The Alpena County Board of Commissioners this week tabled discussion on approving a letter of support for a proposed extension of 3rd Avenue past Thunder Bay Junior High School, News staff writer Steve Schulwitz reported in Wednesday’s edition of The News.

The county leaders decided they needed more time to gather more information about the project and talk to constituents about their feelings about the proposal before they could offer their support.

County Administrator Jesse Osmer told Schulwitz the county felt the Alpena County Road Commission’s request for the letter of support came prematurely.

We commend the county board for their handling of what has become a controversial issue.

Currently, 3rd Avenue crosses Bagley Street/Hobbs Drive and continues west past the junior high and ends at Barrington Circle, which is a closed loop. That means the only entrance/exit to the junior high and the neighborhoods west of Bagley/Hobbs is off of Bagley/Hobbs.

Last year, the Road Commission and Alpena Township announced a $2 million plan (the price has since climbed) to extend 3rd past Barrington Circle all the way to Tamarack Road, which connects with M-32 to the north.

That, proponents of the project say, gives emergency crews another access point to the junior high, helping first responders better react to emergencies and making kids at the junior high safer.

Opponents of the plan, however, worry about increased traffic and higher speeds past the school and around those neighborhoods and the potential dangers to students and others that could bring.

Many residents also oppose the idea of a roundabout near Barrington Circle, which had been discussed.

Road Commission Managing Director Ryan Brege told Schulwitz the proposed extension is not dead. Currently, the federal government is involved in making sure the extension wouldn’t negatively impact wetlands beyond where 3rd Avenue currently ends and the Road Commission still is exploring funding options for the project.

There’s a lot to consider about the proposal, a lot of cost-benefit analysis and weighing of competing interests.

The county board did their constituents right by taking the time to further study the issue and gather more input before expressing support for the project. That’s how good governments work.

We urge county commissioners to do their due diligence quickly and decide whether or not they support the project. Brege said the wetlands study should wrap up by June, and the Road Commission deserves to know whether the project has the county’s support early so the project can advance — if it will advance.

But commissioners were right to take some time.

Thank you, commissioners.