[Winona Online Democracy]
Title: Sustainability Series
Speaking of sustainability, the expansion of Winona into the valleys, bluffs,
and surrounding farm fields has been criticized on that basis. The critics are
not referring so much to financing schemes for the needed infrastructure
improvements as to the loss of productive farmland and to an increased
dependence on non-renewable energy sources (petroleum) that sprawl creates. (Of
course, some of the critics who now live at the edge of town are probably more
concerned about future development spoiling the views from their patios, but
never mind.)
So, speaking of sprawl, on the agenda of the next Winona City Council meeting
is a request for the Council to endorse an "improvement" to highways 61 and 50
in Dakota County. This would be the section between the junction of 61 and 316
where the divided four lanes of 61 west of Red Wing ends and the town of Hampton
at 52. The Chamber of Commerce�s Transportation Task Force (Lawrence Trucking)
is behind this and I assume that they use this route to serve some of their
customers. That stretch of road is a narrow two lane with steep hills and
valleys with reduced speed limits in the small towns along the way. The
unspecified improvements, I also assume, would be to widen the road to four
lanes and level the hills and valleys. I can�t fault the Chamber�s advocacy on
behalf of one of its active and influential members, but I also can�t help
feeling sorry for the towns and farms that would be greatly diminished to
provide a temporary advantage to a particular business enterprise. And what�s
next? Probably a call for converting Hwy 61 between Red Wing and Wabasha to a
divided four lane road.
John N. Finn
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