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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1973 07-26 Council orders Lydia project despite citizen objection REVIEW CàUncil orders Lydia protect ),,,y/0, )993 despite citizen objection by Scott Carlson Despite objections from Citizens Against urged a postponement on any roadway heavier use in the future," he said. But Residential Exploitation (CARE), the decision for the Maplewood Heights area the council said it could not wait for the Maplewood council has ordered $385,000 until the Northeast Task Force, a corn- Task Force recommendations or for the street improvement project to extend mittee of northeast Ramsey county village's Beam ave. area feasibility Lydia ave.from McKnight rd. to Bellaire communities, makes recommendations report, a study considering the possibility ave. on how to handle the traffic. of connecting three Maplewood Heights The council took the action last Thursday "By making a decision now you're forcing roads to White Bear ave, which would be night despite claims from CARE your options," St. Onge said. And he ready in four months. spokesman Jim St. Onge,2116 Beam ave., added that construction of the 44-foot wide "If we wait four months I know we won't that the decision might; force future road could possibly lead to eventual be able to get as low a bid as we did now," roadway decisions in handling traffic deterioration of the residential neigh- councilman John Greavu said. The low from the now-under-construction $30 borhood. bid was about $20,000 under the village million Maplewood Mall shopping center. "Because the road is going to get extra engineer's estimate, manager Mike St.Onge,as in previous council meetings, blacktop this might indicate it will get Miller said. 4. # Miller said the road improvement, which would also include curb and gutter, sidewalks, lighting and landscaping; was ri'cessary to serve developer Robert Tilsen's housing construction, which consists of 73 lots. Tilsen's legal counsel, William Converse, said, "Tilsen can legally proceed to build but practically is stymied."Converse also doubts whether the village could order the project for the low bid cost. St. Onge voiced no objections to the village serving the Tilsen addition.But he added, "When we see the Mall being built and the excessive acreage around it, we can't help but come to the conclusion that traffic will be coming up our streets and deteriorating the neighborhood." Maplewood Director of Public Works Bobby D. Collier, said, however, that Lydia ave. qualifies for state-aid and would need to be constructed at a 44-foot width based on neighborhood useage only, despite possible options of extending the road to White Bear ave. as a shopping center cooridor. He estimates 4,000 cars will use the road daily. The minimum to designate a road as state-aid is 2,500. "And that should take care of the conditions we foresee,"Collier said. Councilman Donald Wiegert felt the 44- foot width was in line with sound engineering principles. "In my neigh- borhood we have a road which leads to a larger one and that leads to highway," Wiegert said. But Norman Anderson, 1603 Frost ave. said, "I think narrower streets should be observed because that cuts down speeding. If you make the road too straight and too wide you'll only bring more people through." And a unhappy Lydia resident asked "Why is there only talk of improving Lydia, Woodlyn and Beam ave.? Why can't the county upgrade its roads?" CARE originally formed in opposition to the council resolution of intent to connect the three roads to White Bear ave; The Maplewood Heights citizens vieW•'the action as possible to excessive traffic from the Mall using their roads. 1 But councilman Wiegert said, "That> why the Northeast Task Force is studyil whether the roads will be used as y suggest."