Supervisors seek support for two accesses for courthouse, hospital

By Lori Berglund — Daily Freeman-Journal Editor
Hamilton County Supervisors are seeking a big public turn-out at Monday's Webster City Traffic Committee meeting in order to help ensure what they believe would be the best access to both the courthouse and the new Hamilton Hospital to be built just east of the courthouse.

"There is a lot riding on the Traffic Committee meeting," said Supervisor Dave Young as he encouraged the public to attend the meeting set for 4 p.m. Monday at city hall.

Young, along with Supervisors Wes Sweedler and Doug Bailey, voiced their strong support Tuesday for a proposed street to be built just south of the current courthouse driveway. That street would serve as both the primary entrance to the courthouse and as a secondary entrance to the new hospital. (The current courthouse drive would then be closed.)

The hospital's primary entrance would be through Fairmeadow Drive, according to Administrator Palmer Schneider, who is in agreement with supervisors on the proposed street plan.

"The architects said that would be great," Schneider said of the proposal that does have competition from an alternative plan being looked at by the city of Webster City.

While the proposed street would be the courthouse’s main entrance, Fairmeadow Drive serve as a necessary secondary entrance to the courthouse and jail.

At Tuesday's meeting of the board of supervisors, Young outlined why they favor the proposed street to the south. Under this plan, through-lanes would be added to Highway 17 (Superior Street) so that those turning into the courthouse or hospital could get off the main travelled portion of the road and have their own safe turn lanes. That should eliminate the concern about rear-end collisions as the result of traffic waiting to turn.

While the Iowa DOT has not officially signed off on this plan, there have been indications that it would win approval once submitted.

Young said it's important to note the courthouse's main public entrance already faces the south and county officials want to continue to offer the best possible access to the facility. In addition, it's very important that the courthouse and jail maintain two access points as part of an agreement that allows the jail to house federal prisoners.

Likewise, the hospital must have two separate access points, and architects are in agreement with the proposal from the county.

In addition, Young noted that the county is willing to fund the cost of the street under a proposed sharing agreement with Hamilton Hospital. The street would then be deeded back to the city.

Supervisors are very concerned about any alternate proposals would limit access to the courthouse. They do not favor any plans that would create an access to the north, linking to Edgewood Drive and possibly disrupting an established residential area.

"We see Edgewood Drive as a residential area, not as a main access," Young said.

Supervisors also object to a proposal that would create right-in and right-out only access for the courthouse from Highway 17.

"Right-in, right-out is not acceptable to us," Young said pointedly.

The proposed street to the south, Young said, would offer the best option for the entire community's long-term future. Just as the new hospital is being planned to best serve the public in the decades ahead, so must the street accesses be best designed to meet the future needs, according to supervisors.

"We need to think about what is possible in the future," Young added.



Contact Lori Berglund at editor@freemanjournal.net