by Erin Johnson
Thisweek Newspapers

Ray Miller will likely see his vision of an ìurban Boston streetî in Eagan become a reality, but it might be smaller than he originally planned.

The City Council indicated at its March 1 meeting that it is agreeable to rezoning six acres of land, located between the Caponi Art Park and the Lexington Diffley Athletic Fields, for Millerís townhome development, called Lexington Ridge.

The property would require a zoning change from single family residential to planned development.

But the council, which continued the proposal to its March 16 meeting, also said that the number of units in the development might require some negotiation.

To change the zoning of the property to planned development would require some public benefit, Councilor Mike Maguire said.

ìI think part of that benefit is compact development, but I do think there should be a lower number of units,î he said. Maguire said he is tempted to vote in favor of the zoning change, if only to open up discussions between Miller and the city on what that planned development will ultimately look like.

ìI donít know that weíve really maximized the benefit of clustering,î he said. ìIíd be much more interested in seeing compact units, but a lower number of them.î

Opponents of the development, who have said that the land is a pivotal piece of the Eagan Core Greenway, also have concerns about the number of townhome units.

Changing the zoning will effectively ìdouble the number of housesî on the property, said resident Laura Hedlund.

Jack Conrad, member of Friends of the Eagan Core Greenway, said that, due to propertyís steep topography, only three of the six acres are actually buildable. That would put the housing density at 5.3 units per acre, he said.

ìEven if it fits the legal definition of low-density, the total impact of the development is really out of character with the surrounding area,î he said.

Conrad said fewer units would reduce the impact of the development and make it more compatible with the surrounding area.

ìFewer residents equals fewer trips in, fewer trips out and fewer safety concerns,î he said. ìSimply put, the townhouses are too large in scale; theyíre incompatible with the surrounding parks and single-family homes.î

The council did make a decision on the developmentís access issues Monday, agreeing that access should be through the Lexington Diffley Athletic Fields, a public park.

The original proposal called for access via Diffley, but the council cited too many safety concerns.

Access through the park is preferable, the council said, provided it remain around the perimeter of the park.

Community Development Director Jon Hohenstein pointed out that private developments are not typically accessed through public parks, so this situation could set a precedent for future developers.

Also, the road through the park, which is currently not used in the winter, will have to be reconstructed and put on the plow schedule.

But Councilor Peggy Carlson said going through the park is safer and wonít have much of an impact on the park itself.

ìThereís already a lot of activity going on here,î she said. ìThereís already hundreds of cars driving in and out of the park.î

Councilor Cyndee Fields added,ìIf we do go through the park, we are saving so many trees.î

Because the access to the development has changed, Miller now needs to submit a revised plan, which will go before the council on March 16.

Erin Johnson is at eagan.thisweek@ecm-inc.com.

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