by Erin Johnson
Thisweek Newspapers

The Steeplechase saga continues.

It has been almost a year since the proposal to build housing on the former Diamond T Ranch property was submitted to the city. Several changes and two continuances later, a newly revised proposal for Steeplechase of Eagan is being sent back to the Planning Commission.

Toll Brothers' original plan to build 36 single family homes and 73 townhome units on the 37-acre property was met with resistance from neighbors and the Eagan City Council.

Among the concerns were environmental problems, density issues and a controversial cul-de-sac extension.

Toll Brothers is hoping to get a more favorable reaction to its revised plan, which will go before the Planning Commission on March 22.

The Eagan City Council heard highlights of the revised plan at its Thursday meeting.

The new proposal reduces the number of townhomes from 73 to 56 units, and reduces the total number of housing units from 109 to 93. The overall density would decrease from 2.9 to 2.4 units per acre.

The townhomes would no longer be two stories high but one-level "condo-styleî units, making them more friendly for retirees and empty nesters.

The plan also reduces the number of clustered units from as many as eight to a maximum of four. The majority of clusters will include only three units.

In addition, the streets throughout the development would be public rather than private, and a loop road would reduce the size of cul-de-sacs by at least half.

The cul-de-sac on Wellington Way would not be extended as part of the new plan. That pleases Wellington Way residents, but could cause problems with Dakota County. The county said it would not accept the plan without the extension to allow access to and from Pilot Knob Road, which is a county road.

"I'm willing to battle Dakota County,î said Council Member Cyndee Fields. "I do not want to see Wellington Way opened up.î

The new plan would also call for all wetland mitigation to occur on-site.

One of the project's biggest obstacles has been debris buried on the property that neighbors worry will pose an environmental threat.

Extensive environmental testing has uncovered construction debris, asbestos, and PCBs, which are known carcinogens.

Toll Brothers said it is committed to cleaning up the mess left on the property.

"Obviously this is a very controversial site,î said Joey Zorn, regional manager for Toll Brothers. "Please understand we're here to do nothing else but clean it up. It was a pre-existing problem, and we're here to alleviate the problem.î

Mayor Pat Geagan reassured the handful of residents who appeared at the meeting that, although it may not feel like it, "We're getting there.î

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

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