2002 March Newsletter - Laserfiche WebLink

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RESIDENTIAL HOUSING MORATORIUM LIFTED The residential housing moratorium, in effect in Hugo idential development to begin again, since the City has since August 1999, has been lifted as of February 19, been successful in addressing the reasons the moratori- 2002. Property owners will once again be able to sub- um was enacted. Rask also notes that building has divide and develop their property. actually continued throughout the period of the mora- um because a large number of subdivisions had Community Development Director John Rask idemi- beenapp, owed prior to its enactment. "The moratori- a �. fied four reasons for enacting the moratorium. (1) rcum didn't s op building," he explains, "it just stopped complete improvements to the City's water syW rn (?) the subdivision and development of new land." Also, to update the City's zoning ordinance and,development the moratorium hada'en lifted in a small area where regulations; (3) to hire additional City staff to better �`-the water supply. as equate, in order to pace devel- x . . regulate and manage growth in the conimuniry and to opmcnr. meet the increased demand for Cit)?services; aii(] (4) to construct a new City Hall to house the »ew staff and to Rask expQSts a great deal of subdivision requests provide meeting space and facilities for providing City in 200 2. "1n terms of building, we don't anticipate services. u�9 there will be a lot�'of new construction until 2003," he states, "because it usuay takes about a year after subdi- While state law requires that the moratorium cannot vision approval to get infrastructure improvements exceed 2-112 years and would therefore have to be lift- completed." ed at this time, Rask notes that the City is ready for res- CITY LOOKING TO ACQUIRE LAND FOR PARKS The City of Hugo would like to acquire land for neighborhood parks, active recreational areas, and open spaces. "We are primarily interested in land located in the central portion of the City," explains Community Development Director John Rask, "but we wouldn't rule out any parcel of 20 to 100 acres suitable for active recreation purposes." Funds for purchasing this land would come from the City's park dedication fund, which is obtained from new development in the City. A $1,350 fee is collected and deposited into this fund when new residential lots are created. Anyone who is interested in selling land to the City of Hugo is asked to contact City Administrator Mike Ericson at City Hall or Parks Commission member Pete Pedersen at 651-426-4126.