HomeMy WebLinkAbout1979 04-26 Couple find road project too close to doorsteps DISPATCH __
stpaukiispatch
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Couple find roadproject
too close to doorsteps
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By SCOTT CARLSON Ma r1IQ wood city•
we didn't hear from the
Staff Writerp we assumed there were no
A Maplewood couple say their problems or else the people were
"dream house"is being threat- project design).We don't feel we resigned to the project, Preston
said.He explained that the state
ened by the pending construction can stop the project.
of a$600,000 state road project. didn't contact affected city resi-
He told of the engineering dif- dents because project construc-
"It just makes my heart ficulty in corning up with a good tion was planned within the ex-
ache,"Patt Hurley,of 925 Park- project design because oif the isting right of way.
way Drive,says when she pond- roads'skewed intersection. And that right of way has been
ers the planned construction. The state failed twice in trying platted since 1937, Preston said.
The state,along with Ramsey to improve the county's design g "Whoever built the homes must
County,wants to improve the plans,Preston said. "We've have known where it(the right of
Parkway Drive and Highway 61 pushed our design standards to way)was and that they were up
intersection. the limit. closer than what was desirable."
THAT MEANS THE state "It would probably be best not The right of way,Preston -
would take all but 15 feet of to have an intersection but you explained,comes within four
their front yard to widen the ' have to do the best you can." feet of the Hurley's garage.
street and accommodate left He added: "We have to consid- Contacted by the Dispatch,
turn lanes,the Hurleys said Mon-
He
the 25,000 to 30 000people Mayor John Greavu speculated
day. the council wouldn't have ap-
"The (the state)will raise the who use the intersection."The proved the project plans if it
y intersection,eahe said, has bean knew how close the right of way
center line eight inches,"added identified ahigh azardous
Jerry,Patt's husband. "By the area and eligible for federal came to the homeowners'front
time the road gets to our proper- funding. doorsteps. But when the city
ty it will be three to four feet looked at maps they didn't show
high in our frontyard." BOTH PRELIMINARY and the easements,Greavu said.
To protest the project,the final project plans were ap- "I FEEL for them," the
proved by the Maplewood Coun-
Hurleys have erected"no tre- cil. See Couple,Page 3(E) 3
passing signs"on their property. _ _
In addition they have lobbied the
City Council,the state Depart-
ment of Transportation(DOT)
and Rep.Dick Kostohryz,DFL-
North St. Paul,to halt the
pro,f-_,c:t. !A '7.4/
The success of their lobbying
efforts was in doubt.Charles
Burrill,a district nine DOT engi-
neer,said he heard talk that the
project was halted.
But he added: "We still have a
contract.If there is action to the
contrary I'm not aware of it."
THE HURLEYS said they
aren't optimistic that the project
will be stopped.
"It upsets us to know being
new residents. . .that the gov-
ernment can take action without
the support and knowledge of
those directly involved,"Mrs.
Hurley said.The Hurleys said
they were unaware of the road ,
plans when they purchased their
home eight months ago,even
though they called City Planner _
Geoff Olson about land uses and
easements around their proper-
ty.
"We didn't ask specifically
about the road but who would
have thought to ask?"Jerry said.
Contacted by the Dispatch,Ol-
son said he couldn't remember
*i talking to the Hurleys."I might
have,"he said.
But Olson added that the plan-
ning office receives many calls
,: each day about land uses in the
city.
The couple say their$60,000
investment will become worth-
less if the road is widened. "We
put time in restoring the home,"
Mrs. Hurley said.
"WE CAN'T afford to lose it,"
Jerry interjected.
"We feel sorry for the
Hurleys,"said Howard Preston,
a district traffic studies engineer
with the DOT."But we don't feel
we can do anything about it(the
St. Paul Dispatch
Thur.,April 26,'79 (E) 3
Couple
Continued from Page 1(E)
mayor said of the Hurleys.
Bill Bittner,city public works
director,said: "I don't think any-
one denies that there is damage
to the homeowner."But Bittner
said he believes the project
shouldn't be stopped.
"To delay it would increase
costs substantially,"he
explained. "It's a badly needed
improvement.In terms of an al-
ternative we don't see any."
�� Thursday
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April 26, 1979
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Unfriendly signs express the displeas- improve the intersection of Highway 61
ure of Patt and Jerry Hurley with apro- and Parkway Drive. State and city offi-
posed road project which would take all cials held meetings to consider the Hur-
but about 15 feet of their front yard. The lays' plight. But whether the project
Hurleys, 925 Parkway, have lobbied would be halted was still in doubt.
against the state Department of Trans-
partation's plans to widen their road and —Staff Photo by Scott Carlson.