HomeMy WebLinkAbout1976 12-08 McKnight plan approved 4-1 THE REVIEW Despite protest
McKnight plan
approved 4-1
Dec.g, IT/
by Dennis Doeden to the closing of Radatz(which was done
this past summer)and is created more by
Following about two and a half hours of 3M Company traffic than anything else.
debating with property owners the North Councilman Curt Johnson said,"Traffic
St.Paul City Council voted 4-1 Monday flow on McKnight has been steadily to-
night to order a $441,000 improvement creasing over the years and we're going
project on McKnight Road from Highway to have more problems if we don't im-
36 to Beam Avenue. prove the street than if we do."
The project,to be scheduled for the 1977 The improvement to McKnight will
construction season, calls for utility result in two traffic lanes of 12 feet each
construction,curb and gutter,sidewalk, and two parking lanes of 10 feet plus new
roadway and traffic signal work on concrete curb and gutter.In addition,a
McKnight. It will cost the homeowners five foot sidewalk will be constructed on
approximately$7 per front foot,with the the west side of McKnight from Beam to
City of North St.Paul and Ramsey County 11th Avenue.
paying for portions of the project.
City officials had predicted limited The inclusion of the sidewalk in the
opposition to the project by residents project was also a center of controversy
based on feedback from an Oct. 18 in- at Monday night's meeting in the North
formational meeting which was attended St.Paul City Hall.Seventy-five percent of
by a large number of people living along the cost of the sidewalk would be paid by
the roadway.But their predictions turned the city under the original proposal,
out to be inaccurate. leaving a cost of$1.13 per front foot for the
A petition signed by 26 property owners homeowners to pay.But because of what
who stated they were opposed to the he called"a unique situation"for citizens
project was presented to the council by living on McKnight Road, Councilman
T.J.Champion,2718 N.McKnight,at the Leo Hudalla proposed that the city amend
beginning of the meeting. Champion, its normal practice and pay for the entire
speaking for the group,said he felt the sidewalk cost. His motion, which was
improvements to McKnight were "not made just before the final vote,failed due
needed because all the traffic from to the lack of a second.Johnson followed
Maplewood is being funneled down with a motion to order the entire project
McKnight."He cited the failure of the as originally proposed and it passed 4-1,
City of Maplewood to open up three with Hudalla dissenting in protest over
streets (Beam, Lydia and Radatz) to the sidewalk issue.
White Bear Avenue as the main reason for Following construction of the project
increased traffic on McKnight Road. next year, an assessment hearing is
But members of the council disagreed expected to be held in August or Sep-
with Champion,stating that the problem tember of 1978 to make final tallies on the
of heavy traffic existed on McKnight prior cost to property owners.