Last nights town meeting

Last nights meeting started with a crowded room and a LOT of people who wanted to talk about one specific issue. The annexation of the ROW(right of way) on Seminary road(PDF). So many showed that it was standing room for some. The room was simply not big enough for all the people.

This Map shows the part of Seminary Road that the city wanted.



The first people who addressed the council told of a whole list of problems that they had with the road at this time. Everything from flooding, to bad lights, to slow law enforcement response. The first commenter used the term "seminary raceway" when she talked about road racing that occurs there. In all a lot of problems were brought to the city councils attention.

James Yates was really the first council member to talk about the ROW last night and said the residents had many legitimate issues. He sounded so supportive that the audience broke out in applause. This caused the mayor to chastise the people a bit.

H.G. Cole brought up his main worry.



The I-2 lot to the right of the map is going to become a recycling center. I'm not sure who would have been the owner, but it pretty much depended on the side entrance. The Seminary road is not made for industrial and the recycling company would have improved it up to their entrance. The red line on the above map shows how far they would have upgraded the road. Now on the surface that may sound good, but it leaves an opening for the city to get shafted down the road. No pun intended.

H.G. Cole's main worry is based on the future us of the northern I-2 lot. If another industrial business moves in, they would be responsible for upgrading the road along the edge of their property. That's the yellow line.



At this point the city, and you the tax payer, would be responsible to repair regularly, or upgrade the red section of this map. The part the recycling center does not plan on upgrading.

H.G. Cole was not comfortable with that idea, and it seemed others on the council agreed. That, with the many issues the city would have inherited, made this annexation fail unanimously when the council voted. The crowds were not subdued when the vote went their way.