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Document - Historical information/data - History of Eagan's growth and development of parks, housing, and commercial areas - 1/1/1973 * * C The 1950s marked the beginning of the transition of Eagan from farmland to suburban community. The population had gradually increased as several small areas mostly in the north part of town were platted. The following list shows most of the earlier subdivisions in Eagan and the year in which they were platted: Sec. 2 McKee 1st Addn. 1954 Sec. 12 Burrview Acres 1954 McKee 2nd Addn. 1955 McKee 3rd Addn. 1956 Sec. 17 Jon Croft Acres 1950 Blackhawk Acres 1959 Sec. 3 Country Home Heights 1949 Sec. 20 Langhoven Addn. 1958 Sec. 4 Post 1st Addn. 1949 Post 2nd Addn. 1954 Sec. 22 Skovdale 1st Addn. 1948 Treffle Acres 1950 Skovdale 2nd Addn. 1954 Zehnder Addition 1950 Riley Addn. 1956 Sec. 26 Lakewood Hills 1956 Valley View 1st Addn. 1956 Valley View 2nd Addn. 1962 Sec. 28 Carlson Acres 1953 Highview Acres 1959 Sec. 31 Slater's Acres 1959 Sec. 9 LeTendre 1st Addn. 1949 McCarthy Ridge Addn. 1951 Sec. 33 Twin View Manor 1958 Timberline Addn. 1961 As the decade was ending, a proposal for a major new housing develop- ment to be known as Cedar Grove was announced. A news report in the April 30, 1959 issue of the Dakota County Tribune described it as a "30 million dollar community of 2,000 homes, central water, gas, and sewage, complete with playground areas and two shopping centers..." Mr. Emil Jandric was president of the Cedar Grove Construction Co. which at that time had purchased 320 acres of land in the vicinity of Highway #13 and Cedar Avenue, with an option to buy an additional 1,000 acres. The plat of the first addition was approved in June, 1959, and the company constructed houses in the development with prices at first ranging from $12,600 to $16,900. Eventually, twelve Cedar Grove Additions were platted, which presently contain almost L 1700 housing units. The Cedar Grove Utilities Association operated the water and sewer system for the development for several years before being purchased by the township and the lines incorporated into the Eagan utilities. The subdividing of land in Eagan continued through the 1960s, although with the exception of Cedar Grove, most of the plats were still relatively small. It was at this time, and into the early 1970s, that the different apartment buildings in the town were constructed. Also during the early 1970s, other larger areas of development began, including the Wilderness Run and Woodgate Subdivisions. The residential growth was accompanied by an increase in commercial and industrial development. During the early 1960s, an area of land was zoned for commercial purposes along Highway #13 east of Cedar Avenue. It was here that the Cedarvale Shopping Center was constructed, beginning in 1964; later phases were added in 1968 and 1970. Other commercial activity has developed in this location as well as in other parts of Eagan. Industry was also encouraged to locate within Eagan, as both the Planning Committee and Town Board hoped to maintain a balanced community while realizing the benefit of having a strong and diversified tax base. Much of the land along the main highways and railroads was intended for industrial purposes when the first zoning ordinance was approved. Among the earliest industries to locate within Eagan was Lull Engineering Co., which received its building permit in 1956. The two largest employers here in recent years have been Sperry Univac (since 1967) and Blue Cross/Blue Shield (since 1970). About the same time, platting of industrial parks was underway, with Sibley Terminal Industrial Park (1964), Cedar Industrial Park (1966), and Eagandale Industrial Park (with its first two additions in 1967). Since the mid-1960s, a number of companies have located their operations within Eagan. * C During the 1950s, Eagan officials initiated a number of measures to deal with the effects of expanding urbanization within the township. The Board of Supervisors adopted the township's first ordinance regulating dumping grounds in August 1954. The next year, Ordinance #3 was passed by which building permits were first required within Eagan. (Ordinance #2 had dealt with trailer parks). And in anticipation of development to come', a Planning Committee was appointed in 1956. In addition to reviewing development proposals, the Planning Committee (later renamed the Advisory Planning Commission) also worked on the preparation of a zoning ordinance for the township. Eagan's original zoning ordinance was approved on February 23, 1960. To supplement the zoning regulations which deal with such matters as land use and building setbacks a subdivision ordinance was adopted in July 1961, which established standards and procedures for the subdividing and platting of land. Concern for park land preservation and recreational programs increased as Eagan's population grew. A motion was passed at the Annual Town Meeting in 1965 to establish the Eagan Park Board. The work of this committee resulted in the passage of a $1,100,000 bond issue in May 1971. This money, together with funds from state