Newspaper Clipping - Newspaper Clipping Scan - Ted Wachter and Tom Egan retire St. Paul Pioneer Press - 1/1/1998
Retirements mark end of an era for Eagan
■ Zmembers himself and encouraged him to run for ° .
outgoing City Council. He won.°
of Qmcii look back Decades later, the two veteran Eagan
City Council members are nearing the
at years of service
end of their terms. Both have attracted
AMY SHERMAN sTn~ WRITER supporters and critics through the years. r
But there is one point that cannot be
A~x
argued: When Wachter and Egan end
Ted Wachter's first encounter with gov- their terms this month, the City Council
ernment was when a pack of cars will lose a big part of 'ts institutional
showed up at his family's farm in Rose- memo _
mount in March 1942. Federal govern- Wachter is the city's elder statesman.
ment hacks said they needed the land for He graduated from the planning board to
a gunpowder plant and the Wachters had the village council in 1972. Two years
two weeks to pack their bags. later, when Eagan incorporated as a city,
Wachter told himself that if he ever he joined the City Council.
worked in government, he would try to Last week, Egan and Wachter sat at
help folks. He got the chance when he the council table together for the last
joined Eagan Township's advisory plan- time and were sent off with fanfare. The
ning board in 1958. city named a conference room after
Tom Egan's earliest experience with Wachter. The Eagan Historical Society
local government was less bitter. His unveiled a display about Wachter's life at
neighbors recruited him to get involved City Hall. The duo received plaques. The
with meetings about the proposed typically reserved Egan even choked up.
upgrade of Pilot Knob Road in 1977.. have loved serving the communi- scorn TaKUSHi/PIONEER PRESS
Residents were concerned about the ty, bpt,it hasn't always been fun.
county's plans to transform the rural There have been bitter lawsuits, Eagan City Council Member Ted Wachter, left, has served in city government for 41
two-lane road into a major thoroughfare. years. Tom Egan, the city's mayor, has served for 20. Both are retiring from their gov-
Neighbors liked the way Egan handled EAGAN CONTINUED ON 2B ► emment posts at year's end.
+ SERVING APPLE VALLEY ■ EAGAN ■ INVER G
11 A car." roads . . . pedestrian overpasses.
Q: What does the neighborhood By the time we were done, we
look like today? had worked out what I considered
Wachter: Bulk mail facility on to be an excellent plan.
• CONTINUED FROM 1B the farm, office building in the On Interstate 35E, which was
neighborhood to the north, office built In the 1970s and 80s:
marathon council meetings - and and warehouse in the neighbor- Wachter: I was very much con-
plenty of tough decisions. The two hood to the east. To the south is cerned about my farm because
have witnessed comical mistakes our Promenade shopping center. 35E was going to come through it.
the city made, such as purchasing It's different, no doubt about that. I had established some wildlife,
diesel squad cars in the early If our forefathers were to come planted trees and contoured the
1970s that were so noisy criminals home they wouldn't know where farm for better conservation of
could clear out long before the they were. topsoil.
cops could nab them. Q: How did that make yon. feel At first I was opposed to it
There have been the individual about government when your faml- because I didn't know what was
blunders: One time Egan backed ly's farm was taken? all going to take place. Being a
through his own garage by acci- Wachter: I guess that was farmer, you're concerned about
dent en route to a meeting because always in the back of my mind, taking your livelihood away. But
he was so focused on an upcoming and I said if I ever had a c1!ance then after a while I realized what
vote about a controversial develop- to do something for people from a it meant for the city of Eagan.
ment. Wachter accidentally sawed government angle I would try to This was the so-called key to
off part of three fingers during the do my best to help them. I didn't opening those big doors to Eagan.
1980s when he was run ragged by pursue it at the time. Bu` then Egan: And it did. '!on could lit-
council meetings that routinely when I was asked by Herb Yolzin erally hear the "for sale" signs
lasted until 3 a.m. (who was active in Eagan govern- rising from the ground. The whole
But the accomplishments out- ment) to be on the planning Ward community had a "for sale" sign
weigh the problems. The duo can for Eagan, I accepted. on it. The community just started
take credit for helping Eagan Q: What was your first reaction to develop overnight almost imme-
secure the things residents now to learning the name of the own- diately when 35E was developed.
take for granted, such as paved ship was the same as yours? A gentleman by the name of
roads and full-time city staff, and Egan: Believe it or not, I wasn't John Klein formed a group called
the things that make the suburb a very concerned about that as a the Urban Council on Mobility.
community, such as the library teen-ager. I was more concerned And John was town board chair-
and the ice arena. Egan helped about the fact that I seemed io be man for the township. He spear-
woo West Publishing, one of the out in no man's land. When you're headed the completion of 35E. We
largest taxpayers in the city. too young to have a driver's all took for granted the fact that
Wachter helped save and restore license, living out in a township 35E would come but there was a
the old town hall. . I felt somewhat isolated. very strong question about
Neither council member is an Q: How did you decide to get whether it was necessary with the
Eagan native and neither envi- Involved with local government? completion of 35W and the exis-
sioned a life in politics. Egan: I came home from work tence of Highway 13. John Klein
They come from different back- one evening in June of 1977 and it took Tom Hedges to Washington,
grounds. Wachter was the first in was a bright sunny day. My next- D.C., Tom's first month or two in
his family to graduate from high door neighbor saw me pull in the office, as city administrator. He
school. He spent his life as a garage. She said there was a great went and lobbied hard with our
farmer and a carpenter. Drop by concern about a project, a county congressional delegation and
his home, and the 75-year-old will road project. It was coming in at begged them to please keep
show off his boyhood toy train, his Pilot Knob Road and they would money in the budget for 35E.
woodcarving collection and his like me to attend the meeting. I think what almost killed John,
wife Anne's intricate dollhouse. We sat down and discussed the though, was when a group of
He's quick to crack a joke and preliminary plans for the upgrad- Eagan residents wanted to pre-
chuckle. ing of Pilot Knob Road. One of serve the area. In particular they
Egan is more of a mover and a the real drawbacks to our decision were very concerned about pre-
shaker. After bouncing around the to move to Eagan at the time was serving Blackhawk Lake.
