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standards detailed in the 2021 City of Roseville Pathway Master Plan (Plan). The Plan describes path essentials such as preferred location on ROW, accessibility by all, and sufficient width for both bikers and pedestrians. ROW also provides clarity of the City’s responsibility for tree trimming, dead tree removal, other long-term maintenance activities and costs, and liability. City liability should be clear because a new path will create a dangerous mid-block intersection at Roselawn, a high-volume, fast-moving traffic road during rush hour when kids travel to and from school. As a homeowner, a ROW turnback that includes a path easement is a worst-case scenario: new responsibility, risk, liability, and costs while receiving no beneficial use of “our” property. In contrast, a ROW turn-back would clarify our full responsibility and allow our beneficial use. The dozen beautiful oak trees and many other mature trees in the ROW would be preserved. In our opinion, we already have enough asphalt, including two existing off-street paths, along both Fairview and Snelling, each just ¼ mile away. We value protecting every mature tree in the ROW more than we value the convenience of using the neighborhood shortcut: Oaks over Asphalt. A ‘footpath petition’ reportedly has many signatures intended to show wide support for the neighborhood shortcut. Unfortunately, the online petition version included misconceptions and misstatements regarding this process. Also, during the April 21 public comment period some shortcut advocates voiced opposition to a paved path. We also support Oaks over Asphalt in the Aldine ROW, but we disagree regarding a City-sanctioned neighborhood shortcut for privileged use by only the able-bodied. Additionally, a formal City shortcut on the Aldine ROW would create an irregular, singular occurrence in the entire City of Roseville: the first and only long City path sited between numerous (8) residential properties (Plan maps, pages 44-49). Roseville’s mission statement says in part that the City will provide ethical and efficient government, and that the City aspires to prioritize environmental conservation. Please put the mission statement into action by respecting Plan spacing and siting norms, valuing the substantial investments already made building accessible paths along Fairview and Snelling, safeguarding mature trees, and spending limited City resources – our taxes – on higher-priority paths than a neighborhood shortcut just ¼ mile from two existing paths. Please vote to vacate the Aldine Street right-of-way with a utility easement, as the City originally proposed. Sincerely yours, Melinda Erickson and Tim Brown Qbhf!51!pg!464