Alice Pickering
Linwood Area Reporter

Development issues were a small, but significant part of the discussion at the Linwood Town Board meeting May 23.

Town Attorney Gerald Randall reported that Linwood Township has been dismissed from a lawsuit the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy is bringing against Richard Killian who is the developer of Shadow Ridge Estates on Ryan Lake Drive.

MCEA wants an injunction against Killian to prevent him from proceeding with the work. According to Randall, the injunction would require a $386,000 bond, but the organization cannot produce the money for the bond and protested.

The group cannot go to a bonding agency, the attorney said. The judge held ground on requiring the bond.

A May 8 injunction was stayed for 30 days. The judge in the case has until August to make a decision in the case.

Xcel report

A compromise has been proposed by Xcel to run a natural gas main into the Boettcher Farm Preserve, but no farther, according to Randall.

The company is willing to do this as long as Steve Strandlund, the project developer, pays the costs. However, the company does not want to do this in other areas in the township.

Randall has been in contact with Robert Vose, an attorney who specializes in utilities issues. The next hearing was scheduled May 25, but there was a change in the agenda and the item was pulled.

Randall should have more information by the next meeting. There are still issues to resolve about this utility dilemma.

Other topics

An amendment for a section of the township subdivision ordinance has been prepared. If accepted it will bring the ordinance into compliance with state statues.

The section relates to metes and bounds conveyance. The amendment is to be sent to the planning and zoning commission for comments.

Lot realignments in Lyons Den in the northern part of the township were presented for another change. Realignment of two lots was approved about two months ago, but the developers wished to present another plan which affects three lots.

With the slight changes proposed, all the easement requirements are fine. One lot will be 6.6 acres, the second 4.4 acres, and the final lot 7 acres. The larger lots have more wetland as a part of the plat.

Buck Broadbent proposed the changes, subject to Engineer Craig Jochumís approval. Frank Kvidera recommended a re-plat, saying it would be simpler in the long run. Randall agreed that conveyance would be simpler in the future, to just identify the lots by a number, and avoid long legal descriptions.

In the end, supervisors approved the lot realignments with Dave Tryon abstaining. Tryon works for the developer. Supervisors Scott Bailey and Mike Parker did not attend the meeting.

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