An organized group of residents has succeeded in delaying the Watten Ponds 2 proposed development by petitioning for an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW).
By now you may have seen signs, petitions and the website for “Keep Shorewood Beautiful.” The grass roots group formed as a result of a proposal for Watten Ponds 2nd Addition. The project was scheduled for a council vote on Feb. 9. However, the group gathered 400 signatures on a petition qualifying them to submit a request for an environmental study to the MN Environmental Quality Board. Once completed, the document will guide future decisions on the project. For now, the petition puts the project on hold.
Next, the city council has 15 days to vote to accept or deny the petition. The vote is scheduled for Feb. 23. Acceptance allows the staff to complete the EAW. A vote to “deny the petition” means written evidence in the petition does not support the need for further environmental review letting the project continue with normal permitting and approval processes.
Here’s where it becomes more fluid. If the request is approved by the council, the typical process to prepare and publish an EAW is roughly 2–3+ months if each step runs on schedule — although in practice, it can take longer depending on complexity, negotiations on data completeness, and local procedures.
Leaders of Keep Shorewood Beautiful successfully mobilized roughly 400 advocates concerned about the Watten Pond woodland. Through this action, they slowed the advancement of the development project with the environmental review process.
Keep Shorewood Beautiful
More about petition for EAW
EAW Guidance
