4300 Watertown - Condemnation Hearing Info

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• Effective January 1, 1975, the Orono City Council increased the minimum lot size in • this area to five acres as a part of a comprehensive zoning overhaul in the city. The ordinance permitted the Council to allow utilization of lots already of record for single family detached dwelling purposes provided that such lots were at least one acre in size and conformed to certain other requirements. At that time, no development had taken place on the Mark One land. It was not until later in 1975 that Respondent purchased the entire Mark One parcel • (Parcel 29). In July 14, 1977, Respondent requested to combine all six lots and one outlot as one parcel under a singe tax identification number for a total acreage of 13.22 acres. Eleven days • after the lots were combined, on July 25, 1977, Respondent applied for a building permit to build his residence. On the building permit application, Respondent averred that the parcel on • which he was building included "all combined lots". Accordingly, the City of Orono calculated the minimum lot size and set back requirements for the structure based on the acreage of the entire Mark One parcel, that is, 13.22 acres. Respondents moved into their newly built home in 1978 and have since farmed Parcel 29 in rotating crops of corn and soybeans. Sometime in 1978, prior to obtaining Green Acres • classification for the farming activity, Respondent had telephone hookups installed on the lots. There has also been some grading work done on the property to prevent the driveway from flooding. Respondents have done nothing else to ready the property for development. • On April 13, 1998, the Hennepin County District Court granted the County's request to take 88,746 square feet (2.04 acres) of Parcel 29 for the improvement of CSAH 6. This strip of property affected only the former Block 1 of the Mark One plat. After the taking, • 2