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<br />surrounding area. The loss of cropland on the project site <br />due to development of this project will have minimal effect <br />on agriculural support services in the area. <br /> <br />5.0 SOCIOECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY SERVICES <br /> <br />The City of Ramsey has grown tremendously since 1970, <br />increasing the number of housing units in the city by 344.7% <br />between 1970 and 1982 and increasing the population by <br />327.7% in the ten years between 1970 and 1980. The <br />Northfork development, to be constructed over ten years, <br />will represent only 12.5 % of the total average annual <br />increase in housing units (assuming development in the city <br />remains at a pace similar to that experienced during the <br />1970's) and can be expected to add 948 people to the city's <br />population. <br /> <br />This increase should not put a burden on the two school <br />districts that serve the Northfork area. The development <br />can be expected to increase the city's tax base. City <br />services such as fire and police protection, and road <br />maintenance are currently sufficient to accommodate the <br />development. <br /> <br />6.0 TRAFFIC <br /> <br />{ <br /> <br />State Trunk Highway 10/169 provides access from the project <br />site to the metropolitan centers of Minneapolis/St. Paul. <br />Access from the site onto T.H. 10/169 requires crossing the <br />Burlington Northern railroad tracks which parallel the north <br />side of the highway. Near the proposed entrance to <br />Northfork, MnDOT operates a weigh station which is currently <br />used on an intermittent basis but is expected to be used <br />more often in the future. The presence of the railroad <br />tracks and the weigh station create potential concerns for <br />access to the site. <br /> <br />Three concepts for access to the project site plus a "no <br />build" option were examined for their traffic volumns, level <br />of service, and costs for traffic related improvements in <br />the DEIS. <br /> <br />The "key" intersections within the study area currently <br />operate at acceptable levels of service. Assuming existing <br />geometries and traffic control conditions; a 5% annual <br />growth rate for traffic volumes on T.H. 10/169; and no <br />development within the project site; by 1995 the "key" <br />intersections on T.H. 10/169 at Jarvis Street, Puma Street <br />and Armstrong Boulevard begin to operate at unacceptable <br />levels of service. <br /> <br />-2- <br />