Corridor opponents present petition to Owatonna city council
After Owatonna city officials finalized a noise ordinance last week, residents who want to see a planned north-south corridor relocated pointed to a touch of dissonance.
The ordinance prohibits anyone within 150 feet of any park or trail boundary to make any loud noise that “unreasonably annoys, disturbs, injuries or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace, safety or welfare of any person or precludes their enjoyment of property or affects their property’s value.”
Specific items mentioned include horns, exhaust systems, defective vehicles, and noisy parties or gatherings. City attorney Mark Walbran explained that the revision removes dated language–like “steam engine” and “phonograph.” It also adds all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles that don’t have mufflers to dampen their noise.
Speaking, he said, on behalf of hundreds of residents opposed to the 29th Avenue corridor alternative, Matthew Sennott said placing a major highway “dangerously close” to homes and backyards would create an unacceptable amount of noise pollution from engines and horns. At a distance of 50 feet, a truck traveling 50 miles per hour can produce sounds up to 95 decibels.
“I hope we observe the noise ordinance across the board, please,” he said.
Corridor needed
Everyone agrees Owatonna needs a north-south corridor. Because existing roads are four miles apart, traffic is funneled downtown to get anywhere in the south part of the city.
City and county officials have studied the problem for 30 years. They entered into a joint powers agreement in 2004 identifying an area from 26th Street NE to U.S. Highway 14 as a East Side Corridor.
Talks heated up again in 2021, with the launch of the East Side Corridor Study. From the beginning, residents had differing opinions about the road’s location. But residents in the North Country development have over the past two-plus years challenged the route that ended up as the preferred location. They’ve become familiar faces at public meetings, urging officials to change course and work with them to find alternatives.
Sennott formally presented a petition with 580 signatures asking officials to move the proposed roadway farther east, to 34th Avenue. Advocates presented it to Steele County commissioners on Jan. 28, where about 40 people showed up in support of moving the road.
“Our support has remained strong and continues to grow,” said resident Melissa Zimmerman.
Residents have submitted data requests that Zimmerman said uncovered some critical concerns. She said a state noise analyst had “strongly recommended” elected officials and residents receive education on noise impacts and the noise wall process. That hasn’t been provided, she said.
In addition, Zimmerman said, a decision on a noise wall “rests entirely with residents.”
“After last week’s meeting, (county engineer) Paul (Sponholz) informed me we can expect this to go to a vote within a month. We are organized, and we are ready to vote for a noise wall.”
Several residents raised open meeting law concerns about a joint transportation committee, which consists of select city and council members.
“If decisions are being made, then residents deserve full transparency of what those meetings entail,” Tyrell Hunter said.
Susan Mullenbach, a resident on Mossy Creek Drive, said her backyard butts up to the road.
“In fact, the highway comes very close to our back door,” she said. “This will negatively impact our property and our quality of life.”
Later, Sennott said the lack of communication from county and city officials has “fueled our frustration.”
“If there’s any communication, it’s typically us reaching out to them and asking questions,” he said. “Sometimes we’ll get somebody come out and meet with us.”
Still, residents intend to keep showing up at meetings and sharing their concerns. Sennott said the movement to move the road out is “gaining steam.”
“There’s a lot of momentum to push this out to 34th Avenue,” he said. “It’s an existing alternative that’s been studied, and there’s no verifiable evidence that we see that’s dismissed 34th Avenue as being the preferred route.”
All but 1.5 miles already exists of the stretch they want to pave, Sennott said.
“We’re not against a road, but with this being upgraded to a highway and putting it this close to existing neighborhoods, that’s out of line,” he added.
Times sports editor Johnnie Phillips contributed to this report.