Supplemental Environmental Assessment Construction-Related Potential Impacts on Business Revenues
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Record of Comments Received on the Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment Published on March 2011 April Volume 2 of 3 Central Corridor LRT Project Supplemental Environmental Assessment Record of Comments Received RECORD OF COMMENTS RECEIVED – DRAFT SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF CCLRT CONSTRUCTION-RELATED POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON BUSINESS REVENUES Construction-Related Potential Impacts on Business Revenues April 2011 Page 1 Central Corridor LRT Project Supplemental Environmental Assessment Record of Comments Received Business Impacts Supplemental Environmental Assessment Public Hearing March 16, 2011 Page 1 BUSINESS IMPACTS SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PUBLIC HEARING MARCH 16, 2011 8:00 A.M. Depo International, Inc. (763) 591-0535 or (800) 591-9722 [email protected] Construction-Related Potential Impacts on Business Revenues April 2011 Page 2 Central Corridor LRT Project Supplemental Environmental Assessment Record of Comments Received Business Impacts Supplemental Environmental Assessment Public Hearing March 16, 2011 Page 2 1 APPEARANCES: 2 Richard M. Rovang, MetroTransit Kathryn O'Brien, MetroTransit 3 Maya R. Ray, U.S DOT, FTA 4 SPEAKING MEMBERS OF AUDIENCE: 5 James Segal, Ax-Man Surplus, UABA Mike Baca, Impressive Print 6 Tim Holden, AUI; HHI; SSS, LLC Diane Pietro, Twin Cities Photography 7 Jack McCann, UABA Steve Bernick, Milbern Clothing 8 Donald Dickerson, Concerned Citizen Marilyn Porter, U7 9 Frank Lorenz, Hulke & Gheer 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Depo International, Inc. (763) 591-0535 or (800) 591-9722 [email protected] Construction-Related Potential Impacts on Business Revenues April 2011 Page 3 Central Corridor LRT Project Supplemental Environmental Assessment Record of Comments Received Business Impacts Supplemental Environmental Assessment Public Hearing March 16, 2011 Page 3 1 MR. ROVANG: Good morning. My name's 2 Richard Rovang. I'm the project director for the 3 Central Corridor Project Office. Welcome to the 4 public hearings for the Central Corridor Light Rail 5 Project that involve the supplemental environmental 6 assessment of construction related potential impacts 7 on business revenues. The purpose of the public 8 hearing is to receive testimony on that Supplemental 9 Environmental Assessment of construction that may 10 have potential impacts on business revenues published 11 March 1st of this year. The Supplemental 12 Environmental Assessment was prepared by the Federal 13 Transit Administration and the Metropolitan Council 14 pursuant to the requirements of the National 15 Environmental Policy Act and the Code of Federal 16 Regulations. There will be two hearings, one is this 17 one here, Wednesday morning at 8 a.m. at the Lao 18 Family Community of Minnesota; and the second one 19 this evening at 6 p.m. at the Goodwill Easter Seals, 20 553 Fairview Avenue North, St. Paul, Minnesota. 21 I'd like to make just a couple of introductions. 22 This morning we have Maya Ray from the Department of 23 Transportation, the Federal Transit Administration, 24 with us from Washington D.C., the Office of Planning 25 and Environment; and Kathryn O'Brien, the Depo International, Inc. (763) 591-0535 or (800) 591-9722 [email protected] Construction-Related Potential Impacts on Business Revenues April 2011 Page 4 Central Corridor LRT Project Supplemental Environmental Assessment Record of Comments Received Business Impacts Supplemental Environmental Assessment Public Hearing March 16, 2011 Page 4 1 environmental manager with our project office. I'd 2 also like to mention that there are translators here 3 this morning for at least five different languages, 4 Hmong, Vietnamese, Spanish, Oromo and Somali. So if 5 there is a requirement for a translator, please 6 indicate that and we will guide you to the correct 7 individual. I think, Kathryn, why don't you go over 8 the first part of the discussion right now. 9 MS. O'BRIEN: I just have a couple of 10 slides here to share and then we'll get into the 11 testimony for those of you who would like to come 12 here and testify today. Rich mentioned the purpose 13 of the meeting, and that is to provide a public forum 14 for comment. And there will be a court reporter who 15 is just sitting here to my right who will record all 16 of your testimony as you speak. Of course, we also 17 have public comment cards for those of you who would 18 care to write down your comments. Those are sitting 19 at the sign-in sheet, and you may feel free to do 20 that as well. For that matter, if you feel like you 21 want to enhance your testimony with written comments, 22 please feel free to write those