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Marshall City Council
Council votes for Median on Main
After delaying a decision on downtown street design three times, Marshall City Council votes to have MnDOT draw up plans that will include a median

By Rae Kruger
Independent Staff Writer

MARSHALL — There will be a median on Main Street in the Minnesota Department of Transportation plans to reconstruct U.S. Highway 59, or Main Street, in Marshall in 2007.

Although not a final decision, the Marshall City Council voted 5-1 to have MnDOT design plans to include a median from 4th Street to the intersection with College Drive.

It what may have been a somewhat surprising decision, the Council made its decision without the full Council at Monday’s meeting. At three prior meetings, the Council delayed a decision because not all members were at the meeting.

Mayor Bob Byrnes had recommended delaying a decision because MnDOT said it would be able to wait until the Oct. 17 meeting.

“I’d like to get this done,” Councilman Dan Ritter said as he made the motion to select the median concept.

Ritter, Mike Reynolds, Molly Linstrom, Larry Doom and Byrnes voted in favor of the median, while councilman Mike Boedigheimer voted against it.

Councilwoman Shelly Maes, who is recovering from surgeries, was not able to attend Monday’s meeting.

MnDOT will design a plan with a median and that plan will be presented at a public hearing. The Council will make a final vote on the median plan after that public hearing.
MnDOT District 8 Traffic and Design Supervisor Al Rice said while Monday’s vote was not the final council action on the median it does impact the direction of the MnDOT project.

“If the city doesn’t accept this layout, it will jeopardize the project,” Rice said.

“This recommendation is serious,” Byrnes said before Monday’s vote.

Several business people who opposed the median appeared to be taken a back by the Council’s decision.

“I was disappointed with the Council’s action,” Norm Gregerson said.
Gregerson and his business partner, Al Greig, own multiple downtown buildings that are leased to retail tenants.

“We rent to over 40 tenants and I’ve not heard one who has spoken in favor of the median,” Gregerson said.

Woody Hanson of Marshall 6 Theater and Gregerson said the loss of a signal light at Third Street will create unsafe conditions for pedestrians, especially children and the elderly who want to cross the street.

The Schwan Food Co. has strongly supported a median and has also supported more ambitious changes which will not be included in the MnDOT design.
Hanson and Gregerson were asked by the Independent if Schwan influenced the Council decision.

“I won’t say that,” Gregerson said.

“I don’t know.” Hanson said. “If 70 percent (in a vote at a downtown development meeting) didn’t want it, why vote for it?”

Boedigheimer said the majority of downtown business people who voted at the downtown development meeting influenced him to vote no.

“At a downtown (meeting) 70 percent of those said they do not want a median,” Boedigheimer said. “Why go against the wishes of this group?”

“It’s my understanding that is not 70 percent of all downtown businesses,” Linstrom said. “It is was 70 percent of the people who were at the meeting.”

Doom said he talked with 10 downtown business owners/operators, and seven of the 10 want a median. Business people said it would make downtown more attractive and help the community to continue to grow. The other choice, Doom said, was to keep what there is now.

“Whatever we’ve got today will be here long after we are gone,” Doom said.

MARSHALL INDEPENDENT, OCTOBER 5, 2005