To all who care about the Blufflands around Winona:
On Monday, Nov. 3, the City Council will be voting to approve or deny a proposal to expand the TreeTops bluffside housing development on Co Rd. 17 in Pleasant Valley.
We need you to take at least one of these 4 actions before Nov. 3:
1) Call one or more city council members and tell them you want the Treetops 2 development proposal denied. (Contact info. at the end of this message).
2) Attend the public hearing on Nov. 3 and explain why you believe bluffland housing developments are bad for Winona
3) Write a brief letter to the editor by Thursday, 10/30, explaining why you believe the TreeTops 2 development on the bluffland is the wrong type of plan for Winona. (See talking points below).
4) Ask two other people (friends, relatives, co-workers) to join you in taking
one of these actions to protect Winona's blufflands from more housing.
Talking Points:
1) On May 19, 2003, the Winona city council unanimously denied approval of a previous proposal for the TreeTops 2 development, because the developer's plan did not meet the requirements of Winona's Sensitive lands Ordinance.
2) In this new proposal, 12 of the 28 lots (43%) still do not comply with the requirements of Winonaâs ordinance designed to protect steep blufflands from this type of development. Only one lot was removed from the proposal denied by the council on 5/19/03.
3) If the variances from the Sensitive Lands Ordinance are granted to permit this project, it will be very difficult to deny approval to other developers who will also want to build homes on the bluffs around Winona.
4) If approved by the city council, this housing development will almost double and extend the current TreeTops homes on the North side of County Road 17 all the way east to St. Mary's cemetery.
5) The TreeTops 2 proposal was approved by the Winona Planning Commission on 10/13/03.
6) The city staff have recommended approval of the TreeTops 2 proposal.
7) Winonaâs Citizens Environmental Quality Committee has recommended denial of the TreeTops 2 proposal, citing numerous lots in the development which do not meet the Natural State Area requirements of Winonaâs ordinance.
8) We like to look up and see trees on the bluffs, not houses, streets and streetlights.
Public Hearing: Winona City Council
Date & Time: Monday, Nov. 3, 2003; 7:30 PM
Place: Winona City Hall; Council Chambers
Subject: TreeTops 2 Preliminary Plat
CITIZENS ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION FOR TREETOPS PHASE II PROPOSAL:
October 10, 2003
The Citizens Environmental Quality Committee (CEQC) has carefully considered the latest proposal for Treetops Phase 2. Our discussion and decision were based on two over-riding considerations: 1) the overwhelming concern of Winonaâs citizens to protect steeper bluffland areas; and 2) the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Ordinance which was enacted out of that concern.
The current proposal for Phase 2 is an improvement over the original proposal, and the developer has clearly made some progress toward meeting the requirements of the ordinance. However, significant problems remain.
Several of the proposed lots, in both blocks, do not meet natural state area requirements.
Several of the proposed transfers of natural state areas from one lot to another are not permitted under the ordinance.
The slopes of several building footprints exceed the maximum allowed for any disturbance to take place.
There is concern about the excavation required for the cul-de-sac in Block 2.
Therefore, the CEQ does not recommend approval of Treetops Phase 2 as submitted
