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Issue 06 - Heights Highlights Fall 1985PAGE 1 FALL, 1985 ISSUE 6 OUTDOOR SKATING RINKS Weather permitting, warming houses will open December 14th through mid-February. Hours will be as follows: Monday - Friday 4-9 P.M.; Saturday 10-6 P.M.; Sunday - Noon - 6 P.M. Christmas Eve Day and New Years Eve Day - 10-4 P.M. Closed Christmas Day and New Years Day. On school holidays - 10-5 P.M. and again in the evening 6-9 P.M. NOTE: Rinks will be closed when the temperature is -10 or less and when snowfall has not been cleared. *Warming House Locations: Friendly Hills Wentworth (between Dodd and Wachtler) Marie (West of Victoria) Ivy Hills (off Butler and Ivy Hill Drive) There will be rules posted at rinks. Each rink will have an ice rink attendant. All rinks 'ighted. Properties to be Assessed for Weed Removal One function performed by summer Code Enforcement Intern Paul Heimkes was the identification of properties violating the weed ordinance and the notification to own- ers of those properties that the lots must be mowed. Over 150 notices were mailed. In those instances where the notices were ignored, and after due notice to the owners, the City contracted with a mowing service and the properties were mowed. The claims submitted by the service were paid by the City and the bills were submitted to each of the property owners. Approximately half of those bills have been paid. A final notice was sent to each of the remaining property owners to inform them that unless payment was received by October 1st the billed amount plus a service charge (in accordance with Ordinance provisions) would be certi- fied to the County. "athy Swanson, City Clerk, has advised the f" Council that a total of 20 properties are oeiinquent in paying the City for removal of weeds. At the September 23rd Council meet- ing a resolution was adopted to certify the weed removal charges to be collected with real estate taxes payable in 1986. Cable Construction Started Continental Cablevision, Inc. began con- struction on the Northern Dakota County Cable system on September 18 with the installation of utility pole anchors. Conti- nental, who is also the franchisee for the St. Paul Cable system, was selected earlier this year by the Northern Dakota Cable Com- munications Commission (NDC4) as the Cable system franchisee for the seven city NCD4 consortium. The NDC Cable system includes the cities of Inver Grove Heights, Lilydale, Men- dota, Mendota Heights, South St. Paul, Sun- fish Lake and West St. Paul. The accompany- ing map shows the cable construction schedule for Northern Dakota County. The Continental Business office for NDC is lo- cated in the Southview Office Center, 60 West Marie Avenue, West St. Paul. Cable related questions can be addressed to Con- tinental Cablevision information center at 222-3333. Complaints regarding construction or installation of cable system should be reported to the Continental Cablevision Quality Assurance Office at 224-5500. Fran Zeuli, a graduate of Henry Sibley High School, has been appointed NDC Sys- tem Manager by Continental. In addition to the entertainment channels, the NDC cable system will provide channels for use by schools and municipalities as well as public access channels and a studio for local program origination. Continental will provide a grant to support cable activities in the area schools as well as provide equip- ment and technical assistance for production and broadcast of programs developed by community groups and organizations. In communities already served by cable the police and fire departments, and neigh- borhood crime watch groups have effec- tively utilized the public access channels to inform citizens of methods for crime and fire prevention. Groups or organizations having an interest in using the public access capabilities of the cable system should contact the Commis- sion, Continental or their local Cable Representative. The Chairman of NDC4 is Dave Zemke of Mendota Heights. Mr. Zemke can be con- tacted through the Mendota Heights City Offices, 452-1086 or 452-1850 on cable re- lated issues. fl - POLICE Sergeant In action at the October 15th City Council meeting, the council approved testing to promote a police officer to the rank of Sergeant. The department will replace the new Sergeant by hiring a patrol officer sometime after the first of the year. This addition to the police department will be the first since 1981. Chief of Police Dennis Delmont indicated that the addition was needed to cut down the number of times that Mendota Heights has only one officer on the street. The new Sergeant will be able to provide assistance and direction to officers on the night shift as well as carry a share of the workload during the busy hours. The new officer will bring the Police De- partment's sworn strength to a total of 13, including the Chief of Police, 1 Captain/ Investigator, 2 Patrol Sergeants and 9 police officers. This is in line with the ratio of police officer to