Agenda - Public Works Committee - 02/16/2010

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Steve Jankowski From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Attachments: I live in U Turn, Right Turn, Dead End Ramsey Gary Greb [gary_g_1 @q.com] Saturday, February 06, 2010 4:37 PM Steve Jankowski Mayor Ramsey; CM McGlone; David Jeffrey; Matt Look objection to road closure Argon Streetl0 -04 -09 011.jpg; sign by hwy 47.jpg; Argon St Winter 2010.jpg Mr Jankowski and the Ramsey Council members with e-mail, I am no able to make the meeting concerning the closure issue of 142nd Avenue due to previous comittments. To date no one has shown any justifiable reason for the "temporary closure" in the first place, but you have been successful in making it more treacherous since the closure. I have attached two pictures as examples of what we as residents have to deal with going the direction you have forced us to take. You have made the commute far more dangerous for us. I have written several articles to the Anoka County Union stating the problems with your decision, and have recieved nothing but positive feedback from many of the surrounding communites, with the exception of the two individuals who pushed for the closure in the first place, without consulting their neighbors. I was even at an event the other day in which Mayor Ramsey was in attendance and I spoke with him for about 10 minutes, and in that time he was approached by two individuals that I had never met before, telling him what a terrible idea it was to close 142nd Avenue. All Mayor Ramsey had to say was "we are aware of the situation" and left it at that. No justifiable explanation, which we as residents are still waiting to hear from our supposed Council. Children walk down the road 4 and 5 across, sometimes two rows deep, even when the road conditions are very slick, which has been quite frequently lately. The roads on 143rd & Argon, and 142nd Lane during the winter months, are poorly maintained to say the least. From the one picture, you can see that the path to go between the cars is very narrow, and there really should be "no parking anytime" signs on both sides of that curve, otherwise vehicles are forced into oncoming traffic with little visual advance notice from the other direction. Is this the City of Ramsey's idea of safety? I could go on for a long time about the faults in your decision a year ago, but I am sure you are all aware of them, weather you are willing to admit to them or not. I am still confused why the City Planners cannot do a better job of designing the roads in Ramsey. Even on the North end of Ramsey off Ramsey Blvd, I have to do u -turns to leave my daughter's house. There should also be a traffic signal at the intersection of Hwy 47 and 142nd Avenue, not only for people to make a safe turn, but also to help the businesses in the area. I personally could care less if cars travelling through to other communities are delayed a couple of minutes if it means a safer crossing for our residents to the Rum River Park and businesses on the east side of Hwy 47. I know this is a County decision, but if our Council is not wiling to pursue it on behalf of it's residents, then give us a contact to pursue it ourselves. After all, it is not the residents fault that the City planners made poor decisions years before, but they do not need to make them worse now. I expect this to be presented to the Council members and at the Council meeting on February 17th in its entirety along with the pictures. I am willing to discuss any of the above with any Council member in a public venue or in writing where it can be documented. I hearby state these as facts, and that my disagreement with the closure at 142nd Avenure is legally and morally justified. I am CC'ing different people so that the City planners and Council members cannot say there was no opposition to the continued closure of 142nd Avenue. Thank you, Gary Greb Ramsey Resident 6