Newspaper Clipping - Newspaper Clipping Scan - Cliff Lake Development Controversy - 8/26/1987 (2)Cliff Lake controversy
Traffic, property values, quality of life worry neighbors
by S. Maus Bettenga
Neighbors are upset and
they're letting the city know it.
A large group of residents was
expected to attend the Advisory
Planning Commission meeting
Aug. 25 to express concern over
a 325,000 square -foot shopping
center proposed for the intersec-
tion of Cliff and Rahn roads.
"I want to ask people on the
Planning Commission whether
they care about those of us who
live on the other side of the
freeway," said Joy Droberg. She
and her husband have lived at
the corner of Shale Lane and
Rahn Road for more than 13
years.
"When I first moved out here
Cliff was a dirt road and so was
Rahn. It was good to get them
n�vnri R„t T „earl to wake tun to
the sound of cows, now I wake up
to the sound of semi - trucks roar-
ing by," she said. Droberg said
she sleeps with ear plugs and
two fans running to drown out
the traffic noise.
"I think it is a terrible place to
put a shopping center," said
Michelle Swanson. She and her
family live on Badget Court,
about two blocks from the pro-
posed center.
"I can find no redeeming
qualities to the project. Eagan
does need a Target but many of
the neighbors think there are
better places for it. I think near
Town Centre would be the
perfect place. It's already zoned
for it, it would help draw people
to the stores already there and
the existing roads could handle
the traffic_"
Preliminary plans of Hoffman
Develpment Group include a
landscaped area and walking
path near an existing lake. "How
many times do you go to Target
and then say, `Let's go to the
park' " Swanson asked. She also
pointed out that loading docks
for the stores may be close to the
walking path and wondered
about pedestrian safety.
Jeanne Barum lives on
another corner of Shale Lane
and Rahn Road and has two
children, 3 and 6. "My biggest
concern is the traffic that will be
generated so close to an elemen-
tary school. Also, the types of
people who will hang around at
the center could be dangerous."
Plans show no access off Cliff
Road with three entrances off
TRAFFIC: To Page 2A,
Staff report: Project fails to meet code
ity 6. IvittUs Oeu. ii ,a
Plans submitted by
developers of the Cliff Lake and
Galleria Towers project do not
meet zoning guidelines, accor-
ding to a city staff report.
The report, released Thurs-
day, is the staff's evaluation of
the proposed 325,000 square -foot
shopping center at Cliff and
Rahn roads. "Based on informa-
11011 JUU1111LLGU ..y L11.. uf>rus..uaas,
it appears that a Comprehensive
Land Use Guide Plan amend-
ment and planned development
amendment will be required.
"Staff believes this planned
development amendment con-
stitutes a `rezoning' because of
the inconsistency in land use bet-
ween the planned development
and site plan" submitted to the
A December 1984 copy of the
city's zoning map shows the Cliff
Lake site as a planned develop-
ment with a community shopp-
ing center designation. The nor-
thwest and northeast corners of
the parcel are zoned for multiple
housing. City officials said zon-
REPORT: To Page 2 A
Report: Plan amendment needed to build
From Page 1
ing on the map vas the most up
to date version ; ivailable.
Ryan Constrt ction and Hoff-
man Developm !nt Group, joint
developers of the project, are
proposing a 11, ,300 square -foot
Target store; :t 62,000 square -
foot grocery si ore, possibly a
Cub Foods; ani 64,000 square -
feet of tenant s hops in the first
phase of cons ruction. Future
phases could in elude 23 acres of
multiple housin
analyzing the developer's
plans, city staff cited several
potential probb Ins. Since there
would be no access off Cliff
Road, all traffic would enter
from Rahn Rot. d.
• "The propo ;al may have two
specific, thoug h unrelated im-
pacts on the city's park and
recreational sy item," the report
said. If Rahn R )ad was widened,
most likely it N ould be to handle
increased traffic, street parking
for users of t ie softball fields
would probably be eliminated.
• Certain an as of the develop-
ment are bei ig dedicated for
purposes of p iblic parks, trail
easements cr storm water
holding art as. However,
developers fai ed to show all of
the approxiriately 16 acres
which they h td agreed to set
aside as part: dedication, the
report said.
• Staff mei lbers were also
concerned tha the site would re-
quire extensive grading and that
could create storm water runoff,
water quality and erosion con-
trol problems.
• Traffic distribution was also
a concern and further study
would be necessary to determine
the effects of increased traffic.
• Schools in the area would be
affected in varying degrees, the
report said. Rahn Elementary is
across the street from the pro-
posed project; Thomas Lake
Elementary is less than a mile
east; and Metcalf Junior High is
about a mile west.
• Effects on the neighbors
cited by the staff included per-
sonal safety and privacy, change
in the physical environment; use
of recreational facilities; attrac-
tiveness of the neighborhood;
and mobility.
• Other potential problems
recognized were the danger of
increased traffic to pedestrians
and buses; proximity of the site
to the Rahn playground; and
social interaction between
students and shopping center
patrons.
The question of whether or not
a new Environmental Assess-
ment Worksheet (EAW) would
have to be completed was also
considered. Developers had an
EAW prepared in May 1982 for
the proposed Eagan Hills West
Planned Development.
Staff members believed a new
EAW was needed because the
across
CITY
Lines
Finalists named for award
Janet Sl tickell, Tom MacFarland and Marilyn Tubbs are
finalists ft r the first annual Community Volunteer Service
Award spo risored by the Burnsville Chamber of Commerce and
the Burns\ ille Jaycees.
The win] ter of the award will be named Sept. 9 at the Chamber
of Comme ce lunch at the Burnsville Holiday Inn. Don Shelby of
Proposed site of Cliff Lake and Galleria Tower at Cliff and Rahn roads.
1982 study was not site specific,
use specific or project specific
and did not anticipate the densi-
ty of the new project.
Developers maintained the
1982 EAW was sufficient to meet
photo by S. Maus Bettenga
analytical needs and conformed
with environmental review
rules.
Traffic: Neighbors worried about project
From Page 1
Rahn. Two entrances would be
across the street from activity
fields at Rahn Elementary
School. Rahn classroomswest of
the fields would be exposed to
traffic noise, Barum fears, and
students would have trouble con-
centrating.
Another concern she has is the
value of homes in the area.
"Right now, the value of our
home is up. But if a commercial
area goes in that close, they'll
probably go down," she said.
Her husband grew up a few
blocks from their current home
but she said the family would
consider moving if the project
was approved.
"None of the neighbors we've
talked to is in favor of it," Swan-
son said. She added that com-
pared to this proposal, the Dif-
fley Center project was a far bet-
ter location for a major shopping
area.
Bieter Corp., which owns ap-
proximately 90 acres at Diffley
Road and Interstate 35E, propos-
ed a 735,000 square foot shopping
center in February. Target and
Northwest Racquet and Swim
Club would have been anchors
for the project but it fell through
when a rezoning request was
denied by the City Council.
"I don't believe we got both
sides of the Diffley Center
story." Swanson said. "It just
seems like that came and went
so fast."
A city staff report on the Cliff
Lake and Galleria project was
released Thursday. Neighbors of
the proposed project said they
would be at Tuesday's meeting
to learn more about planned con-
struction, traffic patterns as well
as express their concerns.