Remember: our rules allow pointed disagreement, but require respectful discussion.
--
Tim Bonham asked;
Can someone please explain how this could have been built on the current
alignment? It seems to me that there is not enough room where the road
goes
between the Vet's Hospital and the Old Soldiers Home area to fit the road
there. And we could not have acquired any of more land, since this is
Federal land, and as such is not subject to state eminent domain
proceedings.
LRT would have to fly over the road. It would effectively add in an additional
bridge to double deck the land. Think Chicago style raised tracks.
But reguardless, did MnDOT and other leaders assure the public Coldwater
would not be affected?
Yes, more times than I have counted.
It has been boasted as being protected as early as march 1981 from the
reroute. They talk of the pump house as "the first structure built at Fort
Snelling" (Of course the structure has more significance to them than the
Spring, which is why the structure is there....)
MnDOT produced a "Fact and Myth" sheet where it says MnDOT will "insure
that the spring is not impacted." And distributed it all over. Everyone reads it,
everyone says Coldwater will not be affected. Our leaders included.
No one wanted to look and see that what really happened was MnDOT had
a few ideas to "try" and REDUCE impact, and if they messed up, pump city
water in to replace the spring. Kind of like Loring pond. It used to be natural,
now it's the city's tap being left on...that's also how they drained it so easily
when they rebuilt it. Just turn off the faucet.
Most claims of protection stem off of a geologist at MnDOT. In July 1997, He
brought up the problems with the origional intent of blasting a trench in the
rock for a sewer line under the road. He effectively said it would probably
destroy the spring. He gave three alternatives, "that will reduce the chances
of disturbance, or may serve to mitigate disturbance by attempting to seal off
the perching layers should they become breached."
To MnDOT�s credit they are doing all three, (included no blasting) but the
geologist never said no impact, he said it will reduce the chances. But the
public was told over and over again, the spring will not be affected.
Personally I don�t like the oops factor happening here. I have been told that
when they said no impact, they didn�t really mean no impact. As far as I�m
concerned this is pathetic. They are either going to save the spring or not. If
MnDOT dosn�t want to build a 4-8 million solution, fine. Do the studies to
show why their smaller solution works. Don�t give us some �I�m pretty sure�
answer.
MnDOT says they can be sued with the current law if they take one cup of
water from the interchange. This is stupid. I know the people most involved
with the whole Coldwater issue. They don�t like MnDOT. They would be quite
happy to not have to deal with them anymore. They would probably throw a
party, if they didn�t have to deal with MnDOT anymore. If the spring is saved,
as MnDOT has promised it will be, everyone will leave them alone.
Besides I just saw MnDOT�s Richard Stehr, and MCWD�s Eric Eevenson
debate on TV. Evenson is right, if the watershed who�s express mission is
protecting and dealing with the water issues says it�s OK, anyone else won�t
have much of a leg to stand on.
Stehr said MnDOT had hired it�s own exerts and no impact will happen to the
spring. �MnDOT is committed to that�.
If so, then what�s MnDOT fighting? I happen to have a report from one of
MnDOT�s hired geologists that says that the water to the spring partly
comes from the intersection. I can e-mail the maps to anyone who asks. (Of
course MnDOT now said that consultant is wrong)
I think the saddest thing of all was at the last Lower Mn watershed meeting,
where Dennis Larson a MnDOT engineer seemed to have a workable solution
to the whole mess, but he can�t present it. MnDOT told him construction
must stop.
Tom Holtzleiter
Kingfield
PS Great Job Eric! Thanks to MCWD for all the great work they have been
doing too!
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