Agenda - Planning Commission - 02/01/2007

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Mr. Enstrom clarified with Associate Planner Geisler that if this is approved the whole north half of Ramsey will be 4 in 40. He questioned what the advantage would be of going to 4 in 40. This will basically eliminate all development. A lot of property owners in the City have 5 to 10 acre lots, possibly 12 to 15 acre lots. They are now at retiring age and want their kids to be able to subdivide; all those families dreams are thrown out. A lot of families will lose on this situation and will be forced out of town. Mr. Enstrom stated he owns 120 acres and is probably more affected by this than anyone, but there are a lot of people that will get burned with this. He has no intention of developing his land, but he feels it is discrimination for someone to take and eliminate that chance and allow him only a 10 acre lot, while the majority of his neighbors are plotted out on 1 to 2 ~ acre lots. Mr. Enstrom stated the Planning Commission should review properties just like they are doing tonight. Every parcel that comes up should be discussed, instead of trying to make it general all purpose that does not work for anyone. There will be natural clustering just because of areas where the ground is not buildable, such as between power lines and easements. He would like to see this thrown away. They threw it away years ago and he does not know why it keeps coming up. Mr. Denny Donovan, 17605 Argon Street NW, stated he thinks this has some valid thought. They all realize this will not be a permanent solution. He views it as a temporary solution to allow them to have good plan in 2008 when the Comprehensive Plan comes due. The City can address the transition of the neighborhoods, open space, and infrastructure. The City should look at the cluster ordinance and housing. There was a nine month moratorium; he is' not faulting anyone but there was not much study done during those nine months. This will allow them to step backwards for a year or two until this 2008 Comprehensive Plan comes in to look at neighborhoods, how they can transition and all those other issues. His hat is off to the Planning Commission for looking at this. He appreciates that he got a notice on this because when the cluster went through there was very little public input. Mr. Merlyn Hunt, 17860 NOwthen Boulevard NW, stated he did not receive a postcard about this hearing. But he has now been told with what is on the map that his land is already in a 4 in 40 area. One to two years ago someone wanted to buy his place and said he could put 15 or 16 houses on it. He stated the land north of the brook is planned to be developed into municipal lots. Associate Planner Geisler indicated she believes the development Mr. Hunt is referring to is the Brookfield proposal, which was approved. That development is located south of Trott Brook and west ofNowthen Boulevard. Mr. Hunt stated the 40 acres across the road from him has eight lots, with one as small as 1 acre and one as large as 14 acres. What the City is doing is limiting the amount; if it was 2 ~ acres before the City took several hundred thousand dollars of the value of his property by changing it. There are a lot of people that is happening to. It bothers him every time the City decides to change the rules. The same thing happened with the wetlands when the City confiscated 20 feet around all of his pieces of highlands. By the time that got to Council the Fire Chief said the City needs to have 15 feet of distance because there will be a strip of weeds that will be a fire hazard. The City keeps confiscating land and it bothers him. No one pays him for it, but they keep Planning Commission/January 4, 2007 Page 19 of 36 P19