Newspaper Clipping - Newspaper Clipping Scan - Voters to decide fate of Carriage Hills - 3/22/2008M
MARCH 22, 2008
VOLUME 29, NO. 4
Because the news never stops www.thisweek-online.com
Voters o decide fate of CHills
Settlement agreement calls for vote on whether city should purchase former golf course
by Erin Johnson
THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
After nearly four years of
legal wrangling, a settlement
agreement will -allow Eagan
residents to determine the fate
of Carriage Hills golf course.
The Eagan City Council
approved the settlement with
Wensmann Homes and Car-
riage Hills owner Ray Rahn
after a closed session during
Tuesday's council meeting.
The settlement allows vot-
ers to decide through a ref-
erendum on November bal-
lots whether the city should
buy the 120 -acre property for
$10.25 million and preserve it
as open space.
If voters pass the referen-
dum, the city will purchase the
State of the city
is `very good'
Crime is down, job growth continues,
but transportation funding, economy
remain challenges, mayor says
by Erin Johnson
THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Though it is not without
challenges, the state of the city
of Eagan is very good, Mayor
Mike Maguire said.
Maguire outlined the city's
progress over the past year
and the upcoming issues it will
face in his State of the City ad-
dress March 20.
Crime in the city is at an 11 -
year low, he said.
In addition, Eagan con-
tinues to lead the Twin Cit-
ies in head -of -household job
creation, and it has been one
of the top three cities for job
growth in the metro area for
the past seven years, he said.
The city has seen an in-
crease of more than 2,600 jobs
in the last two years alone.
While new construction has
been stagnating elsewhere, Ea-
gan had $90.4 million in com-
mercial/industrial develop-
ment last year, more than any
other city in Minnesota.
The city remains fiscally
conservative, Maguire said,
but it is not immune to a bad
economy. He announced a city
hiring freeze and said, while
Eagan will always protect vi-
tal services, painful decisions
could lie ahead.
"I pledge we will be sensi-
tive but clear about what ser-
vices could be impacted down
the road," he said.
Eagan continued to be a
leader in pushing for increased
broadband speeds locally and
in Minnesota, he said, and
progress was made against air-
port noise with a $127 million
noise -mitigation settlement
and reduced nighttime air
traffic on the new runway.
The city has also made
progress on two major trans-
portation initiatives: The ex -
See State of City, 5A
land through a property tax
increase. If voters defeat the
referendum, Wensmann will
be able to develop the land.
Wensmann is expected to
submit development plans
to the city next month for
the property, located at 3535
Wescott Woodlands.
According to the settle-
ment, the plans must include
30 acres of open space along
with the 450 to 480 units of
mixed housing. In addition,
north/south street connections
to either the Greensboro or
Wescott Hills neighborhoods
would be prohibited in favor
of an east/west connection
between Wescott Woodlands
and Duckwood Drive.
See Carriage Hills, 5A
rnoro oy crm ✓urim-1
Eagan Mayor Mike Maguire delivered the State of the City
address on Thursday, March 20.
Carriage Hills/from IA
The case could still go back to
trial if the city denies Wens-
mann's development propos-
al.
Either way, the issue will
finally be resolved, Mayor
Mike Maguire said.
"This saga has been like an
epic 900 -page novel," he said.
"Where Carriage Hills is con-
cerned, it has always seemed
this legal battle is not over un-
til it's over, but this settlement
allows Eagan voters to write
the final chapter."
The settlement came out
of a court-ordered media-
tion prior to trial, which was
scheduled to begin June 11.
Wensmann and Rahn sued
the city in 2004 when it de -
State of City/from IA
pansion and upgrade of High-
way 149 was completed in
November, and the council
dedicated an extra $1 million
in this year's budget to begin
the proposed ring road around
Yankee Doodle and Pilot
Knob roads.
Even though the Legis-
lature passed a "historic"
transportation package that
will take state projects off the
backs of local property tax-
payers, Eagan still faces a $64
million shortfall in transporta-
tion funding- over the next 20
years, Maguire said.
Another future challenge
for Eagan is environmental
sustainability, he said.
The City Council remains
committed to the strategic
vied a change in land use to
allow housing on the prop-
erty, which Rahn said was no
longer viable as a golf course.
A district court ruled in fa-
vor of Wensmann and Rahn,
but an appeals court reversed
that decision.
The state Supreme Court
agreed that the city had a
rational basis for refusing
to amend its comprehensive
guide plan to allow hous-
ing on Carriage Hills. It then
sent the case back to District
Court — which originally
ruled against the city — to de-
termine whether that denial
constitutes a regulatory tak-
ing of Rahn's property.
Wensmann has until April
16 to submit development
plans for the land, which will
preservation of open spaces,
he said, and he invited the
public to join the effort of
planning for Eagan's future
land use by attending upcom-
ing open houses or e -mailing
suggestions to the city.
The city has made many
changes to reduce its carbon
footprint, such as using ener-
gy-saving light fixtures and a
computerized energy manage-
ment system that turns heating
and cooling equipment off or
down during noncritical times
in newer buildings.
Maguire challenged Eagan
families to take the Minnesota
Energy Challenge to reduce
their own carbon footprints.
"I believe that Eagan can
be the most energy -conscious
community in the state," he
said. "Just imagine the impact
"This saga has been
like an epic 900 page
novel ... but this settle-
ment allows Eagan
voters to write the
final chapter. "
Mike Maguire
EAGAN MAYOR
likely go before the Eagan
Planning Commission and
City Council in May and
June.
Erin Johnson is at eagan.
thisweek@ecm-inc. com.
if all 27,000 Eagan households
logged on to (www.mnener-
gychallenge.org) to get started
conserving energy and saving
money on their utility bills."
Maguire saluted some com-
munity champions during his
speech, including the residents
of the Coventry Pass neigh-
borhood. Concerned about
the health of their pond, the
residents spent $300 each of
their own money to hire a con-
sultant to apply treatments to
the pond to reduce the amount
of phosphorous, which had
resulted in lots of algae and
pond scum.
"The Coventry Pass neigh-
bors are an example to us all,"
he said. "Not only were they
able to get clearer water and
more open space around the
pond, but they are seeing spe-
THISWEEK March 22, 2008 5A
File photo
Carriage Hills, seen here in better days when it was a nine -hole
golf course, has been closed since 2004 as owner Ray Rahn and
developer Wensmann Homes battled the city in court over the
future of the property.
cies that were not there or were
missed before, like the hooded
merganser, and Bob the musk-
rat."
Maguire also recognized
Eagan resident Jeff Carlson,
previously known only as
"The Coffee Guy," an anony-
mous man who occasionally
gave local Caribou cashier
Jean Daly an extra $30 to $50
to buy coffee for someone who
was having a bad day.
"Now others have caught
on and started throwing in
some of their extra bucks," he
said. "Jean reports it makes
her feel so good to see people
smile and the positive impact
that a seemingly simple but
random act of kindness can
have."
Eagan faces challenges and
opportunities alike as its pop-
ulation matures and increas-
ingly diversifies, Maguire said.
But he invited the community
to join in the city's move to the
future with the goals, dead-
lines and dreams that ensure
Eagan continues to work.
"Eagan's roll -up -your -
sleeves attitude may have
started back in the fields of
Holz ]Farm," he said. "But to-
day, we here in Eagan ... have
the dream, the desire, the tal-
ent and, most important of
all, the community sensibili-
ties to make Eagan the best
city in America."
The State of the City ad-
dress can be viewed at the
city's Web site, www.cityofea-
gan.com.
Erin Johnson is at eagan.
thisweek@ecm-inc. com.