I. Introductions

The meeting came to order at 7:00 p.m. We took time to introduce ourselves to the group. A list of attendees is included as Attachment 1.

II. Meeting Orientation

Moderator John Sych spent just a couple of minutes reviewing the process to date, and discussing the agenda for tonight's meeting.

III. Review and Adopt Corridor Principles

Moderator Sych reviewed all eight principles, explaining each, and highlighting that the numbers are not ranks, but that all principles should be considered to be of equal importance.

After this review, the topic was opened for discussion. We discussed several areas of concern. The first raised was the lack of mention of a grade separation between the railroad and any new highway. We determined that any new highway would automatically include a grade separation, so there was no need for the inclusion of a principle such as this.

The second issue raised was the lack of a principle calling for the highway to be far enough removed from the Village of Schoolcraft to allow for it to have room to grow. Concern was expressed that such a provision might not be congruent with the first two principles on the list; conversely, the belief was highlighted that growth will occur whether or not political boundaries expand. It was noted that, while the highway could serve as a buffer for growth, it could also encourage the wrong kind of growth. It was also noted that there will need to be a balance between the principles of minimizing disruption to both agricultural and residential uses. Finally, we considered the fact that, regardless of the way the highway is rerouted, it will be necessary for the Village of Schoolcraft to coordinate planning and zoning with the other municipality or municipalities affected. To accommodate the concerns raised, we modified principle number 4 by adding the text, "accommodating natural growth."

The third issue raised was the serious potential for traffic discussion. We discussed the fact that, of necessity, a bypass is going to create some disruption; we are hopeful, though, that we will be able to minimize the number of roads disrupted, particularly with regard to preserving access for emergency vehicles.

After this review, discussion, and change, and the agreement to replace the numbers with bullets and to include text indicating that all principles are of equal importance, we achieved general agreement regarding the corridor principles.

IV. Review of Various Scenarios

Moderator Sych reviewed the various scenarios regarding the relocation of the highway, including the null hypothesis, no change. The discussion that followed centered on safety issues. We are going to ask the Michigan Department of Transportation for up-to-date traffic crash, injury, and fatality information, and comparisons to similar stretches of highway. We also discussed the definition of "corridor" in the scenario bypassing the Village to the west.

We continued to a discussion of interchange scenarios, with Moderator Sych introducing a document outlining two scenarios. We discussed the need for a scenario involving an interchange east of the Village of Schoolcraft. Ultimately, though, we agreed to postpone discussions of this topic because of its potentially divisive nature.

V. Next Steps

A. Community Discussion and Input

VI. Access Management Update

The Michigan Department of Transportation is going to finish the US-131 access management study, completing work from the southern limit of the Village of Schoolcraft to West U Avenue. Both Schoolcraft Township and the Village of Schoolcraft passed resolutions of support for access management principles.

VII. Adjournment

We adjourned around 8:25 p.m. Our next meeting will be at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 26, 2003, at the Village of Schoolcraft Hall.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Attachment 1
List of Attendees