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Mankato council votes to register a 'no' with MnDOT on proposed Highway 169 noise wall
Summary
After contacting affected businesses, city staff reported opposition to a proposed noise wall for the Highway 169 corridor; the council voted to issue a 'no' vote to MnDOT, noting the wall would have covered about four businesses across roughly 560 feet.
City staff told the council Sept. 22 that MnDOT evaluated six potential noise‑barrier locations for a Highway 169 corridor project and determined three to be feasible under MnDOT rules. Because the wall in question would sit between the highway and a future trail segment and would affect several businesses behind a frontage/service road, staff said they reached out to affected property owners for feedback.
“We for sure want that wall, I would have been telling you they want the wall. They do not want to see that wall put in place, so our recommendation is for the council to render a vote of no on the noise wall,” a staff speaker said. The council voted to issue a "no" vote to MnDOT on the proposed noise wall.
Staff said the wall would have covered about four businesses and been roughly 560 feet in length. Under MnDOT’s process, affected property owners vote on the wall in conjunction with other property votes; if a majority of property votes support the wall and it has been determined feasible by MnDOT, it would be included in the project.
Next steps: The city will share the council’s "no" vote with MnDOT; MnDOT will continue its process, which includes property owner ballots and feasibility determinations.
