Abby Nadeau
Staff Writer

A last minute petition has put the Wal-Mart expansion project on hold, for now.

Tom Casey, who was representing the Citizen’s for Responsible Growth in Forest Lake, asked the Forest Lake City Council Monday to table the topic so the group could “catch up.”

Casey said his client(s), who remained unnamed at the meeting, petitioned an environmental assessment worksheet that was sent to the Environmental Quality Board on Friday, April 6.

“[We are] asking that they table the matter to allow for the environmental facts, that pertain to the Wal-Mart land use permits,” Casey said. “We’re not voting in favor for or against the project.”

He said they were asking the topic be tabled so “everyone can learn about the impacts the project will have.”

Wal-Mart Inc., 200 SW 12th St., is looking to expand its current 129,760 square foot building to a 179,373 square foot Wal-Mart SuperCenter.

In order to expand to the north and to the west of the current building, Wal-Mart will occupy five additional parcels equaling roughly 20 acres.

On one of those parcels sits Gold Dusters. Gold Dusters has agreed to a purchase agreement with Wal-Mart Inc. that “is contingent upon approval of Wal-Mart’s re-plat and site plan review.”

Wal-Mart was asking the council to approve its preliminary plat and site plan during Monday night’s meeting, when the topic was tabled.

The citizen’s group is asking for an EAW, as well as a traffic impact study.

Casey introduced Bill Smith, a transportation planner from Biko and Associates in Minneapolis.

After completing a preliminary study of the area, Smith said the expansion would bring an additional 2000 cars a day, which would “just make the [traffic] situation worse.”

He advised the council to hold off on a decision to allow time for a traffic impact study of the expansion.

Susan Steinwall, a lawyer representing Wal-Mart Inc., recognized the city did have 60 days to rule on the original application, but she pointed out that no action meant automatic approval of the original application.

City Attorney Dave Herbert recommended the council to table the topic.

Council member Susan Young agreed, “it would not be responsible to move forward without at least some preliminary information about the area.”

The council voted 4-0 to table the topic, Mayor Stev Stegner abstained from voting. His parents own the Gold Dusters property.

City Administrator Chip Robinson said the EQB has five days to decide if the worksheet is mandatory or discretionary.

If the assessment worksheet is deemed mandatory several studies will be done on the Wal-Mart property including environment and traffic studies.

If it is deemed discretionary, the city has a choice to either follow through with the studies or approve the site plan and preliminary plat without the studies.

The council’s 60 day decision time ends on May 7.

Appointments

Several Forest Lake residents were granted appointments to various commissions and committees.

Janice Ochs, Pat Justice, Mark Petrulo and Julie Bernier were all appointed to the human rights commission.

Petrulo and Bernier will replace Dale Swanson and Jou Kong Thao whose terms expired in 2007. Justice will replace Justin Richert who resigned and Ochs will replace George Bonfe who has missed three meetings, which is in violation of member requirements.

Council member Greg Ochs abstained from voting for his wife, Janice Ochs. She was approved 4-0 by the remaining council members.

Richard Damchik, Craig Andersen, Corbett Johnson, Laurie Drolson and Ronald Orfei were appointed to the new Forest Lake Design Review Committee.

The DRC is being created to help Washington County find a “preferred alternative design” for CR-2/West Broadway corridor. In addition to Forest Lake residents and business owners, the DRC will include city and county staff as well as a consultant.

Other news

The council approved the construction of a temporary pro shop at Castlewood Golf Course, a.k.a “The Rock.”

Jim Trudeau, co-manager of the property, said the current pro shop does not work as a real pro shop for people to look around and shop for items. He said they wanted a shop where children and young adults do not have to go into a bar to get to the shop.

Trudeau said the temporary pro shop would operate at the location for the next four to five years until $50,000 to $60,000 could be found to pay for a new building.

The council then asked Hebert to prepare temporary encroachment documents.

Community Development Director Doug Borglund presented the council with the first phase of the Headwaters Commercial Village.

He asked the council to approve the final plat and planned unit development for three commercial properties.

The motion was approved 4-1, Young voted no.

She said she thought the plan for the commercial properties also included housing plans. She described a situation in which the commercial property was located in the lower level of a building and above it would be residential housing.

The council announced its annual board of equalization meeting planned for Monday, April 30 at 6 p.m.

The board of equalization meeting is held “for the purpose of reviewing and correcting the assessment of said property values for the year 2007.

“All persons considering themselves aggrieved by said assessment, or who wish to complain that the property of another is assessed too low,” are asked to attend the meeting and “show cause for having such assessment corrected.”

The next council meeting is scheduled Monday, April 23.

Top of Page