CHAMBER SUPPORTS THROUGH PEQUOT 371 ROUTE

The Brainerd Lakes Chamber has decided to support the through-town route for the Highway 371 expansion in Pequot Lakes. In an un-signed letter on Chamber letterhead, business officials said the timetable for building a bypass is uncertain, starting no earlier than 2015, may take up to ten years to finish, and may never be built. The Chamber letter predicts "stagnation of the community" if the bypass is built but a through-town route would result in business confidence and cause local businesses to improve existing structures. One survey quoted said 23-percent of Pequot Lakes businesses would expand if the highway remained where it was. The city council has approved resolutions supporting both routes. Officials said a council decision could be made next month.