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City accepts road plan, grant to buy buildings

By GENE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
The Stevens Point Common Council gave the go-ahead to purchase buildings along Division Street between Dixon and Monroe streets and approved the concept of a single corridor for traffic through the area Tuesday, Aug. 21.

The council unanimously accepted contracts with the state Department of Transportation for $1.1 million for property acquisition, as well as an additional $350,000 for property acquisition and $585,000 for construction as the city's 15 percent share.

The $1.1 million involves a federal grant of $880,000 (a city share of $220,000) to acquire vacant buildings on the east side of the 2200 block of Division, once the main south side shopping area. Those buildings include the former North Star Paint and Body Supply, EdRich TruValue Hardware, Point Bakery and Roska Pharmacy, plus the former Poor Boys Auto shop in the 2300 block of Church Street.

The other $350,000 involved in the contracts refers to the amount the city spent to acquire the Cabinets & More and Point Soo Credit Union (now Point Plus Credit Union) buildings in the 2300 block of Division Street.

Although the council unanimously supported the concept for the project, aldermen indicated there were sections of the proposal that they felt should be adjusted.

They supported the concept to combine north and southbound traffic on a single route, Church Street between Dixon and Monroe. Presently, northbound traffic uses Church while southbound uses Division Street and Monroe.

They also voiced support to acquire the buildings in the 2200 block of Division, which will be razed to straighten a curve from Church to Division and allow for widening of the traffic lanes to 11 feet.

Southbound traffic on Strongs Avenue would be routed onto Park Street to connect with Church instead of connecting with Monroe Street, which would be blocked at its western intersection with Church.

With that traffic moving onto Park, the proposal calls for installation of traffic signal lights on Church at the intersection with Park and Madison streets and prohibits left turns from Dixon onto Division. Only right turns would be permitted from Dixon.

Some aldermen felt the lights should be installed on Dixon and that street aligned with Church as Division carries traffic northward. Installing lights at Park-Madison will bring traffic down Wyatt Avenue from Dixon to Madison, they said.

Alderman David Sowieja, 5th Ward, who lives on Wyatt between Madison and Dixon said he will push for aligning Dixon with Church and putting signal lights there, feeling traffic should be diverted from the residential area on Wyatt and Madison.

Jim Schultz, project engineer for Becher-Hoppe of Wausau said the traffic counts don't warrant lights at Dixon-Church. About 1,500 vehicles turn onto Church at the intersection with Division daily, he said, while approximately 3,000 vehicles use Strongs Avenue and Park.

Schultz said the curve from Church onto Division would be designed to handle 30 mph traffic so the route is safe but doesn't become a racetrack for some drivers.

The latest proposal also revises the January proposal which had seven traffic lanes in the area in order to accommodate various turning lanes. The proposal has five lanes, which are 11-feet wide instead of the recommended 12-feet.

Schultz said the proposal calls for 11-foot lanes because Division Street to the north has 10-foot lanes and Church to the south has 9-foot lanes and those lanes aren't likely to be widened without a major project because of the existing neighborhoods.

Gary Metzer of the state Department of Transportation office in Wisconsin Rapids, said the proposals to eliminate the traffic problem in the area began in the 1960s or early 1970s and now funding has finally become available to correct the situation.

John Brown and Amy Heart of Stevens Point asked that bicycle lanes be added to the project.

Schultz said space is available to add them in the future but felt they would be inappropriate at the present time because of the limited scope of the project. Bicyclists would then have to find another route because the existing roadway is too narrow for lanes to the north and south, he said.

Before the council voted on the proposal, Stevens Point Mayor Gary Wescott said the city would spend more to do nothing further on the project by turning down the grant to purchase property.

Based on estimated costs, the city would spend $519,000 as its share of the project for design engineering, purchase of real estate and construction of parking on Monroe east of Division as well as the triangular area presently bordered by Division, Strongs and Park.

Doing nothing would cost the city $552,738 for design engineering and repaving Division and Church, he said, plus paying the entire cost of property acquisition of Cabinets & More and Point Soo.

"There is little doubt in my mind that this plan is more favorable," Wescott said about the revisions from the January proposal. "This is the way to revitalize a corridor for the business community."

He applauded the efforts of Metzer and Schultz for being responsive to input about the project from the council and community members.

Construction in the area isn't expected until 2004 or 2005, and specifics about the plan can be altered during the intervening period, he said, encouraging those with proposals to voice their concerns soon to avoid wholesale revisions.



