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Members Present: Peltier, Schumann, Agness <br />Members Absent: Malaski, Rubenzer, Kellison <br />Other Present: City Administrator Robert Museus; Ed Elliott, Loucks & <br />Associates; Francis Langer, City Assessor <br />Chairperson Peltier convened the special meeting of the Hugo Planning <br />Commission at 7:25PM at the Hugo Elementary School for the purpose of <br />conducting a public hearing on the City's revised comprehensive plan. Ed <br />Elliott, the consultant assisting the planning commission preparing the <br />plan provided introductory remarks explaining how the plan was developed, <br />public participation in the process, and a brief overview of the content <br />of the plan. Chair Peltier then opened the public hearing to accept <br />public comments. <br />Ed and John Waller informed the Planning Commission that their family's <br />property located in the east half of section 21, was currently being used <br />as agricultural property and it was their intent to continue farming the <br />property into the foreseeable future. They requested that their land be <br />removed from the rural residential district and be placed in the <br />agricultural district. <br />Two property owners on the east side of Oneka Lake Blvd. expressed <br />concerns about their property being included in the City's urban district <br />and requested that the line for the urban service district be placed on <br />Oneka Lake Blvd. and their property be included in the agricultural <br />district. <br />Residents on Everton Ave. north of County State Aid Highway 8, stated they <br />have purchased their property with the understanding that it was zoned <br />agricultural and expressed concerns that including this property in the <br />City's urban district would limit their desired future use of the land to <br />maintain horses and would create denser urban development near their homes <br />than they would desire. They requested the Planning Commission consider <br />maintaining large parcels in this area and that perhaps the Planning <br />Commission would consider a phased plan of 1, 3, and 5 acre lots in this <br />area. <br />Concerns were raised by a number of property owners about the impact of <br />the new land use plan on their property taxes. Francis Langer, the City's <br />assessor explained that property taxes are based on the value of the land <br />and not a parcels zoning classification, but that if the rezoning <br />increased the property value of a parcel by allowing a more intense use, <br />it could have an impact on the owners property taxes. <br />A number of residents expressed concerns regarding the requirement to <br />cluster homes in the agricultural district. It was stated that this would <br />force homes to be located too close together and it would be difficult for <br />a homeowners association to manage the joint use of the remaining <br />undeveloped property. Concerns were also raised regarding the fairness of <br />not allowing property owners with less than 40 acres to subdivide in the <br />agricultural district. <br />After everyone in the audience had been given the opportunity to address <br />