HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981 06-10 Drainage problems halt 60-unit housing project THE REVIEW Id, Minnesota - Single Copy 30' WED.,JUNE 10,1981
problems Drainaga halt
60-unit housing project
By JONATHON CLYDE GLASS The Carsgrove's Meadows develop- Kuslich explained that he recently
Staff Writer ment,owned by Robert's Properties,Inc. purchased 11 acres of virgin oak forest
of St.Paul,would include the construction behind his home with the hope of
Maplewood City Council members of 60 single-family houses on 21 acres of preserving it for foot and horse trails.
came to their June 4 meeting equipped undeveloped land.The required road and Facing a$100,000 assessment,he might
with an array of blue prints,engineering utility improvements would cost ap- have to subdivide it and develop portions
plans and drainage maps. proximately$767,000,according to Public of it,he said.
The dilemmas of constructing and then Works Director Ken Haider.Forest Street "I just want to make one point.Please,
assessing the costs for new roads,sewers would be extended as a through street if you have a conscience—and I imagine
and water lines for each new development between County Road C and Gervais you do,you look like nice people—at least
in the city is an ongoing problem for the Avenue, three ponding areas would be make sure that you make sure the lots are
council. upgraded and two more constructed,and large,"Kuslich pleaded with the council.
During the course of the meetings the new pipes would be installed to direct the Reuben Heckmann,a retiree living on
council members unanimously agreed to runoff into Kohlman or Spoon Lakes, Social Security at 2579 Cypress St.,said he
deny a preliminary approval for the according to Haider. would have to sell his home in order to
Forest Street Improvement Project and meet his assessment of$15,300.He has his
Carsgrove's Meadows development, THE STORM SEWER costs of$268,000 own well and has gotten along with a
south of Kohlman Lake, because of raised the stiffest objections. Local gravel road for many years,he told the
unresolved drainage problems. residents criticized the proposed plan to council.
Almost a dozen residents from the area assess Robert's Properties for$102,000,or -The residents also expressed concern
bordered by Keller Parkway, County 39 percent of the cost. about environmental damage created by
Road C and Highway 61 testified that they The sentiments of Parish were echoed increased runoff into the lakes and the
would gain no benefit from the housing by other residents who said they have location of a storm sewer settling pond
development planned there,but would be lived in the area for years without having near an abandoned city dump site.The
forced to pay assessments ranging from any drainage problems,so have nothing dump is located south of County Road C
$15,000 to more than$100,000 to cover to gain by extensive improvements in the and east of Cypress Street.It was closed
utility and sewer improvements. sewer and ponding facilities required for in 1967,according to Mayor John Greavu.
"I recognize the right of the developer the housing development. The It was covered with clay and the park
to do the work,on his own property,but it assessments are especially burdensome board maintains the area a playground
shouldn't be at my expense,"said Mike since they are not tax-deductible,noted there.
Parish,2508 Keller Parkway. Dr.Steven Kuslich,2400 Keller Parkway. Continued on page 2
Maplewood along Linwood. The Public Works IN OTHER ACTION, the council ap-
Department studied the request and proved an $850,000 mortgage revenue
City Council decided to extend the sewer and water financing note for the proposed
lines 1,320 feet, approximately 140 feet Maplewood Racquetball Club at the
Continued on page 1 more than the petitioners had requested. corner of Highway 36 and Atlantic Street.
Ken Gervais, 2373 Linwood, told the The club would be privately owned by
DEAN HEDLUND,2424 Keller Park- council that extra 140 feet would bring the Mark Haggerty,6491 University Ave.in
way,and Don Watson,965 County Road C, sewer along his property and cost him Minneapolis.Haggerty has already built
wondered if the construction of a settling ;14,000 in assessments for a sewer and similar clubs in Blaine and Plymouth.
pond there might not break the clay seal water line which he would never use. The proposed Maplewood club would
and allow potentially hazardous There is no reason to extend the sewer include 11 racquetball courts, sauna,
"chemicals to seep into the drainage that far except to make it correspond with swimming pool, whirlpool and exercise
system. "the imaginary city boundary lines" room,Haggerty said. It also would in-
Before it was closed,Watson said,he which the Public Works Department uses elude a nursery, since an increasing
saw trucks go to the dump and unload in studying proposed sewer projects,he number of women are playing the game,
dozens of barrels of a brown,molasses- told the council. he added.
'like liquid,which they covered with dirt. The council,however,decided to extend
'Discarded tires,old paint,tin cans and the line the full 1,320 feet so that it would The bonding decision passed by a four
be
`assorted forms of garbage were dumped
prepared to service any new to one vote.Fran Juker voted against it
g g Ped
at the old site,Watson continued. developments further east on Linwood.
Don Christianson,111 County Road C, The council voted four to one,with Gary because the facility plans to sell 32 beer.
and a member of the park board,said the Bastian casting the sole dissenting vote. The council unanimously agreed to
park board plans to do test drillings on the When the subject of the Battle Creek reject the proposed quad and double
site to evaluate the hazard. The Min- Improvement Project came u, the dwelling design ordinance which would
p have required all quad or double dwellin
nesota Pollution Control Agency and the council responded angrily, but im- buildings located within 500 feet of oneg
city may do test drilling as well. The potently,to the assessment Maplewood another to be significantly different in
uncertain outcome of these tests adds an received from the watershed district for
financingof the$6 million design.
'unknown cost element to the utility work project.
'which increased the council's reluctance "They've got us right by the throat," The ordinance was designed to prevent
'to approve the Carsgrove's Meadows said Mayor Greavu in reference to the housing developments in which every
development in its present form. watershed district's assessment formula. house looks just alike, said council
I don't think a person on the watershed member Joker. But she eventually
Christianson also objected to the costs "
'of the extension of Forest Street. board even lives near Battle Creek,"said agreed that the criteria for determining
"The only reason Forest Street is being Greavu who had written a formal letter of design differences were vague and could
•,extended is that we've gone cul de sac protest to the watershed district two create additional expense for developers
'crazy in Maplewood,"he said. weeks ago and homebuyers.
• Cliff Lund of Robert's Properties Greavu also reiterated his complaint 'I don't see any reason for the city to
'argued that his company is already that the responsibility for future main- get in between the buyer and seller,"said
paying an unusually high percentage of tenance costs is not clearly explained in Councilman Earl Nelson.
the storm sewer costs,and it will handle the watershed district's plans and it is "If the marketplace demands different
all the internal storm sewer work as well. uncertain whether Maplewood will have kinds of homes, then we'll see them,"
"These homes will be built on an in-
to pay those costsadded Councilman Bastian.
'dividual basis,not all the same design.
'We're going to have some deluxe homes
here,"he said.
"I DON'T WANT to see this man held I
"back from developing his property,"
noted Mayor Greavu,voicing his reluc-
tance to further stall the housing project.
But the council,under the watchful eyes
of local residents, finally decided the
present development plans are
inadequate.
"None of the ponding is even on the
developer's property," Christianson
reminded council members.
Robert's Properties will come back to
the council with a revised plan on July 16.
"We can look again at doing all the
internal sewering and drainage our-
selves,"Ralph Wagner,an engineer for
Robert's,told the Review."I think in the
end this will prove a very short-sighted
way for the city to handle it,"he con-
tinued.
When the council turned its attention to
Linwood Avenue in southern Maplewood,
it found yet another problem with sewer
assessments.
KURT SCHWICHTENBERG, a
resident of Linwood who is planning to
construct several houses in the area,had
organized a petition among nearby
-.residents requesting the city to extend its
sewer line from McKnight Road eaat