Oak Bluffs

to create 37

residential lots

Addition needs public hearing

on final plat

By KEVIN SWEENEY

Journal Editor

NEW ULM -- The New Ulm Diocese's Oak Bluffs Fourth Addition sailed through the New Ulm City Council Tuesday night, gaining necessary variances, rezonings and approval of the final plat.

A public hearing on the final plat will be held at the council's March 2 meeting.

The addition will create 37 new residential lots, 33 of them zoned R-1 (single family residences) and four of them R-2 (two family residences).

The residential area is located near North Highland Avenue and Eighth North Street.

The addition will include one outlot that will be deeded to the city for a stormwater holding pond.

Councilor Clark Tuttle raised the question of whom would be responsible for maintenance on the holding pond, which is required by recent federal regulations.

Tuttle asked if there is any thought to making the developer in such projects pay the cost of maintenance before the final approval of the plat.

The city, in its limited history with holding ponds, has taken on 100 percent of the cost of maintaining it, said City Manager Brian Gramentz.

City Attorney Hugh Nierengarten said that there is the possibility of creating a stormwater holding pond district or utility to assess the costs to the benefitting property owners if the costs grow to be too high.

Home business denied

In other business, the council turned down the request of Jill Spence to operate a tanning bed as a business in her home. The New Ulm Planning Commission had recommended denying her request after several of her neighbors complained about the possibility of increased traffic in a neighborhood that already has several home businesses, and which has heavy traffic and street parking during the day due to being close to District 88 Schools and St. Paul's Lutheran School.

Tuttle told the council he is leaning in favor of denying all home business requests in the future. He said a residential neighborhood is supposed to be residential, and people who move into such a neighborhood should be able to expect that it maintain its character.

But after Spence explained that she wouldn't be running both her day care and the tanning bed at the same time, Tuttle seemed to be more supportive. Still, he joined other councilors in voting against the request.

* The council approved the designation of up to $10,000 in funds from its Capital Improvements sinking fund to support a matching grant application by the Ach, Ja, Too! program. The grant, from the State Historical Society, would be used to identify historically significant buildings in downtown New Ulm and develop artists drawings to help encourage property owners to rehabilitate their storefronts.

* The council set a hearing for March 16 to consider sidewalk installations in New Ulm, as recommended by the New Ulm Safety Commission. The designated areas include North Highland Avenue from Fifth to Seventh North Street (east side); South Minnesota Street from 16th to 20th South Street (uncompleted both sides); North Jefferson Street from 17th to 19th North Street (uncompleted east side); 17th North Street from Franklin to Jefferson Street (uncompleted south side); North Franklin from 12th to 13th North Street (uncompleted east side); Ninth South Street from Payne to Jefferson Street (both sides, and 13th South Street from Washington to State Street (uncompleted north side).

* The council adopted a boulevard, tree and shrub policy that would set controls on what kind of trees can be planted on boulevards and how they can be trimmed. The policy is intended primarily to control commercial tree services. The council has noticed cases in the past couple of years where poorly done trimming has badly damaged and topped trees.

The city will post the new policy on its web site and include notices in city utility bills.

* Council President Dan Beranek read a letter from State Auditor Patricia Anderson which praises the city for maintaining its reserve funds within the 35 percent to 50 percent of total budget boundaries that the state auditor's office considers reasonable. Council members aimed a few jabs at the State Auditor, who last year had issued a well-publicized report criticizing most cities and counties for maintaining excessive reserves. "We haven't done anything different, and this year she's patting us on the back," said Mayor Joel Albrecht.

Tuttle opined that since this is an election year, Anderson is being more positive.

* The council approved a compensation adjustment for City Fire Department officials. The last adjustment was in 1999. The fire chief's compensation increases from $400 to $500 a month; the assistant fire chiefs move from $200 to $300 a month, and the fire marshal moves from $100 to $150 a month.