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City Council Regular Meeting Minutes April 25, 2023 Page 4 1 the land and Mr. Grittman stated the Hannays Group. They are requesting to put fencing on their 2 property. 3 4 Mayor Stille stated he looked at City Council Meeting Minutes from 1999. The City paid 5 $135,000 for a 24sf easement for the Hitching Post and an 84sf easement near the Dairy Queen. 6 The City paid money for the easements in 1999. 7 8 Councilmember Webster asked what the benefit is to St. Anthony for vacating the easement. Mr. 9 Grittman stated that is the decision point for the Council. If there is no longer a need to preserve 10 this or have a property interest to return it to the property owners. 11 12 Mr. Nathan Brandenberg, attorney for the applicant, appeared before the Council. He stated Mr. 13 Grittman’s presentation did a good job of outlining the situation. The applicant is fine with 14 tabling this. The utility easements are not being requested to be released. At the time the property 15 was purchased by Hannays there was a possible plan to develop a park on the site. At this time 16 there is no plan for a park. This is what has brought the request forward. The parking lot is in 17 need of resurface and lighting. The applicant does not want to pay for these improvements only 18 to find the easement will not be vacated. 19 20 Mayor Stille closed the public hearing at 7:32 p.m. 21 22 Councilmember Randle questioned what this would be preserved for. The property has been 23 empty for 8-10 years. 24 25 Mayor Stille stated Council was advised by ULI to preserve the corridor. The easement gives the 26 City some leverage to help facilitate some redevelopment at some point. 27 28 Councilmember Jenson stated the $135,000 paid for the easements, would the City request those 29 funds come back to the City. Mayor Stille stated the decision is do we want to have additional 30 leverage to develop the site in the future. 31 32 Councilmember Webster there are so few places that are open spaces for new housing. The 33 southern gateway would be a possible site for that. She does not see a benefit to the City to 34 vacate the easement at this time. 35 36 Councilmember Walker stated he concurs. 37 38 Mayor Stille stated he would not want to give this leverage up especially since it was paid for. 39 There was a consensus of 4 Councilmembers. 40 41 Motion by Councilmember Webster, seconded by Councilmember Walker, to table consideration 42 of the Land Use Application to Vacate – 2550 Hwy 88 and direct Staff to come back to Council 43 with a Resolution for consideration. 44 45 Motion carried 4-1 (Randle). 46