population that Chief Delmont would like to maintain. The Council has adopted a 1986 budget for the City that primarily continues the existing level of service to the citizens. One new staff position, Police Sergeant, has been added to beef -up the patrol force and strengthen communication between shifts. The adopted budget also allocate funds for upgrading the Zonging Ordinance, and provides several major items of capital equipment for the public works and fire departments. Tennis courts will be resurfaced at Ivy Falls and Wentworth Parks, and a summer code en- forcement intern will again enforce the weed, junk car, and dilapidated structure ordinances. The General Fund budget of approxi- mately $1.7 million is up about 13% over 1985. Inflationary pressures are responsible for about 5-6% of the increase, with the remainder due to the above special projects, plus substantially higher liability insurance premiums, and overtime obligations recent- ly mandated by federal laws. The good news is that the mill rate will be up only about 2%, to 16.5 from 16.3 this year. A 12% increase in State Aids and sizeable growth in our assessed valuation, means the average homeowner will see only a modest increase in the City portion of the property tax bill. Because City taxes actually dropped from 1984 to 1985, the 1986 tax bill will be almost identical to that paid in 1984. Copies of the budget are available for your inspection during regular City office hours. MENDOTA HEIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS Mendota Heights is about to become home to a facility described by its developers as "the new standard in conference and learning centers." Alpha Environments—Minnesota, will break ground this fall on the Alpha Con- ference Center, a 60,000 square foot "high- tech, high -touch" learning center that will incorporate such features as two conference theatres, four personal computer conference studios, an AT&T teleconferencing studio, a reference library, aerobic room, and private food service with a diet tailored to enhance learning. The Center is the first of 24 such facilities to be operated around the country by Alpha Environments, Inc., and will be leased to Twin Cities companies and organi- zations to meet their training needs. The Center will be the anchor tenant of Yorkton Centre Pointe South, a high-quality business park west and south of the GNB building at TH 110 and Lexington. The park will ultimately be home to 10-12 office structures, and is being developed by Yorkton, Ltd. of St. Paul. Construction of the learning center has been made possible in part by City issuance of industrial development bonds (TDB's) to provide below market rate financing. Thanks are due to the City of Eagan, which trans- ferred to us over $3 million of its unused IDB bonding authority to assist the project. Alpha chose Mendota Heights for its con- ference center because the City was seen as close and accessible to major employment and entertainment centers of the Twin Cities, yet sufficiently removed from the hustle and bustle to provide a quiet, serene setting for learning. Mendota Heights will also soon be home to a Marriott "Courtyard" hotel. The 147 room facility, to be located between Northland Drive and 1-494, just west of Pilot Knob Road will serve as a home away from home for those doing business with firms located in the Mendota Heights Business Park. The Marriott Courtyard is a new concept in limited service hotels. Described by its developers as promoting a lodge -type atmos- phere where the business traveler can unwind at the end of the day, the hotel will have a full complement of recreation fa- cilities, including indoor pool, whirlpool and sauna. Limited restaurant and lounge ser- vices are provided for guests, but not marketed to the outside. The Courtyard design has been test marketed in Atlanta, and the Mendota Heights hotel will be its first introduction to the Twin Cities area. FALL, 1985 1�CC Y�`�tl l The City Council and the Park and Recre- ation Commission have hired Barton -Asch - man Associates to complete a comprehen- sive analysis of the City's park system. The focus of this effort will be to provide a reference document for guiding long-term, as well as day-to-dayX park and recreation decisions. It will also serve as an information base for park acquisition, development and redevelopment planning. One of the City's previously identified active parks is a 26 acre site located west of Wachtler Avenue and just north of Went- worth Avenue. This site is presently available for sale and if the City does not act, the site could be lost to --development. The City currently has no active or community parks large enough to contain regulation adult softball fields. Among other things, the Barton- Aschman study will provide the City with schematic master plans for two community parks and a biketrail system. A bond referen- dum for implementing the plans will be submitted to the voters next Spring. PARK & RECREATION COMMISSION Meetings held 2nd Tuesday of month at P.M. PARK & RECREATION COMMISSION Chairperson: James Stein, 452-4112 Secretary: Robert Leffert, 457-1358 Vice Chair: Mary Jeanne Schneeman, 457-4337 Alan Singer, 452-4664 Robert Doffing, 452-3358 Carol Damberg; 454-6329 Marsha Knittig, 457-2116 Recreation Director: Dewey Selander, 455-7112 Park Foreman: Terry Blum, 454-4059 (City Staff) Public Works Garage 750 South Plaza Drive - Mendota Heights, Minnesota 55120 - 452-1850 I�•�I�1.