Decision delayed on greenway housing development
Concerns remain about safety of access
Posted: 2/6/04
by Erin Johnson
Thisweek Newspapers
The Eagan City Council on Tuesday chose to postpone a decision on the Lexington Ridge housing development until more questions could be answered about access issues.
Lexington Ridge is a townhome development proposed to be built adjacent to the Caponi Art Park and the Lexington Diffley Athletic Fields, within the Eagan Core Greenway.
Ray Miller of Millerville Inc. is looking to build 16 units on the six-acre land, which he bought from Remo Caponi, son of Art Park founder Tony Caponi.
The proposal would require a zoning change from residential to planned development, but council members agreed that they could not decide on the zoning without dealing with the development's access issues.
"Miller bought that property when it was R-1 (residential) and we can't landlock him. There has to be some access somewhere,î said Mayor Pat Geagan.
The property currently has a single-family home with a driveway through the athletic fields.
Miller's proposal has access to the development via Diffley Road. Safety concerns about the Diffley access prompted the council to postpone its decision until alternatives could be explored.
The Eagan Police and Fire departments have voiced opposition to the proposal because of Diffley access safety issues.
According to the proposal, residents would only be able to enter and exit the development using right turn lanes. A median sits across from the proposed driveway of the development to prevent left turns into and out of the property.
Police are concerned that residents might attempt left turns and U-turns around the median, which ends near the development's driveway.
Fire officials cautioned that the Diffley access would slow emergency response time because fire trucks would not be able to make a U-turn around the median.
When Miller originally proposed this development last year, access was planned through the Lexington Diffley Athletic Fields. But the council was preparing to deny it on that basis, so Miller withdrew his proposal.
Now the council wants city staff to explore the pros and cons of access through both the athletic fields and on Diffley.
The proposal will be back before the council March 1.
The proposal was recommended for approval by both the Parks and Planning commissions, but opponents to the project claim it is not an appropriate use of the land.
Several residents spoke out against the plan, citing everything from traffic and safety issues to environmental impact. Friends of the Eagan Core Greenway, an advocate group that has fought to preserve and secure funding for open space, said that the property is an integral part of the greenway and should be preserved.
City officials say that Remo Caponi's property was never marked for preservation. It is zoned residential and was never on the list of land to be acquired for the greenway, said Council Member Mike Maguire.
"This property has a (Comprehensive Guide) Plan of low-density residential,î he said. "It would be a misnomer to think that if this property was to be developed that the city's commitment to the Art Park would be any less.î
Miller has said that he is willing to sell the property to preservationists as long as his costs are reimbursed.
John Ward, a member of Friends of the Eagan Core Greenway, said the Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national preservation organization, has an Eagan representative willing to discuss purchasing the land.
"They don't do this haphazardly, they do it very thoughtfully,î he said.
For more information on Friends of the Eagan Core Greenway, visit www.EaganCoreGreenway.org.
Erin Johnson is at eagan.thisweek@ecm-inc.com.
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