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-10- <br /> transferred the ownership of the street from the Park Board to St. Anthony in 1965 <br /> had assured that property owners on the Boulevard would never have to pay to fix <br /> . their street, the document author said "that's right" and proceeded to read the <br /> December 17, 1965 agreement which he said had been given to him by the Park Board <br /> Superintendent at that time, Henry Rosacker. Mr. Kausel disagreed with the Mayor <br /> that ownership of the parkway had been transferred with that document but said his <br /> understanding was that the Park Board had only given St. Anthony an "easement grant" <br /> which could be rescinded "if the City permitted truck traffic on the street". <br /> Under that easement, Mr. Kausel suggested, the Park Board might have to pay for the <br /> improvements. The Mayor told him the .City had unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate <br /> that for the street past the golf course last year. <br /> Councilmember Ranallo asked Mr. Kausel if, as stated in his "Rebuttal", there had <br /> actually been "100% objection to the proposed construction" from all 44 property.t <br /> owners and whether he knew positively that all the people present for the hearing <br /> -that evening were opposed to the City doing anything to the street from Stinson <br /> Boulevard to Silver Lake Road. Mr. Kausel said he "had just thrown that percentage <br /> in" and had actually only contacted about 25% of the affected property owners. <br /> However, he said his group could go round with a petition which would reflect all <br /> the property owners' views. <br /> James Higgins said he was concerned about the traffic flow on the street from a <br /> standpoint of safety. He agreed with the conjecture that widening the street would <br /> only increase the existing problems by making the Boulevard more accessible to truck <br /> traffic. He said the reason he had bought a home at 2717 St. Anthony Boulevard was <br /> because that street was, he said he believed, "the only tree lined street in the <br /> Village on a parkway". Mr. Higgins said he perceived there couldn't help but be <br /> • some of the root systems damaged when the street is widened and trees are brought <br /> two feet closer to the roadway, in spite of the City's Fact Sheet statement that <br /> "no tree removals were anticipated". with the loss of some of those trees, Mr. <br /> Higgins said, he expected his own property values would be decreased, and he <br /> indicated he believed the City should be "trying to preserve the beauty of the <br /> Boulevard and to enhance that beauty so his son could remember that area the same <br /> way he had remembered it from the Ws when he was growing up there <br /> Mr. Kausel agreed with the assumption that some of the trees would have to be <br /> sacrificed because "there are only five and a half feet now between the trees in <br /> the Boulevard and the curb which would be lessened to three and a half feet if the <br /> street is widened". The group spokesman said there is also a danger that drivers <br /> would hit some of those trees if they are closer to the street, citing his own past <br /> experience with careless drivers. Mr. Kausel questioned whether the City had <br /> considered the potential problem they might have with the existing fire hydrants <br /> which are now located between the trees and the curb on the south side of the <br /> street. <br /> David Drews said by widening the street, the City would be increasing the traffic, <br /> which would make it impossible for his children to play in the front yard of his <br /> home at 260.9 St. Anthony Boulevard, He disputed the reports about heavy truck <br /> traffic on the street now by saying he had lived at that same location for the last <br /> seven years and the only trucks he had seen had been UPS trucks or semi 's moving <br /> people in or out. <br /> John B.redemus, 2709 St. Anthony Boulevard, asked whether the underlying purpose <br /> of the project was to install an 18 inch storm sewer line and was told the major <br /> reason the City was proposing the project was to upgrade the street surface and <br /> curb and gutters. He also questioned whether the City couldn't slow down the <br />