down. 23 The milestone here for this study was, really, 24 the court order on January 27th of this year that had 25 indicated that there was a requirement to do Depo International, Inc. (763) 591-0535 or (800) 591-9722 [email protected] Construction-Related Potential Impacts on Business Revenues April 2011 Page 5 Central Corridor LRT Project Supplemental Environmental Assessment Record of Comments Received Business Impacts Supplemental Environmental Assessment Public Hearing March 16, 2011 Page 5 1 additional analysis of the impact of the project 2 during construction, particularly on its impacts to 3 businesses along the corridor, to the revenues of 4 those businesses. The Supplemental Environmental 5 Assessment was published on March 1st 2011, earlier 6 this month. There's a 30-day public commentary that 7 ends on March 31st, and, after that time, we'll be 8 responding to all public comments received, so all of 9 your testimony here tonight and today will be 10 recorded, and then responses would come after March 11 31, responses from the Federal Transit Administration 12 and the Met Council. 13 The business impacts the Environmental Assessment 14 did potentially, specifically look at, potential 15 impacts on business revenues. It looked at those 16 impacts that might be occurring during construction 17 and what potential mitigation measures would be 18 required to address those impacts. 19 Most of you are probably familiar with the 20 Central Corridor, allowed a two-project route, but, 21 as a reminder of where the train will be constructed 22 and what it will be connecting, it does run from 23 downtown St. Paul, from the Union Depo, and downtown 24 St. Paul. It goes up along Cedar Street, through the 25 Minnesota State Capitol area on Robert Street, up to Depo International, Inc. (763) 591-0535 or (800) 591-9722 [email protected] Construction-Related Potential Impacts on Business Revenues April 2011 Page 6 Central Corridor LRT Project Supplemental Environmental Assessment Record of Comments Received Business Impacts Supplemental Environmental Assessment Public Hearing March 16, 2011 Page 6 1 University Avenue, and then continues on University 2 Avenue through the rest of St. Paul, into 3 Minneapolis. And then, through the University of 4 Minnesota campus on Washington Avenue, it connects 5 with the Hiawatha light rail train near the Metrodome 6 in downtown Minneapolis. And, Rich, I think you're 7 going to be going over a few of the ground rules for 8 the public hearing. 9 MR. ROVANG: Yes, thank you, Kathryn. 10 Just to make sure everyone kind of understands how 11 we're going to be going about this, I'll read through 12 a few of the specific ground rules. These are 13 intended to ensure that it's an orderly meeting and 14 provide as many people as possible the opportunity to 15 share their comments and concerns. Although, it does 16 look like we have an extremely large crowd here 17 today, so we'll be probably more accepting of little 18 longer statements than normal. People wishing to 19 speak must register at the desk with their name, 20 their contact information and the organization 21 applicable. People will be called to speak in the 22 order in which they have signed up. Each speaker 23 should state their name, their address, and the 24 organization for which he or she represents, if there 25 is any. And that's important because, as Kathryn Depo International, Inc. (763) 591-0535 or (800) 591-9722 [email protected] Construction-Related Potential Impacts on Business Revenues April 2011 Page 7 Central Corridor LRT Project Supplemental Environmental Assessment Record of Comments Received Business Impacts Supplemental Environmental Assessment Public Hearing March 16, 2011 Page 7 1 said, all testimony is being recorded by a court 2 reporter today. Individuals will, generally, be 3 given about three minutes. An individual 4 representing a group will be given about five 5 minutes. One of the coordinators, Cho here, one of 6 the Outreach coordinators will hold up a colored card 7 when there's a minute left on the clock. I'll try to 8 be tolerant of that, but if someone is using up a 9 great proportion of time we'll also call them on 10 that. Written statements in addition to those oral 11 comments are accepted and welcome. If you wish to do 12 so, then provide that written comment in the box at 13 the sign-in desk. And, finally, we ask that people 14 limit the scope of their comments to the Business 15 Impact Supplemental Environmental Assessment rather 16 than topics just in general. Are there any questions 17 about how we're going to proceed? Okay, if 18 everyone's okay, I think we'll begin taking 19 testimony. I'll call the names in the order that we 20 have them. James Segal, you can come to the table up 21 here. And again, if you'll provide your name, 22 address, and organization that you represent.