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Traffic Mitigation, Traffic Safety and Emergency Vehicle Access: <br />A. What is the plan for significant traffic mitigation with these additional 52 <br />vehicles added to the already congested and difficult to access Nowthen <br />Blvd? There is no significant traffic mitigation between Hwy 47 and Alpine <br />Drive. <br />a. There have been several accidents on Nowthen and Sunwood drive <br />over the years. <br />b. There is an elementary school along this stretch, adding to the heavy <br />traffic. <br />c. Residents from northern communities such as St. Francis and <br />Nowthen drive this stretch to avoid Hwy 47 and 10 congestion. <br />d. The double turn lanes off Hwy 47 onto Nowthen, along with the <br />merge and turn lanes on Nowthen near Stoney River Senior Housing, <br />were very poorly planned and executed, and the area is ripe for a <br />significant accident. <br />e. Vehicles are JUST starting to get up to the 50 mph speed by the time <br />they reach 146th Avenue, after having to slow for the merge and turn <br />lanes near Stoney River. With additional cars turning left onto 146th <br />Ave, this will slow traffic further and cause potential accidents. <br />i. When there are cars turning left onto 146th, many people go <br />around that car on the right, and there are often near collisions, <br />again because people are accelerating to get up to the speed <br />limit. <br />f If Anoka County has concerns about another access onto Nowthen in <br />that area, this reduces access to only one entrance and exit into this <br />development. As understood, the current plan, if allowed, would be <br />for this second access to be an exit only road. These two issues raise <br />concerns: <br />i. WITH a second, exit only access - If the single road within the <br />development proposed remains as designed, all vehicles must <br />turn left onto 146th avenue for access INTO the development. <br />Concerns remain as described earlier about safety at this <br />intersection. <br />ii. With NO second/exit only access allowed - This pushes all <br />traffic to this development onto 146th avenue to enter AND exit <br />this development. Concern again about the intersection safety <br />and additional impact on the condition of the newly constructed <br />146th avenue, as well as added wait time in an already difficult <br />situation morning and night to enter and exit Nowthen Blvd. <br />1. A LARGE concern in this "ONE ROAD" access <br />scenario is emergency vehicle access. With one entrance <br />and exit from 146th Avenue, the development will need a <br />turn -around or cl-de-sac created for a fire truck to access <br />the properties. And can a full size fire truck even make <br />