11/13/2007 Council Packet (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Julie Bartell 17► c.1-1,1 () ou.t From: Jim Studenski / 1 /(3 I ZOO 7 Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 1:11 PM To: Paul Bengtson Cc: Gordon Heitke; Julie Bartell Subject: FW: Concerns regarding Request to Reduce the drainage and utility easement (Lot 16 Block 4 of Park Grove) Original Message From: Paul.Bernard @lacrosseglobal.com [mailto: Paul .Bernard @lacrosseglobal.com] Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 12:25 PM To: Jim Studenski Cc: Kelly.Bernard @mpls.frb.org Subject: Concerns regarding Request to Reduce the drainage and utility easement (Lot 16 Block 4 of Park Grove) Mr. Studenski- Thank you for talking with me earlier today regarding the public notice we received regarding the city considering a request to reduce the drainage and utility easement on Lot 16 Block 4 of the recorded plat Park Grove. According to the information we received, the property owner is requesting a reduction of the rear property line's drainage easement from 30 feet in width to 15 feet in width. Per our conversation earlier today, I am unable to attend tonight's scheduled hearing due to an important business meeting. However, I wanted to pass along my concerns with the request to be shared during the hearing. We live at 499 Linden Lane, where we have resided since the house was built over thirteen years ago, which is adjacent to the homeowner requesting the change. Our concerns associated with narrowing the drainage and utility easement from 30 feet to 15 feet in width stem from the fact that currently we experience drainage issues with the current easement at 30 feet. During heavy rains, the back drainage easement across the properties on the North side of Linden Lane becomes a river and water pools in our backyard. In addition, our sump pump works daily regardless of if it has rained or not. Following rain, it works almost continuously. We have a finished basement and we are concerned that any change in the drainage easement will result in more water shifting to our property, which could result in our basement being flooded and severely damaged. We have already experienced an issue with the property owner who has requested this change when they drained their mid -size inflatable pool at the end of the summer as it resulted in water pooling in our back yard. Based on our experience, it appears we are living on a high water table so the ground has very little tolerance for additional water. Therefore, it is our belief that the larger the drainage easement, the more land that is available to absorb /manage the excess water. We have not been told why the original drainage easement was defined at 30 feet when Lino Lakes' minimum requirement is 10 feet, but it is likely due to the fact that the city and developers recognized these factors at the time the easement was originally defined. If the city council were to approve the request to reduce the drainage easement from 30 to 15 feet as requested, we would want assurance from the city that this change will not impact our property in any way. Thank you for your consideration of our concerns and your willingness to share our concerns during tonight's hearing. If you have any questions feel free to call. (cell 612 -418 -2887) Sincerely, Paul and Kelly Bernard Residents of 499 Linden Lane Lino Lakes MN 55014 1