Agenda - Council - 03/28/1989 - Laserfiche WebLink

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February 28, 1989 City Council City of Ramsey Minnesota 55303 Gentlemen: Recently I was contacted by Anoka County regarding its acqui- sition of part of my farm-to be added to the county park. The attached exhibit from them shows what the county intends to condemn. As I have expressed to the council previously, I am against the acquisition, because it is not in either my interest or the city's. Parks are seasonal facilities and do not gener- ate business development. (As an illustration, I call your attention to the large Hennepin County park on the north end of Medicine Lake in Plymouth; it has not generated business development.) Also, the county park may have limited appeal to Ramsey residents since it is not a recreational/general use park. As you are aware, the City Council has approved the concept of a river crossing and arterial road across my land to in- tersect with U.S. ~10 and possibly 1-94 in Maple Grove. Members of the City Economic Development Commission have ex- pressed the belief that my farm could then become the loca- tion of a large and significant commercial development. The county intends to take so much of my land that this will not be possible. Also, there is a question as to whether the river crossing will ever be a reality if the county takes all my river frontage, since the city may not be able to acquire a roadway across park land. It is my understanding that the city agreed to the acquisi- tion of part of my land for a park in exchange for the county agreeing to relinquish part of its park land along U.S. ~10 for a frontage road and for future commercial development. I suggest to you that you are giving up the potential site of a sizable commercial development (my land) for a strip of frontage that will not be at the focal point of the intersec- tion of a river-crossing arterial and U.S. ~10. Also, the city does not need to make a deal with the county for front- age road rights on the county park land. If MinDot wants to limit access to U.S. ~10, it will have to acquire frontage road rights across the county park. Finally, the county's acquisition of my land puts me in a very difficult position. I hold this land as a farm with the aiddtaxes based on a limited green acres value.. The county