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Resolution 96 -3 Requesting Denial of Armstrong Petition for Detachment/Annexation Page 3 WHEREAS, the City is in the process of evaluating what, if any, benefit would result from a reinstitution of some type of regulations which would permit Alternative Uses in Agricultural zones, and the City will conduct further meetings or hearing as determined appropriate by the City Council or as required in response to future resident applications. MOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Lake Elmo City Council respectfully requests the City of Oakdale to deny the petition for concurrent detachment from Lake Elmo and annexation to Oakdale of any and all of the Armstrong property for the following reasons: All but twenty acres of the Armstrong property is in the Metropolitan Agricultural Preserves Program, a voluntary program administered by local governments, which are first required to plan and zone the land for agricultural use. 2. The purpose of the Metropolitan Agricultural Preserves Act was to provide measures for the preservation of farmland in the seven - county Twin Cities Metropolitan. area, and provides incentives in the form of both benefits and protections to farmer - Iandowners to keep their lands in agricultural use. 3. The Armstrong's have stated emphatically that they have no desire to develop their property, have not initiated expiration of their Agricultural Preserves status, and have prepared an agreement for the City of Oakdale to consider prior to proceeding with the annexation that would permit their property to remain in Agricultural Preserves until such time as the Armstrong's initiated expiration. 4. In a petition. to the Minnesota Municipal Board, the Armstrong's contradict previously stated future uses of their land. Said petition states that Oakdale is better qualified to provide municipal services to the property. The City of Lake Elmo has never been asked to provide municipal services to the Armstrong property. In fact, the purpose of Agricultural Preserve law is to prevent premature development of agricultural property. If requested by Armstrong's, the City would conduct public hearings to consider extending public utilities to the Armstrong property in conjunction with the City's current review of extending utilities to the United Property site located south and east of the Armstrong property. 7. The City of Lake Elmo has permitted an intensive non - Agricultural use of the Armstrong property at Armstrong's request pursuant to the City of Lake Elmo's prior Alternative Agriculture Use Regulations, 8. The non - agricultural use of the Armstrong site can continue indefinitely, but cannot be expanded under current Lake Elmo regulations.