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Item No: 8 Meeting Date: Feb 1, 2010 Type of Business: Work Session Administrator Review : ____ City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: James Ericson, Community Development Director Item Title/Subject: Review Potential Acquisition of the property at the Southwest Corner of Woodcrest Drive and Silver Lake Road Introduction: 1n 2007, the owner of the tract of land at the southwest corner of Silver Lake Road and Woodcrest Drive (Amelia Sullivan) contacted City staff and expressed an interest in selling her property, either to the City or to a developer. While the 1.5 acre lot is certainly large enough to support a home (or two) the entirety of the lot is either wetland or wetland buffer. Builders and developers have inspected the property over the years and all have concluded that it would not be economically feasible to develop due to the local and regional restriction. On July 23, 2007, Staff presented the City Council with Ms. Sullivan’s offer to sell the property, and the Council directed staff to prepare an offer letter to Ms. Sullivan. (See attached.) The offer was for $30,000. Ms. Sullivan did not respond to the offer, and Staff would later learn that she intended to market the site for development, and no further contact was made regarding the property, which would have been utilized for stormwater management purposes. On January 27, 2010, Ms. Sullivan re-initiated contact with the City, asking if the City was still interested in the property. Given the amount of time that has lapsed, Staff responded back to Ms. Sullivan that we would bring the opportunity back to the City Council for reconsideration. Discussion: Mrs. Sullivan continues to pay taxes on the lot and has had to have a number of diseased trees removed at the determination of former City Forester Wriskey. When this was considered in 2007, then Public Works Director Greg Lee had considered the Sullivan property as an ideal location for a stormwater management pond. (A 2005 feasibility report highlighted a number of issues relating to stormwater management in this area—those findings are attached to this report.) Subsequent to the 2007 consideration, the City received approval to address stormwater management associated with street projects through a series of infiltration swales in the right of way. Because of this approval, the Sullivan property may not be as desirable as it once was. That said, acquisition would enhance our ability to address our stormwater management needs and would provide a back-up location in the event RCWD changes the methodology by which it determines the square feet of infiltration needed for projects.