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<br /> <br />Item No: 11(b)1 <br />Meeting Date: July 23, 2007 <br />Type of Business: Reports <br />Administrator Review: ____ <br />City of Mounds View Staff Report <br /> <br />To: Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From: James Ericson, Community Development Director <br />Item Title/Subject: Review Potential Acquisition of the property at the <br />Southwest Corner of Woodcrest Drive and Silver Lake <br />Road <br /> <br />Introduction: <br /> <br />The Pproperty owner, Amelia Sullivan, has contacted City staff and expressed an interest in <br />selling her property, either to the City or to a developer. The 1.5 acre lot is certainly large <br />enough to support a home (or two) however 75% of the lot is covered in wetland and the <br />remaining area is within the buffer. Builders and developers have inspected the property <br />over the years and all have concluded that the lot is either unbuildable or not economically <br />feasible to do so. <br /> <br /> <br />Discussion: <br /> <br />Mrs. Sullivan continues to pay taxes on the lot and recently had to have a number of trees <br />taken out at the direction of City Forester Wriskey, at great expense to her. In conversation <br />with Mrs. Sullivan, I explained that the City had looked at her lot as the potential location for a <br />stormwater management pond. Public Works Director Greg indicates the City remains <br />interested from that standpoint. Given Mrs. Sullivan’s interest in selling the parcel, a city <br />acquisition would seem to make sense at this time. The acquisition would retain our ability to <br />utilize the land for stormwater management needs and as an overflow area for Woodcrest <br />Park. The secondary benefit would be to preserve the majority of the heavily wooded site <br />and ensure continued animal habitat and green space. <br /> <br />Acquisition could be funded through one of three sources—tax increment financing, <br />stormwater management or the park dedication fund. Staff has discussed this internally and <br />would recommend either the stormwater management fund of the TIF reserves. An <br />acceptable purchase price has not been communicated to the City however the 2007 <br />Ramsey County assessed value is $34,900. <br /> <br />Included with this report is an excerpt from the 2005 Street Improvement Project report <br />prepared by BRAA directly relating to this parcel. In addition, attached is a wetlands map <br />and a parcel map for your review. <br />