Twin Cities and South Dakota. his the vonditifr. of th<• sfi-en's. `.'!'e 35E vaa going to go rillht over
family moved to Eagan Township just didn't feel there was any safe the narrows of Blackhawk Lake.
when he was 14. Egan earned a or adequate street in Eagan, and The residents objected and they
political science degree at the Pilot Knob was one of those eventually filed an environmental-
University of St. Thomas and then streets I was concerned about. ist lawsuit to prevent if from
went to William Mitchell Law Pilot Knob at that time was a being built that way. Actually the
School. He moved back to Eagan two-lane rural ditch road that city of Eagan is better off by the
with his wife Betty in 1976. went all the way from the knob in fact that the freeway went around
Liz Witt, the longtime former Mendota Heights to Farmington it because we have probably one
city clerk, describes the 51-year- . But what was being proposed of Eagan's prettiest parks down
old Egan as a quiet but fair lead- was not only upgrading the road there. The court ruled there was a
er. "Tom certainly followed his from two lanes to four lanes but prudent and feasible alternative to
conscience, his value system of to put in divided medians, going right through the middle of
fairness and honesty. He gives frontage roads. There were even the lake - you can go around it.
everybody an opportunity w give pedestrian crosspaths, overpasses. On airport noise, an issue
their opinion." My neighbors were very con- Wachter and Egan predict will
Many will remember WdChter's cerned about that.. never be resolved:
passion for local history. II2 has a I think what I'm describing to Egan: I've been so actively
map of Eagan's past ingrairead in you is the dawning of the develop- involved in that issue it's one
his mind. If you need to know Tnent of Eagan. It may have been of those things that will never go
whom a particular farmer :rear- the first time a large segment of away. It's one of those things that
ried or the location of the 1920s Qa then-Eagan population became you have- to continue and assert
foundation of the moonshine still aware of the fact that Eagan was yourself and make sure your pres-
buried in the woods, Wachter is in fact developing and they want- ence and your views are known.
your man. ed to be more actively involved in (In the 1970s) you had stage 1,
"The experience these two gentle- the process. stage 2 and stage 3 aircraft. Most
man have will sorely be missed," Q: What did you learn from that of the airplanes flying back then
Witt said. "It will be a void that first campaign? were stage 1, which were
will be very difficult to fill." Egan: I became rather shocked extremely noisy. There were just
As their terms draw to a close, to find out the cause we were try- not many quiet planes at all.
Egan and Wachter reminisced ing to protect was not universally Wachter: (Airport officials)
about their tenure. The following accepted. The cause was to try weren't concerned about it. Even
are excerpts from several inter- and slow down progress. I car, tell if people complained they let it go
views: you I'm not an obstructionist. because they didn't feel it was
Q: What was Eagan like when I worked very hard during the necessary. Now they look at it in
you first moved there? early months of that first term a different light and they are will-
Egan: Oh it was a township - trying to come up with a reason- ing to cooperate now.
very rural. There were spot able compromise, which we did... Q: How did you learn to disagree
parcels of residential development . What we started to use almost and still be friends?
serviced by local septic systems immediately was the expression Wachter: Tom and I, we dis-
and wells The population was "controlled growth": Instead of agreed a few times. It never both-
perhaps 5,000 at the time. I lived having rampant, ill-advised ered our friendship.
right next to a (relative) of Ted's growth, let's try and professional- Egan: Ted and I would end the
actually, the Cordes, at 2 River ize this, day as cordial as we began it.
Ridge Circle. It was a little gravel Q. Cn.n you give me an example? What advice would you give to
road just off of Lone Oak Road Egan: Let's use Pilot Knob the new council?
about three blocks u from g Egan: Listen, listen, listen.
P itself. The fear that the residents Listen to everyone involved all
Highway 13. along Pilot Knob had was if the sides on every issue. Listen with
(One time many years later) road tias developed as wide, as your eyes, listen with your ears,
Carl and Dorothy (Cordes) said, what was being proposed, it would listen with your heart but listen
"You know, Tom, we couldn't vote literally be lip to their doorsteps. with your mind. Then act. There is
for you that first election as People were concerned they no place at City Hall for arro-
mayor because you were responsi- wouM have dust, noise and heavy gance - you have to listen.
ble ...for throwing tomatoes at traffic and safety problems right
our car." I said, "No Dorothy - up in front of their living-room Amy Sherman covers Eagan, Inver Grove
no. Maybe later than sooner, we're windows. So what we did was Heights and Rosemount. She can be
getting this straightened out. It come in with a reasonable com- reacnei at
was my brother Johnny that actu- promise by removing most of the ashemian@pioneerpress.com or at
t ally threw the tomatoes at your center medians the service (651) 228-2174.