Who knew there would be runoff from a slope?

Pioneer Press Wed, 20 Feb 2008 22:54:04 -0700
Lilydale's plan for housing on bluff hits snag

The city of Lilydale continues to have an uphill climb with its plan to build multifamily housing on a sliver of Mississippi River bluff land. Citing concerns about the land's steep slopes and storm-water runoff, the Metropolitan Council concluded last week that the city's zoning change from open space to multifamily residential does not conform to the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area program, which is meant to safeguard the river and its environment. "To me, this is a very significant statement that the Met Council has made," said Council Member Marilyn Lundberg, who in August cast the City Council's lone vote to block the sale and development of the 85-acre city-owned parcel along Sibley Memorial Highway. The agency's findings will be forwarded to the Department of Natural Resources, which must review the zoning change because the city lies within the critical area. The DNR will have the final say over whether the plan moves ahead. The city's plan to direct storm-water runoff "will be extremely difficult and potentially inconsistent with the City Code and Local Surface Water Management Plan policies," the Met Council's report concludes.

[[keywords: LandUse;Officials;PropertyTax;Metro;]]