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LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES MARCH 17, 1987 PAGE 2 Development Attorney Larry Berg's request for time to address any questions that may be expressed. The following comments were taken from the public: Hans Stockstead, real estate broker in Stillwater, expressed the adjacent landowners' view because they would be the most directly affected by this. They believe the proposal is an excellent plan, a completely self-contained area that would be a good service to everybody and would not affect other areas of the City. On behalf of the adjacent landowners, Stockstead added, they have no objections and would recommend that the City Council work with Erickson Diversiified to support them in their endeavor to proceed with their plan. Jess Mottaz, 8770 DeMontreville Tr., felt the presented concept plan fits the Land Use Management Plan of the 1979 Comprehensive Plan very well. This plan calls for highway commercial development along this strip. The proposed 1986 Comprehensive Plan has yet to be acted upon by the Metropolitan Council. This is scheduled for their April 23, 1987 meeting. If it is approved, this will be the comprehensive plan in force in Lake Elmo. Until that time, the 1979 Comprehensive Plan is in effect. If the City approves this concept, they would be telling other developers that the City of Lake Elmo wants long-lasting, high quality, development and not a long strip of pole barns, retail storage or another drive-in theater. He also thought that if the City approves this plan, it is possible that the Erickson Co. might be receptive to suggestions and ideas put forth by the City of Lake Elmo that might go beyond the code requirements. Mottaz urges the Council to approve the concept plan. Gene Peltier introduced himself as one of the surviving 8 or 9 farmers that there is left in Lake Elmo. People who travel I-94 desperately need a service station facility and the Peltiers have been filling this void for many years. He has lost count of the number of people that come to his farm for gas, jacks or to use his phone. He especially gets upset when they pound on his door in the middle of the night. We have more cropland than we can utilize which he can attest to because he has corn on his farm since 1984, 1985 and 1986. Lake Elmo is going contrary to the Federal Government by favoring agricultural production and we cetainly don't need it. Lake Elmo has reached a point where we no longer can afford so-called "rural atmosphere". As the tax rates have been increasing the last three years, it is about time we do an about face and plan for new tax revenue for the future. Parks don't pay taxes and we have enough of them. Peltier can no longer can afford this "rural atmosphere". Lake Elmo needs a financial opportunity offered by Erickson Diversified and he heartily endorses this new project. Bruce Dunn, 11018 Upper 33rd St., commented on Erickson's projected revenue. While these figures cannot be disputed, the money is going to come in. It is the same sales pitch that is used in most every other City when there is a proposed developement to be considered. In the cities that have promoted developments, the assessed evaluations have gone up, and the mill rates have gone up correspondingly. Examples given: