IDOT re: US 20 improvementIowa Department of Transportation
800 Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50010 515-239-1431
Fax: 515-239-1982
October 17, 2003
Dubuque County
NHS-20-9(121)--19-31
City Council Chairperson
City of Dubuque
50 W 13th Street
Dubuque,lA 52001
Dear SidMadam:
A Notice of Environmental Assessment Availability and Public Hearing are
enclosed concerning the proposed capacity improvement of US 20 in
Dubuque County from Peosta to just east of the Northwest Arterial in
Dubuque.
Please contact Brad Hofer, Office of Location and Environment, Iowa
Department of Transportation, 800 Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50010,-telephone
515-239-1787, if you have questions or comments.
Sincerely,
Mitchell J. Dillavou
Director Engineering Bureau
LF:jj
Encl.
CC:
Richard Kautz, District 6 Office, Iowa DOT
Jim Schnoeblen, District 6 Office, Iowa DOT
Cathy Cutler, District 6 Office. Iowa DOT
Brad Hofer, Office of Location and Environment, Iowa DOT
NOTZCE OF ENVZRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AVAI'LAB/LI'TY
AND LOCAT]:ON DES?GN PUBLZC HEAR?NG
FOR THE PROPOSED CAPACTTY ?MPROVEMENT OF U.S. 20 'rN DUBU(~UE
COUNTY FROM PEOSTA TO 3UST EAST OF THE NORTHWEST ARTERI'AL
AND NOTZCE OF POSS?BLE ACQUt'SI'TTON OF PRI'VATE PROPERTY FOR
SAI'D PRO3ECT
Notice is hereby given to all interested persons that an open forum location design public
hearing will be held on November 6, 2003, between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m., in the Shot
Tower Conference Room, Best Western Dubuque Inn, 3434 Dodge Street, Dubuque, Iowa,
to discuss the proposed capacity improvement of U.S. 20 in Dubuque County from
Peosta to just east of the Northwest Arterial.
The purpose of the hearing is to discuss the preferred alternative for this area, the
impacts of this alternative and the environmental document completed for this project.
The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) in cooperation with the Federal Highway
Administration has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed
U.S. 20 improvement. Copies may be obtained by contacting either of the following:
3im Rost, Director
Office of Location and Environment
Iowa Department of Transportation
800 Lincoln Way
Ames, Towa 50010
Telephone: 515-239-1798
Philip Barnes, Division Administrator
Federal Highway Administration
Iowa Division Office
105 Sixth Street
Ames, Towa 50010
Telephone: 515-233-7300
A copy of the Environmental Assessment will be available for inspection at the hearing
and is also available for viewing at the Carnegie-Stout Public Library, 360 W. 11th Street,
Dubuque, Iowa; at the Burton Payne Library, Northeast Towa Community College -
Peosta Campus, 10250 Sundown Road, Peosta, Iowa; and at the Dubuque County
Library, 310 4th Street SW, Farley, Iowa.
A review deadline of November 17, 2003, has been established for receipt of comments
on this document. Al! comments received on the Environme~ta! Assessment by that
date will be considered by the Iowa Department of Transportation and the Federal
Highway Administration in their evaluation of the environmental impacts of the project.
Comments on the Environmental Assessment should be submitted to the Director, Office
of Location and Environment, at the above address.
This public hearing will be conducted utilizing an open forum format. No formal
presentation will be made. Interested individuals are encouraged to attend the hearing
anytime between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. to express their views about the proposed
improvement and the Environmental Assessment. Oral and written statements will be
accepted at the public hearing.
For general information regarding the proposed improvement or the public hearing,
contact Cathy Cutler, Field Services Coordinator, District 6 Office, Iowa Department of
Transportation, P O Box 3:150, 430 16th Avenue S. W., Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52406-3150,
telephone 319-364-0235 or 1-800-866-4368.
Written statements and related exhibits, in Place of or in addition to oral statements
made at the public hearing, will be accepted at the hearing or may be submitted to the
Office of Location and Environment, Iowa DOT, 800 Lincoln Way, Ames, IoWa, 50010.
All written material received by November 17, 2003, Will be included in the hearing
transcript.
All persons interested in the project are invited to attend this hearing. The meeting
room is accessible for persons with disabilities. If you require special accommodations at
the hearing, please notify Ms. Cutler or Gary Hood, Office of Location and Environment,
Iowa Department of Transportation, 515-239-1626, by October 31, 2003, so
arrangements can be made.
NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNERS
A governmental body which proposes to acquire property under the power of em inent
domain for a public improvement project is required to give notice of a public hearing to
a owners and contract purchasers of record of agricultural land that may be the subject
of condemnation.
1. DESCRIPTION OFTHE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENT,
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) will
consider approving the following described project:
Proposed improvement of U.S. 20 in Dubuque County from Peosta to just east of
the Northwest Arterial.
2. PRIVATE PROPERTY MAY BE ACQUIRED BY PURCHASE OR CONDEMNATION.
If the Iowa DOT approves the above-described project, the DOT will be required to
acquire property for the proposed improvements. The DOT will attempt to
purchase the required property by good faith negotiations; however, it may
condemn those properties it is unable to purchase. The proposed location bf the
above-described public improvement is shown on preliminary plans for the
project. Preliminary plans are available from the Office of Location and
Environment, Iowa Department of Transportation, 800 Lincoln Way, Ames, Iowa
50010.
IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROCESS TO DECIDE TO FUND THE
DESIGNf TO SELECT THE ROUTE OR SITE LOCATION, OR TO ACQUIRE OR
CONDEMN PROPERTY INTERESTS.
In order to acquire the necessary properties and property interests require~ for
the project, the Iowa Department of Transportation is required to approve the
location of the project. The DOT will hold a public hearing to present to the public
the proposed improvement and the anticipated impacts of the improvement.
Persons whose property may be affected by the project, as well as the general
public, may comment on the project at the hearing. The comments will be
presented to the Commission. Based in part on the information received at the
hearing, the Commission will, at a future open meeting, decide whether to fund
the project.
4. OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC INPUT.
As previously stated in this notice, an open forum location design public hearing
will be held on November 6, 2003, between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m., in the Shot Tower
Oonference Roo'm, Best Western Dubuque Inn, $484 Dodge Street, Dubuque, Iowa.
Iowa DOT staff will be available to answer questions about the proposed
improvement and the Environmental Assessment. Written statements can be
submitted to the DOT at the hearing, or sent to Office of Location and
Environment, Iowa DOT, 800 Lincoln Way, Ames, Iowa 500:10. All written
material received by November 17, 2003, will be included in the hearing
transcript.
5. IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CONTACT.
For information regarding the proposed 'mprovement contact:
Cathy Cutler
Field Services Coordinator
District 6 Office
Iowa Department of Transportation
P O Box 3:150, 430 16th Avenue S. W.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52406-3150
Telephone 319-364-0235 or :L-800-866-4368
This notice is given by authority of the Iowa Department of Transportation.
This project is included in the Planning Study Section of the 2003-2007 Transportation
Improvement Program.
This notice is not an offer to buy land nor is it an offer to provide relocation assistance.
Affected property owners are not required to move from their residences or relocate their
businesses at this time. Eligibility for relocation benefits will not occur until after an offer
to purchase has been made to individual property owners.
Mitchell 3. Dill~¥vou, PE
Director Engineering Bureau
Highway Division
Iowa Department of Transportation