded that the city should not adhere
Avenue only until six stages of other road He questioned how names for the to the feasibility report, which recom-
improvements are completed. petition, which requests that the streets mends that only Beam and Lydia be
Other opponents charged that North St. be opened,were collected.He noted that