03-22-1993 Special Meeting MinutesSTATE OF MN A Special Council Meeting was held
COUNTY OF WRIGHT this 22 day of March, 1993, at
CITY OF OTSEGO 6:30 PM to discuss the Quale Avenue
Project, a Hwy 101 access street to
be built from Co. 37 to 65th Street. Norman F. Freske, Mayor
Doug Lindenfelser, Floyd Roden, Larry Fournier and Ron Black,
Council Members, Jerome Perrault, Clerk, Elaine Beatty,
Deputy Clerk/Zoning Administrator, Judy Hudson, Secretary,
Larry Koshak, Engineer, David Licht, Planner, Andy McArthur,
Attorney, were present.
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Norman F.
Freske.
Larry Koshak addressed the meeting and said the purpose
was to discuss the assessments for Quale Avenue. He said he
had met with the land owners and some are questioning the
assessments. He said the purpose of building Quale Avenue is
to provide an access to Hwy 101 when 62nd and 65th Streets
are Cul -De -Sacs after Hwy 101 is rebuilt. MnDOT will pay the
construction costs and 8% of engineering costs. The balance
of the project cost has to paid by the City, including the
easement costs and procuring the easements. The total
project cost is an estimated $329,375.00 with the City of
Otsego share an estimated $62,075.00. Mr. Koshak said he has
had appraisals made and has met with the land owners, the
project plans have been approved by MnDOT and the project is
ready for bidding. He has also studied the assessment
policies of other Communities with commercial lots. The
Darkenwald property was zoned commercial by Wright Co. the
rest of the area is zoned agricultural.
Mr. Koshak said the first approach was to divide the
area into 11 units. This approach gave Mr. Lavedure 5 units
and he disagreed with that. He is proposing a guide plan for
this area that would commit the City to consider rezoning the
properties of Taurus Numeric Tool Inc., Ralph Levedure and
Darkenwald to Highway Commercial at the request of the land
owners. Using this consideration, he changed the assessments
to 6 units for Taurus Numeric Tool, 5 for Ralph Levedure, 4
for Darkenwald and 1 for Rod Winter, a total of 16 units with
a $3,880.00 assessment on each unit. He said he considers
this a fairer assessment than the 11 unit policy.
Mr. Koshak said that because sewer is not now available,
commercial development in that area would have to be of the
type requiring few employees that could be accommodated with
on site septic and well systems.
Dave Licht commented that the initial concept of the
Comprehensive Plans for commercial development to move into
this area later on, however he agrees with the designation
approach of Mr Koshak. Property owners would need to come in
with their own plans and request rezoning at that time.
Paul Evenson asked if the area from 65th Street South to
the Otsego line would remain Agricultural. David Licht said
that the Comprehensive Plan would be to develop in stages as
demand requires. If there was a demand for commercial
development in the future , it could be rezoned at that time.
CITY OF OTSEGO SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MARCH 22,
1993. Page 2
He said he doesn't expect any push for land until Hwy 101 is
completed.
Todd Rapp, Attorney for Taurus Tool, asked when sewer
and water would be available in that area. The Council
replied there are no plans at present to bring sewer and
water into that area.
Mr. Rapp also asked when the assessment policy was
changed as his client was not aware of it. He said the
proposed changes in the Comprehensive Plan are being made to
justify higher assessments on the Taurus property. This will
create legal battles over assessments and possible
condemnation. He accused the City of using this approach to
justify higher assessments on Taurus property.
Mr. Levedure also said he was concerned about the method
used to achieve assessments.
Mr. Koshak said he adopted this method for a fairer
equalization of assessments.
Mr. Rapp accused the City and Mr. Koshak of valuing the
property at Ag rates and then assessing at Commercial rates.
Norman F. Freske said that the purpose of the meeting
was to discuss assessments and that the Council had just
found out about the change in assessment policy.
Ron Black said he would be in favor of scrapping the
project and running the access street South from 65th Street
instead.
Wally Odell said he did not see any benefit to the
Darkenwald property by constructing Quale Avenue as they
already have access to Co. 37. He questioned benefit to the
other properties in the area also.
Larry Koshak said the project was dumped on the City
by MnDOT and the City is faced with the cost of acquiring
easements also. He said that hopefully the signal light
issue at Co. 37 can be resolved. All the preliminary plans
and Hearings called for a signal light at that intersection
and now MnDOT is saying that it doesn't meet the standards
for installing a signal light. He and the Council have been
working to get the signal light re -installed in the plans.
Motion by Ron Black to make a decision on the Quale
Avenue Project at the April 12, 1993, Council Meeting.
Seconded by Larry Fournier.
Larry Koshak commented that we have until June 15 to lot
the bids on the project and Andy McArthur agreed with him.
Floyd Roden said that MnDOT expects the City to do all
this and then they propose to take away the signal light at
the CO. 37 -Hwy 101 intersection.
Mr. Rapp said he would like to see better communication
on his project in the future.
All Council Members voted in favor of the motion.
Motion by Floyd Roden to adjourn the meeting. Seconded
by Ron Black, all Council Members voted in favor of the
motion.
CITY OF OTSEGO SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MARCH 22,
1993. Page 3
Attest: Jerome Perrault, Clerk
JP/ jeh
, NORMAN F. FRESKE, MAYOR
, DOUG LINDENFELSER, COUNCIL
, FLOYD RODEN, COUNCIL
, RON BLACK, COUNCIL
, LARRY FOURNIER, COUNCIL