Council debates roundabout at Nearing's intersection as residents raise cost and business concerns

Burton City Council and residents spent significant time discussing a proposed single-lane roundabout at the Nearing's Road intersection, prompted by crash data and a recent design contract. Public commenters and council members weighed safety benefits against cost and effects on nearby businesses.

The discussion matters because the intersection was identified in a county safety study as a priority for change and the city has now paid for design work. A resident said he found that $76,500 had been approved for design and that the project's construction cost was estimated at about $1,410,000; city staff confirmed the $76,500 was for design work and said a prior agreement set the project in motion. Council members said the city will continue to meet with the affected business to minimize impacts during construction.

Resident Larry Flood, who said he drives the intersection daily, told the council that he learned $76,500 had been approved for design and expressed alarm at the project's total estimated cost. "I think Burton's making a big mistake. It's gonna be an expensive mistake," Flood said. Flood asked whether the final cost would return to council for approval and how construction would affect customer access to nearby businesses.

Rob Beggs, a paramedic, urged the council to favor the roundabout for safety reasons. "If anybody's ever pulled up, pulled bodies out of a crash, of a T-bone accident, it's a bad thing," Beggs said, arguing that roundabouts tend to reduce the severity of injuries.

City officials told council members the intersection ranked highest in a county study and that state and federal funding could cover a large share of construction costs (council members mentioned an 80% funding possibility). Officials also said engineers have begun design work on site preparation and that the city will sit down with affected property owners, including the operator of the nearby store cited in public comments, to reduce disruptions. Officials noted there will be some inconvenience during construction but said they would attempt to minimize impacts on access and deliveries.

Public comment also included concerns about Kelly Lake, where resident Patrick Dargo reported reduced sledding access and encroaching cattails on a sledding hill. Council members said state law limits what the city can remove from the lake edge and that maintenance crews do as much as legally allowed. The council said they will check on a damaged fence at Kelly Lake that a resident reported had been ripped down recently.

No formal vote on construction was taken. Council members described the current step as design and study; they said any future construction phase would include further review and, if required, additional approvals. Officials said state or federal funding availability will influence whether and when the city proceeds.

The city scheduled continued discussion with engineers and property owners and has not set a construction start date.