[Winona Online Democracy]
Jim, You are correct, Jason Phillips and his partners asked for annexation, but at any time the City could have said "no" this is not a good investment to the City right now, and either wait til an orderly annexation plan catches up to your property or work with the Township. The City has alternatives they could have used regarding running sewer and water to the property, they chose not to work with the township or look at alternatives. It's there way or no way.
The laws are changing and we should see some very drastic change in the way they are set right now. Currently they do favor Cities. This will change because the history of annexation throughout the State shows that Cities have abused there power and "forcibly" annexed property without showing necessity and poor planning, the new laws will force the city to show more responsible growth patterns based on need as well as other factors.
The developer only pays a small portion of what this will cost tax payers. And I mean all taxpayers. It is projected that the Phillips property alone will cost taxpayers over 4.7 million dollars (look at the April 2004 City Council minutes). These projections at the time were based on Phillips developing 180 acres which in part is what the city based a feasibility study on. Which by the way, the cititzens of Wilson have asked for a copy no less then 4 times and have gotten nothing even though it should be public information. These projections, from experts the Citizens for Responsible Community Growth have talked with, are low. Jason's property is going to be down to 60-70 acres of developable land by the time environmental studies are completed. He will pay $17,000 per acre. Do your math. The taxpayers will pay for this development and there will not be a return on the investment in most of the current taxpayers lives.
When I say all tax payers will pay for this I do not use this lightly. Even the people not living in the City will pay for the Phillips development. We will pay State taxes that support highway 43 that intersection will need to be reconstructed. Drive this intersection in high traffic times, It is already becoming an issue. Our taxes support the County and Cty 17 will need to be reconstructed. Our property taxes will increase. The Spring Brook road will become like a highway with the heavy increase use of it through this development and maybe others. Let me ask you this. How would you feel if you bought property in the country, built a house on a quiet road, and then were in threat of it becoming a highway? Let's say the current traffic by your house was about 40 cars a day, and now it becomes several thousand. Do you really believe you would not be fighting this annexation if it were you who lived out this way? Wilson Township unanimously voted to raise taxes this next year to pay legal costs for this fight. This is how strong we feel this annexation is morally and ethically wrong for everyone not just us. Yes it will be costly
to everyone, City and Township. But somewhere along the line the abuse of power by our City has got to be challenged.
I will say this again, forced annexation is about more than sewer and water. The city has pitted one property owner against an entire township. They have chosen to tear a community apart. If sewer and water is their biggest concern, Jason Phillips bought agricultural land. Under this ordinance, he should have one house in 40 acres. One house on forty acres with sewer and well would not affect the environment nearly as much as 3-4 houses per acre even with city sewer and water. He chose to abuse the laws of one governing body by jumping over them to go to the City. Was it his right? What about the rights of Wilson Township.
As for sewer and water pipes being most responsible means to save the environment, there are EXPERTS at the university of Minnesota that will strongly argue that point. If you would like the names, I can give them to you. They came and gave a 3 hour presentation last fall, not one City manager or Council member showed up to hear what they had to say. Also, septic systems today are not the same as septics from 50 years ago. The reliability and safety of these has increased immensely. Just like most things over time, with the knowledge and technology that has been gained over the years, they have improved. Nothing is 100%, a relative of mine had a city sewer back up into her home due to heavy rains. She had $30,000 damage. The irony of it, her household insurance did not cover it because it was considered flood damage, and she was not in a flood zone. Sewers back up all the time, we all know this, they are not fool proof.
Leap frog annexation is wrong for everyone. It is financially irresponsible. A city should grow from it's borders, not 1.5 miles out of its limits. Running pipes out this far is expensive and not the way to grow a community. Annexation should be based on need, there is not need in Winona to do this. Do you know that Wilson Township offered the City at no cost 500 acres anywhere they wanted bordering the City? The City never responded. Now would this have not been good responsible growth financially and constructively?
As far as the sensitve eco-system on the Phillips property and in Spring Brook. I agree 100% with you. Spring Brook should have never been developed. I live here and knowing now what I have learned over the last year, this valley should have been left alone. However, knowing this, I will ask you, do two wrongs make a right? Does putting in a devolopment 8 times the size of Spring Brook on the Phillips property correct this wrong? Does it show increased concern and responsibility to the environment? Do you really believe that sewer and water pipes on the Phillips property are going to negate what 132 houses and the run off from the roads, houses, fertilizers, weed killers and traffic will do to the environment. This is not just about sewer and water lines.
One last thing I would like to do is set the record straight on the Spring Brook development. The City has repeatedly used this developemnt as an arguement to why they feel they need to be the "controllers' of the land. They have repeatly said that Wilson Township showed poor "stewardship" of this land by allowing the development of Spring Brook. To set the record straight. Wilson Township had no say or were never involved in the negotiations or never even asked about the Spring Brook development until the decision was made to allow the developement. The decision was made by Winona County and signed of by the City of Winona.
Janice Turek
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Galewski" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "lbfort" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Online Democracy" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2005 2:49 PM
Subject: [Winona] Forced annexation
[Winona Online Democracy]
Linda/Janice - all
I don't think the city prompted this - your new neighbor, Jason Phillips, no
doubt asked for the annexation.
At one time, every resident of Springbrook taxed the delicate Pleasant
Valley ecosystem by moving out into the country and putting in a private
sewer system. I'm guessing here, but the life of a private sewer system is
about 20 or 30 years. In a perfect world and perfect soil, a sewer system
may last longer.
This is Minnesota and we don't have the best soil. If Phillips were to go
ahead and try to subdivide this property - without annexation - it would
further tax the valley's already abused ecosystem.
Many sewers adjacent the Country Club have failed already. Some leach out
onto the golf course (so I'm told). Unless the sewer backs up, most
homeowners just let it drain out.
Prior to the heroic land conservation efforts of the 1930s, much of the
Pleasant valley watershed flooded. On a scale of one to 10 the soil and the
Watershed scores below five.
What should concern residents of Pleasant Valley more is their fresh water (well water). What will happen when their aquifer can no longer supply palatable water? Most folks have one big asset - their house. When their well water goes bad, a new deeper well will take a large chunk of that asset.
As far as the big bad city goes... There's plenty to dislike about this
annexation-- TreeTops, Springbrook, Valley View Estates and most development
in Pleasant Valley, but don't hang the city out to dry over it.
Fighting responsible development is what will cost the taxpayers. Wilson
Township will be taxing its residents for legal fees and the city will be
doing the same. The Winona Township flap cost the township and city plenty.
The city and the township will defend their righteousness in that fight.
The developer will be paying for the sewer extension. It's a chunk of money,
but at one time we thought the lots in Springbrook were outrageous and
nobody would spend that kind of money. Now look at it.
The traffic on 17, Homer Road and East Burns Valley must be pretty crazy. As
you look at all that traffic, try to imagine that each vehicle represents a
family that probably flushed the toilet four to six times, dumped 50 gallons
of water into a sewer taking a shower and washed a couple loads of laundry
before heading to work.
How many more homes can the valley handle?
I agree, it's time to put a cork on the new sewers going into the valley.
that's what the annexation will do.
Jim Galewski
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