How can the city of Shorewood regain the trust of residents after what transpired with the Watten Ponds development project? One member of council said they have never seen an application brought before council with so many open issues and questions. Another saying they reside on city council on behalf of the residents – inferring not outside influences. The Council bombarded the Planning Director with questions. Each answer led to more questions and increased lack of trust that the Planning Director was neither transparent nor thorough before seeking approval from Council.
Planning Commission Omission. By their own admission the 2040 Comprehensive Plan was never considered before they voted 3-1 to approve the application. This is shocking as the Comprehensive Plan outlines the development rules, municipal codes and ordinances for the city and provides a framework for future planning and development.
Unreliable Data. The Planning Director relied on incorrect Geographical Information System (GIS) maps that did not show surrounding wetlands draining into Lake Minnetonka. Since the proximity of these wetlands are within several hundred feet of Lake Minnetonka and surround the property on multiple sides, intuitively they should have questioned the data and discussed with the city engineer or residents to confirm.
Incorrect GIS Map. For years the City of Shorewood has been paying $40,000 per year to engineering consulting firm Bolton & Menk to administer accurate GIS data. Furthermore, the pipes that allow drainage from these wetlands in question go underneath Eureka Road N. and Birch Bluff – two roads that were recently re-constructed. Why didn’t Bolton & Menk update the GIS data at the time the roads were completed? What else is wrong with Bolton & Menks administering the GIS data for the city? Leaders need this information to make informed decisions.
Legal Intimidation from within City Hall. Why has the Planning Commission and City Council been so concerned with a possible lawsuit from the developer? A city is free to make decisions of what is best for a city and its citizens without the threat of a lawsuit.
The City can use Section 1202 of the Comprehensive Plan which states: “City code requires that applicants comply with the goals and policies of the City of Shorewood’s approved Comprehensive Water Resources Management Plan and the Watershed Rules” to deny an application if it does not comport with the intention of the Comprehensive plan.
EAW Passed by City Council 4-1. City Council did pass the Environmental Assessment (EAW) review by a vote of 4-1 with Mayor Labadie dissenting. The review will take approximately 60 days to complete and the entire issue will be brought back before the City Council once again in the future. At that point, there should be little to no unanswered questions and legal clarity surrounding the Comprehensive Plan enforcement.
Blame Game. There is plenty of blame to go around if you want to play that angle. Developer, planning commission, engineering, legal and planning department. What we now know is the PLANNING PROCESS IS BROKEN and needs to be re-examined. The City Council members called out the issues one at a time and did the right thing. Now it’s up to the City Administration to regain the trust of the public by ensuring it doesn’t happen in this manner in the future.
Listen to residents. There is little doubt that an enormous amount of TRUST in city leadership has been lost by its residents. The most experienced leaders of this administration have little more than 4 years involvement in this city. They don’t live here. It doesn’t mean they don’t care. Time after time we hear from residents who have lived here for 10, 20, and 30+ years who know the areas they live in like the back of their hand. Listen to resident experts – don’t just use us to appease some process.
