Residents Speak Out Against 2020 Street Reconstruction Plan
The Osseo City Council approved the next phase of its 2020 street reconstruction project. That phase is to prepare plans for reconstructing 2nd and 3rd Avenues NE. The city’s current plan calls for narrowing the streets to 32 feet wide and installing sidewalks on the east side of both streets. The goal is to make the city more pedestrian-friendly. Some residents who live on the impacted streets spoke out against including sidewalks.
Resident Andrew Sandahl said, “I think the only people who will be using the sidewalks are us, and all of us are kind of against it. So, I don’t think it’s a worthy investment.”
Michael Panchyshyn also got up and spoke during Tuesday’s public hearing. “We really don’t need sidewalks. The streets are plenty safe. We don’t have a lot of traffic that goes down that road.”
Preston Kroska lives on 2nd Avenue NE. He’s also against the Osseo street reconstruction plan. “This is our neighborhood. What percentage of the rest of the community is actually going to use these sidewalks?”
The council did pass the resolution with a 4 to 1 vote. The estimated cost is a little over a million dollars. The city council will take up the issue again in January. To watch the whole meeting, click here.
