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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981 09-23 Developers get green light REVIEW eve o e rs get green light By JONATHON CLYDE GLASS determination to put an end to deferring Staff Writer assessments. The city has put itself in a bind by deferring assessments in the past, Ken Gervais and Richard Schreier both until four years ago when the total was passed political hurdles obstructing the almost $1 million, Mayor John Greavu development of their land at the Sept. 17 said. "That's why we're in a problem meeting of the Maplewood City Council. today, because we have deferred Gervais owns land in south Maplewood assessments. Then we have to turn and Schreier's land is in the northern around and assess other Maplewood section of the city. residents to pay off the bonds we float," The council authorized the public works he explained. r Barry Evans reiterated department to do the feasibility studies Y Managnecessary to determine assessments for that the city could not afford to pick up Gervais' 15 acre,74-unit Hillwood Drive- any portion of the development costs as it Dorland Road housing development. has done in the past. As a result, the Despite the heated objections of Glenn developer will have to pay approximately Becklund, 2325 Linwood Ave., and other 35 percent of the front foot,street construction costs south Maplewood residents who con- of$80 per front foot. ill tended that their assessments would be be assessed at a rate of$50 per unreasonable, the council unanimously "IS THAT FAIR and just in your approved this next step in the develop- ment's progress. opinion?" council member Gary Bastian Gordon Sinclair, Becklund's attorney, asked Sinclair. argued that the assessments on his The council also turned down client's parcel would far exceed the in- Becklund's request for a lot split, which crease in the value of the property. he said would enable him to sell the back Becklund is hardest hit by the portion of his property to raise some assessments because he has to pay for money for the assessments on the front. utility work on both sides of his property, Such a split would create land-locked which is at the intersection of Linwood parcels, which is against city policy, and Dorland. Becklund and other Public Works Director Ken Haider said. residents insisted that Gervais had After Becklund angrily stormed out of agreed at the last meeting to build the meeting, Greavu noted that the Dorland as a private road, thereby council's action did not constitute final sparing Becklund from assessment costs approval of the housing development. It for that portion of the work, but later allows the Department of Public Works to changed plans to make Dorland a public solicit bids for the utility work, enabling road, built at taxpayer expense. the city to use firm cost figures when it "It may be old-fashioned,but I think the considers final approval of the project words fair and just have to come into this and establishes an assessment plan, he thing somewhere along the line,"Sinclair explained. It will take three to four told council members. If the council months for the city to secure the bids, he I would not stop the entire development, added. the least it could do is defer the At this point,the anticipated cost of the assessments on Becklund's land until he utility work for the project is$1,115,000,of or a future owner actually develops it, which $570,000 would be assessed to the Sinclair said. developer, and$545,000 to residents. The estimated costs for a typical 80 by 150 foot AFTER THE MEETING, Gervais told lot would be$10,697. the Review he had orally agreed to build Dorland as a private road, but only "in TURNING TO THE northern part of the the heat of the argument"and contingent city, the council overruled the Sept. 8 on his ability to handle the rest of the decision of the Design and Review Board development's internal utility work. and approved a site plan for the three When they looked at the proposal more acre Maplewood East shopping center at closely,he said,the city engineers did not the intersection of Beam and White Bear want him to do all the internal work. Avenues. The Design and Review Board The council did not swerve from its had turned down the plan because its 180 proposed parking spaces were 18 short of The council readily agreed and the 198 required for a commercial center unanimously approved the site plan. of its size. Richard Schreier, 2125 DeSoto St., City Planner Geoffrey Olson told the representing himself and the other council he favored a variance in this case owners,Gerald and Robert Mogren, said because the parking demands of the he expects to put in the footings and at proposed stores and restaurants would least one layer of the parking lot this fall. complement one another, enabling store customers to use most of the parking In a related matter, Commercial spaces during the day and restaurant Partners, Inc., withdrew its applicatior customers to use them in the evening.As for a special use permit to construct a cars get smaller in the next few years,the Pizza Time Theater restaurant at 187C city will be able to reduce its current 10 Beam Ave.and announced its intention to feet requirement for parking stall width, locate its restaurant in the shopping thereby creating more parking spaces,he center on the property owned by Schreier added. and the Mogrens.