	City accepts road plan, grant to buy buildings By GENE KEMMETER of The Gazette The Stevens Point Common Council gave the go-ahead to purchase buildings along Division Street between Dixon and Monroe streets and approved the concept of a single corridor for traffic through the area Tuesday, Aug. 21. The council unanimously accepted contracts with the state Department of Transportation for $1.1 million for property acquisition, as well as an additional $350,000 for property acquisition and $585,000 for construction as the city's 15 percent share. The $1.1 million involves a federal grant of $880,000 (a city share of $220,000) to acquire vacant buildings on the east side of the 2200 block of Division, once the main south side shopping area. Those buildings include the former North Star Paint and Body Supply, EdRich TruValue Hardware, Point Bakery and Roska Pharmacy, plus the former Poor Boys Auto shop in the 2300 block of Church Street. The other $350,000 involved in the contracts refers to the amount the city spent to acquire the Cabinets & More and Point Soo Credit Union (now Point Plus Credit Union) buildings in the 2300 block of Division Street. Although the council unanimously supported the concept for the project, aldermen indicated there were sections of the proposal that they felt should be adjusted. They supported the concept to combine north and southbound traffic on a single route, Church Street between Dixon and Monroe. Presently, northbound traffic uses Church while southbound uses Division Street and Monroe. They also voiced support to acquire the buildings in the 2200 block of Division, which will be razed to straighten a curve from Church to Division and allow for widening of the traffic lanes to 11 feet. Southbound traffic on Strongs Avenue would be routed onto Park Street to connect with Church instead of connecting with Monroe Street, which would be blocked at its western intersection with Church. With that traffic moving onto Park, the proposal calls for installation of traffic signal lights on Church at the intersection with Park and Madison streets and prohibits left turns from Dixon onto Division. Only right turns would be permitted from Dixon. Some aldermen felt the lights should be installed on Dixon and that street aligned with Church as Division carries traffic northward. Installing lights at Park-Madison will bring traffic down Wyatt Avenue from Dixon to Madison, they said. Alderman David Sowieja, 5th Ward, who lives on Wyatt between Madison and Dixon said he will push for aligning Dixon with Church and putting signal lights there, feeling traffic should be diverted from the residential area on Wyatt and Madison. Jim Schultz, project engineer for Becher-Hoppe of Wausau said the traffic counts don't warrant lights at Dixon-Church. About 1,500 vehicles turn onto Church at the intersection with Division daily, he said, while approximately 3,000 vehicles use Strongs Avenue and Park. Schultz said the curve from Church onto Division would be designed to handle 30 mph traffic so the route is safe but doesn't become a racetrack for some drivers. The latest proposal also revises the January proposal which had seven traffic lanes in the area in order to accommodate various turning lanes. The proposal has five lanes, which are 11-feet wide instead of the recommended 12-feet. Schultz said the proposal calls for 11-foot lanes because Division Street to the north has 10-foot lanes and Church to the south has 9-foot lanes and those lanes aren't likely to be widened without a major project because of the existing neighborhoods. Gary Metzer of the state Department of Transportation office in Wisconsin Rapids, said the proposals to eliminate the traffic problem in the area began in the 1960s or early 1970s and now funding has finally become available to correct the situation. John Brown and Amy Heart of Stevens Point asked that bicycle lanes be added to the project. Schultz said space is available to add them in the future but felt they would be inappropriate at the present time because of the limited scope of the project. Bicyclists would then have to find another route because the existing roadway is too narrow for lanes to the north and south, he said. Before the council voted on the proposal, Stevens Point Mayor Gary Wescott said the city would spend more to do nothing further on the project by turning down the grant to purchase property. Based on estimated costs, the city would spend $519,000 as its share of the project for design engineering, purchase of real estate and construction of parking on Monroe east of Division as well as the triangular area presently bordered by Division, Strongs and Park. Doing nothing would cost the city $552,738 for design engineering and repaving Division and Church, he said, plus paying the entire cost of property acquisition of Cabinets & More and Point Soo. "There is little doubt in my mind that this plan is more favorable," Wescott said about the revisions from the January proposal. "This is the way to revitalize a corridor for the business community." He applauded the efforts of Metzer and Schultz for being responsive to input about the project from the council and community members. Construction in the area isn't expected until 2004 or 2005, and specifics about the plan can be altered during the intervening period, he said, encouraging those with proposals to voice their concerns soon to avoid wholesale revisions.