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Home My WebLink About1981 08-11 Rains caused part of road to slip into excavation pit DISPATCH • hborhoods ,,,.: Neig The Dispatch Rains causedpart of road ....,.,....,.:::....„„...:::,„:„ z r s r"' ,� { C,.,,,.,,,,gooitho%",,,otu,,tg":)qm:ki,. .: ,Apip .._.'"..„.:.:.„:,,.:::,.:.r,..„,„„,,,,.„,,,i„,,:„.„„.,,.„.„„„„:,,,..„,,,,„:,„:„„„„::,,,„,.„,„,,„,„E„,:,„„,„,,,,,,,::!,,,„„„„„,„„„,,,,,„„„,,,„„,„:„,„,,,,., „,,. .--.,. „..,,,...„-,,, -..„„„..t.,:v4,..,„:„.,,,,,,,,, ,. _•„, :„ :<,.,. , ,:::,..:.: .......:::„:.,:,,,....:,,,,,:::...,:::::...,:.„:„... ..,..„,„„,...„„„:.::::. . „„,,.. ,:.„,,.,..., . .. ,. „,„,..0*.&A..::,,%;...'..,.*$:-.,:;',.:fi?::„.._:::.:m _,...:& ''.. - :. _,,,J,:'::ik.W. 'k„�A. syr $n � � a -^.�! a ^roe.. '•^' 3 ae `N Y saa 'x" V mac. xp �:�'i,��x � } $ x '� ,sed ,3x�sM5<, ss��, �. w+ �i. C. ., VQia�S .,i,.ht '1. "hF' -,2> b. lrli Fa�� $ ¢so a .a &=s° �,`„ Dae ':.N y�ta san "' _ :� r3,,,�,� !3 td - ry a G 'b�: �4 �,3' �� a, arF� t 4 9 m d` ,ix ♦D t o ,, :3.i::. ,! t .ro :4 - .,s, A a .,z, •ro- , �r -- A �w6 ,�. ,r' m s { _ �s %^� , wz3 � ' t 9 k Roy Derickson Water flows in the bottom of an excava- Maplewood. The rains also caused part of tion pit. Heavy rains helped create a lake the road to collapse into the pit. Ken Haid- onthe construction site for a Toyota Agency er, Maplewood public works director, said on Beam Avenue and Highway 61 in the hole will be filled and the site moved. 2nd Section ' Tuesday, Aug. 11, 1981 /5E to slippit into excavation By Darlene Gorrill "Really it's been a bad sum- gether and hired an attorney. Staff Writer mer for us," Vars said. "It Even though they say city offi- doesn't have to be a big rain to cials have tried and have been When's a lake not a lake? make a mess." helpful, the neighbors want some When rainfall creates a lake inSilt runoff makes the road as guarantees in writing in case of the middle of a construction site, slippery as ice when wet, neigh- more trouble,she said. causes part of a road to fall into born say. "You have to keep two Neighbors will face some in- a pit and creates headaches for pairs of shoes," Vars said — one convenience for awhile at least. citizens dealing with slippery for dry weather and one for wet Because of the moving of the land and drainage problems. weather. site, the plant construction will be delayed. The project may go But, then again, that's Beam Rose Mahnke knows about the through the fall,Haider said. Avenue. problems. Mahnke's home at Contractors face problems "We have just put up with 1210 Beam Ave. is close to the with the peat in the area that months of inconvenience," said site, and the rain created a spe- makes excavation harder. At- Marilyn Vars, 1140 Beam Ave. cial problem for them. tempts to preserve the area as Beam Avenue woes have a When the heavy rains hit, the wetlands failed as courts ruled long history. The construction of Mahnke's watched as part of the area didn't qualify. a Toyota agency on the corner of their property collapsed and The neighbors' troubles on Highway 61 and Beam Avenue in landed in the pit. Beam Avenue don't end with the Maplewood remains a problem Toyota firm. On the north side, a Dint. But the Mahnke's, as well as y p other neighbors, have faced housing development excavation The most immediate mess other problems this summer. is running into some problems. came in late July when heavy I went out to get my mail," The city issued a special grad- rains made part of the road slip she said. "I fell and sprained my ing permit to the developers of into an excavation pit. Along the property for grading. The with that, a piece of equipment right foot. I had a blood clot in P p y was traped in the temporary my right knee." permit e City Councilplacein d new lake created by the rainfall. The neighborhood is filled with conditions on the permit. The Vars' just returned from dirt and dust. "All summer I One of those conditions called the Ramsey County Fair when a couldn't hang up my clothes." for completion of grading, top- neighbor called and asked if all When it's dry, then the area is soil and seeding by Aug. 1. But their family had come home.The dusty; when it's wet, the area is that hasn't been finished yet. neighbor then told her the south slippery,she said. Haider said he wasn't sure ex- side of the road fell into the pit. actly what to do about the prob- To relieve some of the prob- "Nobody wants to visi, ,�,°„ken. The city can- shut them lems,changes are planned. she said with a laugh. down, he said, but that wouldn't The changes involve moving The Mahnke's have cracks in solve the problem. the site for the agency. The the ceiling of their home. Inadequate drainage facilities move would take the site farther "It's really been unreal," she have caused problems for neigh- away from Beam Avenue and said. "It just gets to be too bors. The citywill urge the the con- the property owners, said Ken much." tractor get the gradingcorn- director.Haider,Maplewood public works Because it's been too much, possible, pleted as soon as Haid- That new site should allow the the neighbors have gotten to- er said. contractors to dig a hole only .. about 15 feet deep instead of the over 30-foot hole that was being dug. That should take care of the road problems caused by the rain,Haider said. When the hole is filled, the sit- uation should be better because the peat will be replaced with heavier fill,he said. The city will continue check- ing the road for possible dam- ages.