January 17, 2006 CCP - Laserfiche WebLink

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Lake Elmo Agenda Section: Planning, Land Use and Zoning No. 9A City Council January 17, 2006 Agenda Item: Austad/Pierre/Hurt — Wastewater Treatment Background Information for January 17, 2006: The Council is aware of the history of issues with wastewater treatment on Hytrail properties owned by these families. The sophisticated wastewater treatment systems installed on all three properties do not function as designed, and the property owners maintain that no on -site wastewater solutions are feasible due to poor soils. On November 15, 2005 the Council directed staff to work with the property owners to investigate use of a portion of the Demontreville Natural Area owned by the City as a 201 style drain field to serve all three properties. The property owners have indicated a willingness to design and construct both the drain field and the conveyance pipe and equipment at their expense if the City would provide the drain field site and take over maintenance of the drainfield, and all appurtenant pipe and related equipment within the Public right-of-way. All tanks and equipment located on the property owners' sites would continue to be their individual responsibility. Responsive to that November Council direction City staff designated a location within the Demontreville Nature Area that appeared suitable for a drain field location. The primary determinants of "suitable" were: 1.) Area clear of existing trees (that would have to be removed for a drain field); and, 2.) An area that looked like it might pass soil perk tests. The property owners then contracted with a septic design firm to test the soils at the designated area — a portion of the sliding hill. While suitable soils were located, the area of those suitable soils was large enough to only support a primary drain field — but not a back-up site as now required by Lake Elmo Code. The property owners' septic designer then tested another site in the wooded east area of the Nature Area, and did locate a site that would accommodate both a primary and back-up drain field. This area would lose existing tree cover if the drain field were constructed there. (Austad et al Continued on Page 2) Person _res isible: Action items: Motionto approve the plan for wastewater treatment to serve the 4PII Cier Austad, Pierre, and Hurt properties per plans staff dated 01/12/06 subject to the recommendations of the City Forester (Iandscape screening) and the City Engineer (system design). The property owners will pay the entire cost of system and City construction inspection costs, and agree to pay City wastewater fees in the same amount and in the same manner as properties connected to the City' s 201 wastewater systems. Attachments: Time Allocated: 1. Draft Committee of the Whole Minutes of January 10 2. City Council Minutes of November 15, 2005 3. Location Map 4. Petitioner's System Plans