and federal grants, has been used to acquire much of the City's present park land. In addition, the County has been acquiring land for park purposes in recent years. It started purchasing land near Eagan's southern border in 1969 for the Holland-Jensen Lake Park, a 2200 acre recreational area, including some 1300 acres within Eagan. L C As development activities here increased, it was recognized that professional engineering assistance was necessary to ensure that the streets and utilities of the new subdivisions were properly installed and that they would be consistant with both existing and future facilities of the town. In July, 1959, the Board of Supervisors hired the company of Comstock and Davis for engineering work relating to the new Cedar Grove development. Then, in October, 1960, an agreement was approved with the firm of Bonestroo, Rosene, Anderlik & Assoc., Inc., for the provision of engineering services on a consulting basis for the township. During the early 1960s, engineering studies were undertaken which by 1965 resulted in the preparation of system plans for water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer facilities for the entire Eagan area. Periodically updated, these plans have served as guides in the design and construction of Eagan's public utilities. The availability of public water and sewer facilities was important for the continued development of this area. In addition, tests conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health in 1962 (as reported in the 1965 water supply study) indicated that as many as 40% of the private wells in Eagan were contaminated with nitrates to the extent of posing possible health hazards. In 1965, in addition to the individual wells used by residents, there were separate water systems operated in four different housing developments: Timberline, Valley View, Kingswood, and Cedar Grove. Beginning with the Timberline and Valley View systems, they were gradually incorporated into a city-wide network, as water trunk mains and laterals were extended and water reservoirs constructed. Eagan's water source is a series of deep wells located within the City. About the only sanitary sewer system in the township during the early 1960s was the one in Cedar Grove. After 1966, sewer lines were extended to other parts of Eagan, with treatment provided by two small temporary facilities. In 1969, it was reported that 450 dwelling units and 40 commercial establish- ments were connected to this sytem; this excluded Cedar Grove whose utilities were not taken over by the township until 1971. In December 1965, a joint powers agreement was entered into among Bloomington, Eagan, and Burnsville which created the Bloomington - Eagan - Burnsville (B.E.B.) Pollution Control District, and a study was authorized to determine the feasibility of having a single sewage treatment facility to serve the three communities. At the same time, legal action was initiated appealing the standards adopted by the Water Pollution Control Commission (the forerunner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency). Included in the standards was Provision WPC 6 (c), which dealt with the Minnesota River between Carver and Ft. Snelling, and. which stated in part: "no major quantities of treated sewage from any source originating after the taking effect hereof shall be discharged into (these) waters." If enforced, this regulation would have prevented the construction and operation of the contemplated B.E.B. sewage treatment facility. Without a proper sewage system, development in the outlying areas around Minneapolis and St. Paul would be greatly restricted. Other metropolitan communities, facing similar provisions preventing construction of treatment plants for their areas, also appealed these regulations. The B.E.B appeal was delayed in Dakota County District Court pending an outcome of a court case involving Coon Rapids and the North Suburban Sanitary Sewer District. < Meanwhile, a new agreement was signed on September 5, 1967, in which the three communities decided to proceed with the construction of a single treatment facility for this area. The company of Black and Veatch from Kansas City, Missouri, was hired to prepare plans and specifications for the plant. In October 1968, the State Supreme Court finally ruled in favor of the localized treatment facility in the Coon Rapids case. This was followed in December, 1968, with the District Court ruling that B.E.B. was exempt from the Water Pollution Control Commission's regulations. However, by this time, the state legislature had created the Metropolitan Council in 1967 followed by the establishment of the Metropolitan Sewer Board in 1969. The state law provided that the operation of sewage treatment facilities in the metropolitan area would become the responsibility of the Sewer Board. With its plans completed, a construction contract for the B.E.B. plant was awarded with local financing. In 1971, the B.E.B. Pollution Control District was legally dissolved and ownership of the plant transferred to the Sewer Board. Located in Eagan in the Cedar Industrial Park, this facility has been operational since 1972.