Two Stevens Point committees supports the installation of traffic signal lights at the intersection of Highway 10 East and Amber Avenue where drivers exit parking areas at Copps Food Center and Aldi's.
The Board of Public Works and Plan Commission unanimously supported that proposal Monday night at a joint meeting after reviewing a traffic impact study and hearing from business representatives.
However, the city needs the approval of the state Department of Transportation, and DOT officials feel the lights are too close to those at the intersection of 10 and Brilowski Road.
Bruce Fredrickson of the DOT said the DOT has space guidelines between lights and the preference remains one-half mile apart. The lights at Amber would be 800 feet from Brilowski, raising a concern about traffic moving on 10.
Ron Becher of DOT said it's harder to get light synchronization when the lights are close, which can back up traffic.
The DOT favors installing the lights on Badger Avenue, farther east of Amber, and extending a frontage road south of 10 to match up with Ellis Street. The DOT also says traffic on Amber would only be allowed to make right turns.
Extending the frontage road would put additional traffic into a residential neighborhood in the town of Hull and town officials oppose that proposal.
Business representatives voiced their opposition to anything other than lights at Amber.
Doug Chubin, an engineer representing Wal-Mart, said the signal lights at Amber are crucial to everyone in the shopping center at Wal-Mart and Copps. "With no westbound access on 10, this development could suffer," he said.
Without that access, Chubin said there would be excessive liability issues if people were forced to go through the lot in front of Wal-Mart to get onto Brilowski. One traffic survey suggested that such a move would put more traffic on Brilowski than 10.
Ed Pliska of Copps store development said Copps would not have built in its location without access off Amber and urged the installation of the lights because they reduce accidents.
Tom Lasiter of Little Rock, Ark., representing the owners of the development south of 10, said, "I don't think we could get half of the tenants we have if we had limited access. Businesses say they can't make it without these traffic signals."
The development is valued at $7 million and pays about $250,000 annually in property taxes, he said. "I ask you to consider our needs. They are real. They are crucial."
Marcia Sperber of Aldi's said limiting access is going to impact the businesses.
Julie Schmidt of McDonald's Restaurant said customers need to get onto 10 safely and traffic signals will ensure that.