Council

hears

complaints

about

co-op's plan

Residents question need to close Seventh South for loading grain cars

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- One by one, five residents living in what's commonly known as Goosetown, made their way to the City Council microphone Tuesday night to either question or denounce Farmers Cooperative of Hanska's request to shut down vehicular traffic on Seventh South Street up to 24 hours at a time while they're loading 110-car "shuttle" trains.

The debate over the co-op's request stole the spotlight from other council actions, including the approval of a $305,883 contract with Conservation Solutions, Inc. of Washington, D.C. to do an on-site, extreme makeover of the "Hermann of Cheruscan Memorial Statue," which has been waiting patiently beside the monument for over a year for necessary restoration.

It also pushed back action until late in the evening on an agreement which will bring a pergola, an arbor with an open "roof" of beams supported by 14 Artstone columns, to its permanent home in North German Park as a gift to the city from the Friends of German Park, Inc.

Although Farmers Cooperative General Manager Randall Rieke tried to calm fears that the crossing would be shut down the entire 24 hours only two or three times a week, those who came to challenge the project were not appeased.

At issue was the cooperative's plan for adding two siding tracks that would allow the cooperative to "crack" a shuttle train into two 55-car units and then load the cars in 10-car units at its Burdick terminal.

Rieke explained that the cooperative had to have the entire train loaded within 15 hours and a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad crew had another nine hours in which to pick up the loaded train and move it out on Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad track.

"We'll bring them up 10 at a time so Front and Valley won't be blocked as much as they are now," Rieke told the group.

The cooperative's grain manager, Chad Larson, estimated it would only take a minute for a 10-car unit to cross Seventh South.

However, Denise Barnes who lives near the Burdick elevator wasn't accepting Rieke's explanation of the need for the new loading operation.

"Why can't you use the land (nearby) to put in more tracks? Why don't you buy out our block and put your tracks in there?" she asked.

"We're treated like second-class citizens," said another.

After closing the public hearing, the council voted to instruct city staff and the city attorney to come up with an agreement with Farmers Co-operative for closing the crossing which would contain penalties and/or potential for having crossing closing reversed if the co-operative didn't live up to the agreement.

Hermann repairs

While CSI didn't have the lowest bid, it won out over eight other bidders by proposing to do the makeover on-site, as well as its attention to detail. CSI proposed a time-line that would see completion of the project by spring of 2005 working during "normal outdoor working periods."

In other action, the council:

* Granted a conditional use permit to Craig Dale and Rodney Zimmer, on behalf of Lubas International, to operate a distribution center for garden furniture at 301 20th South Street in the old Do-It Center building. The council, however, made it conditioned upon their keeping the property maintained in a clean and orderly manner.

* Approved the final plat for the Airport Industrial Park, owned by the New Ulm Economic Development Corporation.

* Made amendments describing goals that must be met by applicants for participating in the New Ulm JOBZ Economic Development Program.