I took a quick tour today of the Topview Neighborhood. The neighborhood’s two major streets are Topview Road and Gerard Drive. The neighborhood is directly north of Menards, adjacent to 494 North.
The neighborhood has been working with MnDOT to make sure that its views are understood concerning the approaching addition of a third lane both north and south bound on 494. In the photo below, you can see how close this neighborhood is to 494. If you look closely, you can see a semi-tractor & trailor on 494 in the background of this shot of the Topview Park sign:
Residents of the neighborhood have been meeting with representatives from MnDOT seeking the construction of noise walls with the 494 project. The resident have been persistent and thorough in their advocacy. And, they have been successful. Last week, MnDOT announced that it would install the noise wall requested by the residents.
Members of the neighborhood were quite organized in their efforts to gain this noise wall. Near the end of their campaign, it looked like MnDOT would not agree to the request, and the advocacy campaign was turned towards the City Council in an attempt to get the Council to advocate for the noise wall. That would have put the Council in a tough spot because the City has been advocating with MnDOT for years to do the 494 project. If the Council would have taken up the neighborhood’s cause, it could have set the project back, which was contrary to overall good of the community. The Council would have had a tough balancing act with these competing “goods”.
Fortunately for all concerned, MnDOT was willing to analyze the project’s impacts again and found that noise walls could be justified pursuant to their own rules and procedures.
Good for everyone.
