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LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES AUGUST 4, 1987 PAGE 5 comply with the ordinances of the City of Lake Elmo. Phase 2 consists of the remaining portion of the development as shown in the site and building plans and would not commence until utility lines are extended to the property site. The development proposed for Lake Elmo, which will be much more attractive than any existing development in the area, will be harmoneous with the adjacent land uses and will esthetically enhance the area of Lake Elmo. Carl Dale, site planner of this project, asked the City Council to look at the proposal with three viewpoints: what's good for the eastside economic development of the Twin Cities, what's good for the entire metropolitan area, and what's good for the Lake Elmo citizens. Dale asked the City to re-examine the City plan in terms of what the citizens want and what is reality which may be conflicting roles. Dale's opinion was that commercial development along I-94 will not have any effect on the remaining part of the community. Dale added there is a conserted effort by two groups, stated in the St. Paul paper, and the Metropolitan Council is now saying we need economic development on the eastside. With Lake Elmo homes being within only 10 minutes driving time from downtown St. Paul, it is not reasonable to think that Lake Elmo can be the lone holdout in this area. It is not logical to say that an area this close to the heart of a major metropolitan area state that our total community has a no -growth theory. The intention is that most growth should be confined to the "old downtown", but without some public or private effort, old -downtown Lake Elmo will not grow and more likely to continue to decline. This site has some prime agricultural land. The intention that this land should be preserved will be difficult because the whole agricultural picture in the last five years has changed. Wildlife areas and agricultural land are important to be preserved,but not within 10 minutes driving time from downtime St. Paul. Even if this land is good for agriculture or not is irrelevant, because eventually it is not going to be agricultural. A lot of this land that we consider prime agricultural is not being farmed in any event. The report that points out the possible harmful effects of traffic, eyesores, noise, glare, pollutant, etc., have all been addressed in their application. In general, he would agree with our community goals and objectives for at least two-thirds of Lake Elmo. Development along 36 has been used -mostly toward Stillwater, maybe or maybe not on Highway 5, but certainly to continue avoiding development along the I-94 Freeway is a totally unrealistic and irrational view of proper land use. It has been suggested at several Planning Commission meetings that growth, perse, increases taxes, but he has studied this in depth and found that as a community grows per capita expenses go up. This is caused by people and not business and industry. If Lake Elmo continues to promote low density urban growth in terms of housing, the City's costs will eontinue qutny up and will be ping to con ri u e to the increase of state, school district, federal and metro taxes because we will have less economical development. Commercial development, perse, does not increase taxes and residential development does increase