�I u I ► � 1 ' II py"I Articles in the Highlites detail changes the City Council recently made to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan for the "southeast' area of the City. Many citizen concerns and • The Comprehensive Plan is just that, a long-range plan for development of the City. It designates areas for high, medium, and low density residential as well as for industrial I commercial uses, plus parks. It also deals with streets, er and other public improvements. The City has had such a plan since the 1950's, with the most recent adopted in 1979. While the Plan is a general document, the City's zoning ordinance regulates specific land uses. Both the Plan and zoning can be changed by a 4/5's vote of the City Council. // ,. • •�' 2kid 16 Ic3i��1:T;�C 30 years ago, interstate freeways and overflights by jet aircraft were almost unknown. Certainly few foresaw how drastically they would impact urban development patterns. While Mendota Heights has always had a close proximity to the rest of the metropolitan area, accessibility has been limited. The community enjoyed a relative isolation that did not challenge the validity of the low-density land use designation. The opening of I-494 and I -35E is changing this dra- matically. For better or worse, the community has a new visibility and desirability that is increasing pressures to develop vacant land. For example, the City of Eagan plans over 4.5 million square feet of office and commercial space aediately south of 494, between Dodd and Delaware. the 500+ acres of land in the Southeast Area as the major remaining virgin area in Mendota Heights, the Coun- cil felt it preferable to take a proactive approach to planning. 12/85 questions have been raised during this amendment pro- cess. We hope the following answers some of the most common ones. 3. WHAT IMPACT DO AIRCRAFT NOISE REG- ULATIONS HAVE ON THIS PROPERTY? Approximately 55% of aircraft operations from Mpls: St. Paul International fly over an industrial corridor of southern Mendota Heights/northern Eagan. Mendota Heights has lobbied to keep planes in this preferred corridor and away from residential areas to the north. The Metropolitan Council has adopted Guidelines for Land Use Compatibility with Aircraft Noise for com- munities surrounding the airport. noise Zone IV, in which residential uses are "conditional;' takes in much of the southeast area, extending north well into Friendly Hills. Conditional uses are to be allowed only if the City requires a specified level of exterior -to -interior noise reduction and restriction of outdoor activities. The Council felt it more realistic to impose such restrictions on multiple structures, than on single-family homes, even though it does increase the number of people in the impacted area. Noise Zone III applies to the property west of Dodd and south of Mendota Heights Road. Single-family homes are considered an inconsistent land use in that Zone, and apartments acceptable only under special conditions. The Southeast Area plan designates this property for office use. While these Guidelines do not have the force of law, noise regulations under consideration by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) do prescribe City liability for failure to prevent noise incompatible development. I-494 recently opened to Dodd Road, and will be completed east in the fall of 1986. The freeway is, of course, immediately contiguous to the Southeast Area. Like air- planes, freeways create noise. In fact, the MPCA noise regulations discussed above would also apply to freeway 0 noise. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) discourages any residential development along freeways, preferring commercial or office uses. Although 494 is depressed along the Southeast area, Mn/DOT will not provide noise walls since homes were not present prior to freeway construction. 