City's Streets Committee will devote a meeting to plans for Short Street

The City of Decorah Streets Committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 1st, to review plans for the Short Street project.

City Engineer Lindsay Erdman says the project will cost between $2 million to $3 million, depending on whether some work will also be done on Division Street.  Street Committee chairperson Gary Rustad on Monday night described the plan proposed by Erdman as "the ultimate plan" and said committee members have not taken a position either in support or opposition to the proposal.

Property owners along Short Street have criticized the proposal as too ambitious.  The plan calls for three lanes of traffic, two bike lanes and extra wide sidewalks.  Erdman says the proposal would expand the roadway from its present current 31 foot width to a 66 foot width, when sidewalks are included.

Eric Lensing of Lensing Motors called that proposal "overkill," while CJ Lensing of Lensing Motors noted that the wider street would eliminate many of the property improvements made to 16 properties in the last decade.

Rustad said Monday night that he would personally meet with all property owners before November 1st and that all issues would be discussed November 1st.