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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - City Council - 10/15/1974CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION OCTOBER 15, 1974 The South Burlington City Council and Planning Commission held a joint work session open to the public on October 15, 1974, in the Conference Room. Municipal Offices, 1175 Williston Road. This work session was for discussion of Route 7 with the State Highway Department representatives. MEMBERS PRESENT: Michael Flaherty, Chairman; Paul Farrar, Duane Merrill, Catherine Neubert, representing the City Council Mary Barbara Maher, Chairman: John Dinklage, Arlene Krapcho, Ernest Levesque, Sidney Poger, David Ellis, William Wessel, representing the Planning Commission MEMBERS ABSENT: None OTHERS PRESENT: William Szymanski, City Manager; Fred Mitchell, City Planner; Bob Brady, William Sargent, and Ralph Jillson of the State Highway Department, Jack Tabaka, Richard Alther, Barbara Agnew, Janet Silman, Eric Silman, R. P. Sopher, Richard Sharpe The meeting was called to order at 7:40 p.m. by Chairman Flaherty of the City Council. The following information was obtained from the Route 7 discussion — The project is presently in the preliminary planning stage, using funds appropriated for this purpose by the 1968 Legislature. A Department office was opened in March in Essex Junction but has had very few visitors as yet. The purpose of the study is to relieve congested traffic areas and to allow for increased traffic as it develops, taking into account through traffic as well as local traffic. The next phase would be preliminary engineering, then the design phase, then right of way acquisition, then the construction phase. Three task forces have been set up, one for Rutland County, one for Addison County, and one for this local area. Nothing is considered for north of South Burlington and Williston because of the Interstate. Each community has been asked for information on 22 items which would effectively guide the Highway Department. This information should be in the hands of the Department by spring. Information from traffic studies and origin and destination studies will be made available to the communities as soon as it can be analyzed — a slow process. The Highway Department does all estimates, engineering, and makes contact with other state agencies involved, such as Water Resources, Fish and Game, and Environmental. The target date for the Corridor hearing is early Fall, 1975. As one large hearing is too difficult, there will probably be a separate hearing in each community Hearings will be public. The Department expects to do a traffic study and environmental impact study on Route 116 before the Corridor hearing. All alternatives are to be presented at the Corridor hearing, including any alternative suggested by any community. After the Corridor hearing, the Department will select one alternative and study that in detail. Following that would be another public hearing, a design hearing when the final line is put to the public. It is the hope of the Highway Department to be able to present an accurate program to the 1976 Legislature for approval. Time lapse between legislative approval and actual construction can be from seven to ten years. Mr. Jillson of the Highway Department suggested that all of South Burlington's questions be formalized and put in writing and forwarded to him. Chairman Flaherty recommended that all questions be given to the City Planner for him to transmit to the Highway Department. Mr. Mitchell said a general time frame from the Department would be helpful to him. Chairman Flaherty expressed his appreciation to the Highway representatives for taking the time to attend the South Burlington work session. Mr. Farrar moved that the meeting be adjourned. Seconded by Mrs. Neubert. The meeting was declared adjourned at 9:05 p.m. Published by ClerkBase ©2019 by Clerkbase. No Claim to Original Government Works.