Minutes of the Old Ski Hill Consensus Committee 6/26/2000
In attendance: Vicki Wenz, Kevin Bader, Cathi Williams, Amy Wilfahrt, Sue Abrahamsen. George Wilkes, Bob Fenwick, Annie Debevec, Philis Anderson, Bill Hansen.
Meeting convened at 7:10 PM at the Cook County Community Center.
Consensus was obtained in praise of the
Consensus obtained on the minutes of the 6/12/2000 meeting.
Consensus obtained on Kevin's letter to business owners with the deletion of the words "a little" and the replacement of the word "significant." Also addition of the committee's web address and the names, phone #'s and email addresses of the committee members.
The date for a presentation by the patterned fen expert was found to be in conflict. Amy will look for another date.
Bill will continue to schedule Chuck Schmidt for a presentation.
Bill will try to locate a web based ariel photo and place it on the website with an overlay of the property ownership.
Bill will contact the International Wolf Center about the mechanics of establishing a Moose Center here.
Bill will look for the conclusions of the Governor's Design Team effort that took place several years ago.
Bill will contact Rebecca Wiinanen for the probable time line on the Soil and Water Conservation watershed study.
The committee refined the list of interests and concerns. Items already covered by consensus, irrelevent, outside the power of the committee, or redundent, were eliminated. All others were sorted loosly into the following categories for the sake of convenience.
Category 1 - Information needed:
Costs associated with development: Law enforcement, school expansion, lighting, street maintenance, etc.
Consult studie re: tax base vs new costs (Annie will inquire to MN Association of Cities).
Careful environmental impact research, especially hydrology.
Investigate plans for private lands to the west to avoid two large developments.
Study Awsumb Proposal
Study operation of the International Wolf Center.
Study costs, savings, economy of scale and available subsidies of connecting to city infrastructures.
Do complete cost/benefit analysis.
Property is platted for city streets on lower part of property. (Annie will look for plat maps).
Are state funds available?
Define and quantify "affordable housing."
Is development economically feasible within constraint of minimal visual change?
Consider implications for Cook County Highway Dept., i.e. Cty Rd 64.
Explore ways to generate income without destroying the reason we live here.
Watershed management plan should be complete before decision is made.
Study ariel photos and overlays developed by and for the EDA.
Category 2: Citizen Comments
Development should be done how community wants it.
Use local labor.
Development more for community and less for tourists.
Establish and International Moose Center.
Don't wnat a lot of building in back yard.
Don't create low paying jobs.
Proper development to supplement tax base.
Consider the 13 points from the EDA's request for proposal.
Hard to recover what once was.
Protect quality of life.
Preserve unique character.
Appearance of land should not detract from beauty. Asthetics are important. Green space is beneficial to all.
Desirable to have large open space near population center.
Housing targeted at all income groups.
Infrastructure is relatively cheap.
Can'[t stop growth, so how to you channel it?
Lots of private land available for development, so why develop public land?
Consider as two different areas, upper and lower - different development appropriate for each.
Money is not everything.
Property taxes are not too high right now.
Place in context of other developments in Cook County.
Traffic safety i.e. horse riders and pedestrians on Old Ski Hill Rd.
Use minimum regret decision making criteria.
Don't scar land.
Keep economy growing
Category 3: Development
20 - 40 acres intensive development on lower 1/3 of property.
Identify buildable/non-buildable designation.
Create affordable, sustainable, low impact housing, with possible state funding.
Protect diversity of residential/seasonal mix.
Development to supplement tax base.
Tastefully done multi-unit affordable housing.
IRRRB finds may be available to connect housing to water/sewer up to 2 million dollars.
Community college, Sea Grant center, or other educational facility.
Observatory.
Restore historic chalet.
Championship golf course overlooking lake.
Snowbard park on south side.
Restrictions on maximum square footage of homes.
Windmill power.
Category 4: Low development
Maintain ski hill road as quiet, residentail lane.
Place land under conservation easement.
Handicapped nature trails.
Study feasibility of ecological center.
Minimal development i.e. non-motorized trails.
Institute of Sustainability - Model facility i.e. eco-lodge demonstrating a new a better way of doing things.
Cluster development to increase tax base and contain development on small percentage of land.
Outdoor concert area for music festival on top of hill.
Nature conservatory.
Category 5: No Development
Maintain area undisturbed for educational purpose.
More appropriate areas available for development.
Land exchange with state of federal lands elsewhere.
No new roads.
Maintain ski hill road as quiet residential lane.
Preserve current physical boundary of town.
Leave it as is - can't improve on marvelous ecological features.
Place under conservation easement.
Category 6: Ecological Concerns
Protect wetlands.
Protect wildlife populations.
Careful ecological impact research, especially hydrology.
Retain natural vegetation.
Preserve patterned fens (wetlands), lowlands and rare plants.
Avoid erosion.
Protect unique bird nesting sites.
Don't scar land.
Meeting was adjourned at 9 P.M.
Next meeting is July 10th at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts Conference Room.
Respectfully submitted, Bill Hansen, Facilitator.