Residents urge action on rumble strips and local road projects, citing safety and stress

Several residents used the board's open forum on July 14 to press Sherburne County commissioners for action on local road safety and traffic‑calming measures.

Rita Letha and Dennis Letha from St. Cloud said recently installed rumble strips on County Road 20 have disrupted wildlife and triggered severe stress and sleep loss; Dennis Letha said he wakes at 3 a.m. and asked the county to consider alternatives such as flashing lights or pavement markings. The board thanked the speakers and referred the matter to the county engineer for follow‑up.

Keith Larson of Princeton objected to a planned County Road 80 project that he said would widen the roadway, remove mature trees and front yards, and potentially encroach on a septic system; he asked the board to scale the project back to reduce property impacts. Commissioners acknowledged the concern and asked staff to continue property owner outreach.

Kelly Restad of Elk River asked whether the planned roundabout at County Road 33 and County Road 1, currently scheduled for 3—2' years out, could be moved up because she and neighbors documented eight serious accidents in two years and expect 100+ new homes to add traffic. Commissioners committed to referring the safety concerns to the county engineer and public works staff for follow up.

What the board directed: the chair referred the road concerns to the county engineer for follow-up and asked staff to report back on potential mitigations and timelines.