Commentary; Posted: 11/9/05
Forest Lake annexation bid misguided
By Cliff Buchan
We strongly supported the unification of the former city of Forest Lake and Forest Lake Township. As many will recall, this contested annexation led to all of the township being ordered part of the city following a long process and a series of court rulings.
It wasnít until September of 2001 when the process was finally over. Valuable resources were spent to achieve the merger of the two communities and the planning for one Forest Lake has continued to evolve through a coming together process that never seems to end.
So it is with some bit of concern that we see Forest Lake now setting its expansion view on a chunk of Columbus Township. There are 600 plus acres east of I-35 in the TH-97 corridor that Forest Lake is now proposing to take from Columbus Township.
When some property owners in the area of the township petitioned to the city for annexation, it was easy to see that a fight, a legal fight, would ensue.
The immediate step from Columbus was to petition the state to incorporate as a city. That process was underway when a motion to accept the landownersí petition was defeated on a 2-2 city council vote with Councilman Dick Tschida, one of the property owners, was ruled by the city attorney to not have a vote because of a conflict of interest.
That changed, however, when the city attorney later ruled that Mr. Tschida did not have significant interests in the annexation to prevent him from voting. Tschida most certainly exercised his vote and this time the tally was 3-2 to move forward and begin the annexation process.
The city has asked the state agency in charge of the proceedings to combine its petition with the Columbus incorporation petition for a single hearing. Columbus retaliated this week by going to Anoka County District Court seeking a temporary injunction to block the annexation move by Forest Lake.
The legal steps will only continue.
There is a need for long range planning to be sure. We can understand the point by some in the city that the TH-97 corridor could be best served in the long run by the city and strengthen the cityís tax base.
But it is also easy to understand the desire by township officials to protect its way of life and preserve its fledgling commercial tax base zone. The township is making serious efforts to provide city-type utilities to the east and west sides of the freeway. Gander Mountain and Coates Trailer are in business on the west side of I-35 and next year Crystal-Pierz Marine and the harness track and card club could well be in business.
It is not just the legal expense that Forest Lake and Columbus will incur that is troubling for the future. There is something lacking here in being a good neighbor. While Forest Lake has made no overtures to consolidation plans in Wyoming and Wyoming Township nor to Scandia where incorporation is being studied, some wonder if the city wonít meddle in these communities.
If development pressures are too great in this TH-97 area why canít joint planning and cooperation be an option?
And doesnít the city of Forest Lake have its plate full enough right now? Consider that:
ïThe city is still mired in the Duffy Development housing project for the old District Memorial Hospital site with the likely prospect of a legal battle if the developer is denied permits.
ïThe city continues to see little progress in plans to develop the airport industrial park property west of US-61 and south of TH-97.
ïThe city continues to move slowly with the community center plan that is now tied to the Pratt Headwaters residential and retail plat that will utilize land from the city and property owners to the west of the site. The hope here for the future is promising but community center planning is now in year five and will likely need a successful vote from city residents next year to approve city bonding for the project if it is to be built.
ïConditions still remain fragile between factions of Forest Lake township and city residents who remain suspicious of their leaders with the scabs to the annexation wounds still tender and easily removed.
We would prefer to see Forest Lake step aside and let Columbus Township develop as it sees best. Forest Lakeís long range interests need to be considered but there are plenty of pressing projects on the table now that need attention before city leaders start worrying about what their neighbors in Columbus are doing or not doing.
Forest Lake Times
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880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
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