Agenda - Planning Commission - 07/01/2004

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TAKING EXCEPTION Cul-dc,sac dispute not as it seems Vour editorial ~ ~which extends for l. regarding . . approximately -six- Wellington:'Way in tenths of a mile Eagan may. have before exiting at offered some Com- Johnny Cake Ridge Road, And ~ consid- mon-sense advice to ,::., ~:,: potential buyers .of. : -..:...~ ~'~,~'.;?:-_:'i:::'. erable, number of :.. ~i properties .. (caveat v:': ~:: '~ .... - .people reside : on emptor), but I believe - - LAlql Sherwood Way, to I hear the whine of a JACOBSEN say nothing of the developer's voice in people on adjoining ,' the opinion writer's ear ("Cul. 'cul-de-sacs -- ail of whom will de-sac culture clash," June 7). suffer additional traffic and The issue is not just about a eul-. ' noise. Bear in mind that these de-sac. ~._ · · :streets do not have sidewalks, It woUld seem that the edito- and the residents of Brittany rial writer was not in atten- Estates have, for the .'last 18 dance-at the May 25 EaganPlan- years, been doing their walking, ntng Advisory Commisgion -biking, stroller-pushing and meeting, which was well attend- dog-walking on the very streets ed by the public, rFnere is at that you note will open [o."one least a serious question as to of the city's busiest arteries.". whether the Cul-de-Sac Extort- Check with the Eagan fire sion Agreement between the chief, as one 'resident did, and city. of Eagan and Toliefson he will likely tell you that the Brothers (developers of the Brit- -extension of Wellington. Way tany Estates 9th. Addition) was doesn't provide for better eyer filed with Dakota County, Which was required-to serve notice to original and future buyers of homes on Wellington Way.. And at least one-original homeowner on 'Wellington avowed publicly that plans to someday extend Wellington had never been disclosed to him by the developer. Legal technicalities aside, · the proposed extension of -Wellington .Way does riot just affect the "16 or so homes on Wellington Way." Wellington Way leads to ~herwood'Way, response of fire vehicles in the area. The proposed new devel- opment on the former Diamond T Ranch would be. served by the fire' stations current!~ .on Pilot Knob. So, even if we accept at face "always',' planned "someday" to value the assertion that the city- · extend Wellington Way as a of Eagan has "always" had plans .. through-street. Well, sometimes 'to extend Wellington to Pilot even the best plans donj.t bear Knob, is this all there is to the up with the passage of time. "clash"? The discussions at the Current residents of Wellington Advisory Planning Commission "' Way and other Brittany streets meeting touched on a number of are right to be concerned about concerns about, the ,.proposed' "Imxur~'.~levelopment .By. and large, current residents of the area are not opposed to develop-. men~ of the Diamond .T, but do have c°ncerns about the hum: bet of homes the developer pro- poses, destruction of 81 percent of the existing trees on the site, concerns for water quality (and possibly volume) due to runoff from a surface that was estimat- ed to be 35 percent impervious; and . possible contamination' from a place that once (and still does) ' have' .: a '~ considerable happen to the market value of the homes they ,have carefully maintained for 18 years -- when they are no longer on a cul-de- sac; when they:, are now 'on a bUSy through-street. · :ShOuld these homeowners suffer a loss jn value' and in the quality of their lives for'the benefit of resi- :dents Of'the new. mansions next door? If I can afford a more lux- .urious l~ome than yours, does it confer upon me the right to.take a path through your back yard? When' it comes down to it, much of the "culture clash" you refer to isn't about culture at all. More, likely, it comes down to wfiat citizens in attendance at the Planning comralsSi0n meet- ing were too-polite to bring up -- money. Money_that a develop- er expects to make from Selling as many luxau'y homes as possi- ble' 'on a 37-acre site, money the city and counw: can expect' from . new property 'taxes, moneY the local 'businesses are eager to take. frOm new residents. ': '-'- 'I 'applaud. the Eagan Plan- amount of horse manure. The . ning .Commission for caring list. goes 0r~: 'i , : ... '-: - :)-enough about current residents The city of Eagan may haVe to listen ~rioUsly to..the Con- 'cOrns the 'proposed- develOp- .ment raised, and for giving the public a fair opportunity to be heard.' .I. invite 'the opinion 'writer of last week's editorial to come Out to future meetings and do some listening as well. you ' missed thepoint on this one. losing the 'freedom of their streets. ~ also of what may -JacObsen l~vesin.~ag.a}.n. ~ ......... : .... : ................ .................. :- ....................... 76"