5. BUT AREN'T THERE OTHER AREAS OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS WHERE NEW HOMES ARE BEING BUILT ALONG 35E? Yes, a limited few. We hope that doesn't prove to be a mistake in the long run, nor does it mean that we should compound the problem of incompatibility by allowing it to happen on a whole new tract of land. Also, the other areas don't have the "double -whammy" of freeway and airport noise. HEIGHTS? Yes, but not nearly as much as most people imagine. Existing zoning would allow 634 single-family housing units. The adopted Plan amendments will allow about 360 single-family homes and 320 multiples at 4 units/acre, and 604 units at 8 units/acre. Single-family homes generate an average of 10 trips per day, multiple units, 6 trips per day. Therefore, the relative trips are 6,340 for existing zoning and about 9,000 under the amendments. Major streets in the area have more than adequate capacity to handle the load, except that the Dodd Road/Mendota Heights Road intersection might have to be signalized at some time in the future. NO L7!!. . e UTHE 7. WILL THE INCREASED DENSITY MEALY NEW UTILITY LINES AND STREETS? Trunk sewer and water lines, as well as streets are already in place or planned. They have more than enough capacity to serve development denser than that approved by the Council. All public improvements are paid either with funds provided by the State or with assessments against the benefiting properties. 8. WHAT ABOUT THE IMPACT ON CITY SER- VICES (i.e., police, fire, etc.)? There is no denying that new development requires the City to expand its services; that would be true even for all single-family development. The important question is wheth- er it will pay its own way. The answer is yes. A City staff report � � EMEHT F DNCEPT 3 showed that any development scenario will pay more in taxes than it requires in services. Apartments and offices provide a net tax benefit to the City, while higher quality single-family homes pay about the same in taxes as they require in services. Some have also questioned. impact on the public schools. High-quality multi -family developments do not usually attract many families with school age children. 9. IF WEARS GOING TO HAVE MULTI -FAMILY HOUSING, CAN IT BE OWNER -OCCUPIED ONLY? Probably not. In the same wayyou can rent your home to someone else, a developer has a right to either sell or rent his units. There is no clear and uncontestable authority under Minnesota law for a City to prohibit rental housing. 0 OF THE CITY? No. The decision to make density changes in the Southeast area was in response to the unique impacts of aircraft noise and 494. During the pastyear, the Council has twice been asked to subdivide properties in existing large - lot neighborhoods, and has unanimously rejected those requests as being inconsistent with the character of the neighborhoods. Each planning case must be considered on its own merits, but changes in the Southeast Area are not a precedent for other neighborhoods. Protecting these neighborhoods has always been the primary concern of the Council. Early in the study, Council indicated that it would not consider any land use north of Mendota Heights Road other than single-family homes at densities similar to the existing neighborhoods. This in- cludes the properties shown for a public school and park. Should those lands not be put to those uses, the underlying single-family zoning will stand. Mr. Riley originally proposed a development of 592 apartment units south of Mendota Heights Road. They would have been in eight 74 -unit buildings. Such a plan clearly is not consistent with the restrictions incorporated by the City Council into the Southeast Area amendments. At this time, Mr. Riley has yet to present a plan that will be approved (it requires 4 Council votes); it is not known whether he will do so. L These are tax-exempt municipal debt obligations issued in the name of the City of Mendota Heights. Tax-exempt means the person who buys such a bond pays no federal or state income tax on the interest income. The investor is therefore willing to accept a lower interest rate. The de- veloper gets his financing at several percentage points less than the conventional market. The bonds are repaid by a mortgage on the apartment development. These are not general obligation bonds, so even if the developer defaults on the mortgage, City has no obligation to levy taxes to pay the bonds and would not do so; the risk lies entirelywith the developer and the holders of the bonds. Multi -Family Housing Bonds, like all municipal bonds, are taxpayer -subsidized, in the sense that the Federal and State treasuries lose revenue theywould otherwise obtain if the investor instead chose a taxable investment. In ex- change for tax -exemption, the federal government requir that 20% of the units be reserved for 10 years for rental persons whose income does not exceed 80% of the median income for the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Currently, that income restriction for a family of two is approximately $27,500. At any rate, it is not a direct subsidy by the taxpayers of Mendota Heights. The developer has argued that the below market financ- ing will enable him to build a higher quality project. The City Council has been divided as to whether to provide $10 million of financing for 148 apartment units. The City did issue $11 million of these bonds in 1983 for the 225 unit Lexington Heights project Not at all. The City Council first identified the Southeast Area study as a priority project around May 1st. Specific development proposals were not filed until after that date. In fact, the Council has held developers at bay