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CITY COUNCIL <br />REGULAR MEETING STAFF REPORT <br />AGENDA ITEM G <br />STAFF ORIGINATOR: Tom Hoffman, Environmental Coordinator <br />MEETING DATE: February 10, 2025 <br />TOPIC: North Oaks Mixed Use EAW Record of Decision <br />VOTE REQUIRED: Simple Majority <br />INTRODUCTION <br />The North Oaks Mixed Use Development Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) was <br />approved for distribution by the City Council on December 9, 2024. The document was filed <br />with the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) and circulated for review and <br />comments to the required EAW distribution list. A Notice of Availability was published in the <br />EQB Monitor on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. Notice was also provided to properties within <br />600 feet of the proposed project. <br />The EAW is not meant to approve or disapprove a project, but is simply a source of information <br />to guide other approvals and permitting decisions. Minnesota Rule 4410.177, Subpart 2 requires <br />the City to make either a negative declaration or a positive declaration on the need for an EIS. <br />The City shall base its decision regarding the need for an EIS on the information gathered during <br />the EAW process and the comments received on the EAW. In doing so, the City must prepare a <br />record of decision that includes the information supporting the decision. <br />Minnesota Rules 4410.1700, Subp. 7 lists four criteria that shall be considered in deciding <br />whether a project has the potential for significant environmental effects. Those criteria are: <br />A. Type, extent, and reversibility of environmental effects; <br />B. Cumulative potential effects. The RGU shall consider the following factors: <br />whether the cumulative potential effect is significant; whether the contribution <br />from the project is significant when viewed in connection with other contributions <br />to the cumulative potential effect; the degree to which the project complies with <br />approved mitigation measures specifically designed to address the cumulative <br />potential effect; and the efforts of the proposer to minimize the contributions from <br />the project; <br />1 <br />