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Resident urges Lakeville to accelerate repairs on 200 and Fifth Avenue after fatality
Summary
A resident told the Lakeville City Council that planned road reconstruction for 200 and Fifth Avenue has been delayed repeatedly and urged the council to include the project in the 2026 budget after a fatality and ongoing safety concerns.
Greg Brown, a resident of Credit River, told the Lakeville City Council on May 19 that the city-owned section of 200 and Fifth Avenue needs to be rebuilt sooner than currently scheduled.
Brown said he was first told the road work would happen in 2023, then in 2025, and that it has now been pushed to 2027. “We keep kicking that can down the road,” he said, arguing that increased traffic and the road’s narrow, “rolly” condition create safety hazards.
Brown described several recent incidents that raised his concern: a hay bale that fell off a load and remained at the roadside for months, recreational cyclists using the shoulder, motor homes, tractors and semitrailers sharing the narrow lane, and at least one fatality on the stretch. “Tell me that isn’t a recipe for disaster,” he said of seeing a tractor-trailer with a trailer full of hay, a line of cars behind it and a bicyclist headed east.
Brown asked the council to place the project in the 2026 budget, saying 2027 “isn’t gonna cut it.” He acknowledged that 2025 likely could not be achieved because contracts and bids are already out for the year.
After Brown spoke, a council member asked him to leave contact information with the city clerk so staff could follow up.
No formal council action on the road schedule or budget was recorded during the meeting; Brown’s remarks were submitted during the public comment period and a staff follow-up was requested.