for several months while the planning effort went forth, and the resulting Comprehensive Plan amendments include many restrictions not in the developer's interest. The Southeast Area study effort was initiated by the City Council, not the developers. After several months of study, the Council came to the conclusion (unanimously and upon recommendation of the Planning Commission) that a change in planning for the Southeast Area was necessary. Because of the combined impact of aircraft overflight and 494, it simply did not seem realistic to believe that anyone would develop or purchase single-family homes south of Mendota Heights Road. In addition, to allow such develop- ment on that land would undermine the City's ability to argue that planes ought to stay in that preferred corridor, versus flighting further north over existing residential areas. The Council also feels that encouraging some diversity of housing types will provide alternatives for residents who want to stay in Mendota Heights, but no longerwant or need a single-family home. The Comprehensive Plan amendments adopted by the Council contain stringent restrictions, and maximum City review and approval authority. High-density areas are limited to 8 units per acre and medium -density to 4 units per acre. The average density south of Mendota Heights Road from Dodd to Delaware is 6 units per acre. This compares to a density of 2.32 units per acre in standard single-family zones. The average high-density district in the Twin Cities area is 15 units per acre. The Council believes that through careful scrutiny`_ individual proposals, developments south of Mendota Heights Road can be made compatible with both the airport/494 impacts and the rest of the City. PAGE 3 MENDOTA HEIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS FALL, 1985 MEN The City Council brought its almost six- month planning effort for the Southeast Area of the City to a culmination on October 15th, when it adopted a series of amend- ments to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. The "Southeast Area" consists of over 500 acres, running from 35E to Delaware Ave- nue, bounded by the south by 1-494, and on the north by St. Thomas/Visitation, the Friend- ly Hills neighborhood, and Huber Drive. The land was previously all designated for single family housing. The amendments as approved will provide for an office park west of Dodd Road, for various types of multi -family housing at an average density of six units per acre east of Dodd and south of Mendota Heights Road, and for single family homes east of Dodd and north of Mendota Heights Road (approxi- mately 1.5 units per acre). Included in the changes were a series of goals and objectives for housing in the Southeast Area the Council wishes to encourage: 1. A diversity of housing types. 2. Preservation of the natural terrain. 3. Development of appropriate scale for the terrain. 4. Opportunities for owner -occupied housing. Specific steps to achieve these objectives will be: 1. Limiting multi -family structures to 24 units per structure or less, except by variance. 2. Limitingthe number of repetitive struc- ture to 150 units or less. 3. Limiting high density areas to 8 units per acre, and medium density to 4 units per acre. 4. Rezoning all land in the Southeast Area only by Planned Unit Development, so that the City retains more control. The general direction of these changes was earlier endorsed by the Planning Commission. Interstate construction continues to pro- gress toward completion in and around Mendota Heights. On September 17th, Mayor Bea Bloomquist of Eagan and Acting Mayor Liz Witt of Mendota Heights cut the ribbon opening the newest section of 1-494, the Dodd Road Interchange. This latest open- ing will put an additional traffic load on Dodd Road for about one year, average daily traffic counts before the opening were 3,500, a number that has now swollen to 9,150. Traffic will be reduced next fall when 1-494 will be opened all the way to Robert Street. That opening will complete the entire loop around the Metro Area, culminating a 27 year effort (Initial construction began in 1959). The last stretch of 1-35E going south from Mendota Heights opened November 16. "Copperfield", the newest single family housing development in the City will be one of the largest in the City's history. Bounded by Huber Drive, Delaware Avenue and future Mendota Heights Road, the project by Tandem Corporation is approximately 137 acres and will provide over 180 home - sites. The City Council has given general concept approval to the development as part of the Southeast Area Study, and preliminary plat approval to the First Phase which contains 55 lots. While the land was previously zoned for 40,000 square foot lot sizes, Copperfield lots will average about hplf that size. After in depth study, the Planning Commission and Council agreed with the developer that the larger estate lots were simply not economi- cally viable. The approved development is consistent with