- The Record Archives
- Volume CXVIII, No. XIX - November 3, 2005 -
Road takes new detour
Emerging public documents show the monastery has prepared for new road
The Record
Recently documents have surfaced, bringing more controversy to the proposed road in St. Joseph.
The public documents suggest the St. Ben's Monastery has been prepared for the possibility of a road being built on their land since the 1990s. It proves this debate is complicated, going back decades.
In 1975, the monastery and city reached an agreement where St. Joseph received a portion of monastery land. In 1992, that agreement was amended, giving the city even more land.
A letter written by the monastery in 1990 was filed along with the amendment.
The 15-year-old letter was accompanied by a map of areas "that may be affected sometime in the future by an arterial road," the 1990 letter stated.
But the letter also said it's not a consent to build the road through monastery property. Prioress Nancy Bauer is holding strong to that.
"We are currently studying the 1990 documents concerning the proposed collector road and the circumstances that brought them about," S. Bauer said in a statement. "At no time have our Sisters indicated approval for a collector road to come through our property."
While it appears the city was considering building a road when it received additional land in 1992, a resolution in 1997 differs. The city then agreed that more planning was needed before a road would become a reality.
Current St. Joseph mayor Richard Carlbom said these documents are important to the current debate, but they haven't changed his mind.
"Any information to this discussion is relevant," Carlbom said. "I'm trying to ensure conversation happens in a healthy way. My decision will come when it's time to vote."
Carlbom said he expects the city council to begin debating this issue in August. An environmental review of the land must first be completed.
He hopes for a vote by the end of September.