Agenda - Council - 05/24/2005 - Laserfiche WebLink

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residents for granting a PUD zoning variance. Developers should not be allowed to circumvent rules designed to create decent livable developments city residents can. be proud of by paying a kick back to the city. Obviously, the city is benefiting in the short term at the expense of the residents, but I suggest that the city is losing long term benefits of higher property taxes gained from higher valued properties. Because this is also subject to the City Park and Recreation Committee Meeting later this month, the projects should not be approved without some dialogue between the Planning Commission, the residents, the developers, the City Council, and the Park and Recreation Committee. There are some things you cannot put a price on. tn conclusion, the Planning Commission and City Council have an opportunity and an obligation to set a precedent in these cases for all development in Ramsey in the coming decades. The choice rests upon your shoulders whether to blindly rubber stamp the requests of any developer who wishes to test the limits of these new and somewhat vague zoning laws or to require a standard of conduct that befits the spirit of the iaws and the desires of the eydsting residents who votes gave you your present seats. While the city can certainly use the quick funds gained through rapid deve!opment to further its plans for expansion in the proposed downtown, water treatment facility and other services, we must look beyond the ' sen five years ~o the long term impact on how, where, and why we development_this beautiful city. You can look around the metro area for many examples of good planning and poor planning and how it bas affected property values. This city is unique from many of its neighbors that have gone virtually from farmland to full developmem Ramsey has a higher percentage of well established low-density development and many residents who came here specifically for that reason. These residents are your constituents and they will be heard, either by the current administration or by a newly elected one. We cannot bury our heads in the sand like some would say Dayton is trying to do, but as we develop, let us do it with careful thought of infrastructure, service needs, our high proportion of wetlands, and the needs of our residents. Your decisions now will determination whether in twenty years Ramsey becomes more like Maple Grove or North Minneapolis. Where do you want to live? Thank you for your time and consideration~ -179-