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Mounds View Planning Commission October 17, 2001 <br />Regular 1Vleeting Page 6 <br />Coimntulity Developnnent Director Ericson indicated that the soil borings would need to be done <br />and submitted to the City before the City would issue a building pei-mit and those soil borings <br />need to demonstrate that the soils can support a house. He then indicated that the developer <br />would need to dig out the peat and bring in fill that is suitable to support a house. <br />Mr. Feldner indicated that the developer could level all the trees before finding out that houses <br />cannot be built there. <br />Community Development Director Ericson indicated that the Gity has made a request to preserve <br />trees up to the setback line and has asked for a tree inventory. He then indicated that trees would <br />not come down before the soil borings were completed. He further indicated that the <br />neighborhood would not be left with an open patch of land that wouTd riot support houses. <br />Pete Severson of 5172 Longview Drive indicated that there is a solid batch of trees that runs the <br />entire lengih of Longview Drive and shades all the houses on the east of Longview Drive. He <br />indicated that in order to put houses in the developer would have to take out the trees and put <br />�ake ponds behind the houses. He then indicated he is not impressed witfi what happened at <br />Woodcrest and said he feels this development wili destroy the wetland: He further indicated that <br />there is a lot of wildlife in the area and said he has enjoyed the natural area for the 15 years he <br />has lived there. He then asked the Commission not to allow the developer #o wreck the vvetland. <br />Barbara Kosiak of 5173 Red Oak Drive indicated she has lived in the City for 30 years and said <br />she is not sure she likes the deer that are in the wetland area as they eat her garden. She then <br />indicated that her main concern is with the removal of the peat that holds water and replacing it <br />with f 11 suitable. for building liouses. on. She further indicated that doing so changes the water <br />management;in'fhe area and she is concerned that neighborhood residents would have wet <br />basements. <br />Dave Tillman'of $166 Lorigview Dn�e'.asked if the buffer zone was enacted prior to the Harstads <br />purchasing the land. He then.stated that, "if you buy a swamp, you buy a swa�np, if you buy bad <br />stock you lose money." He further stated that he feels the development would impact the light <br />and air of the surrounding properties because the solid line of mature trees shades the houses <br />across the street and means that those residents only have to run their air conditioners on the very <br />hot days of summer. <br />Mr. Tillrnan indicated that the wetland buffer zone extends to his front yard and said he had to <br />adhere: to the building Codes when he built his addition and he feels the developer should be held <br />to the same `requirernents. <br />Commissioner Scotch asked if the City had a requirernent for the amount of wetlands it required. <br />Community Development Director Ericson indicated there was no requirement for minimum <br />amount of wetland acreage. He then indicated that some cities have no wetlands but said the <br />City of Mounds View has a great water management system. He then commented that a lot of <br />residents feel strongly about wetlands as they do offer an amenity to residents and they bring in <br />