From staff reports
Mower County will help improve an intersection in Dexter, but only if the developer of a mini-mall, bowling alley and restaurant pays half.
Jon Shaw, who is developing the strip mall and convenience store along Interstate 90, came to the board Sept. 2 asking it to pay for improving the intersection on Mower County Road 7 and a township road next to his development.
Currently, the intersection has a large gravel area in the middle that is a no-man's-land causing traffic problems and accidents, he said. He estimated it would cost $68,000 to improve it, though County Engineer Mike Hanson thought it might be higher.
Work has started on the commercial center, and the first tenants could be in it by the end of the year, Shaw said. The other businesses, which could generate more traffic, won't be open until next year, he said.
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On Tuesday, Hanson showed the board three designs that might help improve traffic flow and safety. The board discussed the merits of each, but didn't select one.
The earliest the work could be done is October, but it would more likely be next spring, Hanson said. The state needs to review the work because some state money could be used, he said. Also, the county would have to push back some other projects if it put the intersection as top priority, he said.
Shaw said he would be willing to pay 10 percent, but board members indicated they'd approve the work if he paid half.
Shaw didn't say how he felt about the board's proposal, but he did say that a new bank near the intersection would benefit and should help pay.
