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Planners give expertise in Wyoming annexation case |
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Wednesday, 09 April 2008 |
Alice Pickering
Wyoming Area Reporter
Planning consultants offered their expertise, during the annexation hearings last week in the bids by Stacy and Chisago City to annex land from Wyoming Township.
The first to testify was Ciara Schlichting of Bonestroo, Rosene, Anderlink, and Associates, who was called as an expert witness for Chisago City. Schlichting said Chisago City has purposefully planned extra-territorially “proactively considering connections beyond borders.” Its 2002 comprehensive plan included part of the contested annexation plan.
Planning has been beyond the city boundaries, recognizing that roads do not stop at the border but must connect with those in the adjacent city or municipality. The horizon date for these plans appears to be 2015. She emphasized that the land uses and comprehensives plan have been officially adopted by Chisago City.
A main focus for the future is for Chisago City to extend sewer and water mains west from the city down the Highway 8 corridor, along the west side of Green Lake over time. The city is viewing the area west of Green Lake as commercial zoning, south of its intersection with CR-22. There are also plans for mixed income housing types.
East of Green Lake, Chisago City has plans to extend utilities in phases but until that happens, developers are encouraged to use ghost platting, placing houses on lots in anticipation of future utilities extension, she said. Lots can be subdivided when water and sewer is available.
The contested area is high dry ground. It is natural for Chisago City to extend westward into the eastern part of what remains of Wyoming Township, according to Schlichting. An advocate for cities expanding into townships, she proposed that for Wyoming to expand it could look west to the land east of Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area, including Linwood Township in Anoka County.
Chisago City’s plans show various overlays to identify natural resources, open spaces, parks, and wetlands for the future. Schlichting included intrinsic suitability analysis, natural resource inventory; all overlays on the same map. Overlays of the map come together to identify more valuable natural areas and determine best fit for some types of development.
Draft chapters of Wyoming plans for parks and open spaces are just identified, but there is no indication of their significance, by her definitions.
Another concern is the close proximity of homes with individual sewage treatment systems to areas in the city with city utilities. Schlichting observed that growth around the city of Wyoming is driven by the township. She said it is unwise to permit expansion of housing which relies on these systems.
MFRA’s turn
William Weber, McComb, Frank, Rossy, Associates, served as the planning consultant for the city of Wyoming and Wyoming Township. He explained that the annexation petitions from Chisago City, Stacy, and the two Wyomings create a unique situation.
The important things in sound land use are mixed use, civic core with road system and utilities, to work around restrictions. He stressed the importance of a “sense of place instead of undefined suburban carpet.” The goal was to create a comprehensive plan for a new city, with a committee of city and township members working in jointly. Implementation is better because there is grass roots support for it, he said.
Wyoming Township and the city of Wyoming had completed their orderly annexation agreement before he began working with them on the joint comprehensive plan. The latest comprehensive plans for the city and township were used to develop the joint plan. They recognized suburban growth, wanted a variety of housing options, protection of natural resources, and also wanted development.
Weber explained the plan is not adopted, but the land use, roads, and parks sections are 99 percent complete. He is confident the joint comprehensive plan will be adopted.
There were eight objectives, among which to grow in harmony with nature, suburban, increase housing options, improved commercial and industrial development to help with employment, expanded parks, and support a sustainable city.
There is more open land in the contested area than in the rest of the township, he said. Other parcels are smaller, fragmented, and scattered. Outside the contested area there are large areas of wetland. It is more important to Wyoming development now than it is to Chisago City, he said.
Weber explained that with the major sanitary sewer trunk line, Wyoming is situated to expand by adding other lines, and the basic structure is there. All parties acknowledged a need for eventual extension of sewer lines to the Comfort Lake area.
The contested area is important to Wyoming now because it is ready to extend residential development relatively soon, whereas, Chisago City has allocated even the land annexed in 2005 in a holding pattern, he said. “Chisago City has a surplus of developable land for the near horizon,” he said.
There are plans for an extension of Innsbruck Street, east of the Polaris site. It will provide a much needed north-south route in the eastern part of the expanded city. Priority areas for Chisago City growth appear to be development in an orbit around downtown.
Regarding the Stacy area, Weber knows of no time frame for development. The area of Wyoming Township that Stacy proposes to annex is not served by water and sewer now, he said.
Weck’s view
Fred Weck is building inspector for Wyoming Township and the city of Wyoming contracts with the township for its building inspection service. Weck’s testimony related to the safety of septic systems in the township.
His testimony related to the safety of ISTS in the township “If properly installed and maintained, there is no problem with individual sewer treatment systems,” he said
Regulations and compliance in the township related to these systems is more stringent than Chisago County, he added. Failure of these in the township could be about five percent, with MPCA estimates at 27 percent statewide. Out-state there is not the inspection and regulation there is in the township, Weck said.
In Feb 2007, the township established an ordinance to require documented maintenance of ISTS every three years. The township has been divided into three areas with rotating compliance checks in each area. Officials are tracking compliance and response has been good, according to Weck.
He told the court that there is “no immediate need to retrofit ISTS” to require hookup to sewer lines that have not yet been extended.
When available, requiring septic and water mains near lot lines to connect to these utilities as they are extended into neighborhoods can be addressed, he said. Cluster developments in agricultural areas can be smaller and with shorter road frontage, because of the community sewer, he added. Lots are small enough there that there is no need to plan for further subdivision as suggested with ghost platting.
Weck said if orderly annexation is granted for the two Wyomings, care of streets, parks, and other maintenance will continue. Township maintenance employees are to be retained by the city. The two entities have already cooperatively purchased a chipper and generator for joint use. He believes quality of maintenance might be enhanced.
More words
Answering questions from City attorney Chris Hood, Schlichting expressed the opinion that the Wyoming and Wyoming Township comprehensive plan was “prepared in reaction to annexation proceedings.
Administrative Law Judge Steven Mihalchick then asked her if planning is “regionally with neighbors or what you’re going to take?”
Hood also questioned Weber’s recent experience with contested annexations. George Hoff, Stacy attorney, thought Weber “fundamentally misunderstood the Stacy request.”
Weber said the clarifications would not change his planning report. He said it is better for the region that Wyoming and Wyoming Township combine, rather than for the township to be divided. Otherwise Wyoming would be losing about 42 percent of potential households and a lot of variety, he said.
Every community can be strong and viable, he said.
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