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Jan. 31, 2000 FS! E'- ..f. ; ~..:o-!'... IL,. . tbouJ lI'?l{bU City of Arden Hills . To all City Council Members Greetings, My name is Derrek Hames, I am an Arden Hills resident with concerns about the proposed Bethel Park Project which comes to vote tonight. I was present at the Planning Commission meeting where the Bethel Park Proposal was approved pending certain questions be addressed, (traffic issues being a priority). City Council representatives, I implore you to carefully examine the proposed Bethel Park Plan as to how it affects traffic flow and pedestrian hazard. One does not need to be an engineer or designer to see a disaster waiting to happen given the current conditions of Old 10 at the point to which Bethel proposes a park entrance, . The Park plan in its current form puts both drivers and pedestrians in peril. The question you need to ask yourself is; "has enough thought and planning gone into this proposal to adequately address safety issues for traffic and pedestrians?". Based on what I have seen of the proposed plans and witnessed at the Planning Commission meeting, the answer is; NO! To begin with, much talk has been given on this issue as to the rights of property owners, and the right to develop their own land. I agree with those rights in most cases, but, in this case one has to look to the past decisions by the property owner (Bethel College) and how those decisions set in motion a series of events that define futnre development parameters, It is my understanding that many years ago Bethel sold the land which is now referred to as the Chatham Neighborhood, that sale and subsequent development was a conscious and planned decision on Bethel's part. When that land was developed, the road leading in and out of the neighborhood (McKracken Lane) was so placed as to decrease the possibility of traffic congestion at or near the entrance to the college. Bethel held back a portion of that developed land as a "buffer zone" for the college, to ensure the safety and serenity of the college entrance, and had no plans to ever develop it. . Now, a newer administration oversees Bethel and its future development. It is in my opinion that Bethel must recognize that its past decisions (whether with good planning or bad ), directly and indirectly sculpted this piece of land with very limited development possibilities, This proposed plan goes beyond those self-imposed limitations (limitations that Bethel initiated by the way they sold and developed the surrounding land) and by doing so, it will produce a potential hazard for us all. Given the current traffic congestion on Old 10, and the nwnber of accidents and "near collisions" adjacent to the Bethel College entrance, I find it disturbing and reckless on the part of Bethel College to propose a plan that would increase the potential hazard to Arden Hills residents, Bethel College students, faculty and guests. Please don't misunderstand my position, I recognize Bethel's need for the facilities, but in my opinion, the proposed plan is premature and incomplete. Nothing should be done with that land (if it involves drive entrances and exits) until Old 10 is updated, the railroad bridge widened, driver site lines increased and most importantly, a combined effort with Bethel, the City of Arden Hills, Ramsey County and the Railroad Company to come up with a plan that ensures controlled traffic flow for tbe safety of drivers and pedestrians, now and in the future. It is my opinion that the City of Arden Hills should ~ approve the current proposed Bethel Park Plan, Bethel College needs to recognized the development limitations it put on this land by decisions they alone made in the past. I believe they are ethically bound to insure the safety of their staff, students, faculty and guests. The current Park Plan puts the issue of safety into question. Please do not approve a poorly thought-out plan that will surely come back to haunt us all, potentially with tragic consequences, that will cost us all time, money and possibly heartache to fix in the future. A new, more comprehensive plan needs to be insisted upon with traffic safety ( and solutions) a primary concern. . Thank you for your time and attention. Derrek Hames 1839 Venus Ave65I-628-0951