Agenda - Council - 08/22/2000 - Laserfiche WebLink

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-30- John Atme, Orrin Thompson Homes, stated that it had been mentioned earlier in a work session that a planned unit development would be included. Commissioner Nixt replied yes. Mr. Aune inquired if tl'xe 25 percent buffer would be part of the park dedication requirement. Mr. Gordon replied ~at park dedication would be a separate issue. Jack Miller, Reilley Estates, stated that his property is currently in litigation and is probably the largest land use case in the metropolitan area for quite some time because the City of Ramsey has started to do something that no other municipality has done, which is effectively stop urbanization. He stated that everyone that is part of a development knows what the City of Ramsey is doing. One issue is the legality of what is going on and the City premising it on the Charter Amendment. He explained that there are two parts to the Charter amendment. One being thou shall not extend sewer and water without voter approval and it has to be at least 50 percent or the majority of residential voters, which in his opinion is impossible. No one will be allowed into the MUSA if the City follows the Charter. The second issue is regarding the density and transition. Only four percent of the residents voted in favor of the Charter Amendment and only 6 percent of registered voters voted for the amendment. The legal challenge on the density issue is stemming from residents stating that they were promised one acre lots from Reilley Estates. Mr. Miller suggested that the Commission hold off on making any decisions regarding the ordinance and let the courts go through the process to determine if the amendments are legal. Mr. Miller explained that for $15 a page, a resident can go into the Anoka county surveyors o~ce and get aerial views showing property lines and the locations of homes. Eight of the 11 lots abutting Reilley Estates are located on half of their lot. Woodland Green also abuts the property and 80 to 90 percent of the homes are located on half the lot. What premise is the City operating under, who are they trying to please, and how can an owner of a 2.5 acre lot dictate that their neighbor has to have a 2.5 acre lot. He questioned if the City has talked to any of the urban lot owners to get their opinion on the issue. Commissioner Kociscak inquired if a buffer was used instead of tiers, would it have an impact on density. Mr. Gordon replied that it would depend because the single to single development does not require a certain amount of buffer, so it would be at the discretion of the Council. Commissioner Johnson inquired as to what they could do to avoid problems 20 or 30 years down the road for the people who are going to want to develop their smaller lots at urban standards to prevent excessive use of cul-de-sacs or dead ends. He questioned if other cities have some type of grid system in place or include fight of way with the developments so that properties don't become landlocked. Planning Commission/August 1, 2000 Page 8 of 13