Resident urges Dakota County to reduce private-property impacts in Seventieth Street reconstruction plan

Melissa Cornier of Eagan addressed the Dakota County Board of Commissioners during public comment to urge changes to the planned full reconstruction of County State Highway 26 (Seventieth Street) between Highway 3 and Babcock Trail in Inver Grove Heights.

Cornier said her mother-in-law, Nancy Cornier, has owned the family farm on Seventieth Street for roughly four decades and that the current planned reconstruction and associated permanent right-of-way extensions would "permanently negatively impact" that property and several neighboring parcels. She said county staff and designers had met the family, and offered a revised plan that was less impactful, but she criticized the process: "I'm furious that the first plan was not the least invasive. The first plan of action was to take whatever property is easy."

Cornier asked the county to seek design alternatives that would maintain safety while minimizing property takings. She suggested prioritizing connections to new development pathways rather than installing sidewalks directly adjacent to private property, creating pathway links to newer development at the northeast corner of Seventieth and Highway 3, and placing crosswalks at roundabouts (she cited examples on Diffley/County Road 30 at Braddock and Daniel Drive). She also suggested extending pathways so residents could access miles of safe multiuse paths without the county taking additional private land.

Cornier said she, her family and county staff (she named project manager Joe Moreno and a county real-estate staff member identified as Wendy) had discussed the project and asked the county to hold designers to a higher standard that would better protect private property and preserve community character. Cornier offered to host board members at the family farm to illustrate potential impacts.

A county staff member responded during the meeting that the Seventieth Street project is scheduled for 2027 construction and that the county is currently taking public feedback; the staff member said design proposals will eventually be returned to the county board for consideration.

There was no formal action or vote recorded on the Seventieth Street project during the meeting; Cornier's remarks were taken during the public comment period and will be part of the design-phase record as staff continues outreach and revision work.