HomeMy WebLinkAbout1976 06-30 Commercial park charge on Maplewood agenda THE REVIEW Commercial p ark charge
on Maplewood agenda
lune 30,/yl(,
by Kamy Fde set aside until July 8. every sort of new development in the city,
A proposed ordinance to charge com- The ordinance,proposed by the city's not just residential development,so that
mercial and industrial developers five Parks and Recreation Commission,would the city's present vast amount of
percent of the cost of their undeveloped assess developers of commercial and privately owned open spaces with
land for park improvements is set for industrial land much as residential potential for development are partially
discussion at the July 8 meeting of the developers are now assessed in the city. available for orderly park recreational
Maplewood city council. For each house constructed in and open space development,"Section 1
The council,at its June 24 session,set Maplewood, a $317 park charge is of the ordinance reads.
that date for further discussion of the assessed.If the value of the undeveloped It specifies that the developer of"any
ordinance, which drew criticism from residential lot is $10,000, the charge tract of land in the city of Maplewood
council member Burton Murdock at the amounts to roughly four percent of the which is to be developed for commercial,
June 24 meeting.•Murdock and fellow cost of the undeveloped land. industrial or like uses,shall dedicate to
council members spent over an hour Murdock said he felt the five percent the public for public use as parks,
haggling about the ordinance, with charge against commercial and in- playgrounds or public open space,such
Murdock saying he preferred a set fee dustrial developers is unfair. "Five portion of his development tract equal to
charge for all developers.However,after percent of a hundred grand is a lot of five percent thereof."
that time,City Manager Michael Miller dough." If the land dedicated is determined
pointed out that the five percent charge on Richard Schreier, owner of land on "unsuitable" by the city council, after
undeveloped land is the only charge Beam avenue,said he would prefer to see reports of the Planning Commission and
allowed by law. City Attorney Donald developers assessed five percent of their parks and recreation commission, then
Lais confirmed his comments. profits,not five percent of the land value. the developer can be required to
Mayor Robert Bruton laughed, "You "If you wanted five percent of the profits, "relocate or rearrange" the land
should have told us sooner." I'd be happy to give it to you.There's a big dedicated,or be assessed"an amount in
Councilman Norman Anderson moved difference between five percent of the cash equal to the product of the per-
to table the ordinance at 11:30 p.m.,one gross and five percent of the profits." centage of the land required to be
half hour short of the council's midnight Bruton said,"We're asking five percent dedicated,multipled by the undeveloped
meeting deadline. A number of other of the raw land value,not of the final cost land value of the tract to be subdivided or
items were still on the council agenda. of the development." developed."Cash payments of the money
Bruton said he opposed tabling the The purpose of the ordinance "is to will be required before a building permit
ordinance because "this is the only assure the citizens of the city of will be issued.
method the state allows.So it's this or Maplewood that additional open space for Money received from such developers
nothing." However, a motion to table parks, playgrounds and recreational will go into a special fund for parks,
cannot be challenged and the matter was facilities will be the responsibility of playgrounds,open space and the like.