HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-10-30 E-Mail Subject: Centerville Resident Questions Use of Grant Dollars by CC
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John Meyer
From: Roggenbuck, Kevin [kevin.roggenbuck@metc.state.mn.us]
Sent: Thursday, October 30,200812:06 PM
To: 'Melody Meath'
Subject: RE: Centerville resident questions use of grant dollars by City Council
Melody,
Thank you for your comments and questions about the Centerville Bicycle Trail Link.
The Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) awarded funds to Centerville to construct trails that would connect its
citizens to parks, schools and other trails in the city and in the Rice Creek Chain of Lakes. Their application
identified several trail segments that would be built at the same time Anoka County reconstructs CSAH 14/Main
Street in Centerville.
The Mill Road portion was not part of the original project scope, but it can be added if it does not take away any of
the benefits that were described in their application. The Minnesota Department of Transportation helps local
governments like Centerville design their projects and get them ready to be built. They are responsible for
making sure the local government designs the project to be safe and that it matches the project they proposed to
build. Trails that cross driveways are a safety concern, but it does not necessarily make them unsafe. If the city
were to build a sidewalk instead, it would still cross the driveways. The design of projects like this go through a
public involvement process of meetings and presentations hosted by the city. If you and your neighbors on Mill
Road feel strongly against this trail, you should make your feelings known to your mayor and city council. The
TAB does not intervene in design issues like this.
If you wish to speak with MN DOT, I can find out who is managing this project and give you their contact
information.
Thank you,
Kevin.
Kevin Roggenbuck, Transportation Coordinator
Transportation Advisory Board
390 Robert Street No.
St. Paul, MN 55101
phone: 651-602-1728
fax: 651-602-1739
kevin. roggenbuck@metc.state.mn.us
From: Melody Meath [mailto:mmeath@q.com]
Sent: Sunday, October 19, 2008 6:07 PM
To: Roggenbuck, Kevin
Subject: Centerville resident questions use of grant dollars by City Council
Dear Kevin,
I am a Centerville resident and I am writing to you in regards to a trail grant our city was
awarded in the amount of $700,000. The Council seem to think that a trail on Mill Road is of the
utmost importance due to the safety concern. They seem to think a 10 foot trail 20 feet into the
front yards of the property owners on Mill Road is the only solution. I know for a fact no other
solution has been entertained and the whole push behind this trail is because we have these grant
dollars. I'm an expecting mother and my concern is for the safety of my child when there is a 10
foot bike trail thirty feet from my front door. This trail goes past 18 driveways on Mill Road. Is this
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safe?
Originally, the trail was proposed in the 2009 road project along with roadwork on Mill Road but
~ was pulled after the council admitted unanimously that the roadwork on Mill Road was being driven
by the trail and did not need to be done at this time. Now, they are not able to assess the property
owners for the trail so they turned to the grant money. Now I ask you, is it fiscally responsible to
spend more than half of the grant money on ONE trail? Mr. Statz, our City Engineer, did an
estimate a while back of $250,000 for this trail on Mill Road. I believe he is now doing a feasibility
report and I am sure that number will be much higher. If you were to ask the City Engineer the
most cost effective way to put this trail in, I would bet he would say you do it when the road needs
to be done. Ask him.
To me it seems like a waste of the grant dollars that our city worked so hard for to use such a
huge chunk of it on ONE trail. I don't know of one person on Mill Road that is in favor of this trail.
In fact, there has even been talk of lawyers as this trail will surely decrease our property values. I
have asked why we can't just do a sidewalk on Mill Road when the road needs to be done. The
response I received by the City Administrator, Dallas Larson, was that the council did not want to
wait until the road needs to be done to put in a sidewalk. For some reason the council wants to
waste half the grant dollars you awarded us on one trail because they do not want to wait to do it
when it makes sense, when the road needs to be done. This is foolish and irresponsible.
I would think you would want the grant money you awarded us to be used in the most
fiscally responsible manner and what they are proposing is far from it. Wouldn't you agree?
Sincerely,
Melody Meath
7246 Mill Road, Centerville
Here is my contact info if you wish to discuss further.
651-407-3677
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