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Mounds View Planning Commission August 4, 1999 Regular Meeting Page 16 He stated when he selected his house he had been shown properties within a certain range. He stated that he had seen bigger, newer, nicer houses, but chose his home because of the clear view of the swamp. He stated the realtor secured a higher price because of the swamp. He stated that he would not be greatly impacted by the proposal due to the location of his house, however, the rest of his neighbors would suffer a negative impact. Barb Liukkonen, 2367 Pinewood Circle, stated that she understands that the proposed houses will be outside of the 904-foot flood storage level,however,they would be within the 100-foot buffer area, which although not required, is recommended for the preservation of wetlands and open spaces. She stated that Lot 17,and probably 18 as well, would require the removal of all of the existing oak trees for the construction. She stated that this is one of the few remaining stands of oak, noting that much of the other oak in the area has been lost to oak blight over the last ten years. She stated it is a stand approximately 40 years old, and isolated from other oak trees by the wetland and the retention of the flood storage located behind it. She stated that she thought this would be a real loss, not only for the neighborhood, but for the community as well. She stated that the house located adjacent to Lot 17 and 16,has a floodwater storage basin in the back yard, which is a pit ten feet deep. She stated that this was an undesirable situation, and provided no place for children to play. She stated this house sat vacant for 2V2 years,and has since been sold, however, if they wish to construct another house under the same conditions, it would not be highly saleable either. She stated the vacant properties could become nuisance houses. She stated that this plan may compensate for flood storage, however in her opinion,it is not a productive and viable alternative for flood storage, and will remove valuable green space and natural habitat, and does have the potential to impact the wetland. Lisa Gilpin, 2358 Pinewood Circle, requested the Commission drive past the subject site, and challenged them to tell her where the wetlands start and where they stop. She stated that it was not possible. She stated that she had children, and worked with Pinewood Elementary, and spent approximately six to eight hours per week, talking to the children about protecting the environment and the wetland, and its importance. She stated that this indicates, if the developer can make some money, it is acceptable to build a house there. She stated that she found this very confusing and disheartening for the children. She stated, in the wetland area, they have seen red fox, and a variety of birds and animals which live in that space, and found it hard to explain to her child why it would be acceptable to eliminate the area for development. She stated that lot 16 was not originally intended for development either. She stated she could not see any purpose for this except money. Tim Meehan,2382 Pinewood Circle,stated he had been a resident of the area for over 15 years. He stated he had attended the meetings concerning this issue for a number of years. He stated that Ms. Haselius' family was previously opposed to this development, until she found out that she owned the land,and Mr. Peterson's group offered to purchase it from her. He stated he was personally opposed to the development. He stated that Mr. Peterson had indicated that in the 1980's they did not know very much about wetlands. He stated they now know much more about wetlands, and their importance. He stated that the Lake Calhoun reclamation project is buying back houses and • businesses, to restore the wetlands, as the water quality has suffered so dramatically due to the development. He stated that he was not in favor of the loss of habitat for deer, pheasant, birds, and