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yry; 1 , ff <br />t <br />�_ .'. <br />City of Lake Elmo <br />Molly Just, Planning Direct <br />3800 Laverne Avenue North <br />Lake Elmo, MN 55042 <br />Dear Molly Just: <br />Thank you for sending the notice and allowing us an opportunity to comment on the City Council's <br />consideration of an Interim Ordinance placing a one-year moratorium on all new platted development. <br />This notice to consider a moratorium is a surprise to Lennar since no one has ever mentioned during the <br />past 18 months we have been discussing our proposed development plans that a water study may be <br />necessary. As you know, we have two property owners under contract — Knappogue Farm and <br />Kasperson - which together is 116 acres. The concept plan application we submitted in the middle of <br />March will be brought before the City Council at their May workshop meeting. <br />Over the past 18 months, Lennar has had several meetings with city staff, county highway department <br />and watershed district to understand the issues associated with city review and development of the <br />property. We have been working through several of the challenges including one of the critical issues <br />that needed to be resolved prior to the city approving our preliminary plat application is construction of <br />a water tower to serve the area. We worked with the city and landowner/developer/broker of the <br />Peltier property at Lake Elmo Avenue and Hudson Road to facilitate the current location of the water <br />tower site. It is my understanding the city has closed within the fast week on the property for the water <br />tower and is moving forward to construct the tower with an expected completion date in the fall of <br />2023. <br />As we discussed in a previous meeting with staff, we understood no occupancy permits would be <br />permitted until the water tower is fully complete and operational. However, it was agreed between <br />now and the fall of 2023, our schedule to work through the city approval process in 2022 and be <br />prepared to start land development work in the spring of 2023 while the water tower is being <br />constructed is an acceptable approach. This would give us an opportunity to begin home construction <br />late fall of 2023 when the water tower is complete. <br />Now we are facing a moratorium to study the water usage which we all thought was on a path to being <br />resolved with construction of the water tower. More importantly, the moratorium would prevent us <br />from submitting planning applications for staff, planning commission and city council review. This <br />provision will impact our schedule moving city approvals to 2023 and land development activity to 2024 <br />— this delay has a significant impact for Lennar and the landowners. <br />Lennar is interested in cooperating with the city to make sure the necessary infrastructure is in place to <br />support any development proposal. However, not being able to submit applications during the one-year <br />moratorium has a tremendous impact on our proposed plans that we have been working on for the past <br />18 months and decisions our sellers must consider given the circumstances. Based on this, we would <br />request staff and city council consider the following: <br />16305 36th Avenue North 6 Suite 600 • Plymouth, MN 55446 • Phone: 952-249-300u- Fax: 952-249-3075 <br />