#18 - Birth and Haven - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

From:Karen To:Nick Dragisich; Sophia Jensen; Charles Cadenhead; Jeff Holtz; Katrina Beckstrom; Matt Hirn Subject:White Eagle Ranch on Keats Date:Wednesday, April 24, 2024 10:45:42 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from karenje32@gmail.com. Learn why this isimportant Caution: This email originated outside our organization; please use caution. To Sophia and the City Council of Lake Elmo, I was out of town at the Mayo Clinic for a week and when I returned, I found a letter from a neighbor informing me about the situation at White Eagle Ranch on 5193 Keats. Yesterday, I was forwarded the Planning Commission’s March 11, 2024 Staff Report. I am wide-eyed and very upset that Sophia and team are supporting this motion. It states that notification was sent to “surrounding property owners”. It seems that this was extremely limited because I live on 55th Street N and our road was not included yet would besignificantly impacted if this motion passes. To state that “No public comment has been received at this time” paints an inaccurate picture. No comments had been received because our community was not adequately notified. I have been reading the opinions provided to the City Council and Planning Commission by neighbors that are closer to the site. I don’t need to repeat their concerns here (related to environmental impact, the impact of all the needed lighting, the future zoning impact, etc) but I do fully support and agree with them. Is an EIS in the works? Is a TIS in the works? I did not see any reference to them and am very disappointed to think such a motion would pass without these being completed. My concern to be highlighted here is the traffic impact. Keats is currently 45 mph and we consistently witness speeding. It is a straight shot and easy to speed on. With the completion of the housing development by Rock Point Church, there is often a wait to enter onto Rt 36 and with the highway’s increase in traffic and no entry lane, it can take a while and is not the safest for many people to do. With Mr. Melvin’s request, you are actually considering allowing the building of a commercial facility that will include emergency vehicles and families rushing their women in labor to the center?? Per Mr. Melvin’s report, with 4 birthing rooms, at 1 birth per room per day, where 10% could require emergency transport to the hospital, that could easily equate to ambulances speeding down Keats every other day! The noise of the sirens would have a definite impact. The safety concern is even more significant. We walk on Keats almost daily. My 10 year old daughter often rides her bike with me. Some cars will move across the yellow lines to give more room but most won’t and they are traveling fast. There are no sidewalks. It is NOT that safe as it is today. We rush to walk from 55th St to 57th St to do our “loop”. To think about the added traffic … ambulances, rushing families, employees, waste disposal trucks, supply trucks … makes my stomach tighten. I truly hope that the city of Lake Elmo will honor its commitment to this community in Lake Elmo and choose us, homeowners who would like to live here for years to come and who truly value the quiet and natural surroundings, over a new institution who is looking to expand from their current 5 existing locations to make a profit. I will be at the May 7th vote along with as many neighbors as I can notify in time. Karen Granovsky 55th St N, Lake Elmo