Residents raise intersection sightline, election-device and tree-removal concerns during open forum

Several Blaine residents used the Aug. 18 open forum to raise safety, election-administration and neighborhood-service complaints, asking council and staff to follow up outside the meeting.

Bruce Mathai, a Blaine resident who gave his address as 41019 Ninth Avenue Northeast, said a large green utility box installed at an intersection is blocking sightlines and creating a traffic-safety hazard. “I am not taking this lightly, it is a big visibility danger and acted for safety reasons,” Mathai said, adding that he had engaged a civil engineer to measure sightlines and had submitted videos and documentation to the city. Mathai told council he had cited the City of Blaine traffic-control ordinance (identified in his remarks as “33.12”) and a separate section he referred to as “80 two-three 23,” and said the engineer used AASHTO’s 2011 Policy on Geometric Design when assessing sight distance. Mathai said moving the…