Hwy 371 Municipal Consent Written Comments

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Municipal Consent Public Hearing Written Comments November 16, 2010, Addendum to Council Minutes Page 4 of 33 • We already have a nearly 4 lane highway going through town now. We have enough roads to maintain so let's improve and use the one we already have. • Busy traffic is really on a factor for a few weekends of the year. • A new highway would destroy many acres of trees and farmland, further fragmenting our forests and a determent to both forest management and wildlife. • The by pass would have no overpass across Highway 11, creating just another intersection and slowing the through traffic down in the same fashion as the present highway works. • The purpose of the present Highway 371 is to connect towns. It does this well so why change it. • MnDOT has stated that whatever option is built, it will be designed safely. The established crosswalk for pedestrians will work no matter what the traffic volume. • The bypass will hurt established business locations that depend on high traffic visibility for success. • People know Pequot Lakes now because they have driven through it even if they don't plan to stay. A bypass will erase this experience and the city will become an unknown to many. • Other alternatives have surfaced for through town options that should now be explored. • As a taxpayer, I would much prefer the money be spent on highway projects more in need, such as an overpass at the Baxter Highway 371/210 junction. 14. Michael and Arlene Czech — 3816 Wildlife Trail. Pequot Lakes, MN 56472 The only true benefit of making Highway 371 a four lane highway and bypassing Pequot Lakes is perceived safety. A four lane road is safer in that no head on collisions would occur in a passing situation. The fatalities data is not adjusted for seat belt usage increase or the seat belt mandate. I would like to see the data for the total number of accidents, which surely must increase with increased traffic. Since the correct data is skewed toward approving the project, I will not vote for its approval solely based on safety. All the other listed benefits are not supported with any actual data. I believe no "CONS" were stated and my list would include the following: Increased traffic pollution from both a noise and exhaust gas perspective, negative impact to right -of -way land owners, negative impact to businesses who have recently upgraded their properties, since they will not by on the main highway when the town is bypassed, the negative impact to wildlife, and the negative impact on the pace of life that we want to maintain in a rural setting. The biggest