Caledonia Argus

Plans for new development discussed at council meeting

Posted: 6/17/03

by Jane Palen
Managing editor

The Caledonia City Council recently heard plans for a new housing development to be built west of Highway 44.

Gary Becker, Don Robley and Steve Bauer attended the June 9 meeting of the council to have an informal discussion on the proposed development, which encompasses 32 acres to the northeast of the new school. There are to be 73 lots which will be developed in two phases. The development will include both single family homes and duplexes.

Bauer explained to the council that the development is laid out with the slope of the property in order to accommodate different home styles. The streets are not laid out in a typical grid pattern, Bauer noted.

Some of the issues that the council suggested that the developers consider are sidewalks and green space. The city can require sidewalks in a new development, but often doesnít since sidewalks can be damaged if placed before construction in an area is complete.

On the issue of green space, it was noted that the city can accept money in lieu of green space (an undeveloped piece of property suitable for a park). The money is then used to enhance an existing park. The new development is located near Sprague woods, so there is ìgreen spaceî nearby, the developers pointed out.

The council also noted that the area to the south of the proposed development is zoned industrial, and that the developers may want to add some sort of buffer between the housing development and the area to the south which is zoned industrial.

The developers indicated that they would like to start on the project by late fall. They will return with a final plan for approval.

City wants properties cleaned up

At its meeting of June 9, the city council discussed several properties that it has concerns about.

City attorney Tim Murphy was present at the meeting to discuss the former creamery on Old Highway Drive. The city has concerns that the building presents a hazard, both in terms of being a fire hazard and as an attraction to youngsters who may trespass on the property and end up being hurt.

Murphy will draft a letter to property owner Jeff Sheehan to inform him of the cityís concern and to ask for a plan to correct the problems cited by the city. The motion passed unanimously.

According to Minnesota statutes, a city may remove or raze a hazardous building with the written consent of the owners.

If action is not taken after the city has issued an order for corrective action, the city can seek a judgement against the owner in district court. It can raze the property and place a lien against it for the costs incurred by the city. It may also take the property through eminent domain, in which case the city would compensate the owners.

The council also asked for letters to be sent to Russell Besse and Mike Rogich who also own property in the city. Besse had previously applied for a salvage yard permit for property on East Main street. The property is zoned industrial, and a salvage yard is a permitted use in an industrial area. The council asked for fences to be erected and for a rodent/mosquito abatement plan to be submitted before it would agree to issue a permit. Those items were not received.

In May, the city sent a letter to Mike Rogich of 1004 East Washington Street asking him to clean up tires from his property as they constitute a health hazard as a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Council members indicated at the meeting of June 9 that there are still tires strewn about the property.

Attorney Murphy told the council that the city has the option of initiating a civil action to bring about compliance with the city ordinance.

City will advance funds for sesquicentennial celebration

In other news, the city heard from Miles Miller, Mike Werner and Dianne Schuldt of the Caledonia Sesquicentennial Committee, who asked the city to provide a line of credit for expenses of the celebration. Specifically, the committee would like the city to pay for items that the committee plans to sell. The committee would reimburse the city after the items are sold.

we can raise some money, but it doesnít help us up front,î said Miller. He told the council that the group is not asking for a cash outlay; just a letter of credit which will allow the committee to purchase items that it will later sell.

Members of the committee told the council that they will be soliciting donations from local businesses for funding the celebration.

Sewer project bids concern council

The city council was upset to learn that only one bid for the major sewer project planned for the city was received, and that the bid is 28 percent higher than the engineerís estimate.

Winona Mechancial bid $1,182,255 for the project, compared to the estimate of $921,100 from Davy Engineering. Davy Engineering has recommended that the project be rebid in August and that an alternative bid be offered. The firm said that there would be no additional engineering costs to rebid the project with an alternate bid. The alternate bid would call for repairing the defects using a ìno digî liner rather than excavation.

Mayor Burns said that he believes the number of spot repairs called for in the plans, a total of 45, discouraged many contractors from wanting to bid on it.

ìThe contractors donít want to go from spot to spot,î he said. ìThis is a messy project.î He added also that the project should have been bid three months ago.

The council agreed to invite Michael Davy to a future meeting of the council to discuss the project.

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