By Sara StrongWith a separate access road possible for the new hospital and clinic, Veterans Drive residents are hoping that 500 extra vehicles won’t be passing through their neighborhood when the project is finished in 2005.Those neighbors, project architects and the Luverne Planning Commission got together for a public hearing, which ended with the Planning Commission recommending approval of the plat as it’s now drawn.The preliminary plat of the Sioux Valley addition to the city was passed with the conditions that more meetings and communication take place with residents, and that the city and county pursue an appeal to the Minnesota Department of Transportation to change the access. At press time Wednesday, representatives of the city, county, MnDOT and Sioux Valley were meeting to try to resolve the driveway issue.Sioux Valley designed the hospital around what it was told was the only access point to the front of the hospital — Veterans Drive.After a new, separate request for a driveway (not a street), MnDOT said it would allow a separate driveway off of Highway 75, 400 feet north of Veterans Drive. MnDOT said the driveway to two residences across the highway on the west might have to be closed if the new driveway was added 400 feet north. The city would have to create an alternate driveway for those residences.Sioux Valley has indicated that an access more than 300 feet north would be problematic for the hospital. Sioux Valley prefers the orientation of the drive plans as they are, and considers the parking lot flow for workers, deliveries and patients ideal as it stands.It designed its focal point with the access from Veterans Drive because it was told that it couldn’t have one directly off of Highway 75.Administrator Greg LaFond said, "It’s unfortunate that more communication didn’t occur between everyone 10 months ago."Waiting until it was already planned, without pushing for more options is what the residents say bothers them.Joel Herman said, "Is it too late to change anything now? What about the millions the county and city are putting into the project? I hope Sioux Valley hasn’t forgotten about that."A possible extension of Christensen Drive and the hospital asking its 250 or more employees not to use Veterans Drive could alleviate some traffic.Parnell Thorson said the city should also consider that it will cost between $75,000 to $100,000 in increased wear on the street and loss in revenue from selling at least two more lots if there’s a driveway through them.Thorson said, "We should remember that Sioux Valley is building with the intent of expanding — there could be more than 500 cars a day there."He said Veterans Drive is narrow and not designed for more than residential traffic.The residents intend to express their opinions to the Luverne City Council, which has the final approval authority over the plat.In other business Monday, the Planning Commission:oAuthorized the creation of a packet on rental housing inspections that will be up for final approval at an upcoming Planning Commission meeting.The property maintenance issue in rental housing has been up for discussion before, and involves a base licensing fee for rental units, renewable annually.Housing and Urban Development properties, assisted living facilities, or others that are already inspected and licensed won’t be a part of the new program, if it’s finalized.The start of it tentatively involves a voluntary report form to be filled out by landlords. Some properties will be inspected by the city fire inspector/building inspector based on those reports. However, all rental properties will be subject to eventual, scheduled inspection for health and safety violations.The inspector will respond separately to tenant complaints.Violations will be subject to fines through the form of an administrative citation, which has an appeals process if landlords disagree.The cost to property owners starts at $25, with a declining scale for more units. For example, the annual fee for a 30-unit apartment complex would be $125.
