06-28-1999 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Edmund W. F. Rydell 135 Orono Orchard Road N. Minneapolis, MN 55356 (612) 473 0218 June 18, 1999 COUfyjniL MEETING JUN 2 6 1999 Sandra Smith, Vice Chair, Orono Planning Commission 30 Orono Orchard Road North Wayzala, MN 55391 I T Ur UfiUiVu Dear Sandra, I live across from the old sewer property on Orono Orchard Road. I am veiy distressed over what is happening there lately. They are building a huge, ugly berm right up to the edge of the street which is an repulsive eyesore. It is far worse to look at than any of the other offenses which go on at this property, and is bound to have a detrimental effect on our neighborhood and the value of the nearby properties. Onono and Long Lake have long been making an illegal use of this property. This land is zoned residential, and has been plotted into lots. At that time the neighbors were appraised of the proposed lot sizes, and we agreed to accept the lot sizes which were finally proposed. Since then we have received no notification of or chance to react to the illegal uses, which have included the storage of great piles of dirt, road building materials, brush piles, and vast piles of chipped wood. The noise, smell and dirt of the chippers, trucks and traffic have been an irritant which we should not have to put up with. If any of us tried to conduct any of these activities on our residential properties, you would put us out of business very quickly. Yet the cities seem to consider them selves immune to the same laws which govern the rest of us. The truth is, the cities have no right to conduct these kinds of operations on residential land. The berm which they are constructing bears no resemblance to a landscaping berm. It is a straight, flat, monolithic slab. Landscaping berms are not as high as this, and are sculptured and undulating to relieve the monotony so that when they are attractively planted with evergreens and plants, they are not an eyesore. All we can see from our property of that formerly pleasant meadow is this ugly bank, looming up higher than a one-story building. It is an afiront. It should not be difficult to rent or buy space in some remote comer of Orono to conduct these kinds of operations. It certainly should not be done in a residential area, among some of the nicer homes in the city The berms should be removed, the dumping, storing, and brush chipping operations should be terminated, and the land restored to its pastoral quality so that it can be sold into lots as originally approved. An immediate hold should be placed upon any further work until the matter can be properly deliberated. Respectfully,