HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 04/06/1994 - City Council COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE WHOLE
April 6, 1994 6:45 P.M.
The Committee Meeting of the Whole was called to order by Mayor Cuda in the
Council Chambers of the Municipal Center at 6:45 P.M. In attendance were
Aldermen Bolger, Bates, Lawson and Baird; City Staff: City Clerk Gilpin,
City Administrator Peterson, Public Works Director Batt, Park Director
Merkel, Building and Zoning Director Lobaito; Developers Roger Gerstad and
David Backhaus; and City Engineer Carl Moon of Baxter & Woodman.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss whether or not the developers,
Gerstad and Backhaus, should be allowed to use park land for a detention
pond in the Backhaus subdivision located east of Curran Road and west of
Winding Creek subdivision. This issue had been before various City
committees several times but no decision was made. To finalize the matter,
it was decided to bring it before the entire Council.
The City recently bought approximately 15 acres of land from Donald Gerstad
as open space for the Boone Creek Corridor. Roger Gerstad and Backhaus
were asking to use 8.6 acres of that City-owned land for a detention pond
to store water from their development. They felt it was a use that was
consistent with the City's desires for this area and they were before the
Council to ask if it was willing to negotiate a deal to allow them to use
that area.
The developers had agreed to build 2 baseball fields and 1 soccer field on
part of the detention area or use it as passive park land. They also
mentioned the possibility of trading land. They felt the City had
something to gain by putting detention in this area. This would not happen
if it couldn't be engineered properly, Gerstad said.
Some concerns expressed by the Council were:
The developers wanted to use the City's land because otherwise they
would have to use their own land and lose density for their
subdivision. The developer would gain 20 homes while the City would
only gain 2 baseball fields and 1 soccer field.
In Spring, the ballfields would be unplayable much of the time because
of wet conditions and Spring is when the ballfields were most.
It would set a precedent to allow private developers to use public
lands for their detention purposes.
No studies have been done to determine what the environnmental impact
would be on the wetlands in the area.
`- Once it is used for a detention area, it could never be used for any
other purpose and it would be lost to the City.
No engineering had been done to determine if this was the proper
location for a detention pond.
The City is involved in 3 or 4 other pending agreements and doesn't
have time to continue looking at agreements that have already been
made.
This matter has been under discussion for several months. It was time
for a decision.
Bolger said he was more concerned about drainage in that entire area. He
felt the City should negotiate a plan and have it determined where the
- - detention area belongs. The City should get something in return, not
necessarily acre for acre.
Mayor Cuda asked the aldermen to indicate if they wanted to agree to
negotiate a deal or just say they don't want to look at this issue any
further. Aldermen Baird, Lawson, Bates and Mayor Cuda said they did not
want to consider the issue any further. Alderman Bolger felt the City
should negotiate a plan.
Motion by Bates, seconded by Lawson to adjourn at 7:30 P.M.
Cfl.
City Clerk