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<br /> <br />2050 Main Street · Centerville, Minnesota 55038 · Ph: (651) 429-9990 · Fax: (651) 429-9993 · www.nfpmn.com <br /> <br />I was also very discouraged to see the article in the November 30th Quad Community Press <br />entitled "Businesses revolt over road project". Hopefully, the article was just poorly written <br />and had people being misquoted and misrepresented. My main issues relating to this article <br />are as follows: <br /> <br />1) Quote from Council member that states "The majority of people dissatisfied are the <br />businesspeople. Residents accept that this is coming, but many businesses are <br />upset by the disruption this will cause". <br /> <br />The fact is that a majority of business owners (if not all) are in favor of the project and <br />the benefit that it will have on their businesses (especially retail related businesses). To <br />further indicate in the quote that business owners are upset by the disruption that this <br />will cause, and have the writer of the article further the quote by saying that this <br />disruption will come in the form of limiting access because of construction equipment <br />and road barriers is missing the point of why business owners are concerned. It is the <br />permanent access to businesses beyond the construction period that is the issue. <br /> <br />I feel that this type of quote divides our community. Businesses accept that the road is <br />coming also. The only reason that to date more residents have not voiced more <br />opinions on the road is that in many cases they do not understand the full impact of <br />some of the decisions that are being proposed. <br /> <br />2) The staff writer earlier states that "one of the main issues for businesses in the area <br />is the construction work that will be coming through town". Nothing in the article that <br />is a quote from the business people speaks to this construction period at all. I realize <br />this item was not a quote from any Council member, but it appears that the writer <br />received the wrong general message from someone. <br /> <br />I have called the staff writer from the Quad Community Press to request an opportunity <br />to present a more accurate business stance on the project, and hopefully this will be <br />appearing soon. <br /> <br />I have attached copies of the letters Ooint business vision and .individual Northern Forest <br />Products concerns) that I have forwarded to various parties related to this project. <br /> <br />I would like to bring up one last issue that I may be requesting some further advice from <br />the City Council on in the future. At last Wednesday's meeting, I heard from the Council <br />that the trucks coming to our facility would have to exit at County J and then head north <br />on Anoka 54/Centerville 20th Avenue to CR 14. I have driven this route a few times in <br />the last few days, and also had one of our regular truck drivers attempt this route last <br />Thursday. <br /> <br />The driver had difficulties seeing eastbound traffic on County J coming over the bridge <br />while sitting at this exit ramp, had to swing into the oncoming traffic lanes on County J <br />and on CR54 to make the turn coming north, and again into oncoming traffic lanes when <br />turning east at the intersection of 20th Avenue and CR 14 in Centerville. This driver is a <br /> <br />2 <br />