03-23-1998 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Street to 51 will be very dangerous. The traffic is erratic and is fast-moving. Due to the praKimity of the schools, many young drivers travel on Old Crystal Bay Road. The fast speed of the cars, combined with the changing hills and dips and curves, create many blind spots. Further, a possible bike path south of the Luce Line would have a major impact on the property owners' use and enjoyment of their property. My parents home was built in 1909, long before the set-back rules were established. The house is about 50' to 53' from the edge of the roadway. If a bike path is built, not only would near-century old trees have to be removed, but the entire landscaping would have to be redone, due to the changes in top<'graphy. Our neighbors house, the Blair's, is even closer. Mr. McDermott from the Pai k Commission raised two concerns at the March 9 Council meeting about building a bike trail on the west side of Old Crystal Bay Road: the need for retaining walls dong much of the area and the fact that the city already owned easement rights from the French Creek Development. On the east side of Old Crystal Bay Road, not only would retaining walls be needed along more of the area, but Hennepin County owns Noerenberg Park, from the edge of the Carpenter Development to North Shore Drive. A bike path along that side of the street would not be inconsistent with the covenants imposed on the property. The other side of the street from Noerenberg is all private property Further, near the comer of Fox and Old Crystal Bay Road, there is a wetland that drops away from Old Crystal Bay. It would be near impossible to build anything along the roadway at that location. After the meeting, Mr. McDermott mentioned that the stone gates on the west side of Old Crystal Bay Road would be problematic, however, Mr. McDermott failed to realize that there are stone gates on Mr. Art Ellis' property, on the east side of the street. Rather than focusing on all of the problems associated with building any bike path in this area, Mr. McDermott only presented his opinion that a bike path should be built on the east side of Old Crystal Bay Road and, unfortunately, gave an incomplete presentation. Let me be clear — my family opposes any bike path that would be built south of the Luce Line on Old Crystal Bay Road. Talk of the proposed path has caused my parents, who have poured their hearts and souls to rebuild the home of the Stubbs Family, to consider moving. They could not bear to see their home destroyed. Their other option would be to build a very high privacy fence, which is also not desirable. While the impact to my family and the Blairs would be more severe than to other homeowners, we will not allow this issue to divide the neighborhood. We will oppose any bike trail, on either side of the street. My parents purchased property that once belonged to 9m membe^f the Stubbs Family, the Maxwell Family and Newton French. My parents rebuilt — and saved — one of the first homes in the area. While development has occurred all around my family's property, we have tried to be accommodating and neighborly as possible, by agreeing to grant variances for tennis courts, by not complaining about the sewer smell when it was in operation, and by cleaning and restoring a historic home that was once an eyesore. We fe