existing densities in the nearby Delaware Crossing and Friendly Hills neighborhoods. A major policy issue was what to do with the very beautiful ponds east of Huber Drive. The land separating the two ponds will be dedicated as public park and a scenic easement will be reserved on lots sur- rounding the pond to encourage a con- tinued natural wildlife habitat. Tandem expects the development to proceed in phases over the next five years, with home prices in the $140,000 - $250,000 range. PAGE 4 MENDOTA HEIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS FALL, 1985 Each January, the City Council appoints several members to the Planning, and Parks and Recreation Commissions. There are us- ually openings for people who have never served before. If you would like to help your community in this way, contact City offices at 452-1850. New Public Works Superintendent Tom Olund, previously Utility Leadman with the City, has been appointed as Public Works Superintendent. He replaces Dick Ploumen, who left Mendota Heights in July to take a similar position with the City of Brooklyn Center. i • 1' The City Council has convened a com- mittee of citizens to work with architects Lindberg -Pierce and City staff in determin- ing future space needs for City offices. A major focus of the committee's work will be to decide whether Mendota Heights should have a City Hall, and, if so, when, where, and how. They hope to complete their work and have a recommendation to the City Council by the first of the year. Committee members invite your comments and attendance at their meetings. As meeting days vary, you should call City offices (452- 1850) to find out when the next meeting will be held. Members include: Stan Gustafson, Chair Lou Brenner Fred Fischer Jerry Morson Barb Eschle Al Singer Peter Villard Bob Doffing Sharon Koll Evelyn Fischer Dave Zemke A 1971 graduate of Henry Sibley, High School, Tom has been with the Public Works Department since 1974. In his new position, he will be responsible for supervision of seven employees maintaining the City streets, sewers, and parks. Tom, his wife Debbie, and their three children, live in Inver Grove Heights. (Tom was profiled in the fall, 1984 issue of the Highlites.) John Neska, a ten-year veteran with the Department, has been appointed as the new Utility Leadman. An outside applicant will be hired to bring the Public Works staff back up to full complement. New Ordinances False Alarm Ordinance The Council is also considering a false alarm ordinance designed to protect the City Police and Fire resources from the abuse and misuse of private security systems. With over 700 false fire and burglar alarms projected for 1985, an inordinate amount of time and expense is wasted by police officers and firefighters alike. The new ordinance will have sections that require certain reports and corrective measures be taken upon the activation of a false alarm and will assess monetary fines to alarm users who are involved in repeated false alarms. To get more information about these ordi- nances, you may call the City Clerk's office at 452-1850. The Heights Highlites is a quarterly govern- mental newsletter distributed to residentf acquaint them of events or activities I. affect Mendota Heights. Comments or suggestions should be mailed to city offices, 750 South Plaza Drive, Mendota Heights, MN 55120. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS Robert G. Lockwood, Mayor 457-3603 Janet Blesener 454-1811 Carl Cummins III 454-6262 John Hartmann 457-6435 Elizabeth Witt 454-2657 Council Meetings held on 1st and 3rd Tues- days of each month at 7:30 P.M. in Com- munity Room. PLANNING COMMISSION Chairperson: Cameron Kruse, 454-3854 John Frank, 457-1364 Joseph Stefani, 454-5372 Vice Chair: Jerry Morson, 457-1442 J.W. (Bill) Burke, 454-3464 Dorothy McMonigal, 457- 1703 Stuart Henning, 454-5323 Planning Consultant Howard Dahlgren, 1 Groveland Terrace, Mpls. Planning Consultant Appointments can I ^ made by contacting Mary Ann DelaRos, 452-1850. Planning Commission meetings are held the 4th Tuesday of the month at 8:00 P.M. in the Community Room. Motor Vehicle Ordinance Adopted by the City Council on November 5th, this is a collection of existing laws, changes to existing laws, and new sections that provide for the regulation of the parking and operation of vehicles in the City. It i n c l u d e s c a r s, t r u c k s, snowmobiles and recreational vehicles as well as the storing and maintenance of "junk" cars. A timely portion of the new law concerns itself with parking during or after a snowfall. This ordinance is needed to "clean up" and consolidate the many laws now in the City Code, as well as develop new laws that respond to questions and complaints of citizens. From: City Of Mendota Heights 750 Plaza Drive South Bulk Rate Mendota Heights, Mn. 55120 U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 6166 St. Paul, Mn. 5E POSTAL PATRON CARRIER ROUX MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MN PRESORT SS 118 AND SS 120