By Tracy Overstreet
tracy.overstreet@theindependent.com

The Regional Planning Commission voted 10-0 to advance a plan Wednesday night that encourages the city of Grand Island to move forward with $1.2 million of study and design work on an underpass.

Regional Planning Director Chad Nabity said the underpass is already called for in three city studies the comprehensive land use plan, Broadwell Street redevelopment plans commissioned by the Community Redevelopment Authority and a railroad corridor study commissioned by the city.

He had requested that the design work, originally planned to be done in 2013, be moved up to 2009. The commission agreed despite opposition from a business owner who would be impacted by the project.

Dan Fogland, who owns Copy Cat Printing at 365 N. Broadwell, said traffic has been decreasing at the Broadwell crossing.

"It should have been done 50 years ago," he said of a grade separation. "The time has come and gone."

Instead, he urged the commission to "solve the problems of the future," and let Broadwell Avenue stay as is. His printing business is located just north of the tracks and would have severe access modifications under preliminary designs.

But Planning Commissioner Lisa Heineman said to not address conflicts between vehicles and trains at Broadwell Avenue is to leave a problem that could lead to inner-city blight.

She also challenged Fogland's comment that traffic has decreased. While the traffic count has declined from 12,729 cars in 2005 to 11,074 in 2007, the traffic count is virtually the same now as it was nearly 20 years ago. It was 11,180 in 1990, according to city street counts.

Heineman believes that's more indicative of motorists who have become trained to avoid the intersection than it is of a decreasing demand for the crossing.

Two Grand Island city councilmembers who sit as liaisons to the Planning Commission said following the commission's vote that they would both support advancing the plan at the city level.

"I'd like to get (the design) moved up to decide what we're going to do for the (impacted) businesses," said Councilwoman Joyce Haase.

"The homeowners are in limbo some want to paint their houses we need to give them a solid answer one way or another," said Councilman Bob Niemann. "It's a tough intersection. I avoid it."

Regarding Hall County's one- and six-year road plan, the majority of the commission approved it, but took issue with two projects.

Alda Commissioner Les Ruge said the straightening out of Guenther Road is not needed between Alda Road and 80th Road.

He said the curve in the road is near Mormon Trail ruts that have been preserved. The $10,000 proposed project, which would require $2,000 of county taxpayer funds to match with $8,000 of high-risk rural road funds, is not a good use of money, he said.

Doniphan commissioners John Amick and Bill Hayes also criticized the plan for not including an additional mile of asphalt paving on South Locust Street near the Hall/Adams County line.

The road gets 170 vehicles a day, which is more than the 30 to 70 vehicles a day on several county bridges that are proposed to be replaced in 2008, Amick said.

"We get slighted in the road budget year after year," Amick said.

The paving on South Locust has been "on the one- and six-year plan for over 30 years," Hayes said. "It's time to get consideration."

The county's road plan advanced on a 7-2-1 vote. Amick and Hayes voted no. Heineman abstained. Wood River Commissioner Don Snodgrass expressed reservations about the approval because of how Doniphan was being treated.

The county road plan goes to the Hall County board Feb. 19.

The city's road plan goes to the Grand Island City Council on Tuesday.