HomeMy WebLinkAbout1973 07-03 Maplewood Open Space Plan Killed PIONEER PRESS Maplewood '
St.Paul Pioneer Press Tues., July 3, 1973 C 27
OpenSpace
Plan Killed
By NANCY LIVINGSTON
Staff Writer
Bowing to area resi-
d e n t s' opposition, the
Ramsey County Parks
and Open Space Commis-
sion Monday voted not to
acquire land on Beaver
Lake in Maplewood as
part of the county's open
space program.
The move was made de-
spite staff planners' rec-
ommendation to acquire
the land. It would have
cost$425,000.
At an earlier meeting,
the planners agreed with
area residents that the
county should not pur-
chase land on the south
side of the lake. The
lake's west side is already
county park land.
The four residents of the
lake's east shore also op-
posed county acquisition
of their property. Their
arguments, which were
championed by Commis-
sioner Dolores Knaak,
held sway.
The residents also op-
posed county purchase of
life estates, indicating
they preferred to have
their property,on the open
market when they decided
to sell. (When a life estate
is purchased,the resident
agrees to sell his proper-
ty only to the county when
he is ready to sell.)
Commissioner Elizabeth
De Courcy noted that if life
estates are not purchased,
and the four parcels of
land are left out of the
Beaver Lake land acquisi-
tion project, the residents
could eventually decide to
sell their property to de-
velopers who would con-
struct multiple dwellings.
"This would defeat our
whole project,".she said.
Applause from the audi-
ence greeted the commis-
sioners' eventual decision
to drop the whole
project.
The commissioners also
voted Monday to table ac-
tion on acquisition of a 33-
acre site in Roseville east
of the present Acorn Vil-
lage park. Staff planners -
recommended dropping
this project, but Commis-
sioner Edward Salverda
asked the commission to
table action until he could
do more checking into the
matter.