03-11-24-SWS - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORKSESSION—MARCH 11, 2024 13 Councilmember Holden proposed they have the homeowner take out every other tree and maintain the distance between the trees. Someone has to be able to walk through them, and not become a solid fence. Councilmember Fabel suggested they could give him a certain amount of time to have them all gone. Mayor Grant said they could ask for half out now and half out in five years. Councilmember Holden felt there would be no point in taking care of them for five years only to cut them out. Mayor Grant said they could tell him to move them to the property line. Councilmember Fabel recommended removing 2 out of 3 now and in five years they're all gone. Councilmember Holden was OK with that. Mayor Grant agreed, or he could try to move them now if he wanted. Councilmember Monson asked if that would be an encroachment agreement or just direction that Council is giving to staff. Community Development Jagoe felt the City Attorney would still want an agreement to memorialize the terms. Mayor Grant directed staff to work with the City Attorney on that agreement language. Councilmember Holden felt there should be no encroachment on City property from this point on. Councilmember Rousseau wondered if a flower garden or wood duck house would be considered encroachment. Public Works Director/City Engineer Swearingen said those things would have to be on private property or become an amenity of the City, like Eagle Scout projects. Councilmember Monson said if someone wanted to take out invasive species but put in native flowers for an actual beautification, she would be open to that. The strip of the trail by her is completely left wild and it's awful, she didn't think that was what they wanted to city to look like. She'd like to have PTRC do work on what we would allow for beautification. Councilmember Holden disagreed, there are a lot of trails that are very pristine but lots of people like walking at Hazelnut because it gives them a sense of wildness. She wasn't saying to not do something about the invasive species, but that some people like it more nature like. She thought they should just say no encroaching. Mayor Grant asked if what he was hearing was a zero-tolerance policy.